The 2026 Lions All-Star basketball rosters have been announced.
The A/B teams feature two local players: Four Winds/Minnewaukan’s Marial Deng and Benson County’s Aubrey Kenner.
The annual event unites the top senior basketball players in North Dakota. The top Division A and Division B players combine to form a team, and they play two games against the top Division AA players. The first game will be held July 8 in Bismarck; the second will be held July 9 in Fargo.
Players like Deng Deng, Wylee Delorme, Dane Hagler, Parker Brodina, Joel Nelson and Torri Fee have participated in the series over the last couple of years. Devils Lake boys head coach Dustin Brodina coached the A/B team each of the last two summers. Devils Lake girls coach Justin Klein coached the A/B girls in 2024.
This year, the A/B boys will be coached by Brandon Schirado, from state champion Beulah, along with Michael Bergstrom of Ray.
Deng and Grafton’s Brody Lillemoen — who shared Region 2 Senior Athlete of the Year honors — are both on the roster. They are the only representatives of Region 2. Both were named to the all-state first team by the North Dakota High School Coaches Association.
These are Deng’s final competitive basketball games before he joins the University of North Dakota football program. He completed his high school career with a fifth-place finish in FW/M’s first trip to a Division A state tournament.
The A/B girls will be coached by Valley City’s two-time defending state champion coach Jimmy Howard, along with Division B champion coach Ben Holen of LaMoure-Litchville/Marion.
Kenner makes the team after being named the NDHSCA POWERade Outstanding Senior Athlete for Division B. She led Benson County to a state championship as a junior and a third-place state finish as a senior. She is the all-time leading scorer in Benson County history.
While no Devils Lake players made the primary rosters, Presley Brown was named one of seven alternates for the A/B girls.
Thompson’s Addison Sage and Kya Hurst represent Region 2 on the main roster.
Last year, the A/B boys lost both games to the AA team, while the girls split their two games.
A/B boys
Brody Lillemoen (Grafton)
Marial Deng (Four Winds/Minnewaukan)
Brayden Steffens (Wahpeton)
Jaxon Reese (Killdeer)
RaeShaun Earl (Hankinson)
Braylen Schirado (Beulah)
Hunter Tolstad (Westhope/Newburg)
Gage Hofmann (Medina-Pingree/Buchanan)
Carson Quam (Shiloh Christian)
Aiden Hanson (Central McLean)
Teigen Earsley (Wilton/Wing)
Sage Hanson (TGU)
Alternates
Parker Johnson (Washburn)
Miken Mattson (Valley City)
Cameron Cordero (Lisbon)
Reggie Rice (Grafton)
Coaches
Brandon Schirado (Beulah)
Michael Bergstrom (Ray)
A/B girls
Annabel Scheeler (Dickinson Trinity)
Liza Trenbeath (Kindred)
Cara Schlehr (Garrison)
Addison Sage (Thompson)
Emma Jones (Glenburn)
Aubrey Kenner (Benson County)
Taya Aufforth (Kenmare/Bowbells)
Kya Hurst (Thompson)
Aubree Jeanotte (Turtle Mountain)
Cheryl Hayes (Tioga)
Skotti Beck (South Prairie-Max)
Elizabeth Pinke (Hatton/Northwood)
Alternates
Taylor Zimmerman (Kidder County)
Nora Delabarre (LaMoure-Litchville/Marion)
Kelsey Johnson (Griggs/Midkota)
Jada Ottmar (Grant County/Mott-Regent)
Presley Brown (Devils Lake)
Brianna Rose (South Prairie-Max)
Emberlyn Poitra (Turtle Mountain)
Coaches
Ben Holen (LaMoure-Litchville/Marion)
Jimmy Howard (Valley City)
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