Jan. 21—MITCHELL — Over the course of eight games so far this season, several different versions of the Mitchell High School boys basketball has taken the court.

There’s the one that looks like a threat to make yet another state tournament run.

Another appears like a squad headed for the bottom half of Class AA.

Sometimes it’s somewhere in the middle.

What’s even more puzzling is how quickly that dynamic can change for these Kernels. Not just game-to-game, or even quarter-to-quarter, but possession-by-possession.

That’s why, as the campaign rapidly approaches the midway mark, MHS is working diligently to establish some form of consistency in its play.

“We’ve shown flashes of being really good, and we’ve shown flashes of being really bad,” said MHS head coach Ryker Kreutzfeldt. “We need to find some consistency.”

At 5-3 ahead of a Thursday night home date against Tea Area, Mitchell is largely where it expected to be at this point in the season. Yet the Kernels know they could be in an even better position, feeling as though they had opportunities to win all three games they’ve lost.

Here’s a closer look at the good and the bad from the Kernels’ quest for consistency.

With only three players and just one starter from last season’s rotation back in the fold for 2025-26, this year’s Kernels had to get several new faces adjusted to the varsity game in short order.

Early on, Mitchell was relying on senior forward Colton Smith and junior guard Owen Raml to carry a large share of the scoring load. As such, this led to some hot-and-cold stretches on offense, which was a concern among the coaching staff coming into the season.

But in recent games, several Kernels have stepped forward and chipped in on offense. Junior forward Collin Weier is perhaps the best example of this. Challenged by the coaching staff to elevate his game after Mitchell played Harrisburg, Weier went from scoring 26 total points over the first five games to scoring 34 points over the past three.

“I had to take on a much bigger role this year and had some confidence issues early,” Weier said. “But I’ve built some confidence and got it going more lately, and I feel like that’s for a lot of my teammates, too.”

Alongside Weier and Raml, fellow first-time starters Kendan Skinner and Lincoln Bottum have looked more comfortable in recent contests. Further, Owen Schelske has emerged as a go-to frontcourt option off the bench.

“The more comfortable we are, the better we’re going to be, but there’s also no more excuses at this point,” Kreutzfeldt said. “We’ve played eight games and practiced for about a month and a half. It’s time to really start playing.”

In all three losses to date, Mitchell had its moments of control. The Kernels led by double figures in the second half against Watertown before falling in overtime. They largely outworked Jonesboro (Ga.) in the Hoop City Classic, but a poor eight-minute stretch between the second and third quarters were their undoing. At Sioux Falls Roosevelt, they couldn’t sustain a hot start.

“Every loss we’ve had, it’s been the same reason: Just sloppy ball because sometimes we feel the need to get so sped up,” Colton Smith said. “In our wins, we’ve played slow and made teams play how we want to play, but that’s the biggest thing we’ve been struggling with is being able to stay steady. … We have not played a full 32 minutes yet.”

That includes the Kernels’ wins. Just since the start of the calendar year, there was the miracle comeback against Harrisburg and a disastrous third quarter at winless Brookings.

“We’ve kind of had trouble with doing what we’re good at, so we need to get better at being ourselves,” Collin Weier said. “I think it starts with building a little more chemistry and really knowing what we’re all doing at what time.”

Kreutzfeldt and players alike have identified the defensive end of the floor as perhaps Mitchell’s greatest collective strength this season. To that point, the Kernels have been among Class AA’s best, allowing 53 points per game.

However, there’s one element of play at that end of the floor that could use improvement: Fouls.

Part of what made Mitchell’s defenses so formidable in recent seasons was the ability to guard without fouling. This year’s Kernels are averaging 15.4 total fouls per game, more than a foul per game more than in any of Kreutzfeldt’s previous four seasons in charge, which ranged from 12.4 to 14.3 fouls per contest.

The impact that fouling has on shrinking Mitchell’s margin for error is two-fold, according to Kreutzfeldt. First, and most obviously, the Kernels are giving up nearly eight points per game at the free-throw line, and it would be more if not for opponents shooting a dismal 49.2% from the stripe so far. But beyond that, Mitchell’s top scorers have frequently been among those spending time on the bench battling foul trouble, hindering the Kernels’ offensive output.

“It’s a problem, and it’s not,” Kreutzfeldt said. “You want guys to be physical, but then you also have to adjust to the officials and play smart. … We’ve got to be better.”

Mitchell, which is No. 6 in the Class AA seed-point standings as of Jan. 19, is in the midst of its most challenging stretch of the season. The Kernels have recently played No. 8 Harrisburg and No. 2 Roosevelt, and have upcoming contests against No. 4 Tea Area, No. 7 Huron and No. 1 Sioux Falls Lincoln.

Also still on the slate are No. 11 Sioux Falls Jefferson, No. 5 Spearfish, No. 10 Brandon Valley and No. 9 O’Gorman — all teams Mitchell is expecting to battle for SoDak 16 seeding. It’s a loaded second-half schedule, but one that could help the Kernels solidify a top-six position with a few strong showings.

“I feel good about where we’re at,” Colton Smith said. “We’ve lost a couple games, and no one (outside the program) has said anything because I guess that’s what they’re expecting. But at practice the next day, we’re all mad and kicking ourselves because we think we should be winning.”

“It’s definitely going to be a tough stretch,” Smith added, “but I think we’re ready for it because we feel like we have nothing to lose.”

With that mindset, the Kernels feel that their major goals are all still in front of them, especially if they stabilize after the roller coaster ride they’ve been on so far this season.

“This is a team that can play with anybody and beat a lot of people,” Kreutzfeldt said. “… I don’t put many other teams as head and shoulders above us at our best.”