SPEARFISH, S.D- Black Hills State University head women's basketball coach
Kelly Kruger announced the signing of two student-athletes as part of the 2026 signing class on Wednesday morning which includes Blake Thompson (Mobridge, S.D.) and Jaisie Janssen (Crofton, Neb.). It is the first signing class for Kruger and the two players listed above will play out their senior seasons before joining the Jackets next fall.
Blake Thompson // Guard // 5'7" // Mobridge, S.D. // Mobridge-Pollock H.S.
Thompson was a key piece for Mobridge-Pollock's State A Tournament run in A2 Arena this past spring. She averaged 16.6 points per game during her junior season. She made a huge impact with a +/- of +342 meaning that when she was on the court her team scored 342 points more than the opposing team combined over the season. She was named to the State A All-Tournament team and was a 3
rd Team All-State and All-Conference player her junior year. She shot 41.1 percent from the field and 49.2 percent from inside the arc. Her sophomore year she played in 19 games for Stephen Hettick's team and averaged 16.8 points per game with four steals and three assists per game. She was named All-Conference that year as well. Academically, she was on the National Honor Society. The two-year starter will look to continue her strong career in her senior season and into BHSU. Thompson is the daughter of Deidre and sister of TyRel.
Coach Kruger's Thoughts: " Blake
can play both the point guard and off-guard positions. She has good BB IQ, shoots the 3 well, and can attack the effectively. Good teammate and can defend well in our system."
Jaisie Janssen // Forward/Center // 6'0" // Crofton, Neb. // Crofton H.S.
After not playing basketball in her freshman year, Janssen has put together two strong seasons for Coach Maggie Moon's team. She finished last year with a handful of accolades after securing a double-digit points per game season as a captain en route to leading her team to the C-2 Third-Place finish. She averaged 11.1 points per game, 8.1 rebounds, and one block per game while shooting 52 percent from the field. She was named Mid-State All-Conference First Team, C-2 All-Tournament Team, and C-2 All-State Second Team by the Omaha World Herald. The Norfolk Paper named her All-Area Second Team and the Journal Star named her All-State Honorable Mention. During her first season in prep ball, she averaged 4.4 points per game and 4.3 rebounds per game while helping her team finish runners-up in the state tournament. Outside of basketball, Janssen plays on the Volleyball team and finished her career with just under 900 kills, 815 digs, 250 blocks, and 100 aces. On the academic side, Janssen has been on the honor roll all four years, National Honor Society for two years, and the Student Council for one year. Janssen is the daughter of Michael and Shauna and the sister of Justin, Jaden, and Jared.
Coach Kruger's Thoughts: " Jaisie is an inside/outside threat. She is very athletic, runs the floor well, shoots the 3 and can score effectively inside. She is a good teammate and works hard on her game. Great fit to how we play!"
