SPEARFISH, S.D. – The Black Hills State University men's basketball program and head coach
Ryan Thompson announced the 2025 signing class on Friday afternoon with the addition of five new Yellow Jackets. The incoming class will consist of four transfers, Padraig Gallagher (Dyersville, Iowa/Northwest Missouri State), Jefferson Neary (Gillette, Wyo./Gillette College), Willie Patterson III (Tampa, Fla./Ellsworth Community College), and Jackson Seale (McKinney, Texas/Eastern Washington), as well as one true freshman Benson Kieffer (Rapid City, S.D./Rapid City Christian H.S.).
"Our coaching staff is thrilled to add these five student-athletes to our program," stated Thompson. "With the group we have returning from last year's team, we understood the importance of adding the right pieces to complement the core group of returners we have coming back. With this class we added experience, size, toughness and shooting while hitting on the right type of people that will impact our culture in a positive manner."
Padraig Gallagher // Guard/Forward // 6' 5" // 205 lbs // Dyersville, Iowa // Beckman Catholic H.S. // Northwest Missouri State
Gallagher will join the Yellow Jackets as a redshirt sophomore next winter, following two seasons at perennial NCAA Division II power Northwest Missouri State University. Recruited to Maryville by Ben McCollum, the 2025 recipient of the Joe B. Hall National Coach of the Year award for the top first-time head coach in NCAA Division I men's basketball, Gallagher redshirted the 2023-24 season before playing in 24 games and making five starts in 2024-25. In an average of 17.8 minutes per game he provided 5.0 points and 2.1 rebounds per game for the Bearcats this past season, while shooting the ball 39.8 percent from the field and 80.0 percent from the free throw line. He reached double figures on four occasions, scoring a career-high of 12 points twice against Rogers State and UCCS. Additionally, in the battle against the Mountain Lions he knocked down a career-high four 3-pointers and grabbed a career-best five rebounds. In one other outing against Southwest Minnesota State, he was able to match his five board output. Prior to making the trip to The Show-Me State, the Dyersville, Iowa, native became just the fourth player in Beckman Catholic High School history to eclipse 1,000 career points as he scored all but two of his 1,320 career points in three seasons to rank second in Trailblazer history. His final time playing in the green and gold was as a part of the 2023 IBCA Pizza Ranch All-Star Game as a part of the Northeast team and earning all-tournament recognition. He closed his prep career as the 2023 Class 2A Player of the Year by the Iowa Basketball Coaches Association and the 2023 Dubuque Telegraph-Herald Player of the Year after averaging 22.0 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game while shooting the ball 52 percent from the field, 44 percent from 3-point range, and 88 percent from the free throw line. The stellar senior campaign helped lift the Trailblazers to their first outright league title in school history, winning the River Valley North. It was his second consecutive year of averaging 20 or more points as he averaged 20.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 51 percent from the field, 42 percent from beyond the arc, and 86 percent from the charity stripe as a junior. He helped lead Beckman Catholic to their first IHSAA Class 2A State Tournament appearance in 14 years as a sophomore in 2021, averaging 13.6 points and 5.5 rebounds on 50 percent shooting from the field, 43 percent shooting from 3-point range, and 75 percent shooting from the free throw line. Gallagher was the first-ever 3-time all-state selection in BCHS history, earning First Team All-State honors in 2023 after being named Second Team All-State in 2021 and 2022 by the Iowa Print Sports Writers Association. Along with being named the 2022 WaMac Player of the Year, he was also a 2-time unanimous first team all-conference selection, earning the honors in the RVC North in 2023 and WaMac in 2022, he also earned second team all-conference honors in the WaMac in 2021. Gallagher twice was named to all-substate teams, earning IBCA All-Substate 4 honors in 2023 and All-Substate 5 honors in 2022. Lastly, adding to his stacked prep resume, he collected First Team All-Area recognition by the Telegraph-Herald in 2022 and was Second Team All-Area in 2021. In addition to holding the single season school record of 78 made 3-pointers in 2022-23, he also holds the BCHS single game records for points and 3-pointers in a game, pouring in 45 points on 15-of-20 shooting from the field and 8-of-9 from beyond the arc against Wilton on January 30, 2023. He also played on the AAU circuit for the Martin Brothers program. Padraig is the son of John and Beth Gallagher, and has five siblings, Mary, Erin, Shannon, Colleen, and Katie. His sister Colleen played collegiate soccer at the NCAA Division I level at the University of Northern Iowa.
Coach Thompson's Thoughts: "Paddy is a kid that we liked a lot out of high school. He went on to play for the top NCAA D2 program in the country with NW Missouri State. Paddy is an elite shooter that can really fill it up from beyond the 3-point line. More importantly, he is hard-nosed and values team culture. His toughness, desire to be pushed, and ability to play within structure make him an ideal fit for our program."
Benson Kieffer // Guard // 5' 10" // 165 lbs // Rapid City, South Dakota // Rapid City Christian H.S.
The lone true freshman joining the Yellow Jackets next winter is a face that will be familiar to BHSU fans as Kieffer makes the short drive up the road to Spearfish from Rapid City. The Rapid City Christian High School standout, and one of the top basketball athletes in the state, closed his prep career as a South Dakota Mr. Basketball finalist and was the Rapid City Journal's Best of the West MVP in 2025 after leading the Comets to their second consecutive SDHSAA Class A State Tournament appearance. During the 2024-25 season Kieffer shot the ball at a 40.6 percent clip from beyond the arc as he poured in 18.9 points per game, while also dishing out 4.7 assists and grabbing 4.5 rebounds per game en route to a third place finish at state. A year prior, he averaged 16.7 points, 4.2 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game as he guided RCCHS to their first state tournament appearance since 2003 as the team finished fourth in Class A. Earning all-tournament honors In both of the state tournament appearances, he scored in double figures in five of his six games, including two 20-point performances and added a double-double as he scored 29 points and added ten boards against Dakota Valley in 2024. As a 1,000-point scorer, he averaged more than 15.0 points and 4.0 assists per game in his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons, and added more than 4.0 rebounds per game in each of his final two seasons for the navy blue and gold ending his prep career by averaging 13.4 points, 3.7 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game. He was a 2-time SDHSAA All-State selection in Class A, securing first team honors in 2025 and a third team selection in 2024. Kieffer was 4-time All-Black Hills Conference selection in 2025, 2024, 2023, and 2022. Competing against the top players from all three class sizes of prep basketball in The Mount Rushmore State, he scored in double figures (10 points) in the South Dakota Basketball Coaches Association High School All-Star Game at the Sanford Pentagon in 2025. He also played on the AAU circuit for the Sanford Sports Academy. Benson is the son of Joe and Elizabeth Kieffer and has three siblings, Olivia, Sully, and Finn. His father Joe was a multi-sport athlete, playing both basketball and baseball at Augustana University while his mother Elizabeth ran cross country and track for the Vikings. His sister Olivia currently plays basketball at the University of South Dakota.
Coach Thompson's Thoughts: "Benson is a kid we have seen grow over the years. He had a phenomenal senior season with his ability to score at all three levels to go along with his quickness and toughness on the defensive end. His fearless approach to the game caught our eye, and we believe he can really develop within our program."
Jefferson Neary // Guard // 6' 3" // 185 lbs // Gillette, Wyoming // Campbell County H.S. // Gillette College
Neary will be entering the Yellow Jacket program as a redshirt junior after playing two years for his father, Shawn Neary, at Gillette College. He closed his career at GC with a school record 274 assists, averaging 4.6 per game as he played in 59 games. Also, during those 59 games he made 53 starts, averaging 9.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.6 steals per game as he shot the ball 49.0 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from 3-point range. The Pronghorn point guard had been one of the top at his position in the NJCAA this past season as he ranked tenth nationally with 6.0 assists per game and was 28
th in the country with a 3.7 assist/turnover ratio in 2024-25. He added 10.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.9 steals per game as a sophomore to help lead Gillette to a 29-4 record and a Region IX North championship, while earning Third Team All-Region IX and Region IX All-Tournament Team honors. Neary dished out a program record 14 assists in a dominant early season win over Carroll College JV on November 15, 2024. Prior to becoming the first signee with the return of basketball at Gillette, he redshirted during his lone season at Williston College in 2021-22. Neary was a part of the 2018 Class 4A state championship at Campbell County High School, helping set the tone for his prep career. As a Camel he broke the school record for most 3-pointers in a single game, draining 11 in a match-up with Xaverian (N.Y.) while CCHS made 21 total as a team. He ranked top-10 in Wyoming's Class 4A in made 3-pointers in each of his final two seasons, ranking fourth in 2019-20 (57) and eighth in 2020-21 (30). Additionally, he was one of the state's top assist leaders, ranking third in 2020-21 with 4.7 per game. Neary averaged double figure points per game each of his final three seasons, closing his prep career with an average of 12.5 points per game as a senior to go along with 5.4 rebounds per game. He was a 2-time Class 4A East All-Conference selection in 2020 and 2021, and was a Class 4A All-State selection in 2021. His final game representing Campbell County High School was in the Montana-Wyoming All-Star Game where he scored 16 points as he connected on four shots from beyond the arc. Jefferson is the son of Shawn and Ann Neary, and has three siblings Tyler, Abi, and Kaylie. His father Shawn has accumulated more than 500 career wins as the head coach at Miles Community College and Gillette College, averaging nearly 24 wins a year and a winning percentage of 75 percent.
Coach Thompson's Thoughts: "Jeff is a natural leader that is an absolute floor general with incredible playmaking ability. He makes everyone around him better with his court vision and basketball IQ. We love that Jeff is highly competitive and has a growth mindset. We look forward to the impact Jefferson will have on the court and in our locker room."
Willie Patterson III // Forward // 6' 5" // 235 lbs // Tampa, Florida // Oldsmar Christian School // Ellsworth Community College
Patterson is set to join the Yellow Jackets as a redshirt junior next winter, following one season at Ellsworth Community College and two years at Francis Marion University. During the 2024-25 year he helped the Panthers to their third consecutive 20-win season with a 20-12 record, and a trip to the semifinals of the NJCAA Region 11 Tournament, as he averaged 12.8 points and 6.1 rebounds per game while shooting the ball 45.3 percent from the field and 71.7 percent from the free throw line. Under the direction of head coach Bryan Bender, he scored in double figures in eight games, and on three occasions scored 20 or more points. He set a new career-high of 26 points against Des Moines Area Community College on February 8, 2025, as he shot the ball 8-of-11 from the field and 9-of-11 from the charity stripe. He also was able to grab seven or more rebounds in eight games and once recorded double digits as he set a career-high of 16 rebounds against Iowa Western Community College in an 85-78 win on February 5, 2025. The win against the Reivers was his lone double-double of the year as he added 22 points to go along with his 16 rebounds. He closed his ECC career by receiving ICCAC Division II Honorable Mention All-Region honors. Prior to making the trip to the Midwest, he played in 26 games while making one start during his redshirt freshman season at FMU in Florance, South Carolina. While averaging 11.1 minutes for the Patriots he recorded 4.3 points and 1.8 rebounds per game as he shot the ball 35.4 percent from the field and 73.2 percent from the free throw line. He was able to score in double figures in five games, which was highlighted by a season-best of 17 points in a 100-93 win at Emory & Henry on November 11, 2023, in what was his first game of his collegiate career. He shot 5-of-11 from the field and 7-of-8 from the charity stripe in his debut against the Wasps. In his first season on the court at Francis Marion he grabbed four or more rebounds six times and set a season-best of six in a November 15, 2023, win (123-114) at Coker. He redshirted the 2022-23 season as a freshman at FMU. As a prep standout he was a team captain for head coach Jordan Fair at Oldsmar Christian School, where he averaged 17.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game as a senior and earned first team all-conference honors in the Sunshine Independent Athletic Association. He helped guide the Eagles to a 16-9 record in 2021-22, which included four wins over nationally-ranked teams. Willie is the son of Willie Patterson II and Katrina Mingo, and has four siblings, Jenifer and Kadecia Mingo, Javaris Patterson, and Henry Butter.
Coach Thompson's Thoughts: "Willie is a complete basketball player with his ability to score inside and outside, rebound and defend at a high level. His versatility is a perfect fit for our program. In addition, we love his toughness and edge. We felt we needed to add toughness and physicality to our team and feel Willie fills that need perfectly."
Jackson Seale // Forward // 6' 10" // 230 lbs // McKinney, Texas // McKinney H.S. // Eastern Washington
Entering the program as a redshirt sophomore, Seale comes to Spearfish after redshirting his freshman season for the 2023-24 Big Sky champions of Eastern Washing University, and then appearing in 18 games for the Eagles in 2024-25. He averaged 1.8 points and 0.9 rebounds per game this past season. He posted career-highs of 11 points and five rebounds as EWU defeated Lincoln (Calif.) in a December 21, 2024, match-up. He concluded his time in Cheney with a selection to the Winter Big Sky All-Academic Team in 2025. Prior to venturing to the Pacific Northwest, Seale was a prep standout in the Lone Star State at McKinney High School for head coach Wes Watson, helping the Lions to an 82-22 record and a pair of district titles (2022 & 2021) during his three years as a starter. The 2022 squad advanced to the UIL State Tournament for just the second time in school history, reaching the title game against Duncanville, and were later named state champions after DHS forfeited. He was a 2-time all-conference selection, earning First Team All-UIL District 5-6A in 2023 and 2022. Additionally, he was named UIL District 5-6A All-Academic in 2023 for his work in the classroom. He also played on the AAU circuit with the Max Levels Elite program. Jackson is the son of Jake and Kristan Seale and has two siblings Wyatt and Bo.
Coach Thompson's Thoughts: "Jackson is a true stretch five man. He has a great shooting stroke along with a skill set that really fits our style of play. His basketball IQ, passing, touch in the paint, and shooting range combined with his size will be a match-up nightmare for our opponents."
