GROTON – Two years ago, Groton was thrilled to be in the state tournament after a two-decade absence.

While that excitement didn’t exactly backfire, it didn’t have a propelling force for the Tigers, either.

Groton is back in the Class A State Boys’ Basketball Tournament this year and, while no less thrilled to be there, the Tigers are approaching this year’s tournament with a bit more focus.

“It’s a good feeling,” said Groton coach Brian Dolan. “We’re obviously excited to go, but not happy just to be there.”

Groton finished seventh in that 2022 appearance, and Dolan noted that his squad was maybe “not as prepared as we usually were in the game to start that tournament.”

The Tigers enter this year’s tournament as the No. 7 seed with a 19-4 record. All four of their losses came to teams that are in the tournament, including a season-opening setback to Hamlin, Groton’s opening round opponent at 6 p.m. (MDT) Thursday at Summit Arena at the Monument in Rapid City.

However, Dolan said both Hamlin and Groton will have different looks when they meet on Thursday. Groton, specifically, had two new starters in its lineup back in December in sophomores Ryder Johnson and Keegan Tracy.

“Our sophomores have come a long way since then,” he said.

The Tigers ended the season averaging around 67 points per game on offense, and Dolan said his team plays best when the ball doesn’t touch the floor. He pointed out a recent game against Warner when the Tigers had fewer than 10 scoring possessions that did not also include an assist.

“When we’re connected, we’re good,” he said.

Groton’s defensive strategy includes a full-court press, but it’s not always for tempo-related reasons.

“We press the whole game, but sometimes that can be misconstrued as trying to speed someone up,” Dolan said. “We do that sometimes, but we also use it to slow someone down and make them use some shot clock before they get to the half court.”

Groton is led by seniors Lane Tietz (21.2 points per game) and Jacob Zak (13.7 ppg), whom Dolan dubbed as the team’s “1a and 1b leaders.” But, he added, there is an aura of trust that permeates his squad from the top down.

“(Tietz and Zak) trust their younger teammates,” he said. “That shows you the hard work everybody has put in. We can put four guys in double figures on any night. … Our biggest thing is playing connected, so if someone is open, we’re going to give them the ball and trust they can score.”

While the Tigers enter the tournament as a seven-seed, Dolan says his squad believes it has the talent and motivation to be successful.

“We know we’re good enough to play with anybody there,” he said.