SDSU, USD, NDSU, and UND men to meet at Sanford Pentagon

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (News Release) – All four Division I men’s basketball programs from the Dakotas will face off against each during a three-day round-robin event at the Sanford Pentagon Dec. 10-12. The CU Mortgage Direct Dakota Showcase features South Dakota State, South Dakota, North Dakota State and North Dakota in a non-conference event.

Midco Sports Network will broadcast all games. A limited number of tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Nov. 23 at ticketmaster.com. Tickets are $20 (all fees included) per game. For information on purchasing suites, contact Derek Sparks at [email protected] or at 605-312-7917.

Masks are required for all spectators and will be available for free at the door. The Sanford Pentagon will work closely with the schools and individual states and be ready to adjust based on guidelines and safety measures for all involved.

South Dakota State is coming off a 22-10 season with a 13-3 record in conference and a share of the regular season title. The Jackrabbits were perfect at Frost Arena, posting a 16-0 home record. SDSU returns almost 90-percent of its scoring from last season, including 2019-20 Summit League Player of the Year, Douglas Wilson (18.6 ppg), Summit League Freshman of the Year, Noah Friedel, and All-Summit League Second Team selection, Matt Dentlinger.

South Dakota welcomes in eight brand new players this season along with A.J. Plitzuweit, Kanon Koster and Brady Heiman who sat out last season due to transfer rules. In addition to preseason first team all-Summit selection Stanley Umude, the Coyotes return four this season. Last season, Umude averaged 16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. USD also reached 20 wins in a season for the third time in the past four years this past season.

The Bison are picked to finish third in The Summit League this season, coming off a 25-8 record and a sweep of the league’s regular season and tournament championships a year ago. NDSU returns three starters in senior Rocky Kreuser and juniors Tyree Eady and Sam Griesel. Kreuser is NDSU’s top returning scorer, averaging 10 points and 6 rebounds per game last year. The Bison also look to introduce an influx of local talent, including sophomore Maleeck Harden-Hayes (Moorhead, MN), freshman Boden Skunberg (Jamestown, ND), and freshman Grant Nelson (Devils Lake, ND).

North Dakota is coming off a run to the championship game of the Summit League Tournament in 2020. The Hawks also had a memorable 75-74 win at Nebraska last season. UND returns Filip Rebraca, a pre-season first-team All-Summit League selection as well as its top returning scorer (14.3 ppg) and rebounder (8.9 rpg). Head coach Paul Sather returns to the Sanford Pentagon where he lead Northern State to the NCAA DII title game in 2018.

SCHEDULE
Dec. 10
5:30 p.m. – South Dakota vs. North Dakota
8 p.m. – South Dakota State vs. North Dakota State

Dec. 11
5:30 p.m. – North Dakota vs. South Dakota State
8 p.m. – North Dakota State vs. South Dakota

Dec. 12
5:30 p.m. – North Dakota State vs. North Dakota
8 p.m. – South Dakota State vs. South Dakota