Men turn attention to Peru State

GAME 2: South Dakota State (1-0) vs. Peru State (1-1)

When	Thursday, Nov. 7 \| 7 p.m.
Where	Frost Arena \| Brookings, S.D.
Live Audio / Radio	Jackrabbits All-Access \| Jackrabbit Sports Network I WNAX 570 AM \| Tyler Merriam
Live Video	Jackrabbits All-Access \| Tyler Merriam
Live Stats	GoJacksLive.com
Game Notes	South Dakota State
Social Media	Twitter I Facebook
Tickets	JackrabbitTickets.com

Previewing the Game
South Dakota State men's basketball welcomes Peru State to Frost Arena Thursday night to wrap up a two-game homestand. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.

The Jackrabbits are the two-time defending Summit League regular season champions under the direction of first-year head coach, Eric Henderson. Henderson and the Jackrabbits began a new era Tuesday with a 70-57 season-opening win over UT Rio Grande Valley.

Peru State is coming off a trip to the NAIA National Tournament a year ago and is tabbed fourth in the Heart of America preseason polls. Ranked 25th in the national coaches poll, the Bobcats won 23 games a year ago and feature seven returners on the 2019-20 roster.

This is the second all-time meeting between the programs, with the previous matchup coming Dec. 28, 1948. The Bobcats won that game, 50-39. Thursday's game is an exhibition for Peru State.

Last Time Out
South Dakota State men's basketball opened its season with a 70-57 victory Thursday night at Frost Arena, ringing in a new era of Jackrabbit basketball in successful fashion.

Three Jackrabbits reached double figures in the win, led by Douglas Wilson's 24 points on 10-of-13 shooting. Matt Dentlinger turned in a 17-point, 14-rebound effort for his first-career double-double, and Brandon Key added 15 points alongside six assists.

Alex Arians added 10 rebounds for a team that was plus-12 on the boards, converting 10 offensive rebounds into 16 second-chance points.

South Dakota State started fast, building a 19-6 lead in the opening nine minutes thanks to a burst of nine unanswered (and a 17-4 run overall) that started with a Brandon Key layup at 17:10.

A stout defensive effort helped the Jackrabbits withstand a nearly four-minute field goal drought that began shortly after the media-break, and with 6:46 on the clock a Dentlinger 3-pointer sent SDSU on another 9-0 scoring burst.

Up 32-15 at that point, the Jackrabbits saw UTRGV string together a rally of its own the rest of the half, but still led at the break, 35-32.

South Dakota State gave UTRGV a steady dose of Wilson early in the second half. The Kirkwood Community College transfer put up a trio of highlight-reel dunks (with two alley-oops from Key) and scored 13 points in the first seven minutes of the half, and the Jacks built their lead back to double figures (50-40).

The teams traded punches the rest of the way, but SDSU's advantage held up as Henderson and the Jackrabbits claimed the win in his head coaching debut.

About South Dakota State
First-year head coach Eric Henderson steps into a new role in 2019-20, but has been on the bench as an assistant for the last three years. The Jacks compiled a 70-33 overall record, including a 35-11 mark in Summit League play during that time. SDSU made postseason appearances each season, starting with back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2017 and 2018, followed by an NIT bid in 2019 after winning the Summit League regular season title for the second year in a row.

Alex Arians steps into a leadership role in his sophomore season, appearing in all 33 games a year ago while averaging 6.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per contest. Arians started all but two Summit League contests last year and tallied eight double-figure scoring performances with two double-doubles.

Brandon Key, who did not play last season, returns to the Jackrabbits as a senior for the upcoming campaign. Key appeared in 34 games in 2017-18 and dished a team-high 112 assists while scoring 6.3 points per game.

Owen King joins Arians as a seasoned sophomore on this year's squad, appearing in all 33 games last season with averages of 4.1 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists over 16.7 minutes per game. King tallied three or more assists in 14 contests and had three double-digit scoring performances.

Matt Dentlinger appeared in 32 contests for the Jackrabbits last year, averaging 2.8 points and 2.7 rebounds in 12.1 minutes per appearance.

Alou Dillon made 18 appearances with a pair of starts in 2018-19, pulling down 24 total boards to go with a 1.8 scoring average.

Beau Brown returns for his senior season after appearing in eight games a year ago. Brown averaged 0.9 points per contest and had three rebounds.

Matt Mims and Aaron Fiegen redshirted last year and will make their collegiate debuts in 2019-20. Fiegen was a two-time, Class A First Team All-State honoree and was a finalist for the KELOLAND/Sanford Pentagon High School Player of the Year in 2018. Mims was named the 2018 IBCA State Class 3A Player of the Year from Xavier High School. He was a two-time, First Team All-State and All-Conference selection in his career and won the 2016 and 2017 state tournaments with his program.

Three transfers and a pair of true freshmen are newcomers to the Jackrabbit roster.

Douglas Wilson is a two-time NJCAA All-American and the 2018-19 NJCAA Player of the Year, helping his team to this year's national championship. Wilson averaged 21 points and 8.7 rebounds per game as a sophomore at Kirkwood Community College, shooting 67 percent from the field with 11 double-doubles.

Tray Buchanan committed to the Jackrabbits in early April after spending a season at Des Moines Area Community College. Buchanan earned NJCAA Third Team All-American honors in 2018-19, averaging 19.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game at DMACC. He shot 45 percent from the field with 77 3-pointers, reaching double figures in 28 games.

David Wingett joined the Jackrabbit squad in late May as a transfer from Memphis. Wingett played in four November contests for the Tigers before suffering a season-ending injury. He spent a year of post-graduate ball at Bull City Prep Academy, averaging 25.8 points. 6.3 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. The Winnebago, Nebraska product scored over 2,200 points in his high school career, leaving Nebraska as one of the top prep-scorers, all-time. He received a waiver from the NCAA in October and is immediately eligible for the 2019-20 season.

Noah Freidel averaged 22.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.2 steals per game for the Tea Titans as a senior, earning Class A All-State First Team honors while being named the 2019 Argus Leader Player of the Year. He helped his team to Class A State Tournament titles in 2017 and 2019 and left high school as the program's all-time leading scorer.

Baylor Scheierman is a two-time Class B All-State, All-Area and All-Conference selection from Aurora, Nebraska, and as a senior averaged 22.1 points, 9.8 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game while helping his team to a state tournament berth. Scheierman also won the Nebraska State Class C1 State Football Championship, throwing for nearly 4,000 yards with 59 passing touchdowns in 2018.

The Jackrabbits were the Summit League's top offense a year ago, averaging 84.5 points per game while shooting 50.1 percent as a team from the field.

SDSU hit 327 3-pointers and saw nine (out of 10 active players) shoot better than 46 percent from the field.

The Jacks were plus-4.7 in rebound margin and snagged 38.2 rebounds per game.

About Peru State
Deonte McReynolds averaged 6.7 points and 2.5 rebounds per game and will lead the back court, while Isaac Simpson (2.9 points per game, 1.4 rebounds per game) and Noah Vasa (4.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg in 2017-18) lead the front court returners. Vasa has 18 rebounds through two games, while Nick Brannon is close behind at 7.5 rebounds per contest.

Through two games on the offensive end, top scorers for the Bobcats are Kendrick Robinson and Devon Colley (both at 14 ppg) and Henry Tanklsey, who has a 13.6 scoring average.

Bob Ludwig is in his third season coaching the Bobcats and holds a 45-27 record on the bench.

A South Dakota State Win Would ...
Give SDSU a 2-0 record on the year ... move the Jackrabbits to 1-1 all-time against Peru State ... make coach Henderson 2-0 in his first season ... give the Jacks a 1,537-1,040-1 program mark.

A South Dakota State Loss Would ...
End South Dakota State's nine-game home-winning streak and put the team at 1-1 for the year ... move the Jackrabbits to 0-2 all-time against Peru State ... give the Jacks a 1,536-1,041-1 program mark.

#FearFrost

The Jacks own a 104-6 record at Frost Arena over the last seven seasons dating back to 2011-12, which includes perfect home records in five of the last seven years. That span includes two home winning streaks of 30 or more games and three of 25 or more.
Since 2011-12, South Dakota State has won 94.5 percent of its home games, a mark that top all Division I programs in that span. South Dakota State won 34 consecutive games from Jan. 30, 2014 to Dec. 28, 2016. It ended as the nation's second-longest active streak.
The Jackrabbits won 30 consecutive home games from Jan. 29, 2011 to Nov. 14, 2013.
SDSU won 26 consecutive home games from Dec. 31, 2016 to Dec. 22, 2018.
South Dakota State won 34 consecutive home nonconference games inside Frost Arena from Dec. 31, 2016 to Dec. 22, 2018. That mark was the fourth-longest active streak when it ended.
SDSU put together undefeated seasons inside Frost Arena the following years: 1984-85 (18-0), 2002-03 (17-0), 2011-12 (14-0), 2012-13 (13-0), 2014-15 (13-0), 2015-16 (12-0) and 2017-18 (15-0).

New Faces, New Roles
South Dakota State's lineup will feature new roles and new faces throughout the season, as the Jackrabbits return only 16.9 percent of their scoring from 2018-19, and 10.7 percent of their 3-point makes. SDSU's 15.8 points per game returning ranks fifth-lowest nationally, and the 16.9 percent back is the second-lowest margin.

Quick Hits

Douglas Wilson's 24 points on Nov. 5 are the most in a Jackrabbit debut dating back to 2000-01, when game-by-game statistics were readily available.
South Dakota State has not lost three consecutive games since January 2017.
SDSU went 13-0 when holding opponents under 70 points last season (11-9 when not) and scored 70-plus points in 32 of 33 contests. The Jackrabbits were 12-0 when holding opponents under 70 points in 2017-18.
At least one Jackrabbit has scored in double figures over the last 376 games dating back to Jan. 12, 2008 at IUPUI when Anthony Cordova had nine points to lead the Jacks.
State has made at least one 3-pointer in 406 consecutive games. The last time the Jackrabbits did not make a 3-point field goal was Jan. 25, 2007
SDSU is 94-18 all-time in home openers (where records available). Dating back to 2004-05, SDSU's first year of DI transition, SDSU is 12-4 in those games.
SDSU is 75-39 in season-openers all-time. The Jacks are 8-8 in season-opening games at the Division I level.

Jackrabbits in Two Scheduling Agreements
Summit League teams are in year two of scheduling agreements with the Western Athletic Conference and Big Sky.

The Jackrabbits took on Grand Canyon last year in the first year of the Summit League/WAC challenge, defeating the Lopes in the 2018-19 season opener. Year two of the challenge brings UTRGV to Brookings (a 70-57 Jackrabbit win) and sends SDSU to face CSU Bakersfield Nov. 9.

The scheduling agreement with the Big Sky is a four-year contract. The Jackrabbits will play the following games as part of the deal:

2018-19: Montana (home), Eastern Washington (away)
2019-20: Idaho (home), Montana State (away)
2020-21: Eastern Washington (home), Montana (away)
2021-22: Montana State (home), Idaho (away)

Tough Tests
South Dakota State has four Power Five (ACC, SEC, Big 12, Big Ten, PAC-12) opponents on the 2019-20 schedule, facing USC, Nebraska, Arizona and Indiana this season.

South Dakota State has seven wins over Power Five programs since joining The Summit League in 2007, picking up victories over Iowa State (2008), Iowa (2010 and 2017), Washington (2011), TCU (2015), Minnesota (2015) and Ole Miss (2017).

SDSU's wins over Iowa and Ole Miss in 2017-18 came in the shortest time frame of any Summit League team since 1998 (seven days). The Jackrabbits are the fifth league team to post a win over separate Power Five conferences in the same regular season, and the first to do it since 2009.

Jacks Picked Fifth in Preseason Poll
South Dakota State men's basketball earned two first-place votes and was tabbed fifth in the 2019-20 Summit League men's basketball preseason poll, released Monday.

The poll is voted on by league coaches, sports information directors and select media.

-GoJacks.com-

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Players Mentioned

Alex Arians

Beau Brown

Tray Buchanan

Matt Dentlinger

Alou Dillon

Aaron Fiegen

Noah Freidel

Brandon Key

Owen King

Matt Mims

Baylor Scheierman

Douglas Wilson

David Wingett

Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball versus Mayville State (Exhibition) on October 29, 2025 at 8:30 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball versus Merrimack on November 3, 2025 at 8 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball versus Dakota State on November 6, 2025 at 7 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball at Northern Iowa on November 9, 2025 at 1 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball at Oregon on November 12, 2025 at 8:30 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball versus Peru State on November 17, 2025 at 7 p.m.

Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus North Dakota on March 7, 2025 , Loss , 69, to, 85

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Completed Event: Men's Basketball at Oral Roberts on February 27, 2025 , Win , 77, to, 69

Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus Kansas City on February 23, 2025 , Win , 70, to, 65

Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus North Dakota State on February 19, 2025 , Loss , 68, to, 77

Completed Event: Men's Basketball at South Dakota on February 16, 2025 , Win , 94, to, 91

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