Dentlinger thriving on court, in classroom

Jackrabbit sophomore Matt Dentlinger took a huge step forward on the court during the 2019-20 season, earning All-Summit League Second Team honors while finishing second on the team in points and rebounds per game. Not only has he found success on the court, but the 2020 CoSIDA Academic All-Region selection boasts a 4.00 grade point average in mechanical engineering. GoJacks.com caught up with him to discuss academics, and why South Dakota State was a perfect fit.

Why did you get into mechanical engineering?
My dad and brother are both engineers. My dad is an industrial engineer and my brother is in mechanical engineering as well. I always enjoyed science and math, and I like solving problems. Growing up on a farm, I was able to work with my hands more than a lot of kids. I kind of made the connection between all of those things.

After narrowing down what you wanted to study, why did South Dakota State make sense?
South Dakota State really had everything that I was looking for in a college. The basketball program was very good, obviously, and that was an important thing to me as I looked at colleges. I looked at programs that were not only winning but had a reputation for treating people well and having good chemistry.

For the school side, for one, they had an engineering program. Not only that, but it's a really good engineering program. We met with Dr. Rich Reid on my initial visit in the summer before my senior year of high school, and he walked through everything with us. We were able to see campus and it really stood out that SDSU was the perfect fit.

You've maintained a 4.0 grade point average at SDSU, which takes a lot of dedication. What are some keys to success for you?
It takes a lot of work, and my parents deserve a lot of credit. They instilled in me a hard work ethic and a lot of characteristics to be successful. My siblings and I were just taught how to do things the right way growing up. I think the keys have been always trying to do your best and working hard. That takes sacrifice, and sometimes it means staying up late, doing work on a bus, or in a hotel, but you do what you have to do.

Any projects or classes you've taken are memorable at this point in your studies?
I've had a few classes where we do a lot of hands on stuff and I enjoy those. One of them had a project where we designed and built a hovercraft out of mostly 3D printed parts. That was a fun project to be a part of. We had a bunch of different groups and had little competitions at the end of the semester.

You're in the process of getting ready for a summer internship with Daktronics. How did that come about?
I am a student engineer with Daktronics and doing training with them now. I went to a career fair at SDSU and began talking with Daktronics, and although this is normally something they have people work through the school year, it wasn't an option for me due to basketball. Dr. Rich Reid recommended me to their HR people, though, and he got the ball rolling on that. I was fortunate to get the position.

You've mentioned Dr. Reid twice now. What's that relationship been like?
He's been really a great advocate for me. He's in the civil engineering department and is always friendly to me. And, at the career fairs he's been helping me out and telling me who to talk to. He follows basketball, obviously, and we've just been able to build a relationship over time with those connections.

What would you like to accomplish academically when it comes time to graduate?
I'd say the biggest thing for me is to take advantage of the opportunity that I have and be able to feel like I did the best I could. I also just want to appreciate the education I'm able to get through basketball and make the most of it.

-GoJacks.com-

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Matt Dentlinger

Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus #2 St. Thomas on March 5, 2026 , Loss , 67, to, 80

Completed Event: Men's Basketball at South Dakota on February 28, 2026 , Loss , 70, to, 75

Completed Event: Men's Basketball at Kansas City on February 26, 2026 , Win , 73, to, 59

Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus North Dakota on February 21, 2026 , Win , 91, to, 83

Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus North Dakota State on February 18, 2026 , Loss , 66, to, 74

Completed Event: Men's Basketball at Oral Roberts on February 14, 2026 , Win , 87, to, 69

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