Meet the Newcomers: Cooper Cornemann

Cooper Cornemann signed with South Dakota State in April after earning 2020 Argus Leader Second Five and All-State First Team honors in his final season at Yankton High School. The Yankton, South Dakota product averaged 15 points, four rebounds and 3.4 assists per game for the bucks, shooting over 50 percent from the final in his final season. He was honored by the South Dakota High School Activities Association as the Class AA Spirit of Su male winner, recognized for his excellence in academics, athletics, leadership and community service.

Tell us a little about your background, both personally and with basketball.
Well, I grew up in a Jackrabbit household. My mom and dad both went to SDSU, where my dad was a wrestler, and two of my four siblings - Ketty and Chloe - played basketball at State. My brother, Cale, wrestled at Northern State, and my sister Kami plays at Mount Marty.

I started playing basketball in probably first grade, but we didn't have a club team or anything until third grade, so we just practiced and played each other. We started competing in third grade, and from that time on I just remember the game being more fun every year. I wrestled until middle school, but quit that in eighth grade to focus more on basketball.

You mention that family connection to South Dakota State. What sticks out for you memory-wise of your Jackrabbit past?
I remember going to most of Ketty and Chloe's games and how electric Frost Arena was. It was always packed for home games, no matter who they were playing, and the fans are always so loyal.

I remember one of the Summit League Championship games when Ketty was playing, and they were up against an Oral Roberts team that had beaten SDSU twice during the regular season. Kevi Luper was on ORU's team and she was so good, but we beat them and rushed the court. It was an amazing environment. That was the year we smacked TCU in the NCAA Tournament and then played tough against Baylor.

Another thing I remember is during Chloe's time at SDSU when they beat USD three different times in the Summit League Tournament. That SDSU-USD rivalry already blue-strong for me with our family history.

Back to your basketball history. Where did you see the most growth during your high school play?
I feel like I probably grew the most during my junior season, and midway through remember feeling like I took a big step in my development. I was able to fill a role in my team as another scorer and took pride in being a distributor or facilitator on the court.

One of the games that sticks out was during my junior season and we played back-to-back nights against Roosevelt and Pierre. I had a tough game and didn't play very well against Roosevelt, but after a one-on-one tough conversation with my coach, I went out against Pierre and played great. I don't remember missing a shot in that one and finished with 22 points.

What was your recruitment with South Dakota State like?
SDSU offered me a chance to walk on last January, and at the time I didn't know if I wanted to go that route but knew it was a great opportunity for me to attend a great school and play basketball. I chose to commit because I felt like I could come here and push myself and develop into the player I wanted to become instead of necessarily going somewhere and playing right away.

How would you describe yourself as a player?
I'd say I'm a true point guard who likes to get others open, but I can score the ball when I need to. When I play I like to get a feel for how our team is doing pregame, and either look to score right away so my team can relax and settle in, or if they're in a great mindset already I like to try and distribute early so we can get rolling. I like to think I'm a player who can really turn it on when I need to, or sit back and set my teammates up for success. It just depends what the team needs to help us win.

You briefly touched on this previously, but what are some specific goals you're setting for yourself at South Dakota State?
I want to get better, first and foremost, and see where that will take me. I'm looking to be as good as I can be, and try as hard as I can, to help our squad. Team-wise, I want to win titles and get to March Madness to experience that as a player.

Cornemann is part of an incoming group that includes early enrollee and redshirt freshman William Mfum (Spring Creek Academy), NJCAA All-American Luke Appel (Kirkwood Community College) and sophomore transfer Charlie Easley (Nebraska). This is the final part of a four-week series on the newcomers.

-GoJacks.com-

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Players Mentioned

Luke Appel

Charlie Easley

Willie Mfum

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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