Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball versus Mayville State (Exhibition) on October 29, 2025 at 8:30 p.m.
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8:30 p.m.
Men's Basketball
vs Mayville State (Exhibition)
South Dakota State University Athletics
JACKRABBIT MEN’S HOOPS SHIFTS INTO HIGH GEAR THIS MONTH
10/1/2025 1:53:00 PM | Men's Basketball
The calendar flipped to October on Wednesday signifying another step closer to the 2025-26 basketball season.
For the South Dakota State men's basketball team, not a lot has changed. Hours able to spend in organized team activities increased last week after workouts through the summer and early part of fall semester. Following a momentary break on the court with the Fore The Jacks event at Great Shots in Sioux Falls on Thursday, it will be full steam ahead in preparation for the upcoming slate.
"Once you flip (the calendar) over (to October), you're less than 30 days to actually facing real competition," SDSU head coach Bryan Petersen said. "We've got to be intentional every day we get out on the court. It may say 30 days and we may have a few guys that think that's a long ways away, but the first game is going to sneak up on us fast."
SDSU's roster of 14 student-athletes have spent countless hours together over the previous few months. With the Jackrabbits' lone exhibition against Mayville State taking place on Oct. 29 in First Bank and Trust Arena, the team will build off the foundation it's already established.
"We're really starting to add in layers to the things we previously focused on in our team workouts," Petersen said. "We're stacking a few things every couple days and trying to add a couple new concepts as we go along. The number one focus we'll be about is competing."
Petersen, in the midst of his first year of guiding the program, has tweaked some traits to his style as enters his seventh season overall in Brookings. His first team as a head coach at the Division I level has started to embody some of the characteristics he is looking for on his roster.
"I think the competitiveness for this group, even if it's a generic thing to say, has been really good. It really has been from day one. Our defense has been something that came along early with this crew. Offensively, it's taken us some time to work through. But, they've caught on to the concepts of it a little better than they may have in June and July."
South Dakota State benefits from nine returners from a season ago. Two players that have spent the past three years in Yellow and Blue include Kalen Garry and Matthew Mors. They'll bolster the squad in experience as well as familiarity in what Petersen is looking for.
"Both of those guys have been awesome," Petersen said. "First, with how they play with their energy level. I think they stood out even as we ramped up last week because they could help our guys transition from one thing to the next. They don't let off the gas. They do a great job of saying the right things, holding others accountable and really picking them up as well."
The Jackrabbits sit exactly four weeks away from the Oct. 29 exhibition. They officially open the season Nov. 3 as part of The Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon as SDSU takes on Merrimack inside the Sanford Pentagon.
Petersen believes there's still plenty to work on that can make a difference before then.
"We need to be calculated every day about getting things done going forward. While we're going to continue to add, we also have to do the basic stuff really well consistently. We've got to stack these next couple of weeks together because this is where the separation starts to happen between everybody at our level. That's really where our focus will be on as we get closer to the start of the season."
-GoJacks.com-
For the South Dakota State men's basketball team, not a lot has changed. Hours able to spend in organized team activities increased last week after workouts through the summer and early part of fall semester. Following a momentary break on the court with the Fore The Jacks event at Great Shots in Sioux Falls on Thursday, it will be full steam ahead in preparation for the upcoming slate.
"Once you flip (the calendar) over (to October), you're less than 30 days to actually facing real competition," SDSU head coach Bryan Petersen said. "We've got to be intentional every day we get out on the court. It may say 30 days and we may have a few guys that think that's a long ways away, but the first game is going to sneak up on us fast."
SDSU's roster of 14 student-athletes have spent countless hours together over the previous few months. With the Jackrabbits' lone exhibition against Mayville State taking place on Oct. 29 in First Bank and Trust Arena, the team will build off the foundation it's already established.
"We're really starting to add in layers to the things we previously focused on in our team workouts," Petersen said. "We're stacking a few things every couple days and trying to add a couple new concepts as we go along. The number one focus we'll be about is competing."
Petersen, in the midst of his first year of guiding the program, has tweaked some traits to his style as enters his seventh season overall in Brookings. His first team as a head coach at the Division I level has started to embody some of the characteristics he is looking for on his roster.
"I think the competitiveness for this group, even if it's a generic thing to say, has been really good. It really has been from day one. Our defense has been something that came along early with this crew. Offensively, it's taken us some time to work through. But, they've caught on to the concepts of it a little better than they may have in June and July."
South Dakota State benefits from nine returners from a season ago. Two players that have spent the past three years in Yellow and Blue include Kalen Garry and Matthew Mors. They'll bolster the squad in experience as well as familiarity in what Petersen is looking for.
"Both of those guys have been awesome," Petersen said. "First, with how they play with their energy level. I think they stood out even as we ramped up last week because they could help our guys transition from one thing to the next. They don't let off the gas. They do a great job of saying the right things, holding others accountable and really picking them up as well."
The Jackrabbits sit exactly four weeks away from the Oct. 29 exhibition. They officially open the season Nov. 3 as part of The Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon as SDSU takes on Merrimack inside the Sanford Pentagon.
Petersen believes there's still plenty to work on that can make a difference before then.
"We need to be calculated every day about getting things done going forward. While we're going to continue to add, we also have to do the basic stuff really well consistently. We've got to stack these next couple of weeks together because this is where the separation starts to happen between everybody at our level. That's really where our focus will be on as we get closer to the start of the season."
-GoJacks.com-
Players Mentioned
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