University of South Dakota Athletics

Jim Truelson, a native of Storm Lake, IA, was a two-year starting forward on the Coyote basketball team, earning all-conference honors on the 1956-57 squad, which tied for the North Central Conference title. During that season, he helped the Coyotes to a 19-4 record, including an 11-1 mark in NCC play. Truelson helped that Coyote squad beat South Dakota State twice in a post-season playoff series, which earned USD a trip to the NCAA Regionals. The Coyotes lost to Wheaton, IL, in the quarterfinals (90-80) of the NCAA National Tourney. However, Truelson and his teammates set the tone for the following season when the Coyotes won the NCAA small college title with a 22-5 record. Truelson still shares a Coyote single game record with Jack Theeler for most free throws made in a game when he connected on 22 of 29 attempts against Creighton on Feb. 4, 1957. It was one of the top individual single game efforts in Coyote history as Truelson scored 42 points and hauled down 23 rebounds against Creighton. Truelson had the second best, single season rebound performance in school history as he averaged 11.57 rebounds per game in 1956-57. Truelson graduated from USD in 1958 and has taught and coached in the Iowa public school system for 23 years, including the last 17 years at Mid-Prairie schools at Kalona, IA.