VERMILLION, S.D. --- The University of South Dakota men's basketball team (23-6, 10-2 NCC) will make its school-record fourth consecutive trip - and 12th overall - to the NCAA Division II National Tournament as the #4-seed in the North Central Region. The Coyotes will play #5-seed Nebraska-Kearney (23-6, 16-3 RMAC) in the first round of the tourney at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 10, in McCown Gymnasium on the campus of Winona State University in Winona, Minn. Should USD defeat the Lopers, it will advance to the regional semifinal round to face the winner of #1 Winona State (30-0, 18-0 NSIC) and #8 St. Cloud State (19-10, 7-5 NCC) at 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 11. The North Central Regional championship game is slated for a 7 p.m. start on Tuesday, March 13. Coyotes On The Air: Once again, South Dakota men's basketball action can be heard on the radio thanks to the Coyote Radio Network. Kevin Culhane will serve as "The Voice of the Coyotes," the games this season being broadcast on Mix 106 (KVHT 106.3-FM). Those outside of the signal range can listen via the internet. Go to www.usdcoyotes.com/info/radio for more information. Head Coach Dave Boots: South Dakota head coach Dave Boots is in his 19th season at the helm of the Coyote program. During his time, USD has posted a 401-155 (.721) record, and Boots owns a 516-218 (.703) record in his 26th year as a head coach. A six-time North Central Conference Coach of the Year, including this season, Boots entered the 2006-07 campaign in 36th-place on the NCAA Division II all-time coaching victories list. He has led the Coyotes to six NCC championships, including this season, eight NCAA Division II national tournament appearances and two NCAA Division II regional titles. Assisting Boots this season are Joey James, Isaiah Wallfred and Chris Kassin. Last Time Out: The University of South Dakota men's basketball team captured its second North Central Conference Postseason Tournament championship in the past three years thanks to a 97-86 victory over Minnesota State in the title game played in front of 2,712 fans in the DakotaDome. Sophomore swingman Dylan Grimsley (Sioux City, Iowa) was named the NCC Postseason Tournament Most Valuable Player after scoring 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting and grabbing seven rebounds while dishing out four assists. Junior guard Dustin Little (Castlewood, S.D.) led all scorers with 22 points - just two shy of his career-high - while making 8-of-10 attempts from the field and all five from the free throw line. Little also added five rebounds and a career-high four steals. Sophomore guard Jesse Becker (Plymouth, Minn.) came off the bench to pour in 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including three-of-four from beyond the arc, and dished out six assists in the win. Also coming off the bench to reach double-digits in scoring was fellow sophomore guard Mitch Begeman (Sioux Falls, S.D.) who tallied 14 points while making five-of-seven shots from the floor, including three-of-five from three-point range. Sophomore center Steve Smith (Sioux Falls, S.D.) was the fifth Coyote to hit double-digits in points with 16 points to go along with seven rebounds, which tied Grimsley for the team lead. Smith made six-of-seven attempts from the charity stripe and added a pair of blocked shots. Minnesota State had four players hit double-digits in scoring, led by senior guard Paris Kyles' 21 points. Senior swingman Luke Anderson had 17 points and five rebounds while senior guard Tony Thomason went for 16 points. Sophomore forward Jake Morrow added 12 points for the Mavericks while sophomore forward Mitch Gosson grabbed a game-high eight rebounds along with scoring seven points. South Dakota shot a blazing 61.4% from the floor during the course of the game, and made 7-of-13 three-point attempts (53.8%). The Coyotes were also credited with four blocked shots to just one for the Mavericks. USD enjoyed a 33-30 advantage on the boards, including a 23-16 edge on the defensive glass. Scouting Nebraska-Kearney: The Lopers concluded the 2006-07 regular season with a second-place finish in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, trailing Metropolitan State by only one game. UNK bowed out in the semifinal round in the RMAC Tournament, falling to Adams State 97-90 in overtime. This will be Nebraska-Kearney's sixth straight appearance in the NCAA Division II National Tournament, and the 11th in school history. All-time, the Lopers are 9-11 in NCAA Tournament play, including a 1-1 mark against South Dakota. UNK features a somewhat unusual situation with Tom Kropp and Kevin Lofton serving as co-head coaches. Kropp is in his 17th season with the program in a head coaching capacity, and has a record of 372-134 (.735). Lofton meanwhile is in his second season as the co-head coach of the Loper program, and he has a career mark of 46-14 (.767). In the latest edition of the NCAA Division II national statistical report, Nebraska-Kearney stands 10th in the country in three-point field goal percentage (40.2%). The Lopers are also 20th in three-point field goals per game (8.9), 29th in scoring margin (+9.8 ppg) and 30th in scoring offense (81.6 ppg). Leading the UNK charge on the floor is senior forward Dusty Jura. The 2005-06 All-American leads the Lopers with 21.2 ppg and 10.2 rpg, ranking 24th and 18th in NCAA Division II, respectively, in those categories. Jura was also named the 2006-07 RMAC Player of the Year. Fellow senior forward Chad Burger was an All-RMAC East Division Second Team selection after averaging 12.6 ppg and 6.8 rpg. Senior guard James Lane leads UNK with 98 assists while adding 12.1 ppg. Coyote-Loper Notes: South Dakota and Nebraska-Kearney have met four times before, with each school picking up two wins. The last meeting came in the first round of the 2005 NCAA Division II National Tournament, with the Coyotes recording a 94-84 win. Prior to that, USD and UNK had met once before in the NCAA's, with the Lopers winning 96-90 in the regional semifinal in 2004. Coyotes On The Web: All South Dakota men's basketball home games can now be watched for free on the internet. Click on the icon on the left-hand side of www.usdcoyotes.com for live video web-streaming courtesy of South Dakota Public Broadcasting. Windows Media Player will be required to watch the broadcast. Dome-ination: Since moving into the DakotaDome in the 1979-80 season, the Coyotes have posted a 303-100 (.752) record, including a 154-15 (.911) mark in non-conference play and 149-85 (.637) in the NCC. Under head coach Dave Boots, those numbers are even better as USD is 240-42 (.851) overall in the DakotaDome, breaking down to 119-7 (.944) in non-NCC home contests and 121-35 (.776) in the league. South Dakota has won at least 10 home games in each of Boots' 19 seasons at the school, including this year. Overall, the program has recorded winning DakotaDome marks in 24 out of 27 years of playing in the facility. Block Party: The Coyotes have recorded 135 blocked shots on the season, which is the most for the program since 2003-04. USD has rejected at least three shots in 24 games this season, which is something that happened only five times a year ago. Over their last nine games combined, the Coyotes have recorded 52 blocked shots, for an average of 5.8 per game. That includes the team season-high 12 swats against St. Cloud State on Feb. 10. The Streak: USD's 11-game winning streak earlier this season marked the 11th time in school history South Dakota has recorded a winning streak of at least 10 games. Eight of those lengthy winning runs have come under head coach Dave Boots. The 11-game run tied for the seventh-best winning streak in school history. Attendance Notes: In each of the past 14 seasons, which is as far back as NCAA Division II records go for this subject, South Dakota has ranked in the Top 20 nationally in attendance. This year, the Coyotes averaged 2,795 spectators in 16 games, which was the best attendance figure in the North Central Conference. Shut 'Em Down: The Coyotes have not allowed their opponents to shoot better than 50.0% in 27 out of 29 games this season, including a stretch of 22 straight games that was ended by Minnesota Duluth (2/17/07). In the past 17 games, USD's foes have shot at a combined 38.9% clip (409-of-1,051). It's Not Who Starts The Game...: The Coyotes have trotted out seven different starting lineups this season. Thus far, only sophomore guard/forward Dylan Grimsley (Sioux City, Iowa) has started all 29 games. Eric Hall Notes: Junior forward Eric Hall (Huron, S.D.) was named to the 2006-07 All-North Central Conference Team after earning All-NCC honorable mention honors last year. Hall is atop the USD charts in scoring with 16.3 ppg, reaching double-digits in scoring in 26 of 29 games this year, and is fourth on the team with 5.1 rpg and 28 steals. He is leading USD with 92 three-point field goals made - which is the third-best single-season total in school history - while shooting a team-best 46.0% from beyond the arc. Hall has his streak of making at least one three-pointer halted at 28 games against Minnesota State (3/4/07), but still has scored at least 20 points eight times this year - including eight of the last 15 games. A two-time NCC Player of the Week this season, Hall stands sixth on the USD all-time career three-point field goals made list (191). Dylan Grimsley Notes: Sophomore guard/forward Dylan Grimsley (Sioux City, Iowa) is off to a fast start in his Coyote career by leading the team with 6.6 rpg and standing second with 16.0 ppg. Grimsley has already earned a myriad of honors this year, including being named to the All-North Central Conference Team, the NCC Newcomer of the Year and to the All-Disney Division II Tip-Off Classic Team as well as earning the NCC Co-Player of the Week award once He has six double-doubles to his credit, with USD going 5-1 in those games, and he is also is leading the team with 53 steals and is third with 69 assists. Grimsley is shooting 49.3% from the floor, and has reached double-digits in scoring in 26 of 29 games this season. He is averaging 18.5 ppg and 7.3 rpg over his last 12 games, with three double-doubles in that span. Jesse Becker Notes: Sophomore guard Jesse Becker (Plymouth, Minn.) was named to the 2005-06 Division II-Bulletin All-Freshman Team as well as becoming the first Coyote in school history to earn NCC Freshman of the Year honors last year, and started off this year by being named to the 2006 All-Disney Division II Tip-Off Classic Team. Becker is leading the Coyotes with 4.5 apg while standing third on the club with 13.0 ppg. He is fifth on the team with 22 steals, and has made 49 three-point field goals (out of 124 attempts - 39.5%). Becker is also connecting on a team-best 81.7% of his free throws (76-of-93). In 20 out of 24 games this season, Becker has reached double-digits in scoring. He has made 38 of his last 45 free throw attempts (84.4%). Dustin Little Notes: Junior guard Dustin Little (Castlewood, S.D.) has gotten to the line 134 times this year, making 91 attempts (67.9%) to rank second on the team in each category. He is also fourth on the team in scoring (10.6 ppg) and fifth in rebounding (4.8 rpg). Little is second on the Coyote charts with 75 assists, and he has reached double-digits in scoring in 15 games this season. Over his past four games, Little is averaging 16.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg and 3.2 apg while shooting 75.9% from the floor (22-of-29), all of which earned him the first NCC Player of the Week award of his career on Feb. 26, 2007.

Tyler Cain Notes: Freshman forward Tyler Cain (Rochester, Minn.) has started 24 games this season while appearing in all 29, and is second on the team in rebounding (6.5 rpg) and sixth in scoring (6.4 ppg). Cain is leading USD in blocked shots (60) - which is tied for the second-highest single-season total in school history - while ranking second in steals (45). He already stands in sixth-place on the school's career blocked shots list. Also, he is the only player in the NCC to rank in the Top 10 in both blocks and steals.

He is tops on the Coyote charts in field goal percentage by connecting at a 59.6% clip, and has two double-doubles this year. Cain was honored as the 2006-07 North Central Conference Freshman of the Year. Steve Smith Notes: Sophomore center Steve Smith (Sioux Falls, S.D.) has 42 blocked shots to rank second on the team in that category, which is tied for the fourth-best single-season total in USD history, and has 13 multiple blocked shot games to his credit. That helped Smith receive All-NCC honorable mention accolades earlier this week. Smith is third on the team with 5.4 rpg and stands fifth with 9.9 ppg. Over his past five games, Smith has recorded a pair of double-doubles - bringing his season total to three - while averaging 16.4 ppg and 8.2 rpg. He has reached double-digits in scoring in 10 straight games and in 14 of his past 16. Mitch Begeman Notes: Sophomore guard Mitch Begeman (Sioux Falls, S.D.) is averaging 5.5 ppg while making 45.2% of this three-point field goal attempts - which is the second-best rate on the USD charts. Rane Mergen Notes: Sophomore forward Rane Mergen (Dell Rapids, S.D.) has appeared in 19 games this season, in which the Coyotes have won all 19 games. Mergen is fourth on the team with eight blocked shots. Coyote Postseason History: The South Dakota men's basketball team has a strong tradition of qualifying for post season play and coming away with success. Just twice in 11 trips to national tournament play have the Coyotes failed to win a game (1999-00, lost to Wayne State, 86-83; 2005-06, lost to Winona State, 81-69, in overtime). USD is 19-10 overall in NCAA Division II tournament action, including 13-7 in regional or district play and 4-3 at the national tournament. Starting in 1949-50 with the National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball District 12 tournament, South Dakota defeated Huron (69-54) and North Dakota (64-61 in overtime) to advance to the NAIB National Tournament in Kansas City, Mo. In its first national tournament appearance, USD fell to East Texas State (now Texas A&M-Commerce), 55-51. In 1956-57, USD began the first of two consecutive trips to the NCAA national tournament. After making it through regional play, the Coyotes fell to the eventual national champion Wheaton (Ill.), 90-80. Then in 1957-58, South Dakota won its first national title in the sport under head coach Dwane Clodfelter by winning three games with margins of four points or less. In regional play, the Coyotes managed to get by Wartburg, 67-65, before downing Knox, 102-52. Then, at the national tournament in Evansville, Ind., South Dakota defeated Southwest Missouri State and avenged its season ending loss the year before to Wheaton (Ill.), both by margins of 64-60. Playing against St. Michael's of Vermont in the finals, USD defeated the Purple Knights, 75-53. Jim Daniels (Brooklyn, N.Y.) was named to the all-tournament team and All-American team after scoring 40 points in the title game. In 1957-58, USD started the season, 2-5, falling to Wisconsin (63-56), Missouri (73-62), Regis (74-64), Purdue (74-62) and Northwestern (64-46). The Coyotes then won its next 20 games to finish 22-5 and 12-0 in the North Central Conference, the first team to ever finish a 12-game NCC season unbeaten. After a pair of third-place finishes at the regional tournaments in both the 1971-72 and 1989-90 seasons, USD returned to the 1992-93 NCAA Division II Elite Eight, but dropped a heart breaker to New Hampshire in triple overtime, 100-96, in Springfield, Mass. In that game, USD received a career-high 28 points and 11 rebounds from junior Shane Murphy (Harlan, Iowa). The Coyotes were also paced that season by all-conference juniors Randy Rosenquist (Sioux City, Iowa) and Chris Jones (Milwaukee, Wis.). With seniors Rosenquist, Jones, Murphy and Troy Terronez (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) all returning, South Dakota again qualified for the 1993-94 NCAA Division II Elite Eight after downing NCC foes North Dakota (94-76) and North Dakota State (61-58). However, in the Elite Eight the Coyotes fell, 98-77, to eventual national runners-up Southern Indiana. The 1993-94 season was the last time South Dakota reached the Elite Eight. However, USD has made four regional appearances since then. In those four trips to the regional tournament, the Coyotes have only fallen in the first round twice (2000, 2006). In the 2004-05 regional tournament played at the Auraria Events Center in Denver, Colo., USD defeated Nebraska-Kearney in the first round, 94-84, avenging its loss to the Lopers in the 2003-04 regional tournament (86-80). In the second round, the Coyotes redeemed themselves from their first loss of the season, by knocking off Winona State, 73-68. Then, in the regional finals, South Dakota dropped a hard fought battle to Metro State, 89-84. USD's berth in the 2005-06 regional tournament came as somewhat of a surprise to some. However, the eighth-seeded Coyotes gave the top-seeded and eventual national champion Winona State Warriors all they could handle. USD led hosts Winona State 34-32 at halftime, and 60-56 with 1:14 left in regulation. However, WSU battled back and forced the game into overtime, where they won by a final margin of 81-69.