VERMILLION, S.D. -- Dave Boots, head coach of The University of South Dakota men's basketball team, has announced today that Roman Gentry has transferred to USD to continue his academic and athletic career. Gentry, who was the 2006 Iowa 4A Player of the Year and was a starter for NCAA Division I University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, has enrolled in classes for the 2008 spring semester.

Gentry, a 6-4 guard from Sioux City, Iowa, played in 36 games and started four at Wisconsin-Milwaukee. All four of his starts were made this season. Before leaving the team he was averaging 5.1 points and 1.3 rebounds per game while averaging 16.0 minutes. In 2006-07 he played in 26 games and finished fifth on the team with 20 three-point field goals. He finished the season averaging 3.5 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. In the team's final three games of the season he averaged 11.0 points per game and in the final four games of the season he averaged 6.3 rebounds. In UWM's first round game in the Horizon League Tournament he scored eight points and had four rebounds. Against the University of Illinois at Chicago, Gentry posted 17 points and nine rebounds which were both career-highs.

Prior to joining UW-Milwaukee, Gentry enjoyed a stellar career at Sioux City East High School. He was named the 2006 Iowa 4A Player of the Year, beating out Jason Bohannon who is a key reserve at the University of Wisconsin. Gentry earned first team All-State honors from both the Des Moines Register and the Iowa Newspaper Association following his junior and senior seasons, and is the third all-time leading scorer in the history of all Sioux City High Schools. He led Sioux City East to the state semifinals his senior season, averaging 20.6 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. He was also the leading scorer and rebounder in the Iowa Class 4A state tournament. During his junior season, Gentry tallied 19 points per game and 10.8 rebounds per game. Gentry has also earned all-city, All-Missouri River Conference, All-Northwest Iowa and All-District honors in each of the last two years.

#8 South Dakota will be back in NCC action this weekend when they travel north to Grand Forks, N.D. to face the University of North Dakota. South Dakota will take on the Sioux on Saturday, January 19 at 4:00 p.m.