GAMES 4: SOUTH DAKOTA (1-2) AT KANSAS STATE (2-0)
When	Friday, Nov. 20, 2015 | 7:10 p.m.
Where	Bramlage Coliseum (12,528) | Manhattan, Kan.
Tickets	Kansas State Ticket Information
Television	FOX Sports Kansas City (Ben Boyle and Stan Weber)
Watch Online	ESPN3; K-StateHD.TV
Radio	Coyote Sports Network (John Thayer)
Live Stats	Kansas State Live Stats
South Dakota Links	Game Notes | Roster | Schedule | Stats
Kansas State Links	Game Notes | Roster | Schedule | Stats
Social Media	Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Shy McClelland is the new starting point guard for South Dakota's men's basketball team, but his journey to USD is anything but ordinary.
 
After graduating high school in Milwaukee, Wis., McClelland attended Mesa Community College in Arizona where he earned all-conference honors after averaging 15 points, five assists and four rebounds per game. He led the Thunderbirds to a regular season and Region I title and was also named the Region I co-MVP.
 
After playing at Mesa for two years, McClelland transferred to Detroit to play basketball but transferred back to Mesa after the summer school session.  
 
"I went to Detroit thinking it was the place where my basketball career would grow," McClelland said. "But it just wasn't the right fit for me once I got there."
 
Because McClelland transferred back to Mesa he was forced to sit out last season. During his year off, McClelland was looking to play basketball in a more competitive environment when Coyote assistant coach Eric Peterson contacted him.
 
"Coach Peterson convinced me that USD was the place for me," McClelland said. "The thing he sold me on was my role on the team. He told me that I could come in and make an impact right away."
 
That's exactly what McClelland did during South Dakota's opening weekend in DeKalb, Ill. He started all three games, averaged nearly 30 minutes and handed out a team-high 13 assists while averaging seven points.
 
"I definitely had the jitters during that first game," McClelland said. "I hadn't played actual basketball in more than a year so to get back out there was huge. Once that first game passed though, I settled down and started playing much better."
 
McClelland scored two points, but had seven rebounds and five assists in the season opener against Wright State. He came back the next night with 10 points and four assists against Northern Illinois. In South Dakota's win against CSUN, McClelland's line read 11 points, four boards and four assists.
 
"The quality of athletes and competition at this level is something that I didn't see when I was at Mesa," McClelland said. "I'm a competitor and I want to play against the best. It's been an adjustment so far but I'm up for the challenge."
 
McClelland says the biggest adjustment he's had to make moving up to Division 1 basketball has been learning the system at USD.
 
"Basketball is always a learning process," McClelland said. "I'm getting more comfortable with USD's system every single day. The offense is more open here compared to Mesa and I think that will suit my talents very well."
 
Becoming more familiar with USD's system may be the biggest challenge for McClelland immediately, but his goals for himself and the Coyote basketball team are something that drives him every day.
 
"I want to take Coyote basketball to the next level," McClelland said. "As soon as I committed to play here, my goal has been to get to the NCAA Tournament."
 
While tournament play is several months away, McClelland and the Coyotes will get a taste of the type of competition they would face there when they play Kansas State at 7 p.m. tonight at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan, Kan.
 
"I can't wait to play Kansas State," McClelland said. "To play a high-quality team in an environment like they have in Manhattan is something you want. I can't wait to step on the floor with my teammates and see how we handle the adversity of playing a program like that."