VERMILLION, S.D.—When a head basketball coach is preparing a group of college kids for a trip to a place with better weather this time of year, it's a lock he'll remind those players that this upcoming weekend is ultimately about winning games.
 
And those kids will know this is coming and they'll do their best to deliver the appropriate serious looks in return. When he's gone? Time to talk about hitting the beach.
 
For the Coyotes, it's an upcoming trip to Hawai'i that has the potential to divert their attention. Of course, if USD coach Todd Lee didn't think his team could combine the two — that is, win some games and have a good time — they'd be opening the season in Ohio or Illinois. Nice places, but not Oahu.
 
"It's one of those things that is so exciting — it's a blessing," said senior point guard Cody Kelley. "I've been able to go to some unbelievable places in my career. The Bahamas a few times, the Cayman Islands, and now Hawai'i. You feel lucky you get a chance to do it. But it is a business trip. We have three games in four days and we're all going to need to be on the same page on that."

But it's three games in four days, not three games in three days. There is that off-day to think about.
 
"I don't think everyone has to have such a serious mindset that they can't enjoy their time a little bit," Kelley continued. "We need to appreciate where our hard work can take us. We deserve it. We've put in the time."

On the business side, the Coyotes open with Pacific of the West Coast Conference on Friday. The Tigers, who return just five players from last season, defeated Division II Stanislaus State 69-47 Tuesday. USD gets Saturday off and then play host Hawai'i, picked to finish fourth in the Big West, on Sunday. On Monday, it's Florida A&M, which returns 11 players including 2019 MEAC Rookie of the Year M.J. Randolph. The Rattlers fell 77-48 at USC in Los Angeles Tuesday in their season opener.
 
The Coyotes, meanwhile, defeated Concordia-St. Paul 72-61 last week in an exhibition game with seniors Tyler Hagedorn and junior Stanley Umude scoring 18 points each. 

"We didn't have to start at square one again this year like we did last year with Coach Lee being a new coach," Kelley said. "It's been significantly easier and more fluid this year. And with the defense as well, I think we've turned up our intensity. We've been working really hard on and off the ball. We want to be on the same page the whole game. We don't want to leave anyone behind. We want everybody to understand what we want to do."
  


The Coyotes will know more about a team that includes five seniors after they return from Hawai'i. All those veterans can mean familiarity is going to be a strength. Of course, you have to keep working at things like that.
 
"A lot of college teams take those first six or seven games to figure out their identity that they will take with them as they move forward," Kelley said. "It's real important for us to figure out that identity as quick as we can. I think we're a very good defensive team but I think we're capable of being a good offensive team as well. We have some weapons and we love to attack mismatches and score in different ways. We're unselfish and we play hard on defense. I think fans are going to see that."
 
The Coyotes will get a tour of Pearl Harbor on their off day on the island. They will also be a part of a few other group outings.
 
"It's going to be a little more of a culture shock for us coming out of Vermillion than it is for the other teams. They all live in the sunshine all year round," Kelley said. "We're going to be part of a sunset luau dinner that off night. There might be some hula dancers and things like that, who knows? You're not going to get me in a hula skirt, but maybe Coach Lee. Or Hags, maybe. He'd look real good in a hula skirt."
 
Ultimately, the contest will serve to build that team identity both on the court and off it. It could be a big part of the season well after the Coyotes are back in South Dakota.
 
"It's a good experience for everybody," Kelley said. "It's going to be a long trip and we're going to get quite a bit of time together. There are a lot of benefits when you get that kind of opportunity to connect with teammates."