VERMILLION, S.D. – The South Dakota men's basketball team will travel to compete in the Little Apple Classic hosted by Kansas State. The Yotes will play Colorado at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 25 and Drake on Friday, Nov. 27 at 1 p.m. The Coyotes and Buffaloes are slated to be broadcasted on ESPN+ with Ben Boyle and Stan Weber on the call for the game.
TIP OFF
- South Dakota starts the 2020-21 season with five players returning and only one starter returning. The Coyotes welcome in eight new players over the summer as well as three players who sat out last season due to transfer rules. Boogie Anderson, Xavier Fuller, A.J. Plitzuweit, Mason Archambault, Kanon Koster, Damani Hayes, Brady Heiman and D.J. Dial are the transfer newcomers. Nikola Zizic, Edin Smjecanin and Max Burchill are the incoming freshman.
- Stanley Umude, the lone returning starter, earned 2020-21 preseason first team all-Summit League honors voted on by coaches, SIDs and select media. Umude repeats on the all-conference team as he was voted preseason player of the year last season, the first Coyote to do so.
- The Coyotes are 2-0 in season opener's in the Todd Lee era and haven't lost a season opener since the 2015-16 season.
- Umude is 20 points away from becoming the 31st player in program history to eclipse the 1,000 point marker. He also entered the record books this past season ranking ninth all-time in blocked shots with 82. Umude also is tied for ninth in a single season for blocked shots with 43.
- After losing nearly 67 percent of its scoring from a season ago, the Coyotes will have to look for someone not named Stanley Umude to help out in the scoring department. They are in luck as Plitzuweit, Koster, Anderson and Fuller all averaged double digits in points in their previous season of play.
- After a third place finish in the conference standings last season, USD was picked to finish fifth in the Summit League preseason polls.
HEAD COACH TODD LEE ON HIS WEEKLY RADIO SHOW WITH JOHN THAYER.
ABOUT COLORADO
The Colorado Buffaloes and the South Dakota Coyotes open each other's 2020-21 season against one another at the Little Apple Classic. The Buffs come into the season picked to finish seventh in the Pac-12 preseason media poll. Colorado has to replace last year's leadng rebounder, second-leading scorer and conference Defensive Player of the Year, Tyler Bey. CU, like the Yotes has to replace key seniors from last season's team as well. The Buffs do return their leading scorer in senior guard Mckinley Wright IV. He led CU in scoring, assists and was second in steals and third in rebounding. Colorado plays Kansas State in their other game of their Little Apple Classic.
ABOUT DRAKE
The Coyotes and Bulldogs square up for the first of two matchups this season, as the Bulldogs will make a trip to Vermillion on December 16. That matchup will be the Coyotes home opener of the 2020-21 season while this matchup is the second game for USD on the season. Bulldogs are coming off a 2019-20 season which saw them make it to the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament semifinals. The Bulldogs finished 20-14 last season and are picked to finish seventh in the MVC this season. Drake returns five of the team's top seven scorers from a season ago. The Bulldogs are also coming off back-to-back 20 win seasons and are picked to finish seventh this season in the Missouri Valley Conference. Roman Penn earned preseason second team honors after leading the league in assists last season. He earned All-MVC and All-Newcomer honors. In addition to his 5.6 assists per game he also added in 12 points and a team-high 43 steals.
SERIES HISTORY:
vs. Colorado: Buffs lead 1-0
Current Streak: L1
First meeting: 2018-19 (L, 58-82)
vs. Drake: Bulldogs lead 10-3
Current Streak: W2
First meeting: 1918-19 (W, 30-19)
Last Meeting: 2017-18 (W, 93-65)
