1971-72 Championship Coyote basketball team to hold 50-year reunion Nov. 19

VERMILLION, S.D.—Members of the 1971-72 South Dakota Coyote men’s basketball team, which advanced to the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional, will be holding a 50th year reunion in conjunction with South Dakota’s home game against Southern on Friday, Nov. 19. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. with the returning members of the squad to be recognized at halftime.

Under the guidance of head coach Bob Mulcahy, the 1971-72 squad won the school's first North Central Conference title since the 1957-58 season (sixth overall in program history). The team went 11-3 through the NCC regular season and advanced to the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional in St. Louis, Missouri.

It marked the Coyotes' first appearance in the NCAA postseason tournament since the 1957-58 squad won the national title under Dwane Clodfelter.

The 1971-72 Coyotes finished with an 18-10 overall record - the most wins at the school since the 1957-58 team won 22 games en route to winning the NCAA title. The Coyotes also won the NCC Holiday tournament.

USD led the North Central Conference in scoring offense, averaging 82 points as well as rebounding, averaging a whopping 52 rebounds a game.

Four starters will be returning for the reunion including forward Dick Authier, a first-team all-North Central Conference selection who was named the most valuable player in the North Central Conference in 1971-72; center Chuck Iverson, a three-time first team All-North Central Conference selection; forward Brent Fahnestock, who would become a first-team all-league choice in 1973; and guard Charlie Cutler, who would become a two-time all-conference choice in 1973 and 1974.

Iverson still remains USD's all-time rebounding leader in five categories, including career rebounds (1,241) single-season rebounds (448, 1972-73) and single-game rebounds (36, 1972 vs. Kearney State). His single-game rebounding performance was also an NCC record. He owns the top-three single-game rebounding performances at USD, also collecting 26 rebounds against Morningside and South Dakota Tech. At the time of his graduation, he ranked second on the school career scoring list with 1,536 points. He was named the most valuable player of the 1972 North Central Conference Holiday Tournament. Iverson was drafted by the Seattle Supersonics in the 1973 NBA Draft.

At the time of his graduation, Authier would rank No. 2 on the Coyote all-time rebounding list behind Iverson at 738. He also ranked No. 2 on the school single season rebounding charts at 392 in 1971-72. Cutler became the school's all-time career leader in assists at 399.

Two other former Coyote standouts from the 1970s era also are expected to join in the festivities in guard Rick Nissen and center Joe Mueting.

Nissen was a two-time all-North Central Conference choice in 1975 & 1976 and would eventually break the school record career record in assists in 1976. Nissen set the school single-season assist record at 178 in 1974-75. At the time of his graduation Nilsen also ranked third on the school career scoring list with 1,452 points.

Mueting was a three-time first team all-North Central Conference selection from 1974-76, graduating as the school's second career rebounding leader at 760.