The Game
The South Dakota men's basketball team opens its season on the road against the defending Big Ten regular season champions. The Coyotes take on the Wisconsin Badgers inside the Kohl Center Monday night to tip-off the 2022-23 season.
 
The game will be televised live on the Big Ten Network with Chris Vosters and Shon Morris on the call. The broadcast can be found on FoxSports.com as well. Fans can tune into the game on the Coyote Sports Network with John Thayer on KVHT 106.3 FM in Yankton/Vermillion or by using The Varsity Network app.
 
The Series
Monday's game will be the first time these two teams have met.
 
The Coyotes
USD will begin the Eric Peterson era Monday night in Madison. Peterson's roster for his Coyote debut includes eight returners and eight newcomers. The top-three scorers from last season all return in Kruz Perrott-Hunt (15.0 ppg), Mason Archambault (14.5 ppg), and Tasos Kamateros (11.5 ppg). The 2020-21 Summit League Newcomer of the Year, A.J. Plitzuweit, is set to make his return after missing last season recovering from an injury. Plitzuweit averaged just over 20 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game two seasons ago. The team added two transfers from Division-I schools this off-season in Paul Bruns and Mihai Carcoana. Bruns was the 2021-22 Summit League Freshman of the Year after averaging 14.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game for North Dakota.
 
South Dakota was picked third in this year's preseason Summit League poll. Archambault, Perrott-Hunt, and Plitzuweit received second-team preseason honors as well. Oral Roberts and South Dakota State were picked ahead of the Coyotes in the poll.
 
The Badgers
Wisconsin will be in their eighth season under Greg Gard in the 2022-23 year. Gard was named the 2022 Big Ten Coach of the Year after leading Wisconsin to a share of the regular season conference championship and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Badgers were a No. 3 seed in the tournament and made it to the Round of 32 before Iowa State upset them with a five-point victory.
 
Wisconsin lost its top two scorers from last season in Johnny Davis (19.7 ppg) and Brad Davison (14.1 ppg). Tyler Wahl, a 6-9 forward from Lakeville, Minnesota, is the top-returning scorer for the Badgers after averaging 11.4 points per game last season. Steven Crowl (8.8 ppg) and Chucky Hepburn (7.9 ppg) round out the returning starters from last year's squad. Hepburn was a Big Ten All-Freshman honoree a season ago. Wahl enters his senior season named to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team and was one of 20 candidates in the country to be named to the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year award watch list. Hepburn joined Wahl on the Preseason All-Big Ten Team.
 
One Last Thing
Peterson's coaching opener will be the first time since 1967 that a head coach has made his debut against a power five opponent. It is also the 26th time South Dakota has opened its season against a power five team since the first season in 1908. The Coyotes have also won five of their last six season opening games.