Oliver Winning with New Role

Erik Oliver has been good at basketball wherever he has had the opportunity to play it.

At East High School in Cheyenne, Wyoming, he finished as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,789 points, earning the state’s “Mr. Basketball” honor as a senior.

From there he averaged 20 points a game at Laramie County Community College, earning honorable mention All-America honors as a sophomore.

Next was the University of South Dakota. With three years of eligibility thanks to the additional pandemic season, he’s going to have more time than most junior-college transfers to accomplish what he can for the Coyotes.

That extra time will be useful, he has learned in his first tour of Summit League competition.

With a new program, new coaches, new teammates and a higher level of competition, Oliver was bound to take a step back, not in his own ability to play basketball, but in his capacity to contribute. There was a lot to take on and he was going to need game minutes and practices to sort it all out.

“I’ve always been my biggest critic,” said Oliver, whose older brother Elijah is finishing out his college basketball career at the University of Providence in Great Falls, Montana.

“I’ve always felt like I could go out there and give you 25 a night. And this year I’m not going to come close to those numbers. It’s a good adjustment year for me. It’s a good year to learn and pick up a lot of things I’m going to be able benefit from in my future in Division I basketball.”

The 6-1 guard has recently hinted at what that future might look like. In 16 minutes of playing time in a 91-69 win over Omaha, Oliver scored 17 points. Two days later he scored 11 points in an 84-76 win over Denver. He made 10-of-19 shots over the two road games, providing the Coyotes with a promising boost of offense off the bench.

“I tell myself that what I did the last two games I can do every game,” Oliver said. “This year I’ve struggled some from being in a new system and trying to find a new role for myself after not being the main guy this season. Overall, I’m just trying to see what I can do to help the team win.”

Oliver’s recruitment to USD began with him declaring he was going to Central Michigan. When Central Michigan coach Keno Davis was fired after the 2020-21 season, Oliver went looking for another place to play.

That ended up being at USD for Coach Todd Lee, who has been juggling his rotation of players all season thanks to COVID and injuries.

“It’s hard for players, especially junior-college players, to make a huge impact right way,” Lee said. “They all go through a process. It’s their first year of Division I basketball so athletically everyone is bigger, faster and stronger. Then you have to adjust to the way we play defense and go through scouting reports and all the other things we do. You don’t just run out there and score the basketball.”

Lee said in most cases it takes about half a season before you really see the type of player you’ve brought into your program. On that count, Oliver is looking like a player who will be able to become a consistent contributor.

“He’s really starting to come along offensively,” Lee said. “He can shoot it and he’s got a knack for scoring. He’s probably been thinking a little too much at times but that’s pretty typical.”

When Oliver became available after the Davis firing at Central Michigan, Lee saw a gifted guard with big numbers at a lower level, but there was more to it than that.

“Erik’s a great young man,” Lee said. “He’s a smart kid and he comes from a great family. He’s coachable, a great teammate and a pleasure to be around.”

Oliver has two years of eligibility remaining after this season on a team that has no seniors. That part of the equation could be viewed as a little daunting if you’re looking for more minutes, but Oliver doesn’t see it that way.

“The ups and downs are easier to handle when you have a great support system,” he said. “My teammates are great – they’ve helped me adjust and taken some of the pressure off me just by being good people.”

Oliver’s family represents another part of his support system. There are daily phone calls and conversations that get past the “Hi, how are you?” level.

“We talk on the phone and we FaceTime a lot,” he said. “They’ll watch my games and see different things because they know me better than anybody. They can see my attitude and if I look like I’m tired. It’s all the small things that parents see.”

The Coyotes (15-10, 8-6) face St. Thomas and Western Illinois at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center this week with the opportunity to build momentum as the Summit League tournament approaches (March 5-8) at the Premier Center in Sioux Falls.

Oliver is the first to admit he and his teammates have experienced some difficult losses this year but likes the way the squad has kept up the fight.

“The arrow is definitely pointing up right now,” he said. “We’ve taken on the best teams in the conference and we’ve hung in there with them. As long as we all understand what we need to do, we’re going to be very competitive. Our identity is with our defense. If we just go out there and play with confidence and know what we’re capable of doing, I think we’re going to be fine. When those big moments come, we’re going to be ready for them.”