Archambault Headlines Saturday's Native American Celebration

Mason Archambault is coming off a pair of 20-point efforts, but you will have to forgive him if he seems a bit nervous at the start of Saturday’s game. No, it’s not because of Senior Day, which is traditionally the focus on the final home game of this season. Saturday will see nearly 600 Native American students and alumni in attendance, and a good majority will have their eyes on No. 11 in white.

Chuck Archambault, Mason’s uncle, will be driving close to 30 students from a middle school in Fort Yates more than six hours to Vermillion for the show. Fort Yates is the tribal headquarters of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, of which Mason and his family are members. Chuck, a Division I basketball player in his own right, serves as a teacher there. It will be the first time those students will be in attendance to watch Mason play.

“I know some other schools are coming and bringing buses down as well,” said Mason. “My mom, my aunt and a bunch of my family are going to be there so it’s going to be a special day.”

The game between the Coyotes and visiting Leathernecks will be surrounded by a number of happenings. A recognition of 11 Native American student-athletes who compete for USD will take place prior to the tip. The Lakota Honor Song will be sung by the USD Native Student and Alumni Drum Group, and the Drum Group will return to perform at halftime.

Archambault grew up in Rapid City, but made numerous trips to Fort Yates growing up to visit family. He made headlines as an upperclassman at Rapid City Stevens High School when six Native players comprised a roster that made two state tournament appearances. They were dubbed the “Lakota Six” by the media, and featured prominently in the Lakota Times.

“We had basically the same high school team as we did in elementary school, so it was just a normal thing to us,” said Archambault. “But in Fort Yates, the sport has grown tremendously since I’ve arrived here at USD and started doing well here. All these kids message me and it’s just awesome. It’s just a good feeling.”

Archambault’s dad, Russ, played at Minnesota on a team that made it to the Final Four and he was an NAIA Division II Player of the Year at Huron in 2001 so basketball was introduced to Mason at a young age. But it wasn’t his first love.

“Skateboarding was a way to do something when you’re bored,” said Mason. “My cousin and I hung out all day long at the skate park in Fort Yates trying new moves and new tricks. I used to like it more than basketball. I won a couple of competitions in Rapid City doing it. I haven’t done it since because it’s easy to get hurt.”

Basketball quickly rose to the top of Archambault’s list. It started during tryouts his freshman year of high school when he was moved right up to varsity. It carried him to Gillette College, a top community college program at the time, and it’s the Division I dream that brought him to USD. Archambault admitted to radio man John Thayer that his first time on the court for USD nearly brought him to tears. He hopes to continue playing basketball for as long as he can.

As for this moment, Archambault and the Coyotes will be going for their fourth straight win Saturday as momentum builds for next month’s Summit League Tournament in Sioux Falls. Archambault enters as the nation’s third-leading free throw shooter at nearly 93 percent and the ninth-leading scorer in Summit League play at 16 points per game.

“We’ve put some wheels in motion so that I can help run some camps in Fort Yates this summer through Bearstail Basketball, which is a nonprofit organization that strives to provide services through basketball for youth who come from areas with limited facilities and opportunities,” said Archambault. “I have a lot of help and I’m very appreciative of that.”