The Game
After an 18-11 record and 11-7 finish to conference play, South Dakota enters as the No. 5 seed in the Summit League Tournament at the Sanford PREMIER Center in Sioux Falls. USD's quarterfinal matchup places the Coyotes against No. 4 Kansas City for the second time in 10 days. Sunday night's game will be the first time the Coyotes and Roos have met in the postseason.
 
The game is being televised by Midco Sports. Jay Elsen, Shon Morris and Brian Shawn have the call. The Midco Sports broadcast can be found on Midco Sports Plus or ESPN+, both of which require a subscription. John Thayer has the call on the Coyote Sports Network. Stations include KVHT 106.3 FM (Yankton/Vermillion), KQSF 95.7 (Sioux Falls) and KWSN 98.1 (Sioux Falls)
 
If You Are Going…
Join USD fans, friends and alumni for a pre and postgame social in the Coyote hospitality room in Ballroom A of the Convention Center. The hospitality room opens two hours before and one hour after each game. A bar is available with light snacks provided. Note that all bars at the Convention Center and the PREMIER Center will accept credit card purchases only.
 
Cheer on the team as the players arrive at the tournament as a part of the Coyote Walk, 90 minutes prior to the game outside the hospitality room by lining the north side of the Convention Center hallway.
 
The PREMIER Center also has a clear bag policy. Charlie's offers clear bags for $9.99.
 
The Series
South Dakota dropped both its regular season games to Kansas City in the 2021-22 season. The Roos used a late first-half run to take control of game one and an early first-half run to take control of game two. The Roos led from start to finish in both games.
 
The Coyotes
South Dakota managed to win five of its last six games to close out the regular season. The Coyotes picked up arguably their biggest win of the season at Oral Roberts to cap off the regular season and head into the conference tournament with some momentum. USD shot 57 percent from the floor to and got a game-high 23 points from Tasos Kamateros to outmatch the fourth-best scoring offense in the country in that game on Feb. 26. Boogie Anderson and the Coyote defense limited sharp-shooting guard Max Abmas to 14 points on 5-of-12 from the field. 
 
Just two days before their win at Oral Roberts, the Coyotes were stymied against a physical Kansas City defense. The Roos got off to a hot start in that game and led by as many as 24 in the second half, but South Dakota willed themselves back into the game with a late rally. USD trimmed the lead down to six with 2:47 left in the game after Kamateros sank a three-pointer to make it 64-58. Despite their best efforts, Kansas City held the Coyotes off long enough to take both games of the regular season series.
 
The Roos
Kansas City ended their regular season by winning seven of its final nine games. The graduate-student trio of Evan Gilyard II, Marvin Nesbitt Jr., and Arkel Lamar were the main focal points for the Roos all season long and each earned all-Summit honors. Gilyard was selected to first team all-league and won newcomer of the year. Nesbitt was named to the second team and won defensive player of the year while Lamar was placed on the second team.
 
Gilyard led the Roos in scoring in both matchups against the Coyotes. The Chicago, Illinois, native dropped 31 in the first meeting in Vermillion and 20 in the rematch in Kansas City. Gilayrd combined for 16-of-27 (59 percent) from the field including 8-of-14 (57 percent) from behind the arc in both meetings against the Coyotes. Josiah Allick, who missed game one in Vermillion and a good portion of the Summit League slate, scored 18 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for Kansas City in the game on Feb. 24.  
 
One Last Thing
South Dakota placed two on the all-Summit League team this season. Mason Archambault and Kruz Perrott-Hunt both earned second-team honors while Kamateros received honorable mention and Anderson was selected to the inaugural all-defensive team. This is the third straight season the Coyotes have had at least two members on the all-Summit team.