VERMILLION, S.D. — South Dakota basketball kicks off the 2025-26 season Monday night at 7:30 p.m. inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center against Utah Tech.
 
Quick Hitters

• South Dakota kicks off the 2025-26 season with four of its first five games inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center, a venue they held a 14-2 record at a season ago.
• The Coyotes have an early road test in their second game of the year at preseason #23 Creighton Wednesday in Omaha, Nebraska.
• South Dakota was picked to finish fifth in the Summit League Preseason Coaches' Poll and received one first place vote. Isaac Bruns was named to the conference's preseason first team. He was an All-Summit League Honorable Mention a season ago.
• Bruns ranked No. 10 in the conference in scoring a season ago and is the league's leading returner scorer at 14.6 points per game.
• South Dakota averaged 89.3 points per game on its home court a season ago, while holding visiting teams to a 77.3 points per game average. While the Yotes still averaged over 80 points per game on the road (81.6), they surrendered 89.5 points per game to the host teams.
• In 16 home games last year, Bruns averaged 16.1 points per game while shooting .492 percent from the field. Cameron Fens appeared in just 10 home games last year, due to a season ending injury, but averaged 8.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game, while shooting .571 percent.
• Eric Peterson enters year four as the head coach of the South Dakota men's basketball team and holds a 43-53 overall record.

 
How to Follow

• Monday's game can be found on the Summit League Network on Midco Sports Plus.
• The radio call by John Thayer can be found on the Coyote Sports Network, KVHT 106.3 fm, or 95.7 fm, or on the Varsity Network app.
   

Back for Year 3

• Isaac Bruns is back for year three as a Coyote and is the Summit League's leading returner scorer after averaging 14.6 points per game in his sophomore season.
• Bruns led the bench unit for the first half of the season that ranked inside the top-10 in the NCAA in points per game (30.88).
• He entered the starting lineup in the third Summit League regular season game and would start the final 16 games of the season, including both Summit League Tournament games.
• Bruns scored in double-figures in 14 of 16 games to close out the season, including six games with 20+ points.
• Bruns recorded his first career double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds on 8-of-12 shooting in the Summit League Tournament Quarterfinals against North Dakota State.
• He was named to the Preseason All-Summit League First Team, after being named an All-Summit League Honorable Mention last year.
   

Pushing the Pace

• South Dakota ended the 2024-25 season as the No. 3 team in the country and the Summit League leader with an 85.2 points per game average.
• Alabama (90.7) and Gonzaga (86.4) were No. 1 and 2 last year.
• The Yotes ranked No. 3 in the NCAA in possessions per game (77.0), trailing only Alabama (78.5) and Cal Poly (77.5).
• Behind a full court press, the Coyotes ranked No. 16 in turnover margin (+3.8) and took care of the ball offensively, ranking No. 16 in fewest turnovers per game (9.6).
• With the high tempo, pressing defensive style of play, the Coyotes depth was on display a season ago as they ranked No. 10 in the NCAA in bench points per game (30.88).
   

Fresh Faces in Verm

• While South Dakota brings back eight players from last year's squad, the Coyotes return just 35% of the scoring.
• Isaac Bruns and Cameron Fens are the team's leading returning scorers. Bruns totaled 482 points in his sophomore season, while Fens scored 163 in 19 games.
• The Coyotes brought in four transfers in Ethan Kizer, Caleb Kizer, Josiah Dotzler and Jordan Crawford.
• The Kizer brothers transferred in from South Alabama. Ethan Kizer spent two seasons as a Jaguar, while Caleb Kizer spent one season at South Alabama.
• Dotzler redshirted last season after appearing in five games before suffering a season-ending injury. Dotzler, an Omaha, Nebraska native, spent his freshman season at Creighton where he appeared in 19 games.
• Crawford appeared in 30 games last year for Eastern Kentucky, making 15 starts. He averaged 7.8 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. He spent his first two years of college ball at the College of Charleston.
• South Dakota added five freshmen to the roster in Vince Buzelis, Jesse McIntosh, Uzziah Buntyn, Luke Bruns and Jonah Funk.
• Buzelis was an all-conference honoree for Hinsdale Central while averaging 11.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game for the Red Devils. He was a member of the U16 Lithuania National Team. His brother, Matas, was a first round selection by the Chicago Bulls in the 2024 NBA Draft.
• McIntosh comes to Vermillion from Melbourne, Australia. He represented his home country of Australia and helped them win the U18 Asia Cup.
• Buntyn lead Stony Point HS to a Texas HS State Championship Runner-Up finish. Buntyn was named First Team All State, a three-time All Region Selection, the Centex Player of the Year, District MVP and a four-time First Team All District selection. He recorded over 2100 points, 650 assists, and 300 steals in high school career.
• Bruns scored 1,060 career points in his prep career at Dakota Valley HS. Won back-to-back South Dakota State Championships in his freshman and sophomore seasons alongside his brother and current teammate Isaac Bruns.
• Funk was named a unanimous First Team All-Mid-Illini Conference selection. He helped lead Metamora to a Mid-Illini Conference Championship and to the Class 3A Washington Sectional basketball title game.
   

Home Sweet Home

• South Dakota put together a 14-2 overall record and a 6-2 mark in Summit League play on its home floor last season.
• The Coyotes averaged 89.3 points per game in the SCSC on a .480 shooting percentage, while holding visiting teams to a 77.3 average and a .436 shooting percentage.
• Isaac Bruns averaged 16.1 points per game in the SCSC on a .492 shooting percentage and was 52-for-62 at the free throw line.
• The Yotes often got out in front after the first half of play, averaging 42.3 points per game in the first 20 minutes of action, while holding teams to 34.4 points in the first half.
• The Coyotes started 10-0 in the SCSC last year, which was the best start in the Sanford Coyote Sports Center. USD's previous best start at home was during the 2016-17 season when they started 8-0.
• Previous to last year, the last time the Yotes started 10-0 or better at home was in the 2008-09 season when they 14 straight in the DakotaDome.