KANSAS CITY, Mo. – South Dakota men's basketball Chase Forte was named to the NABC All-District Second Team in the Mountain District Tuesday morning.
 
Forte is the third player to earn NABC All-District honors and first since 2020-21 when Stanley Umede was a second team selection. Matt Mooney was a two-time first time selection in 2016-17 and 2017-18, while Tyler Hagerdorn was named to the first team in 2019-20.
 
Forte was the Summit League's Defensive Player of the Year while being named to the All-League First Team, All-Defensive Team and All-Newcomer Team.
 
Forte led the Coyotes in scoring averaging 17.9 points per game, assists at 3.2 per game and steals with 1.9 per contest. Forte shot .471 percent from the field and grabbed 4.4 rebounds per game. Forte ranks No. 5 in the NCAA and led the Summit League in free throw attempts (253). He also ranked No. 44 and No. 1 in the conference in steals with 62.
 
He reached double-figure scoring in 29 of 33 games and had 20 or more points in 16 games. Forte eclipsed 30 points twice on the season, his first 30-point games in his Division I career with 30 against St. Thomas (Feb. 19) and 31 on Senior Day against North Dakota (Mar. 1). Forte had 18 games with multiple steals, five with four or more and tallied five in a win over Idaho State (Dec. 4)
 
Forte led the Coyotes and ranked inside the top-12 individually in the conference in shooting percentage, points, rebounds, assists and steals per game. Forte averaged the fourth most points during Summit League play at 19.4 points per game and was fifth with a .486 shooting percentage. He dished out 2.9 assists per game, which ranked No. 8 in the conference and grabbed 5.3 rebounds per game. Forte scored in double-figures in all 16 league games and ended the year on a tear, averaging 26.8 points per game over the last four contests.
 
Forte, who spearheaded the Coyote full court press all year, was the Summit League leader with 32 steals in conference play and had 59 total on the season. In 10 of the 16 Summit League contests, Forte had multiple steals and tallied four takeaways twice against Omaha and Kansas City. Forte earned two Kwik Star Summit League Peak Performer of the Week honors this season. Forte is the first Coyote to earn Summit League Defensive Player of the Year honors and first Yote to earn first team honors since 2020-21 (Stanley Umude and A.J. Plitzuweit).
 
Mountain District
First Team
Nique Clifford, Colorado State
Oscar Cluff, South Dakota State
Tyson Degenhart, Boise State
Donovan Dent, New Mexico
Mason Falslev, Utah State
Nelly Junior Joseph, New Mexico
Caleb Love, Arizona
Ian Martinez, Utah State
Jalon Moore, Oklahoma
Richie Saunders, BYU
 
Second Team
Jaden Bradley, Arizona
Dylan Darling, Idaho State
Nick Davidson, Nevada
Chase Forte, South Dakota
Isaiah Hawthorne, Northern Colorado
Trent McLaughlin, Northern Arizona
Jacksen Moni, North Dakota State
Langston Reynolds, Northern Colorado
Dedan Thomas Jr., UNLV
Jacari White, North Dakota State
 
Coach of the Year: Richard Pitino, New Mexico