VERMILLION, S.D. — South Dakota hosts Kansas City Thursday for its second game of a two-game homestand at 7 p.m. in the Sanford Coyote Sports Center for Tropical Night.

Quick Hitters

• The Coyotes have been exceptional at home, improving to an 8-2 record in the SCSC after Saturday' win over Denver but have struggled to find their footing on the road with an 0-7 mark. The Yotes are 1-0 in neutral site games.
• The Coyotes average 87.4 points per game while holding visiting teams to 74.8 points in the SCSC but surrender 96.9 points per game when on the road while scoring 76.1 points on the road.
• USD has started to find the range over the last five games, averaging 9.2 3-pointers per game at a 42.2% clip. South Dakota connected on average 6.0 triples per game in the first 13 games of the season.
• Trent Hudgens and Silas Bennion were added to the Coyote roster last week, have appeared in each of the last two games and are averaging near 20 minutes per game.
• Hudgens, a Third Team NAIA All-American in 2023-24, found his groove in the second half against the Tommies with 17 points on 5-of-7 shooting.
• Junior guard Isaac Bruns was named to the Lou Henson Player of the Year Award Early Season Watch List in December. The award recognizes the top player in mid-major college basketball.
• Bruns has scored 20+ in nine of the last 11 games and increased his scoring average to 20.7 points per game which ranks No. 1 in the conference and No. 21 in the NCAA.
• Bruns enters Thursday's game ranked No. 4 nationally in total points (372) and is the Summit League leader.
• Bruns is No. 22 in the NCAA with 119 field goals made, No. 5 in free throws made (109) and No. 12
• in free throw attempts (130).
• The Yotes led the conference with an average of 13.22 offensive rebounds per game, which ranks No. 47 in the NCAA, but have been held to under 10 offensive boards in the first three conference games.
• South Dakota has gone to the line frequently throughout the season, ranking No. 17 in the NCAA in free throw attempts per game (26.7) and are No. 20 free throw makes per game (19.6). Through three Summit League games, USD is averaging 15.0 makes and 18.0 attempts.
• 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.
• Eric Peterson enters year four as the head coach of the South Dakota men's basketball team and holds a 52-62 overall record.

How to Follow

• Thursday's matchup between the Coyotes and Roos will be available on Midco Sports Two, the Summit League Network and Midco Sports Plus.
• The radio call by John Thayer can be found on the Coyote Sports Network on the Varsity Network app.

Series History

• South Dakota is 9-11 all-time against Kansas City after a regular season series split a year ago.
• Each team won on its home court a season ago, with USD taking a 79-72 victory at the SCSC. The Roos won a slugfest in the first meeting in KC, 68-54.
• Isaac Bruns had 21 points, three rebounds and three steals in the win.
• Across the two games last season, the Coyotes averaged 66.5 points to KC's 70.0, shot 37.9% to KC's 40.5% and both teams shot below 25.0% from the 3-point line.

The New Guys

• Reinforcements arrived last week for a Coyote squad dealing with a number of injuries in Trent Hudgens and Silas Bennion.
• Hudgens was second on the team with 17 points in his debut Wednesday against St. Thomas. He scored all 17 points in the second half of the contest on 5-of-7 shooting with one 3-pointer. He also led the team with four assists on the night.
• Hudgens was a 2023-24 Third Team NAIA All-American at Arizona Christian (2022-25) where he helped the Firestorm to three regular season GSAC Championship. In his sophomore season at ACU, Hudgens and the Firestorm advanced to the quarterfinals of the NAIA National Tournament.
• Hudgens' previous stops also included Northern Colorado (2020-21) and Santa Clara (2021-22).
• Bennion scored five points on 2-of-3 shooting with a triple, three rebounds and took two charges vs the Tommies.
• Bennion spent two seasons at Jamestown (2023-25) and Lewis - Clark State (2021-23).
• He was a 2024-25 NSAA First Team All-Conference selection and a 2023-24 First Team All-GPAC honoree for the Jimmies.
• Bennion led Jamestown in scoring a season ago at 16.5 points per game to go with 3.5 assists and 3.7 rebounds. He scored a career-high 38 points against Dickinson State in his junior year (2023-24).
• Bennion and Hudgens averaged 20.0 and 19.0 minutes per game across their first two games.

Lou Henson Award Watch List

• Isaac Bruns was named to the Lou Henson Award Early Season Watch List.
• The award is presented annually to the top player in Mid-Major Division I College Basketball.
• Bruns leads the Coyotes with a 20.7 points per game average and ranks No. 2 in the Summit League in scoring.
• Three other Summit League players were mentioned on the watch list in St. Thomas' Nolan Minessale, Omaha's Lance Waddles and North Dakota State's Demari Wheeler-Thomas.

First Half Success

• South Dakota is 7-0 on the season when holding a lead at the halftime break and 1-9 when trailing at intermission.
• In those seven wins the Coyotes have averaged 47.7 points in the first half while holding opponents to 32.9 points.
• On the flip side, in the nine losses the Coyotes have been outscored 45.6 to 33.8 in the first half.
• The Yotes trailed 39-33 to Dakota State on December 17 but outscored the Trojans 47-32 in the second half.
• Twice this season, the Coyotes have trailed at halftime and respond in the second half to force overtime but fell in both contests to Utah Tech and at Northern Colorado.
• Saturday's game against the Pioneers was the first time this season the score was tied at half.

Career Days

• A pair of Coyotes in Isaac Bruns and Cameron Fens had career days for the Yotes in Saturday's 97-85 win over Prairie View A&M.
• Bruns set another new career high point total of 29 points on 9-of-17 shooting with a pair of 3-pointers. Bruns also grabbed eight rebounds and went 9-of-12 from the free throw line.
• Fens notched a double-double with his then career highs of 22 points and 14 rebounds. Four of his boards were off the offensive glass. He connected on 10-of-13 field goal attempts and was 2-for-3 from the free throw line.
• Fens would make it back-to-back double-doubles in the next game when he scored 13 points and had 11 rebounds against Dakota State.
• Fens set a new career-high of 23 points in his monster day against Denver as he was 10-of-12 from the field, had 12 rebounds and blocked four shots.
• It was Fens' second game of the season with four blocks and the third time in his career.

Ice is Heating Up

• Isaac Bruns filled up the scoring column in the month of December scoring 20+ in six of eight games.
• Over that stretch of play, Bruns averaged 23.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game while shooting 47.1%.
• In three of those eight games, Bruns rewrote his career-high point total, most recently against PVAMU with 29 points.
• Bruns took advantage of his trips to the charity stripe going 61-for-71 (85.9%). He also led the team with 14 triples, converting at a 50.0% rate in December.
• Bruns is among the best in the NCAA at getting to and converting at the free throw line as he ranks No. 5 in the country in free throw makes (109), No. 12 in attempts (130) and is converting at a 83.8% clip.
• He ranks No. 22 in the NCAA in field goals (119) and No. 7 in field goal attempts (268).
• Bruns ranks No. 1 in the conference and No. 21 in the NCAA at 20.7 points per game.
• Bruns has scored the fourth most total points across the NCAA with 372.
• Through the first three games of Summit League play, Bruns is averaging 20.3 points per game on .500/.556/.875 shooting splits.

Feed the Big Fella

• Following a career-day with 22 points and 14 rebounds, Cameron Fens notched five straight games with double-digit point totals and has a pair of double-doubles. His 10+ point streak ended Wednesday against St. Thomas but pulled down his fourth game this season with double-figure rebounds.
• He rewrote his career-high point total in Saturday's game against Denver when he scored 23 points on 10-of-12 shooting to go with 12 boards and a career-high matching four blocks.
• Across three Summit League games, the Coyote center is averaging a double-double with 13.7 points and 10.0 rebounds.
• Fens had back-to-back double-doubles against Prairie View A&M (22 pts, 14 reb) and against Dakota State (13 pts, 11 reb).
• Fens has scored 10+ in 10 of the last 12 games with four double-doubles.

Crashing the Glass

• Behind seven players with 10+ offensive rebounds on the season, the Coyotes rank No. 47 in the NCAA and No. 1 in the conference in offensive rebounds per game (13.22).
• Cameron Fens is No. 5 in the conference and leads the Yotes with 42 offensive rebounds on the year, while Isaac Bruns is second on the team and No. 9 in the SL with 30.
• The Yotes have pulled down 10+ offensive rebounds in 13 of 18 games.

Freebies

• South Dakota ranks No. 17 in the NCAA in free throw attempts per game (26.7) and No. 20 in free throw makes (19.6)
• Bruns has converted 109 of his 130 attempts at the charity stripe, while Uzziah Buntyn is second on the team and is 61-of-77.
• Three Coyotes with 40+ free throw attempts on the year are shooting at a 70.0% clip or higher.
• The Yotes have attempted 30+ free throws in six games this season, including a season-high 37-of-46 in the win over Southern Indiana. USD has made 20+ in seven contests.
• The Coyotes have been held to 18.0 free throw attempts per game during Summit League play.