State-U Gathers Again to Battle in Hoops - Women on Wednesday; Men on Thursday

State-U Week has arrived again with the Jackrabbit and Coyote women's basketball teams to face off at the DakotaDome at 7 p.m. on Wednesday (Jan. 29) while the men's hoops teams gather in Frost Arena on Thursday (Jan. 30). This blog includes previews on both games, beginning with the women's teams.

South Dakota State to Meet South Dakota Women in Basketball Battle for 1st at DakotaDome

For the second time this year, The University of South Dakota women’s team will battle the South Dakota State University women’s squad with first place at stake in a key Summit League basketball contest. The tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at the DakotaDome. SDSU (15-6, 7-1 TSL), which is ranked 18th in the most recent Collegeinsider.com Mid Major Top-25 poll, won the first encounter, 62-50, at Frost Arena on Jan. 6 and have since maintained control of the Summit League race. South Dakota (11-10, 6-2 TSL) has won four straight games and now stand second in the Summit League while SDSU is 7-1 in the league. A Coyote win would forge a first place tie in the Summit League. This game (as will the men's game on Thursday) is part of the South Dakota Showdown Series, presented by South Dakota Corn.

State-U Women's All-time Series – When USD and SDSU face off in the DakotaDome Wednesday, it will be the 72nd game between the two rivals, which began playing each other in 1966-67. SDSU won that first game, 35-26, and the first 14 games in the series, until USD’s 59-47 victory in the 1977-78 season. That USD victory was the first of seven straight Coyotes wins. Overall, the Jackrabbits hold a 49-22 series advantage, winning 30-of-the-last-33 contests. The Coyotes won 19-of-24 games from 1977-78 to 1990-91. After that season, SDSU went on a streak of 21 straight games over USD. A year ago, the two teams split, each winning close games on their home floor. SDSU won the first encounter between the rivals in 2012-13, 72-60, at Frost Arena.

Last Time (Jan. 6, 2013) – SDSU 72, South Dakota 60 - The South Dakota State women's basketball team, led by senior Ashley Eide’s 22 points, took a 72-60 decision over South Dakota at Frost Arena on Sunday, Jan. 6. In the match up, SDSU opened up a 10-2 lead at the 16:43 mark and cruised to a 36-25 halftime lead. USD’s Tempestt Wilson scored 11-of-19 points in the first half to keep the game within range for the Yotes. USD finally trimmed the deficit to 41-33 three minutes into the second half, but the Jacks responded with a 7-0 run for a game-high 15-point lead. USD drew within eight on three other occasions in the final seven minutes but couldn’t cut the deficit further. Megan Waytashek had 15 points for SDSU while USD had 15 from Nicole Seekamp and 14 from Polly Harrington. A key to the game was SDSU’s foul shooting as the Jacks made 20-of-25 for 80%. The Jacks were 24-of-50 from the field, although just 4-of-18 on three point shots. The Coyotes hit 23-of-53 from the field for 43.4 percent, but were just 1-of-9 from three-point range. USD hit 13-of-18 free throws for 72.2%. Led by Wilson’s seven rebounds, USD had a 31-29 advantage on the boards.

Up-close – Jacks – SDSU, which is looking to advance to the NCAA DI Tournament for a fifth straight time, is 8-3 at home, 6-2 on the road and 1-1 in neutral site games. Since a 60-50 loss to Penn State, SDSU has won 9-of-10 games with the only blemish a 57-56 home setback to IUPUI. In its eight-plus seasons at DI, SDSU has a 179-72 mark vs. DI opponents, defeating 57 teams from 21 leagues.

SDSU's Hannah Strop (courtesy of SDSU)

The Jacks are led by senior forward Ashley Eide, who ranks fourth in the league in points at 14.2 per game and also grabs 3.9 rebounds each outing. Eide, who has 932 career points, is fifth in the Summit League in 3-point field goal percentage at 39.6 percent (40-of-101). Also reaching double digits for SDSU is sophomore Megan Waytashek at 13.7 per game (6th, TSL). She is third in three-point field goal percentage at 42.4% (39-of-91). Waytashek, who also averages 4.3 rebounds per game, ranks first in 3-point percentage in league games at 57.1 percent, making 20-of-35. She is also averaging 15.4 points per game in league play. Senior Katie Lingle is averaging 8.0 ppg and 4.6 rpg and leads SDSU in field goal percentage at 49.2% (58-of-118). Senior Leah Dietel is scoring 6.1 ppg and pulling down 5.5 rebounds a game. Sophomore Gabbie Boever scores 5.5 ppg and 3.19 assists per outing.

As for the team numbers, the Jacks have scored a league-high 1,373 points, which breaks out to a league-high 65.4 points per game. The Jacks have a 634-to-578 points advantage in the first half and 716-to-661 in the second stanza with a 23-17 points differential in overtime. SDSU leads the league in six categories and is second in three others. They are hitting 41.3% from the field (2nd, TSL) on 471-of-1,141 shooting, and making 70.2% from the foul line (5th) on 290 conversions in 413 attempts. SDSU has made 141-of-421 three-point shots for 33.5%, which ranks third in the league. The Jacks hit 6.7 three’s per game (3rd, TSL) and make a league-best 13.8 free throws (1st, TSL) on a league-best 19.7 attempts. They rank fourth in rebounding at 37.6 per game. SDSU is eighth in the Summit with 18.3 turnovers per game but rank second in steals (9.2). Opponents are making just 39% from the field (450-of-1,154), including 31.2% (110-of-353) from the 3-point arch. SDSU opponents hit 70.5 percent from the foul stripe on 246-of-349 shooting.

Dialing In With the Coyotes – South Dakota, which is 6-2 at home, 4-8 on the road and 1-0 on neutral floors, is riding a season-best four-game winning streak.

USD's Nicole Seekamp
(courtesy of USD)

South Dakota is led by sophomore Nicole Seekamp, who is third in the Summit League at 14.6 points per game. She also averages 4.0 rebounds per game, has 59 assists and is hitting 78.1% from the foul stripe (57-of-73) while scoring a team-high 307 points. One of the Coyotes on fire lately is senior guard Tempestt Wilson, who has increased her point per game average to 12.0 ppg, 12th in the league. Wilson has scored 43 points (14.33 ppg) in three games with SDSU, scoring 19 points in two of the games. Wilson has scored in double digits 11 straight games and has 14 for the season and 35 in her career. She is also averaging 3.8 rebounds per game. On the season, Wilson has hit 20-of-71 shots from 3-point range for 28.2 percent and 49-of-63 from the charity stripe for 77.8%. Wilson has 791 career points and with nine can reach 800 for her career. Junior Polly Harrington averages 12.0 ppg (12th, TSL) and 5.5 rpg (10th, TSL). She ranks first in the league in field goal percentage at 51.1% on 93-of-182 shooting. She is also 9-of-18 from three-point range. Also for USD, freshman Margaret McCloud is averaging 6.8 points per game and a team-high 7.2 rebounds, which ranks fourth in the league. Forward Lisa Loeffler is scoring 4.9 points per game and averaging 4.6 rebounds. Senior point guard Alexis Yackley is second in the league in assists at 5.09 per game. She is also averaging 3.6 points and 4.9 rebounds. Her 360 assists ranks seventh all-time at USD, just 14 away from Beth Vilhauer, who had 374 from 1985-89. Yackley also eclipsed the 500-point mark earlier this season and has 506 overall.

In terms of team totals, USD ranks first in four categories and second in eight other team stats. The Coyotes rank second in the Summit League in total points with 1,353, which breaks out to an average 67.0 points per game (2nd, TSL). The Yotes hold a 647-to-606 edge in first half points and a 706-to-600 margin in the second half for an overall victory margin of 7.0 points (64.4-to-57.4). South Dakota is first in the league with 42.1 rebounds per game, owning a 42.1-to-34.0 advantage against opponents. USD is fourth in field goal percentage at 40.2% by hitting 503-of-1,250 shots. They are seventh in three-point shooting at 28.2% (91-of-323) and sixth in free throw shooting at 69.8% on 256-of-367 shooting. The Coyotes are second in made free throws per game at 12.2 and third in attempts from the charity strike at 17.5. The Coyotes sit eighth in made three-pointers per game at 4.3 while they are third in turnovers at 15.4 and sixth in steals at 8.0 per game. Opponents are hitting 36.7% (433-of-1,179) from the field, 28.4% (102-of-359) from three-point range and 67.8% (238-of-351) from the charity strike.

About the Coaches

SDSU Coach Aaron Johnston In his 13th season as head coach of the South Dakota State University women's basketball team, Aaron Johnston has taken the Jackrabbit program to the top of NCAA Division II and is leading SDSU to national prominence at the Division I level. Johnston, who coached his 400th career game Dec. 16 at Penn State, enters action with USD on Jan. 30 with a career record of 305-105 (.744 winning percentage). He is the all-time wins leader at SDSU, earlier this season passing Nancy Neiber, who compiled a 301-140 record in 16 seasons from 1985-2000. Johnston, who is 13-3 vs. South Dakota, posted his 200th career victory on Dec. 4, 2008, against Centenary (La.), earned his 250th victory versus Illinois State on Nov. 24, 2010, and logged career win No. 300 against Kansas City on Jan. 3, 2013. Johnston also has led the Jackrabbits to a perfect 12-0 mark in Summit League postseason tournament contests and a 16-8 mark (.667 winning percentage) in postseason games. The Summit League Coach of the Year in each of the Jackrabbits' first two seasons in the league and again during the 2011-12 season, Johnston was named a finalist for the 2009 Naismith Award as the nation's top coach.  A native of Pine Island, Minn., "A.J." earned a bachelor's degree in health and physical education from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn. After serving one year as an assistant coach at North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton, he moved on to SDSU as a graduate assistant for the Jackrabbit men's basketball team for two seasons before becoming assistant women's coach. He also coached the SDSU golf teams one year.

USD head coach Amy Williams is 11-10 (6-2 in the Summit League) in her first season as the head women’s basketball coach at the University of South Dakota. Williams, whose sister Emilee Gusso Thiesse was an assistant for SDSU until taking the MSU-Mankato job this August, will face SDSU for the second time this season but the first at the DakotaDome. Williams was named the Coyote head coach on June 4, 2012. Williams, a native of Spearfish, S.D., and a 1998 Nebraska graduate, has been an assistant coach at the Division I level, including serving as the top assistant/recruiting coordinator at Oklahoma State from 2001-05, and holding the same position at Tulsa from 2005-07. For the past five seasons, she has been the head coach at Rogers State (Okla.). In March of 2007, Williams was named the first head women’s basketball coach at Rogers State University and built the program from scratch into an NAIA national contender. In five seasons at Rogers State, Williams recorded a 97-65 record. Last year, the Hillcats were 22-12 and advanced to the NAIA Final 8 for the first time in school history. She led the Hillcats to back-to-back NAIA national tournament appearances. Williams joined the Hillcats after successful coaching stints as the top assistant and recruiting coordinator at The University of Tulsa and Oklahoma State University. She previously worked as an assistant at the University of Texas-San Antonio and was a graduate assistant at the University of Nebraska-Kearney. Williams was a four-year basketball letter winner at Nebraska, where she graduated with a degree in biology and mathematics in 1998. She earned Academic All-Big 12 Conference honors as a senior in 1997-98 and was named a Phillips 66 Student-Athlete of the Week in 1997. After graduating from Nebraska, Williams joined the University of Nebraska-Kearney staff as a graduate assistant, where she earned her master’s degree in sports administration in 2002. Williams’ family includes her husband, Lloyd, and daughters Kennadi Capri (age 6) and Bentli Marie (age 2).

Men’s Squads Gather Again on Thursday (Jan. 30) – This Time at Frost

The University of South Dakota (8-13, 4-5 Summit League) will face South Dakota State (16-6, 7-2 Summit League) at Frost Arena on Thursday, Jan. 30 for the second of two men’s basketball match ups between the long-time rivals. 

After splitting a pair of games a year ago, USD won its second straight game against SDSU with a 74-71 win on Jan. 5 at the DakotaDome. In 2011-12, USD won the second of two games last season, 82-78, at the Dome after SDSU rolled to an 86-56 win at Frost Arena. Since a 74-71 loss on the road to the Coyotes, SDSU has won five straight games, including a 69-53 win over North Dakota State on Saturday at Frost Arena, and moved within a half-game of first place in the Summit League at 7-2. USD, fifth in the league with a 4-5 record, heads to the Jackrabbit Den where the Jackrabbits have won 26 straight games, just one away from the school’s all-time mark of 27 straight  set in 2002-04. The 26 straight home wins ranks third in the nation behind Syracuse (34) and Kansas (31).

SDSU's Nate Wolters
 (courtesy of SDSU)

Jacks Up Close – SDSU is ranked 18th in the Collegeinsiders.com mid-major poll and bring a 16-6 record (7-2, TSL, 2nd) into the game. The Jacks are led by its all-everything senior guard Nate Wolters, an All-American candidate, who averages 21.0 points (2nd, TSL), which ranks ninth nationally. He also averages 5.7 assists (1st, TSL) and 5.8 rebounds per game (9th, TSL). This season, Wolters has scored 26 points or more six times with a high of 30 points against Alabama (Nov. 9). Wolters has already set SDSU’s career points record and currently sits with 2,048 while his 590 career assists is second all-time behind Brian Norberg with 605 in 1995-99. Wolters, who is on the Wooden Midseason Top-25 watch list and the final 20 of the Bob Cousy Award as the nation’s best point guard, was the only player in DI a year ago with 20 points (21.2), five rebounds (5.9) and five assists (5.1).

The Jacks also feature junior forward Jordan Dykstra, who averages 12.8 ppg (10th, TSL) and grabs 6.8 rpg (4th, TSL), and will likely reach 1,000 points (994) in his career against USD. Dykstra is fourth in the league in 3-point percentage at 45.9 (39-85) and has hit 16-of-36 for 44.4 percent in league play. Junior Tony Feigen averages 10.5 ppg and 5.7 rpg (10th, TSL), which gives SDSU three of the top seven individuals in rebounding. The Jacks also feature junior shooting guard Brayden Carlson, 8.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg and 2.4 apg as well as junior forward Chad White, 8.9 ppg. White has hit 18-of-43 three-point shots for 41.9 percent in league play.

SDSU, which averages a league-best 72.6 points per game, has made 568-of-1,234 field goals for a league-best 46.0 percent. Overall, they are first in sixth league categories and second in five others. The Jacks have made 164-of-444 three point shots for 36.9 percent, which ranks fourth in the league. They are second in the league at 74.4% (297-of-399) while ranking fourth in made free throws per game (13.5) and fifth in attempted free throws (18.1). SDSU is third in rebounds (34.2), and fourth with 9.9 offensive rebounds per game. Also, SDSU is first in the Summit in assists (14.5), and ninth in steals (5.0) per game. On defense, they rank fourth in points allowed (65.9), third in opponent field goal percentage (44.3%) and fourth in the Summit League in opponents’ three-point percentage (35.0).

SDSU, which has outscored opponents, 1,597-to-1,450 or 72.6 to 65.9 per game, has a 777-to-682 points advantage in the first half while building a second half margin of 805-to-754. In OT, SDSU has a 15-14 edge.

Coyotes Up Close – The Coyotes, which has lost 3-of-4 games since the win over SDSU, lead the league with 73.2 points per game, sitting fifth in total points 1,538 points (21 games vs. 22 for SDSU). The Coyotes only win of late was an impressive 97-78 victory over Oakland at the O’rena, where the Grizzlies had won 37-of-40 home games before falling to the Coyotes. USD also ended a 10-game home winning streak by Oakland.

South Dakota is led by senior point guard Juevol Myles, who is averaging 16.0 points per game, which ranks fourth in the league. He is also averaging 3.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists, and has hit 37-of-111 from the 3-point arc. Myles ranks 22nd nationally and is the league’s best free throw shooter by hitting 89 percent from the charity stripe on 105-of-118 shooting. Junior Trevor Gruis is the Coyotes’ big man inside, averaging 11.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game with 21 blocks. He has hit 90-of-168 from the field for 53.6 percent. Sophomore Brandon Bos continues to be one of the league’s biggest surprises by averaging 10.5 points, and 3.6 rebounds per game after seeing limited action a year ago. Bos, who has 40 assists, has hit 30-of-66 shots for 45.5 percent from three-point range. Bos, who has made a three-point shot in 15 straight games, is hitting 84.2 percent (48-of-57) from the foul line. He has eight straight double digit scoring games, including 12 this season and 14 in his career. Junior Karim Rowson averages 9.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, has 22 steals and 11 blocks in his first season.  Rowson has hit 82.6 percent (76-of-92) from the charity stripe. Freshman Casey Kasperbauer, who is averaging 8.8 points and 1.7 rebounds per game, is the team’s top long distance bomber. He has hit a team-high 46 three-point shots on 107 attempts for 43 percent. He is also 10-of-11 from the foul line for 90.9 percent. Kasperbauer has converted 24-of-43 3-point field goals over the last eight games, which breaks out to 55.8%. Senior Jordan Boots, who scores 4.1 ppg, has hit 24-of-62 three-point field goals for 38.7 percent. He is also on a 3-point shooting tear, making 10-of-13 over the past four games. Junior Steve Tecker averages 5.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and is making 50.5 percent from the field (47-of-93). South Dakota has three of the top 10 free throw shooters (Myles, Rowson and Bos) in the league, which doesn’t include Kasperbauer at 90.9% (doesn’t qualify due to number of attempts).

Overall, the Coyotes ranks first in three Summit League statistical categories and are second in two others. USD ranks second nationally and first in the league in free throw shooting at 78.6% (353-of-449). The Coyotes are first in free throws per game (16.8). The Yotes are second in free throws per game (21.4) and second in three-point shots made per game (7.4). USD averages 19.3 three’s per game (fourth) and are third in the Summit (28th nationally) in three-point percentage at 38.2. The Coyotes are fifth in rebounds (31.8), sixth in offensive rebounds (8.4), fifth in assists (13.0), fourth in turnovers (12.6), and fourth in steals (6.7). In team defense, USD ranks seventh in the league in points allowed (76.1) while standing fifth in opponent field goal percentage (46.0) and opponent three-point field goal percentage (36.2).

South Dakota is being outscored this season by a 1,598-to-1,538 margin or 76.1-to-73.2 per game. Opponents have a 730-to-712 margin in the first half and 868-to-826 in the second half.

Highs-Lows -- South Dakota has scored a high of 97 points against Oakland on the road with a low of 50 points vs. #25 Kansas State on Dec. 31. The Coyotes have made 11 3’s in a game three times and has a season-best 3-point percentage of .579 (11-of-19, UMKC, Jan. 12). The Coyotes set a school record with 43 free throws (50 attempts) vs. Morehead State on Dec. 19. In addition, USD owns a season-high 42 rebounds vs. IUPUI on Dec. 1. In terms of individuals, Myles has a team-high 32 points vs. Morehead State on Dec. 19. Kasperbauer has made five three-pointers in a game five times, including against Oakland on Jan. 19. In addition, Tyler Flack had eight blocked shots vs. Waldorf on Nov. 24 whiles Miles has had a team-high five steals in a game twice including most recently on Dec. 31 vs. UMKC.

SDSU recorded a season high of 96 (96-48 win) points in a win against the District of Columbia on Nov. 18 and a low point total of 49 vs. Belmont (76-49 loss) on Dec. 19. They recorded a high of 39 field goals in the win over District of Columbia and just 17 field goals in the loss to Belmont. The Jacks recorded a season-best 60.7 percent vs. Dakota State, making 34-of-56 shots in the win over Dec. 16. In the loss to Belmont, they had a season low 27.0 percent (17-of-63). They have made a season-high 12 3-point field goals (27 attempts) against UMKC on Thursday and twice have hit 11 - vs. Marshall on Nov. 17 and Minnesota on Dec. 12. The three, 3-point shots (21 attempts) vs. Belmont is a season-low. SDSU has a season-best 25 made free throws vs. Tennessee State on Nov. 13. In addition, they recorded a season-best 49 rebounds vs. the District of Columbia. Individually, Wolters has a high of 30 points against Alabama on Nov. 9. Dykstra, White, Carlson and Wolters all are tied for a team-high of five three-point shots in a game. Dykstra has a team-best 13 rebounds (Oakland, Jan. 10) and four blocks (Hofstra, Nov. 16). Wolters also had a team-high five steals vs. North Dakota on Nov. 28.

State-U Men's All-time Series – The two schools have a difference of opinion concerning the all-time series record. SDSU has the series at 116-89-1 while USD says the totals stand at 92-115. South Dakota won the last game, 74-71, on Jan. 5 and took an 82-78 decision at the DakotaDome in 2011-12. SDSU won the other game in 2011-12 with an 86-56 decision at Frost Arena. That win by the Jacks was the first match-up between the schools in nine years. In Vermillion, According to the SDSU media guide, the Jacks owns a 48-31 advantage (available records) while the Jacks are 64-17-1 at Brookings (based on available data). USD has won four of the last five games played between the rivals. USD head coach Dave Boots is 21-18 vs. SDSU, including a 13-6 mark at the DakotaDome. He is 7-11 at Frost Arena and 11-13 vs. Scott Nagy. SDSU’s Nagy is 13-11 vs. USD and coach Boots, including 5-7 at the DakotaDome. He is 8-3 at Frost Arena.

USD Head Coach Dave Boots

Last Time – Jan. 4 – South Dakota 74 SDSU 71 – South Dakota, led by 22 points from Juevol Myles, turned back South Dakota State, 74-71, at the DakotaDome before 5,045 in attendance. USD also received 16 points from Brandon Bos, 14 from Casey Kasperbauer and 12 from Trevor Gruis. With the win, head coach Dave Boots won his 500th career game at USD and his 600th NCAA game. The Coyotes, which led 42-25 at halftime, held off a challenge from the Jacks and Nate Wolters who finished with 26 points, five rebounds, and five assists. SDSU outscored the Coyotes, 46-32, in the second stanza. A few keys were the fact that USD made 18-of-19 free throws, including several crucial charity tosses in the final seconds, as well as won the points in the paint battle, 26-16. USD also had a 12-10 advantage in second chance points and a 10-6 bench scoring edge. This was the 48th time that a State-U game was decided by a margin of three points. However, it was the first since 1999 when SDSU won 69-66 in Brookings. In addition, USD defeated SDSU for the fourth straight time at the DakotaDome. The Coyotes, which led 42-25 at halftime, held off a challenge from the Jacks and Nate Wolters who finished with 26 points, five rebounds, and five assists. SDSU outscored the Coyotes, 46-32, in the second stanza. A few keys were the fact that USD made 18-of-19 free throws, including several crucial charity tosses in the final seconds, as well as won the points in the paint battle, 26-16. USD also had a 12-10 advantage in second chance points and a 10-6 bench scoring edge. This was the 48th time that a State-U game was decided by a margin of three points. However, it was the first since 1999 when SDSU won 69-66 in Brookings. In addition, USD defeated SDSU for the fourth straight time at the DakotaDome

  

Close Encounters of the State-U Kind

In the State-U rivalry, 48 times a game has been decided by three points or less in the rivalry with USD owning a 24-23-1 or 25-23 edge in those games depending on which media guide is reviewed. The difference actual is a couple of games but one specifically with USD records listing the fourth game in the 1915 season as a 16-15 win. SDSU, which hosted that game, says it was a 15-15 tie. However, no known box score of the game remains. USD won the other three games in that first season, although the schools disagree on the final score in two of three of those games. In total, there have been 17 1-point decisions in State-U match ups and three overtime games. From Jan. 20, 1977 through Feb. 4, 1978, SDSU and USD were involved in five straight decisions decided by one or two points. SDSU won three of those five contests. In that run of games from 1977-to-1978, four of the five games were decided by one point. Of those five games, two were played in Vermillion, two in Brookings and one in Sioux Falls.

The Coaches

Scott Nagy of SDSU is in his 18th season at South Dakota State after guiding the Jackrabbits to the NCAA DI Tournament for the first time last season in a 27-8 season, which included the league tournament title (automatic bid to the NCAA Tourney), and a 15-3 mark (2nd place) in the Summit League.  SDSU, which had qualified for the NCAA DII national tournament eight times, dropped a 68-60 decision to Baylor in the first round.  In 2012-13, Nagy’s Jackrabbits sit 16-6 (7-2 TSL), including a win over then #16 New Mexico at The Pit. Nagy, who won his 300th career game on Dec. 28, 2011, at Frost Arena, has guided the Jackrabbits through the transition from Division II?to Division I, built an impressive 331-204 record (.617 winning percentage) at the Division I and Division II levels, and guided the Jacks to North Central Conference championships in 1996, 1997, 1998 and 2002, adding a Summit League Tournament title in 2012. Nagy, a native of Abilene, Texas, also directed the Jacks to the NCAA Regional Tournament from 1996-1998 and from 2000-2004 and led the Jacks to the Elite Eight tournament in 1997.   

South Dakota Head Coach Dave Boots has compiled a 501-228 (.691) record at the U, and picked up his 500th career win at USD in a 74-71 decision over SDSU at the DakotaDome on Jan. 5. In his career, Boots has compiled a 616-290 (.680) mark, including 601-284 (.679) in NCAA games. Boots, whose 2012-13 squad is 8-13 (4-5 TSL), built the Coyote program into one of the best in NCAA DII. He helped USD transition to NCAA DI. USD’s 15th men’s basketball coach, Boots has led South Dakota to 16 seasons of 20-wins or more. He picked up his 600th career win with a 69-63 victory over Tabor on Nov. 28, 2011. He was just the 64th coach to reach that level. At South Dakota, Boots won his 100th game at Northern Colorado (65-45) in the 1992-93 season; 200th in a home win over Morningside (83-77) in the 1997-98 campaign; 300th at home vs. Jamestown (99-76) in the 2002-03 season; 400th against Minnesota-Duluth (60-56) in the 2006-07 season. Boots, who also serves as assistant athletic director at USD, directed the Coyotes to six NCC Championships (1992-93, 1993-94, 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01 and 2006-07), two North Central Region crowns (1992-93, 1993-94) and two appearances in the NCAA Division II Elite 8 National Tournament (1992-93, 1993-94). He continued that at the Division I level with a Great West Conference regular-season and tournament title in 2010. In total, Boots has guided the program to 10 NCAA DII national tournament appearances, including five straight from 2003-08. It is a mark untouched by any previous South Dakota coach. He also guided USD to a berth in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tourney in 2010. His string of consecutive winning seasons ended at 23 when the Coyotes finished 10-18 (5-13, 8th, Summit League). A year ago, USD was eighth after picked to finish 10th in the preseason coaches’ poll.