The South Dakota State men’s basketball program plays in the Field of 68 Opening Day Showcase to officially begin the 2024-25 season on Monday. SDSU faces McNeese State with tipoff scheduled for 5 p.m. in Sioux Falls at the Sanford Pentagon.
South Dakota State returns to the hardwood a season after claiming The Summit League regular season and tournament championships en route to the program’s seventh NCAA Division I Tournament appearance. The Jackrabbits have won nine Summit League regular season titles, along with seven tournament crowns, since 2012.
The McNeese State Cowboys are receiving votes in the AP Top 25 Poll a season after advancing to the NCAA Tournament under coach Will Wade.
A new lineup will take shape over the course of the upcoming campaign as the Jackrabbits replace five starters from a season ago. SDSU returns less than 25% of its contributions across multiple statistical categories.
Four returners that had impacts on SDSU’s 2023-24 championship team include Bubz Alvarez, Nate Barnhart, Kalen Garry and Matthew Mors. Garry leads that group as a Preseason All-Summit League Second Team choice. The sophomore guard started in 15 games and played in all 35 a season ago.
Senior transfers Oscar Cluff and Isaac Lindsey joined the fold as upperclassmen. Cluff was picked as a Preseason All-Summit Second Team choice after spending last year at Washington State.
SDSU’s roster features nine freshmen this year. A trio of players spent last season as redshirts in Joe Sayler, Damon Wilkinson and William Whorton. True freshmen this year include Andrell Burton Jr., Jadyn Cascio Jensen, Stoney Hadnot, Jaden Jackson, Owen Larson and Alec Squires.
Eric Henderson guides the program in his sixth season as head coach and ninth overall at SDSU. He holds a 109-48 record and features a .694 winning percentage during his time heading the SDSU coaching staff. Henderson’s winning percentage ranks the best among all-time Jackrabbit coaches that boast at least 20 wins.
SDSU has been one of the most consistent programs at the Division I level over the past decade. The Jackrabbits own the 19th most victories of all DI programs with 229. SDSU’s 78.4% win percentage in conference play the last 10 seasons ranks third in the nation, trailing only Gonzaga (92.6%) and Vermont (86.0%).
COVERAGE INFORMATION
The matchup between the Jackrabbits and Cowboys can be streamed on The Field of 68 YouTube Page as well as the organization’s X account. Live stats are available via the Sanford Pentagon. Tickets are sold as an all-day session and can be purchased on TicketMaster.