<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />South Dakota Coyotes
Great West Conference (22-9)
Big Wins: 11/15 vs Texas A&M CC (76-73), 12/13 vs Binghamton (89-77), 1/12 Longwood (75-63)
Bad Losses: 12/11 at Drake (81-96), 12/20 at Wyoming (74-86), 1/21 at Utah Valley (68-86)
Coach: Dave Boots
Why They Can Surprise:
South Dakota earned an automatic bid into the CIT by winning the Great West Conference tournament. The Coyotes were the clear favorites heading into the tournament and, despite some close calls, Coach Dave Boots’ team held serve and worked their way into the postseason. The talent on the wings is the main reason South Dakota reached the postseason. Roman Gentry is the most dynamic scorer on the team. He can knock down the long ball or use his 6-5 frame to attack the basket.
Jake Thomas is the pure shooter of the bunch. Thomas connects on over 40 percent of his attempts from long range and when he is hot, he can have some huge scoring outputs like his 31 point effort against Midland Lutheran College or his 27 points in North Dakota. There are options off the bench too. Most notable is Louie Krogman. While Krogman is also a fine ball handler and will spend time running the point, he is a good shooter who can play off the ball. With Mitchell Bouie and Jordan Boots waiting on the bench, South Dakota has a deep backcourt.
Why They Can Disappoint:
The problem is the Coyotes will be physically outmatched by just about everybody. And this team has very, very few options in the frontcourt. Even with their relatively easy schedule, South Dakota had trouble on the glass. Tyler Cain rarely has trouble on the boards. He averages over 15 points and ten rebounds per game, but there is nobody to help him. His ability to score around the basket has opened up the offense for the shooters, but fellow big man and starter Steve Smith wants to be one of those shooters and not a traditional big man. At 6-11 and 265 pounds Smith certainly has the size to bang around under the basket, but he hangs out on the perimeter a lot and leaves Cain alone in the paint. Those two are the only forwards who average over ten minutes a game and South Dakota is forced to play small quite often.
Who To Watch:
Kendall Cutler is the playmaker on the team. While Cain, Gentry, Thomas and Krogman all dish out at least two assists per game, it is Cutler’s job to set them up. South Dakota does a good job sharing the ball and Cutler is the catalyst of the offense. When others are not scoring, Cutler has the ability to do some himself. He is not a shooter, but he can finish around the basket or at least get to free-throw line.
Probable Starters:
Kendall Cutler, Junior, Guard, 8.4 ppg, 4.6 apg
Jake Thomas, Freshman, Guard, 13.1 ppg, 2.2 apg
Roman Gentry, Senior, Guard, 13.4 ppg, 2.4 apg, 4.2 rpg
Tyler Cain, Senior, Forward, 14.7 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 2.9 bpg
Steve Smith, Senior, Center, 7.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.1 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
Jordan Boots, Freshman, Guard, 2.8 ppg
Mitchell Bouie, Junior, Guard, 7.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg
Louie Krogman, Sophomore, Guard, 9.7 ppg, 2.1 apg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 79.2 (reclassifying team, stats not ranked by NCAA)
Scoring Defense: 72.4
Field-Goal Percentage: 47.8
Field-Goal Defense: 40.8
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 7.3
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 36.4
Free-Throw Percentage: 65.6
Rebound Margin: -1.3
Assists Per Game: 16.8
Turnovers Per Game: 14.8
