November 21, 2023

MADISON, S.D. – Darren Tighe, the Dakota State University Trojan men's basketball head coach, is pleased to announce the first wave of 2024-25 recruits.

"We're really excited about this first wave of guys!  It is a priority to find the best of the best from the Midwest, especially from here in South Dakota and neighboring states," said Tighe.

"We are wanting to build this program from guys within a three to four-hour range of Madison.  This past spring and summer, our staff was able to get out and watch a ton of basketball," added Tighe.  "In our evaluation process, we were looking for guys who are smart, tough, and competitive.  On the academic side, we were pushing for high GPA (grade point average) and ACT kids, too.  All these guys we've signed so far check those boxes.  We cannot wait to get them in Trojan Blue!"

Check out below the list of the first wave of the 2024-25 Dakota State men's basketball recruits (with DSU coaches' comments):

Charlie Theis – 6'5" forward – East Ridge, Minn. – ranked No. 28 in the state of Minnesota – he played for the top Minnesota Fury team this past summer.  They won the 'Hardwork Regional Finals' last July. 

Theis provides great size and can knock down 3-pointers.  An underrated part of his game is his ability to get downhill.  What has really struck out about Theis is his work ethic.  Everyone we talked to raved about his drive to get better.  He has a glue-guy type of personality.

Tyler Beckwith – 6'5" guard – Farmington, Minn. – ranked No. 76 in the state of Minnesota – he played AAU for the Minnesota Select, coached by Aaron Mantey.  We were really impressed with Tyler's size.  Most guys his size does not have the ability to dribble and be explosive with the ball. 

Beckwith is a great premier shooter, and the Trojan Faithful are going to love watching him fly above the rim.

Lukas Morgan – 6'7" forward – Brandon, S.D. – ranked No. 9 in the state of South Dakota (Brandon Valley High School) – he played for South Dakota Identity AAU program this past spring, coached by Greg Kahler.

Morgan can play both inside and outside.  Prior to his injury, he was really shooting it well.  His footwork was impressive in the low post, too.

Lane Tietz – 6'1" guard – Groton, S.D. – ranked No. 7 in the state of South Dakota (Groton High School) – he also played for coach Kahler and the South Dakota Identity. 

Tietz brings all the right tools that you look for in a point guard.  He has a quick first step and gets to hoops.  He loves contact.  You can tell by watching him play that he's a foxhole guy.  His teammates play hard because he plays extremely hard.

Nolan Segner – 6'7" forward – Eastview, Minn. – he played for the Minnesota Magic this past summer.  They had a strong showing in the NY2LA AAU Circuit.

Segner's high school team is looking to repeat from a successful 2022-23 season, where they advanced all the way to the Minnesota State Class AAAA semifinals.

His game is like a stretch five (5).  Segner has a great looking shot for someone his size.  He is good at getting to the quick finishes in the low post.  Teams will have a tough time guarding him in pick-and-roll situations.

Rysley Borman – 6'2" guard – Pipestone, Minn. – he played for the Southwest Minnesota Stars AAU program.  His high school coach, Michael Slaba, was a former player at Mayville State (N.D.) under the direction of Tighe.  Slaba was part of the back-to-back NSAA Tournament championships.  When coach Slaba said he had a guy, we absolutely valued his evaluation.

Borman is a knockdown shower.  He moves like a college basketball already.  He hunts 3-pointers and is fundamentally sound in his mechanics.  He has the added benefit of already knowing some of our terminology of the system Pipestone plays under coach Slaba.