March 20, 2024
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) released the 2024 Daktronics-NAIA Men's Basketball Scholar-Athletes Wednesday. Dakota State (S.D.) established the single season record with six athletes being named to the prestigious national academic award.
The 2024 list features 572 student-athletes that achieved at least a 3.5 cumulative grade point average (GPA) at their institution. In order to be nominated by an institution's head coach or sports information director, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, must appear on the eligibility certificate for the sport and have attended one full year at said institution.
The six Dakota State men's basketball athletes that received the national academic award are (name – year – hometown – major):
- Taylor Edwards – graduate student – Hill City, S.D. – master's in educational technology
- Wyatt Olson – junior – White River, S.D. – biology
- Bryant Paulson – sophomore – Marshall, Minn. – exercise science
- Ethan Slaathaug – junior – Hayfield, Minn. - finance
- Scott Wagner – sophomore – Monango, N.D. – elementary education
- Ben Witt – sophomore – Burke, S.D. – exercise science
Dakota State finished their 2023-24 season under head coach
Darren Tighe with an overall record of 17-13. It was the most victories by a first-year head coach at DSU since 1963-64 season (Ed Harter). The Trojans' 17 wins also tied for the seventh most wins in a single season with the 2014-15, 1989-90, 1965-66, and 1963-64 squads.
