December 16, 2025
THIS WEEK'S PREVIEW
MADISON, S.D. - The Dakota State University Trojan men's basketball team (11-1 overall record, 6-1 Frontier Conference record) closes out their month of December with a pair of exhibition games against members of the NCAA Division I Summit League. The Trojans head to Vermillion, S.D., Wednesday to take on South Dakota (6-6 overall record) at Sanford Coyote Sports Center (953 N Dakota Street). Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
DSU then heads to Grand Forks, N.D., on Sunday, Dec. 28 for another exhibition game with North Dakota. The game is held at Betty Engelstad Sioux Center (1 Ralph Engelstad Arena Drive) with a 1 p.m. tip-off.
QUICK HITS
*The Trojans step aside their regular season action, playing in two exhibition games against NCAA Division I and Summit League members. DSU had faced Summit League member South Dakota State earlier this season, SDSU was tested by the Trojans 68-62 in Brookings, S.D.
*DSU has won six consecutive Frontier Conference contests since their conference opener setback at Bellevue (Neb.) 78-72 on Nov. 15.
*Dakota State closed their 2025 calendar year with their best start in program history, with the fastest to 11 wins (12 games). The 1966-67 Trojan men's basketball season started the season with a 9-1 record and went on to share the South Dakota Intercolleigate Conerence title with rival Dakota Wesleyan.
*The last time DSU faced USD was on Dec. 12, 2022, where the Trojans grabbed a 32-31 halftime lead. The Coyotes used a 51-32 second half surge to defeat the Trojans 82-64.
*DSU is 3-1 record on the road this season. The Trojans continue their road action in the New Year.
2025 STATS COMPARISON
|
|
|
|
| Scoring Offense |
84.3 |
78.8 |
73.8 |
| Scoring Defense |
82.8 |
60.2 |
75.5 |
| Scoring Margin |
1.6 |
18.6 |
-1.7 |
| Field Goal % |
.453 |
.500 |
.429 |
| Field Goal Def. % |
.503 |
.397 |
.472 |
| Free Throw % |
.739 |
.687 |
.670 |
| Rebounds Per Game |
37.3 |
38.0 |
33.8 |
| Rebounds Margin |
3.8 |
9.2 |
-3.7 |
| 3-point FGs Made Per Game |
6.1 |
8.0 |
6.8 |
| 3-point FG % |
.315 |
.407 |
.296 |
| Assists Per Game |
11.1 |
15.8 |
11.8 |
| Blocks Per Game |
2.8 |
2.4 |
2.7 |
ABOUT THE COYOTES
The University of South Dakota enters Wednesday's contest with an overall record of 6-6. The Coyotes are led by fourth-year head coach Eric Peterson and are coming off from a 19-14 overall record last season.
South Dakota is coming off from their 97-85 victory over Prairie View A&M on Dec. 13, improving their home record at Sanford Coyote Sports Center to 5-2 this season.
USD is facing their first opponent from the NAIA on Wednesday with Dakota State (S.D.). The Coyotes close out their non-conference schedule with another NAIA opponent Mount Marty (S.D.) on Dec. 28 before their Summit League play at North Dakota State on Dec. 31.
The Coyotes are averaging 84.3 points per game but allowing 82.8 points per game this season. South Dakota has four players averaging in double figures, led by Isaac Burns with 20.5 points per game.
Dakota State's recent closest margin with South Dakota was on Dec. 4, 1993, in Vermillion, S.D., where the Coyotes held on to a 91-88 victory.
ABOUT THE FIGHTING HAWKS
North Dakota is 4-9 overall record before their three non-conference games this month. The Fighting Hawks hosts Winthrop on Thursday and visit Nebraska on Sunday before facing Dakota State in the final non-conference game on Dec. 28. UND continues their home stand on Jan. 1 as they begin their Summit League play against Oral Roberts and Jan. 3 versus South Dakota State.
Paul Sather is entering his seventh season as the North Dakota men's basketball head coach. Paul's son, Sam Sather, is a football offensive lineman for Dakota State. Paul was a former head coach at Black Hills State (S.D.), in the former Dakota Athletic Conference with Dakota State, and Northern State (S.D.).
North Dakota will face their second NAIA opponent on Dec. 28 versus DSU. The Fighting Hawks rolled past Frontier Conference's foe Mayville State (N.D.) 128-58 on Nov. 11.
LAST TIME OUT
Dakota State (S.D.) went to the state of Montana for the first time this season as they continued their busy Frontier Conference schedule. The Trojans added two more wins, thanks to their second-half surges to extend their best start with an overall record of 11-1 and 6-1 record in Frontier Conference.
After falling 27-25 at halftime at MSU-Northern in Havre on Dec. 12, Dakota State used 41-29 second half surge to earn a 66-56 victory over the Lights. The Trojans completed their season series sweep of MSU-N.
Dakota State wrapped up their trip with a 92-72 road victory at Providence (Mont.) in Great Falls on Dec. 13. The Trojans held a slim 47-44 halftime lead and outscored the Argos 45-28 in the final twenty minutes of the game to secure their sixth straight Frontier Conference victory.
DSU returns to Frontier Conference action in the New Year on Jan. 2-3, returning to Montana to take on Carroll and Rocky Mountain.
WILLIAMSON NAMED HOOPDIRT.COM COACH OF THE WEEK, PRESENTED BY JUST PLAY SOLUTIONS
Dakota State's head coach
Kevin Williamson was named one of the recipients of the Week 4 HoopDirt.com Coach of the Week Award, presented by Just Play Solutions. Those coaches are now eligible for the HoopDirt.com National Coach of the Year Award, also presented by Just Play Solutions, which will be announced at the end of the 2025-26 college basketball season.
Williamson was the NAIA recipient of the Coach of the Week award. With two more wins last week, his squad continued their best start in program history. The Trojans matched the best 10-game start with the 1966-67 squad, where they started their season at 9-1 record and finished with a 20-6 overall record. The 1966-67 squad also shared the South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference (SDIC) conference title with rival Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.), falling short 70-69 with a tip-in in the SDIC Conference's tiebreaker playoff to represent the NAIA District 12 playoffs.
The Trojans trailed Montana State University-Northern by two at halftime on Dec. 12 before outscoring the host by 12 points in the second half to come away with a 66-56 victory. At Providence (Mont.) the following day on Dec. 13, Dakota State again used a strong second half to pull away, this time outscoring their host by 17 points across the final 20 minutes en route to a 92-72 triumph.
The wins extended the Trojans' winning streak to seven games - tied for the fourth longest winning streak in program history. Now at 11-1 overall record (6-1 Frontier record) on the season, Dakota State will have some time off before their next regular season games - a road contest at co-leader Carroll (Mont.) on Jan. 2 and at Rocky Mountain (Mont.) on Jan. 3.
DAKOTA STATE CLOSES MONTH OF DECEMBER UNDEFEATED
Dakota State closed the month of December with an undefeated record of 5-0, including a 4-0 record in the Frontier Conference contests, before heading to their pair of exhibition games. The Trojans also secured their second undefeated month, including a 1-0 record in the month of October after their 109-53 rout over Oak Hills (Minn.) on Oct. 30.
DSU kicked off the month of December by defeating their rival Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) 64-53 in the Battle of the Blues contest on Dec. 2. The Trojans also closed their non-conference schedule that same night, finishing with an undefeated 5-0 record.
Dakota State also defeated Mayville State (N.D.) 93-67 on Dec. 5 and Valley City State (N.D.) 77-62 on Dec. 6 to remain undefeated at home (DSU Fieldhouse) with an impressive 7-0 record. The Trojans also swept the season series in the Frontier Conference action, earning 66-56 victory at MSU-Northern on Dec. 12 and 92-72 win at Providence (Mont.) on Dec. 13.
The Trojans finished the month by averaging 78.4 points per game, while limiting their opponents to 62.0 points per game. DSU shot 49.3 percent from the field (139-of-282 field goals) during the month, 47-of-108 3-pointers (43.5 percent), and hit 67-of-94 from the free-throw line (71.3 percent).
BACK HOME AT DSU FIELDHOUSE
Dakota State won't be back home until Jan. 16, 2026, as they begin their Frontier Conference's three-game home stand at DSU Fieldhouse. The Trojans continue their Frontier's six-game road stretch on Jan. 2 at Carroll (Mont.), Jan. 3 at (RV) Rocky Mountain (Mont.), Jan. 9 at Bismarck State (N.D.), and Jan. 10 at Dickinson State (N.D.).
DSU welcomes No. 4 ranked Montana Tech in the annual Ag Ball on Jan. 16, followed by another Frontier Conference action on Jan. 17 versus No. 23 Montana Western. The Trojans also begin their second half of the conference schedule, flipping home and away contests from the first half of the league schedule, on Jan. 23 versus Bellevue (Neb.) in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic.
Dakota State's remaining home games include Rocky Mountain in the White-Out contest on Feb. 6, Carroll on Feb. 7 in the Law Enforcement Appreciation Night, and Dickinson State on Feb. 20 in Military Appreciation Night. The Trojans close out their home schedule on Feb. 21 versus Bismarck State as part of Senior Night.
2025-26 DSU Trojan Men's Basketball Team Leaders
