October 25, 2026

EDUCATION KICKOFF CLASSIC
THE GAME AT A GLANCE

Date: Tuesday, October 27 vs. Trinity Bible (N.D.) Location: Madison High School I Madison, S.D.
Start Time: 1 p.m. (FREE ADMISSION)

THIS WEEK
The Dakota State University Trojan men's basketball team (0-0 overall record) officially kicks off their 2026-27 season in the Education Kickoff Classic at the Madison High School, the high school where Aiden Jensen graduated and played for the Bulldogs, Tuesday afternoon.  The game is set for 1 p.m. versus Trinity Bible (N.D.).  The admission is free to everyone to the men's basketball season opener.

QUICK HITS
*Dakota State kicks off the season at home for the past three season, including Tuesday's contest versus Trinity Bible (N.D.) at the Madison High School.

*The Trojans play six non-conference contests on their 2026-27 schedule.  DSU will also play 22 Frontier Conference games, as well as an exhibition contest at NCAA Division II Minnesota State-Mankato on Nov. 17.

*Dakota State will have 13 home games in Madison on their 2026-27 regular-season schedule, with 12 games being held at DSU Fieldhouse.

*DSU will have their season-high four-game home stand at DSU Fieldhouse from Nov. 21 in the Frontier Conference opener versus Bellevue (Neb.).  The home stand continues through Dec. 5 versus Bismarck State (N.D.).

*Brayden Pankonen is third all-time in career 3-point field goals made with 187 3-pointers since the 2023-24 season at Dakota State.
 

Scoring Offense	77.8	74.8
Scoring Defense	73.6	66.4
Scoring Margin	4.2	8.4
Field Goal %	.411	.482
Field Goal Def. %	.395	.441
Free Throw %	.606	.697
Rebounds Per Game	41.3	35.0
Rebounds Margin	-0.4	7.0
3-point FGs Made Per Game	8.8	7.2
3-point FG %	.289	.367
Assists Per Game	15.1	13.4
Blocks Per Game	3.6	1.9

SCOUTING TRINITY BIBLE (N.D.)
Trinity Bible College, located in Ellendale, N.D., competes in the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Division II and the Northern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (NIAC). The Lions are guided by longtime head coach Jordan Nowell, who also serves as the school's athletic director.

Nowell has directed Trinity Bible's men's basketball program since the spring of 2007. A former four-year standout for the Lions, he earned NIAC Most Valuable Player honors during his senior season and helped Trinity Bible capture the 2006 North Central Region championship and qualify for the national tournament.

The Lions finished their 2025-26 season with an overall record of 16-14.  Dakota State defeated TBC 79-62 in last year's meeting at DSU Fieldhouse.  

JENSEN RETURNS TO MADISON HIGH SCHOOL
Aiden Jensen, a Madison, S.D., native, was a four-year basketball letter winner at Madison High School, where he developed into one of the Bulldogs' top players and earned All-State and All-Conference recognition. The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 15.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per game during his junior season in 2021-22, leading Madison in both categories. 

Jensen concluded his high school career with an outstanding senior campaign in 2022-23, averaging 20.9 points and 9.0 rebounds per game while recording 60 blocked shots. His performance earned him South Dakota Class A All-State Second Team honors. He helped guide Madison to a 14-9 overall record and an appearance in the SoDak 16. Jensen closed his prep career with 18 points and nine rebounds in the Bulldogs' season-ending loss to Hamlin. 

It will mark the first time since the 2022-23 season that Jensen played at the Madison High School on Tuesday as part of Education Kick-off Classic.

2025-26 SEASON IN REVIEW
Dakota State University men's basketball enjoyed one of its most successful seasons in recent program history during the 2025-26 campaign under head coach Kevin Williamson. The Trojans finished with an 18-10 overall record and a 13-9 mark in their inaugural season in the Frontier Conference, establishing a school record for conference victories. DSU's 18 wins were the most since the 2015-16 season and tied the 2011-12 squad for the sixth-most victories in a single season in program history. The Trojans also produced a seven-game winning streak, tied for the third-longest in school history, and posted a 10-4 home record at the DSU Fieldhouse. 

Dakota State demonstrated offensive efficiency throughout the season, averaging 74.8 points per game while holding opponents to 66.4 points per contest. The Trojans shot 48.2% from the field, the fifth-best single-season percentage in program history, and 36.7% from 3-point range. DSU also dominated the rebounding battle, averaging 35.0 rebounds per game compared to 28.1 for its opponents. Season highlights included an 80-68 victory over Dordt (Iowa), a 64-53 home win over rival Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) and a 75-73 victory over Montana Western. 

Nathan Ojukwu and Lukas Morgan earned Frontier Conference First Team All-Conference honors. Ojukwu led the Trojans with 16.9 points and 7.2 rebounds per game while adding 77 assists and 35 steals. Morgan followed with 16.1 points and 4.7 rebounds per contest. Junior guard Brayden Pankonen contributed 9.7 points per game, shot 43.4% from beyond the arc and led the team with 51 steals. Pankonen also earned Frontier Conference Defensive Player of the Week recognition and was named DSU's recipient of the conference Champions of Character award. 

Dakota State concluded its season in the Frontier Conference postseason tournament quarterfinals, falling to Carroll (Mont.) in Butte, Mont. Despite the setback, the Trojans' record-setting conference performance and 18-win campaign marked a significant step forward for the program as it entered the expanded Frontier Conference. 


DSU IN FRONTIER CONFERNECE MEN'S BASKETBALL COACHES' PRESEASON POLL
Dakota State was picked to finish sixth in the 2026-27 Frontier Conference Men's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Poll, collecting 76 points in the league's annual preseason voting.

Rocky Mountain (Mont.) was selected as the preseason favorite with 119 points and 10 first-place votes. Bellevue (Neb.) and Montana Tech tied for second with 100 points and one first-place vote each. Carroll (Mont.) was fourth with 93 points, followed by MSU-Northern in fifth with 85 points.

Montana Western was picked seventh with 58 points, followed by Dickinson State (51), Mayville State (43), Valley City State (32), Providence (20) and Bismarck State (15). 

Dakota State returns Brayden Pankonen, Aiden Jensen and Lukas Morgan for the 2026-27 season. The Trojans begin their 22-game Frontier Conference schedule Nov. 21 against Bellevue at the DSU Fieldhouse, with tip-off scheduled for 5 p.m.  Each Frontier Conference school plays 11 total home games and 11 total road contests during the season.

The top eight teams in the Frontier standings will play in the conference postseason tournament at Butte Civic Center in Butte, Mont., with the quarterfinals round starting on Friday, Feb. 26, 2027, followed by semifinals on Feb. 28, and the championship game on March 1 at 5 p.m. (Mountain Time).  The league awards two automatic bids to the national tournament, the regular season champion and the tournament champion (tournament's runner up if the regular season tournament champion is in the championship game).

2026-27 DSU MEN'S BASKETBALL ROSTER BREAKDOWN
Dakota State University men's basketball enters the 2026-27 season with a mixture of experienced returners, transfers and incoming freshmen under second-year head coach Kevin Williamson. The Trojans feature 19 players on their roster, including nine freshmen, four seniors, three juniors, one sophomore, and one graduate student. The roster includes players from eight states, with South Dakota providing the largest representation. 

Dakota State welcomes back several key contributors from last season's 18-10 squad, highlighted by senior guard Brayden Pankonen, senior post Aiden Jensen and junior forward Lukas Morgan.

Williamson enters his second season as Dakota State's head coach, assisted by Matthew Vargas and graduate assistant Tampa Scott IV. The Trojans look to build on last season's success after setting a school record with 13 Frontier Conference victories and recording their highest overall win total since 2015-16. 

2026-27 DSU Trojan Men's Basketball Returning Team Leaders

• Points/Points Per Game: Lukas Morgan – 386 points (16.1 points per game)
• Field Goal Percentage: Aiden Jensen – 64.4 percent (47-of-73 field goals)
• 3-point Field Goal Percentage: Brayden Pankonen – 43.4 percent (53-of-122 3-point field goals)
• Free-Throw Percentage: Brayden Pankonen – 82.5 percent (52-of-63 free-throws)
• Rebounds: Lukas Morgan – 113 rebounds (4.7 rebounds per game)
• Assists/Assists Per Game: Brayden Pankonen – 62 assists/2.2 assists per game
• Steals/Steals Per Game: Brayden Pankonen – 51 steals/1.8 steals per game
• Blocked Shots: Aiden Jensen – 15 blocked shots (0.8 blocks per game)