Coyote men’s basketball announces non-conference slate

The USD men’s basketball and head coach Todd Lee announced the team’s non-conference schedule in full Sept. 24.

The non-conference schedule is highlighted by six home match-ups and trips to Nebraska and the west coast. 

The Coyotes will open the season on Veteran’s Day in Sioux Falls, where they will face the Air Force Academy at the Sanford Pentagon. The two schools have met twice in program history, with Air Force winning both matchups. The Coyotes then head to Des Moines to face Drake Nov. 14.

The Coyotes and Bulldogs faced off twice last season, with Drake winning both games, one in Manhattan, Kan. and the other at home in Vermillion.

Following the game at Drake, the Coyotes return home for a three-game homestand. In a matter of five days, USD hosts Southern University, Tennessee State and Presentation College (Aberdeen, S.D.). The Coyotes host Southern Nov. 19, Tennessee State Nov. 21 and Presentation Nov. 23. 

USD will face a familiar foe Nov. 27, when the Coyotes travel to Nebraska to take on the Cornhuskers. Nebraska has won all four previous matchups, with the most recent game being Dec. 1, 2020 in Lincoln, where USD fell 76-69.

The Coyotes will stay on the road following the Nebraska game, this time headed west to California. USD faces San Jose State Nov. 30. The Coyotes won the lone previous matchup between the two schools in 2017.

Three of the last four non-conference games for the Coyote men are at home this season. Waldorf (Dec. 3), Northern Arizona (Dec. 11) and Bellarmine (Dec. 15) are all home matchups for USD. The lone road game is a trip to Greeley, Colo. for a game against Northern Colorado Dec. 7. 

The Coyotes earned the two seed in the Summit League Tournament a year ago, defeating Western Illinois in the opening round before falling to North Dakota State in the semifinals. The Coyotes’ conference slate opens Dec. 20 against defending conference champions, Oral Roberts at 7 p.m. inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.

The Coyote men will also play one exhibition game prior to the start of the regular season. The first opportunity to see the coyote men in action is Nov. 4 against Simpson College in Vermillion.