Injured Pack Receives Backup

Head Coach Eric Peterson, in his fourth season at USD, has dealt with lots of turmoil. Seven players on the Coyotes Men’s Basketball Men’s Basketball roster have gotten injured this year, and six of them have missed at least seven of the 22 games played this season.

The biggest injury came just last week, as leading scorer (20.8 ppg) Isaac Bruns has missed the last two games for South Dakota. The junior guard is averaging career highs in almost every single category. Other notable players that have been out due to injury are Vince Buzelis, Jesse McIntosh, Jake Brack and Josiah Dotzler.

These injuries have led to roster changes by Peterson and the coaching staff, adding two new players. Senior guards Trent Hudgens and Silas Bennion joined the team after winter break, making their first appearances at St. Thomas on Jan. 7.

The two new players have used the opportunity to play for South Dakota, as Bennion entered the starting lineup due to the Bruns’ injury. Bennion scored five points along with 10 assists in his combined first two games as a starter.

Hudgens has taken on more of a scoring role for the Coyotes averaging almost seven points per game, including a 17 point performance in his first game for South Dakota.

Junior guard Jordan Crawford picked up much of the scoring role since the departure of Bruns, averaging just over 24 points over the last three games, including a game high 27 at Omaha on Jan. 21. 

Junior forward Brack missed over a month, but     returned as Bruns left for the Coyotes. He’s been the backup for South Dakota, who hadn’t had one since Brack went out with an injury.

USD and Peterson hope that the team can get healthy in about a month’s time, as the team sits at 11-11 on the season and 3-4 in conference, which puts them at fifth in the Summit League with the championships coming up in the first week of March.

The team returns to the court this week at home against Oral Roberts on Jan. 29 and conference leading North Dakota State on Jan. 31.