SDSU releases men’s basketball schedule

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BROOKINGS – The South Dakota State men’s basketball team has put together a non-conference schedule that features several first-time matchups and intriguing series histories as the Jackrabbits announced the remainder of their 2022-23 slate on Friday.

SDSU hosts its lone exhibition ahead of its regular season schedule on Wednesday, Nov. 2, when the Jackrabbits take on Concordia-St. Paul in Frost Arena. The Jackrabbits open the 2022-23 campaign with three opponents they will be facing for the first time.

The season officially kicks off on Monday, Nov. 7, with a matchup at Akron against the Zips. Akron is coming off a 24-10 season that ended with a Mid-American Conference tournament title and four-point defeat to UCLA in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. SDSU then heads west to face Boise State on Wednesday, Nov. 9, at ExtraMile Arena. The Broncos, another NCAA Tournament squad, went 27-8 overall a season ago and are the reigning Mountain West Conference champions.

South Dakota State returns to the Sanford Pentagon on Tuesday, Nov. 15, as the Jackrabbits take on St. Bonaventure in Sioux Falls that evening. The Bonnies advanced to the National Invitation Tournament Semifinals in Madison Square Garden last year and the season prior were Atlantic 10 champions that advanced to the NCAA Tournament.

“We are certainly excited to release our schedule for our fans,” SDSU head coach Eric Henderson said. “Challenging ourselves early has always been extremely important and this year is no different.

“To play three NCAA Tournament caliber teams right out of the gate will do just that. To be able to also get back into the Sanford Pentagon, which I think is one of the premiere venues in college basketball, is also a great opportunity for our team.”

The Jackrabbits make their home debut on Saturday, Nov. 19, against Stephen F. Austin. The Lumberjacks went 22-10 last year which included an 83-71 defeat at the hands of the Jackrabbits in Nacogdoches.

SDSU is slated to head to Savannah, Ga., to participate in the Savannah Invitational over the Thanksgiving Break. The multi-team event will be held at Enmarket Arena which was recently built and opened in February.

A three-game road trip follows and leads the Jacks into matchups at Kent State (Dec. 2), Alabama (Dec. 3) and Montana (Dec. 6). The contest versus the Golden Flashes will be the second ever with SDSU dropping the 2006-07 season opener in their only previous meeting. The Jackrabbits make a return trip to Tuscaloosa to face an Alabama program expected to be ranked in the preseason top 10 polls. SDSU closes out the journey with a game in Dahlberg Arena versus the Grizzlies. The Jacks are 1-5 all-time against Montana, with their lone win a 68-67 double overtime victory in Missoula in 2012.

“This stretch will be a great challenge for our team,” Henderson said. “But I think it also will be a great opportunity for us to come together and grow as a group.”

South Dakota State will head into its Summit League schedule with three consecutive home games versus Eastern Washington (Dec. 10), Mount Marty (Dec. 12) and Bellevue (Dec. 14). The matchup versus the Eagles is just the second against the Big Sky foe. SDSU defeated EWU 74-64 in Cheney in 2018. The Jackrabbits are 3-0 all-time against Bellevue with their last meeting in 2005, while SDSU stands 4-0 versus Mount Marty with the two sides previously playing in Frost Arena in 2021.

“To be able to wrap up our non-league schedule in front of the best fans in the country is a great way for us to get into league play!”

The Summit League schedule begins on Dec. 21 for the Jackrabbits on the road. SDSU hosts its first conference matchup on Dec. 29 in Frost Arena versus Western Illinois.

The Jackrabbits return in 2022-23 after sweeping the Summit League’s regular season and tournament championship titles and advancing to the NCAA Tournament a season ago. Season tickets are now available online to purchase by visiting JackrabbitTickets.com.

2022-23 SDSU Men’s Basketball Schedule

Nov. 2 – vs. Concordia St. Paul (Exhibition)

Nov. 7 – at Akron

Nov. 9 – at Boise State

Nov. 15 – vs. St. Bonaventure (Sioux Falls)

Nov. 19 – vs. Stephen F. Austin

Nov. 25-27 – Savannah Invitational

Dec. 2 – at Kent State

Dec. 3 – at Alabama

Dec. 6 – at Montana

Dec. 10 – vs. Eastern Washington

Dec. 12 – vs. Mount Marty

Dec. 14 – vs. Bellevue

Dec. 19 – at Oral Roberts

Dec. 21 – at Kansas City

Dec. 29 – vs. Western Illinois

Dec. 31 – vs. St. Thomas

Jan. 5 – at North Dakota State

Jan. 7 – at North Dakota

Jan. 14 – at South Dakota

Jan. 19 – vs. Omaha

Jan. 21 – Denver

Jan. 26 – at St. Thomas

Jan. 28 – at Western Illinois

Feb. 2 – vs. North Dakota

Feb. 4 – vs. North Dakota State

Feb. 11 – vs. South Dakota

Feb. 16 – at Denver

Feb. 18 – at Omaha

Feb. 23 – vs. Kansas City

Feb. 25 – vs. Oral Roberts

March 3-7 – Summit League Tournament (Sioux Falls)