South Dakota

Top South Dakota sports storylines to watch for in 2024

Published

2 years ago

January 15, 2024

Top South Dakota sports storylines to watch for in 2024

As we continue to ring in the new year, we’re breaking down some of the biggest South Dakota sports storylines of 2024.

With South Dakota State football coming off their second consecutive FCS national championship, South Dakota having their most successful season at the FCS level, and both universities’ basketball teams vying for a spot in the NCAA Tournament, there’s going to be plenty to watch for and look forward to.

The Argus Leader has laid it out for you. Here are the top South Dakota sports storylines in 2024.

Will any SDSU, USD basketball teams make it to the NCAA Tournament?

Both South Dakota State basketball teams have a better chance of winning their respective conference tournament and earning an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament than they do getting an at-large bid.

Both USD basketball teams are in rebuilds under first or second-year head coaches. The men’s team is 8-10 overall and 1-2 in conference under the direction of first-year head coach Eric Peterson. It’s still early, but the men’s team doesn’t look like conference contenders thus far.

The USD women’s team has had a more promising start, going 12-6 through their first 18 games but are also 1-2 in Summit League play under second-year head coach Kayla Karius. The Coyotes have talent, they’re led by junior guard Grace Larkins, who is one of two Summit League players named to the Becky Hammon Player of the Year award watchlist, so I still give them a shot to put together a run.

More: South Dakota women’s basketball suffers soul-searching defeat against Oral Roberts

The South Dakota State men’s basketball team currently has a 9-8 overall record. The Jackrabbits are currently 2-0 in conference play and coming off a season in which they made it to the Summit League semifinals.

The Jackrabbits women’s team won the Summit League last season and made a run to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. They’re looking poised to make another run in 2024 despite some early-season injury woes. SDSU lost Kallie Theisen and Haleigh Timmer to season-ending injuries in late September and have had to deal with shorter-term injuries throughout non-conference play and are still five games over .500. South Dakota State is currently 2-0 in conference and has strong coaching and talent to contend for another Summit League title.

Does South Dakota State football have the depth to replace seniors after dominant 2023?

The Jackrabbits football team had a perfect year.

They didn’t lose a single game in the calendar year and are still in the midst of a 29-game winning streak that extends back to 2022. They won another FCS national title, adding that to their expanding trophy cabinet. Junior quarterback Mark Gronowski also became the program’s first Walter Payton Award winner.

More: Mark Gronowski is South Dakota State’s most accomplished football player after prolific 2023 season

South Dakota State was a senior-laden group this season that capitalized on their experience, but they’ll lose team cornerstones in Mason McCormick, Garret Greenfield, Jason Freeman, Isaiah Davis and the Janke twins, just to name a few, to the NFL Draft. There have also been questions about whether Gronowski will return to SDSU. Getting him back is crucial to any FCS championship conversations.

Aside from the Gronowski piece of this, do they have the talent and depth to make up for those senior losses?

Next season will look different than 2023. It’s hard to imagine the Jackrabbits extending the 29-game winning streak past their season opener against Big 12 Conference foe Oklahoma State, but the conference season will also test SDSU.

It will be on 2023 Rimington winner and Jackrabbits center Gus Miller to anchor the offensive line for running backs Amar and Angel Johnson, who will take on larger roles with Davis no longer on the team. On defense, tackle Jarod DePriest, linebackers Graham Spalding and Adam Bock, and defensive backs Dalys Beanum and Tucker Large will be returning.

SDSU will be young at the wide receiver position, but they have talent. Rising sophomore Griffin Wilde showed real flashes as a true freshman and should slide into one of the open wide receiver slots. Devon Cole and Grahm Goering both received limited runs at wide receiver and should have a shot at that second spot next season. The Jackrabbits also bring in Lincoln wide receiver Jack Smith, who could have a real opportunity to get playing time right away.

Can USD football improve on a historic season?

After going 3-8 a season ago, South Dakota responded with their best season in program history.

The Coyotes won 10 games for the first time in the program’s time in the FCS, this was also the first time they entered the FCS playoffs as a seeded team, and the first time they played in a quarterfinal.

More: South Dakota’s dream season comes to an end: Bison dominate in the DakotaDome

USD finished the regular season 9-2 with three wins over top-10 teams and went 7-1 in the Missouri Valley Conference.

The big question is where do they go from here?

The Coyotes are expected to return most of their starters on offense, with quarterback Aidan Bouman, running back Travis Theis and wide receiver Carter Bell running it back with South Dakota. They lost Nate Thomas to Idaho but have great depth in the running back room.

Another year in Josh Davis’s offensive system should make the team better offensively and defensively they have a solid base to build off of in 2024 with Myles Harden, and Shahid Barros among others returning.

Who will emerge as 11AAA favorites after Lincoln’s dominant run?

Lincoln football completed their dream season in 2023, going a perfect 12-0 en route to the 11AAA state championship. The Patriots were led by quarterback Tate Schafer and wide receiver Jack Smith, but next year Schafer and Smith will be playing at the University of Sioux Falls and South Dakota State respectively. On defense, they also graduate key starters Brycen Mitchell and Sawyer Tolk.

More: Lincoln completes perfect season, wins 11AAA state football championship over O’Gorman 31-7

That begs the question, will Lincoln be able to remain competitive without the cornerstones from their 2023 season? Or will a new team emerge? It certainly feels wide open.

Harrisburg and Brandon Valley return talented players in Tigers quarterback Sam Knuth and Lynx wide receiver Landon Dulaney while Washington and Jefferson both bring back senior play-callers with another year of experience under their belt.

Jonathan Fernandez covers high school and college sports for the Argus Leader. Contact him at jfernandez1@argusleader.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JFERN31

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South Dakota

SD Lottery Powerball, Lucky For Life winning numbers for Jan. 5, 2026

Published

10 hours ago

January 6, 2026

Press Room

The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 5, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Jan. 5 drawing

04-18-24-51-56, Powerball: 14, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Jan. 5 drawing

02-07-08-21-45, Lucky Ball: 15

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from Jan. 5 drawing

12-19-21-30-47, Star Ball: 05, ASB: 03

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize

Prizes of $100 or less: Can be claimed at any South Dakota Lottery retailer.
Prizes of $101 or more: Must be claimed from the Lottery. By mail, send a claim form and a signed winning ticket to the Lottery at 711 E. Wells Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501.
Any jackpot-winning ticket for Dakota Cash or Lotto America, top prize-winning ticket for Lucky for Life, or for the second prizes for Powerball and Mega Millions must be presented in person at a Lottery office. A jackpot-winning Powerball or Mega Millions ticket must be presented in person at the Lottery office in Pierre.

When are the South Dakota Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Dakota Cash: 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Dakota editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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South Dakota

SD Lottery Lucky For Life winning numbers for Jan. 4, 2026

Published

1 day ago

January 5, 2026

Press Room

The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 4, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Jan. 4 drawing

03-08-13-38-47, Lucky Ball: 02

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize

Prizes of $100 or less: Can be claimed at any South Dakota Lottery retailer.
Prizes of $101 or more: Must be claimed from the Lottery. By mail, send a claim form and a signed winning ticket to the Lottery at 711 E. Wells Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501.
Any jackpot-winning ticket for Dakota Cash or Lotto America, top prize-winning ticket for Lucky for Life, or for the second prizes for Powerball and Mega Millions must be presented in person at a Lottery office. A jackpot-winning Powerball or Mega Millions ticket must be presented in person at the Lottery office in Pierre.

When are the South Dakota Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Dakota Cash: 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Dakota editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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South Dakota

UND depth shines in fending off South Dakota State in OT

Published

2 days ago

January 4, 2026

Press Room

UND depth shines in fending off South Dakota State in OT

GRAND FORKS — UND senior guard Garrett Anderson had shot 1-for-7 from the field before he pulled up for a deep 3-pointer in overtime.

It was a make-or-break shot for the Fighting Hawks, who trailed South Dakota State by two points with 20 seconds remaining.

Anderson’s triple fell. On a Saturday afternoon at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center where several Hawks provided clutch shots late, it was his 3-pointer that iced the victory.

UND senior guard Garrett Anderson dribbles up the court against South Dakota State at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center on Jan. 3, 2026.

Gabe and Reed Uelmen / Grand Forks Herald

“That was a huge three by Garrett,” UND head coach Paul Sather said. “Happy for him, because you feel it with him — when that floodgate opens a little bit of confidence, and not just as a scorer but just as a player, he keeps fighting for it, keeps working for it, keeps keeping the right mindset.”

UND won 90-87, earning its third-straight win over the Jackrabbits and improving to 2-0 (8-10 overall) in Summit League play.

South Dakota State, hot off the heels of a commanding New Year’s Day win over Omaha, fell to 1-1 in conference (8-9 overall).

“These two first league games, you need to protect your home court if you want any chance to be in play at the end of this year,” Sather said. “It’s a great way to start. But you also need to go on the road and win some games. And as I tell the guys, it’s not who, when or where, it’s how you show up to play. And having that mentality, it’s not home and road, it’s ‘Are you ready to go today?’”

The Hawks needed just about everyone to stave off SDSU.

Redshirt sophomore guard Zach Kraft and freshman guard Anthony Smith III led the way with double-digit point totals in a first half that was a high-scoring, fast-paced affair.

UND redshirt sophomore Zach Kraft shoots a 3-pointer against South Dakota State at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center on Jan. 3, 2026.

UND shot 64.3%, South Dakota State 55.6%. By halftime, the Hawks had a slight 50-45 lead.

The shooting cooled down in the second half and in overtime. In those final two frames, the Hawks turned to a variety of players, from the starting lineup to the bench, to keep up with the Jackrabbits.

“It’s hard to sustain that for 40 minutes, but we were able to kind of get ourselves back,” Sather said. “Our bench was fantastic in that first half. … We sustained it, we got back in, we stayed there within distance of it, and guys made plays. We had opportunities to make plays and close the game, but we had plays that were made to get us into overtime and win in overtime.”

Redshirt freshman Greyson Uelmen finished with a team-high 17 points and nailed the final two free throws in overtime to seal the win.

UND freshman guard Anthony Smith III stands on the court while playing South Dakota State at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center on Jan. 3, 2026.

Kraft, who ended with 14 points, splashed a 3-pointer with 47 seconds left in regulation to take a 79-77 lead.

Junior forward George Natsvlishvili came off the bench and tied up the game just minutes earlier with a clutch second-chance layup. He also nabbed a key basket with 1 minute, 56 seconds left in overtime.

Before South Dakota State managed to rally back for its first lead of the second half, a free throw and a layup from Smith kept the Hawks’ offense on pace with the visitors. He finished with 16 points.

UND’s bench contributed 39 points.

UND redshirt freshman guard Greyson Uelmen drives to the rim for a layup against South Dakota State at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center on Jan. 3, 2026.

“I felt like our bench won the game today,” Kraft said. “In the first half, (Smith) came into the game, knocked down that three at the end of the half, and then Wylee (Delorme) in the second half, five rebounds, scoring off the offensive rebounds, it’s huge for us.”

Delorme put together his best game as a Hawk in the win. The sophomore guard from Devils Lake constantly attacked the offensive glass, flexing some creativity with slick drives to the rim.

He earned a season-high 12 points.

UND sophomore guard Wylee Delorme releases a shot against South Dakota State at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center on Jan. 3, 2026.

“We’ve seen him more of a shooter (in practice), I haven’t really seen the behind-the-back, step-through and float,” Anderson said. “That was kind of new, that was a tough move. But he’s gotten to it in practice for sure.”

Kraft, Uelmen, Smith, Delorme and senior guard Eli King all finished with 12 or more points.

“We just relied on our guys that make those tough shots and are built for those moments,” Delorme said. “Seventh, eighth man off the bench — like Marley (Curtis), Marley can have a double-digit day too. All of us can go for 10 points, but it’s just a matter of making the easy plays and just using each other.”

UND will face its first road test of the conference slate this Thursday, when it travels to Omaha.