VERMILLION, S.D. – It was an eventful offseason for the South Dakota girls’s basketball program.
A brand new coach, shedding all 5 starters from final season and a visit to Greece made it fairly the journey to media day Wednesday afternoon. However, the Coyotes at the moment are prepared for the 2022-23 season with new faces, and a few acquainted ones, main the cost.
Kayla Karius, College of South Dakota girls’s basketball coach, talks in regards to the group’s upcoming season in the course of the Vermillion, South Dakota, college’s basketball media day Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022. The ladies’s group has its dwelling opener on Nov. 7 towards Midland.
“I’m very excited,” senior Allison Peplowski mentioned. “Like coach Ok (Kayla Karius) talked about, we’ve a number of expertise and the individuals we misplaced final yr had been form of, extra go to kind gamers however that doesn’t imply we don’t have lots of people able to go on our group so far as transfers coming in and that core group of those who we’ve returning.”
Karius has are available in as the brand new head coach of the Coyotes, changing Daybreak Plitzuweit, who’s now the top coach at West Virginia. Karius was an assistant at USD previous to stops at Wisconsin and Drake. She takes over a roster that went to the Candy 16 final season, however had three starters graduate and two starters switch to different colleges.
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“The offseason is admittedly essential for constructing these relationships, so we’ve spent a number of time collectively, not simply in practices and exercises, however we’ve actually completed a number of enjoyable group actions off the courtroom right here in Vermillion and giving again to our neighborhood,” Karius mentioned. “After which once we went on our overseas tour, it’s enjoyable to have these experiences collectively. I feel while you journey, it’s one factor while you’re standing in entrance of the Parthenon in Athens, Greece, it’s a second you’ll always remember.”
The Coyotes went to Greece in August, the place the Coyotes had the possibility to play three exhibition video games and work on constructing group chemistry for this season. With over 80% of the group’s scoring from final season gone, there may be a number of position adjustments heading into this season.
“To color the image, we misplaced 84% of our scoring, 77% of our minutes performed. We’ve got zero begins coming back from final yr,” Karius mentioned. “So what does that imply? Meaning a number of alternatives. Meaning the competitors stage is admittedly excessive in apply, as a result of we don’t actually have these set individuals, we don’t have set starters. There’s just a few those who I feel are extra go to gamers than others proper now.”
The Coyotes are nonetheless 25 days from the season opener Nov. 7 towards Midland, an NAIA college within the Nice Plains Athletic Convention. The Coyotes will type out the lineup over the subsequent two weeks, however Karius goes to have a look at her group of 4 seniors, together with sophomore Grace Larkins, to be the leaders within the locker room and on the ground.
The 4 seniors are Jeniah Ugofsky, Maci Guebert, switch Madison Grange and Peplowski. Peplowski, Guebert and Ugofsky have been in this system their entire faculty careers, whereas Grange has transferred on this summer season from Utah Valley. Ugofsky began 19 video games in 2020-21.
“Clearly on your final yr, you wish to go someplace the place you slot in and may make an influence instantly,” Grange mentioned. “For me, the teaching employees right here was unbelievable, with the calls that I’ve had with them, they care about their gamers, they care about our success right here at USD,a nd that was an enormous factor for me together with the group.”
Whereas Grange wasn’t capable of go together with the group to Greece, she has labored to construct relationships with the remainder of the group, as have the freshman and different transfers for this season.
“I obtained together with them very nicely,” Grange mentioned. “I had a brief go to right here, however I simply kenw instantly that that is the place I wanted to be and am tremendous excited to get going with these women this yr.”
The one factor that isn’t going to alter an excessive amount of for the Coyotes is the satisfaction they take defensively. USD has been among the many high groups within the convention on the defensive finish of the ground, and that was the one factor the returning gamers wished to hold over into this season.
“It’s actually a philosophy that I consider in, that I grew up enjoying in and that, I feel, is so very important to our tradition,” Karius mentioned. “Once I first met with this group again within the spring, that was one thing that got here up from them virtually instantly, like that is who we’re. We like to be robust defensively.”
The Coyotes had been picked second within the convention within the preseason Summit League ballot to South Dakota State. The Jackrabbits acquired 18 first place votes and the Coyotes 4. Each groups made the NCAA Event final season.
Larkins was picked second group preseason all-conference. She was named Sixth Girls of the Yr a yr in the past for the Coyotes.
USD is at dwelling towards Midland to open their 2022 season Nov. 7.
Bailey Zubke is the Assistant Sports activities Editor on the Sioux Metropolis Journal. You possibly can attain him at (712)293-4243 or through e mail at BZubke@siouxcityjournal.com.
