Oct. 23—MITCHELL — Starting on Sunday, Oct. 25, the Dakota Wesleyan University men's basketball team embarks on a new season under second-year head coach Sam Nicholson.
When the Tigers hit the Corn Palace floor on Sunday against former head coach Matt Wilber and NCAA Division II Northern State in an exhibition, DWU will have a more experienced core, a slightly retooled roster with only one key departure, and a year to build from Nicholson's coaching philosophy.
Leading into the new season, Nicholson said he is excited to move on from last season and improve with a much more experienced group.
"From a culture perspective, I haven't been around a group that had less cliques than this group does, and that's kind of always been how it has been at Dakota Wesleyan," he said. "I think our guys genuinely love each other, and it is a brotherhood. So I feel like we've checked the box culturally. Now, it's about holding a higher standard when it comes to the win-loss column. I couldn't ask for a better group of guys. I couldn't ask for a better group of coaches, and we're gonna fight every day."
Here's what to know ahead of the upcoming season:
Record (2025-26): 14-15, 9-11 GPAC
Postseason: DWU only won two of its final five regular-season games in February last season to be slotted in at No. 7 in the GPAC tournament, as the Tigers fell in the quarterfinals to tournament-champion Northwestern, 112-79.
Training camp report: After missing last season due to injury, senior guard Ethan Determan is back and ready to go this season. Nicholson said getting Determan back healthy is almost like adding another transfer. His return could have a huge impact on DWU's scoring, defense and leadership. As a sophomore during the 2024-25 season, Determan appeared in 30 games and averaged 7.3 points on 47.8% shooting from the field. He was also nearly a 40% shooter from beyond the arc for the Tigers.
Key returners: The Tigers did not lose a single player to the transfer portal, bringing with them four returning starters from last year's roster. Senior guard Randy Rosenquist Jr., senior forward Steele Morgan, junior guard Tyson Stevenson and sophomore guard Easton Neuendorf headline DWU's returners. Rosenquist, a Dakota Valley graduate and a four-year starter, started all 29 games and averaged 11.9 points per game. The 2025-26 second-team all-GPAC honoree also led the team in rebounds per game at 7.1 and minutes per game at 34.9, plus adding 3.6 assists and 2.7 steals per contest. Morgan, a Mitchell native, averaged 12.8 points and 5.4 rebounds. Stevenson, of Lake Norden, made his work from the 3-point line, averaging 11.8 points per game on an average of 2.4 threes per game. Neuendorf will aim to build on his first year at the point guard position, as the Hamlin product led the squad with nearly 5 assists per game and averaged 13.1 points per contest. Sophomore guards Oliver Vincent and C.J. Banks will be a part of the rotation. Nicholson said Vincent's return from injury midway through last season will only help him coming into the new year as a key part to the rotation. Dakota Wesleyan's frontcourt depth should also improve with the continued development of Gavin Hinker, a Mitchell product, and Noah Oberfeld, who each provide physicality and versatility, according to Nicholson.
Key departures: The Tigers have one key departure to account for, and that is the team's leading scorer from a year ago, Anthony Riggans, who graduated after receiving a second-team all-GPAC nod. Riggans led the squad with 13.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game and started in 27 games as a wing player.
Key newcomers: DWU received a boost this offseason through the transfer portal, where Nicholson and his staff added two experienced players who they believe can immediately play with an already seemingly deep roster. Desman Botts, a 6-foot-4 junior wing, is returning to Dakota Wesleyan after spending last season at Dakota State University. Botts originally began his collegiate career with the Tigers before transferring to Dakota State. In 14 games with the Trojans, Botts averaged 8.4 points per game while shooting 64.4% from the field and pulling down 3.6 rebounds per contest. Nicholson said Botts was an easy one to get due to the familiarity, his ability to be an athletic defender and consistency on the offensive end. The Tigers' second transfer addition comes in the frontcourt. Braelyn Dale, a 6-foot-7 senior forward originally from Perth, Australia, arrives in Mitchell after spending the previous three seasons at Minot State (N.D.) University. Across three seasons, Dale appeared in 26 games and scored 26 points while gaining experience in one of Division II's most competitive conferences. Nicholson said Dale brings physicality on both ends of the floor and a chance to be an impact guy from the start.
Notes: DWU was 7-6 at the Corn Palace last season and 7-9 in road games. ... The Tigers were picked to finish fourth out of 11 teams in the GPAC preseason poll. ... DWU finished the 2025-26 season shooting 45.3% from the field, which ranked 114th nationally. ... DWU's 3-point attempts went up by nearly eight shots per game from the 2024-25 season to last year. The Tigers attempted 27.1 3-pointers per game last season and made 35.5% of them, which ranked 55th nationally. ... Nicholson said he believes he has eight potential starters on the team with Neuendorf, Rosenquist, Determan, Vincent, Stevenson, Morgan, Botts and Dale all going to play significant minutes this season.
Nicholson on preseason expectations: "I think being ranked fourth in the preseason aligns with our goals. I think the bigger goal is to host a home playoff game in the conference tournament. Let's finish in the top four. Let's get a home game in the GPAC tournament, and win a game in the GPAC tournament. If we finish top-four and win a game at home in the GPAC tournament, then I really like our chances of getting to the national tournament, which I think should be the standard here with the resources we have."
Schedule notes: DWU gets its first three games at home, with an exhibition against Northern State to open the year on Sunday, Oct. 25, before hosting Bethany College (Kan.) Oct. 30 and Valley City State (N.D.) Oct. 31 for the CorTrust Classic at the Corn Palace. ... The other three non-conference games include at Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa, on Nov. 3, at York University (Neb.) on Nov. 7 and at home against Peru State College on Nov. 11. ... GPAC play opens at the Corn Palace on Nov. 14 against Hastings, with the conference road debut on Nov. 18 at Morningside.
