South Dakota Men's Basketball Sees Massive Roster Turnover

Eight players enter transfer portal as Coyotes lose 11 total from last season's squad.

Apr. 9, 2026 at 8:21pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting the fragmented forms of college basketball players on a court, with the arena fading into the background, conceptually representing the roster upheaval facing the South Dakota Coyotes.The transfer portal exodus leaves the South Dakota Coyotes with a depleted roster, forcing the team to rebuild through the chaotic world of college basketball free agency.Ashton Today

The South Dakota men's basketball team is facing a significant roster overhaul, with eight players entering the transfer portal as of April 7. This includes key contributors like leading scorer Jordan Crawford, All-Summit League First Team selection Cameron Fens, and several other starters and rotation players. In total, the Coyotes are losing 11 players from last season's team, leaving them with just eight players currently on the roster for the upcoming year.

Why it matters

The mass exodus of players from the South Dakota program highlights the growing trend of increased player movement in college basketball through the transfer portal. This level of roster turnover will present a major challenge for the Coyotes as they look to rebuild and remain competitive in the Summit League next season.

The details

The eight players who have entered the transfer portal from South Dakota are junior guards Jordan Crawford and Isaac Bruns, freshman guards Uzziah Buntyn and Jesse McIntosh, redshirt freshman Evan Anderson, senior center Cameron Fens, and former in-season departures Shey Eberwein and Ashton Smith. Bruns led the team in scoring before suffering a foot injury, while Fens earned All-Summit League First Team and All-Defensive Team honors. Crawford was also an All-Summit League Second Team selection. In addition to the portal entries, the Coyotes are also losing seniors Caleb Kizer, Trent Hudgens, and Silas Bennion.

  • As of April 7, 2026, eight South Dakota players have entered the transfer portal.
  • The Coyotes are losing a total of 11 players from last season's roster going into the 2026-27 campaign.

The players

Jordan Crawford

A junior guard who was named to the All-Summit League Second Team after averaging 17 points per game in conference play.

Isaac Bruns

A junior guard who led South Dakota in scoring, averaging 20.8 points per game before suffering a foot injury.

Cameron Fens

A senior center who earned All-Summit League First Team and All-Defensive Team honors after averaging a double-double of 17.6 points and 10.3 rebounds per game in conference play.

Uzziah Buntyn

A freshman guard who started 25 of 31 games for the Coyotes.

Evan Anderson

A redshirt freshman who started 21 of 28 games played.

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What they’re saying

“The new day and age of college basketball includes players transferring. South Dakota already has lots of players in the portal, with more than 1,000 players in the portal in both men's and women's basketball across the country.”

— Trevan Rychlik, Author

What’s next

The Coyotes will need to quickly rebuild their roster through the transfer portal and recruiting efforts in order to field a competitive team for the 2026-27 season.

The takeaway

The mass exodus of 11 players, including several key contributors, highlights the volatility of modern college basketball rosters and the challenges South Dakota faces in maintaining continuity and competitiveness in the Summit League.