USD adds three men’s basketball transfers after offseason exits

VERMILLION, S.D. — After a 19-14 record and an appearance in the semifinals of the Summit League Tournament last season, the University of South Dakota men’s basketball saw multiple talented players depart the program.

The Coyotes lost a crop of seniors such as Kaleb Stewart, Paul Bruns and Mayuom Buom, but also saw multiple transfers from last season leave as well, highlighted by Dre Bullock and Summit League defensive player of the year Chase Forte.

Although USD has numerous returners making another go-around next season, spots need to be filled. Head coach Eric Peterson said the team entered the offseason knowing work would have to be done in the portal, and even though the Coyotes only brought in three players, he’s satisfied with talent they added.

Two of those players, Peterson and USD actually previously recruited. Saint Louis University transfer Josiah Dotzler was the first signee of the Coyotes’ class. He transferred to Saint Louis as a sophomore last season, but was limited due to a torn ACL he suffered only a few games into the season.

However, Dotzler did see time at Creighton during his true freshman season two years ago, where he played in 19 games, averaging 1.3 points, 0.4 rebounds in four minutes per contest. USD tried to bring him in as a transfer last year before he committed to the Billikens.

Peterson expects Dotzler to be fully cleared by early August and said he expects great things after talking to a former player of his at Utah State, Steven Ashworth, who also played at Creighton alongside Dotzler.

“He said he’s the fastest guy he’d ever seen with the ball in his hands,” Peterson said. “We’re trying to play really, really fast. If your point guard is fast like that, it can really set the tempo.”

USD also tried to bring in South Alabama transfer Ethan Kizer as part of its recruiting class a few years ago. Kizer was in Mobile for two seasons, averaging 1.9 points and 1.7 rebounds during his freshman year. But he redshirted last season, giving him three years of eligibility.

Even though Peterson admitted the box score doesn’t grab attention, his athletic and shooting abilities will be a big help for the Coyotes.

“If you watched his highlights, he’s got over a 40-inch vertical and he really shoots the ball,” Peterson said. “To replace Max (Burchill) and Paul (Bruns) with a guy like that, I think is huge. I know stats don’t jump off the page at you, but it’s just not enough data. It’s early in his career where I think he’s going to be a very good player for us.”

Third, the Coyotes added Eastern Kentucky transfer Jordan Crawford, who may fit USD’s system better than anybody. He appeared in 30 games with 15 starts while averaging 7.8 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. He also ranked No. 7 in the Atlantic Sun Conference in steals per game and will be a critical piece in USD’s press defense.

“I pull up the first game in the very first clip, he traps somebody at half court and steals the ball and goes in and lays it in,” Peterson said. “We really like to get after people and I think Jordan fits the mold. He’s not Chase, he’s not Dre, but he’s maybe a mix between those two guys. He’s the guy that I expect to be one of the better defenders in our league.”

Part of the reason USD only added three transfers despite a bigger number of departures is that Peterson has confidence in three members of the Coyotes’ recruiting class.

The Coyotes added Willowbrook, Illinois guard Vince Buzelis, brother of NBA Draft lottery pick and Chicago Bulls guard Matas Buzelis. They also brought in Round Rock, Texas guard Uzziah Buntyn and perhaps most intriguing is guard Jesse McIntosh from Melbourne, Australia. McIntosh has been playing pro ball in Australia since January.

Peterson said USD may have a leg up in high school recruiting in this era of college athletics, in large part because of how the transfer portal has changed roster construction.

“We’re going to continue to recruit high school kids and I think we can get high-level high school kids, because at the highest level (of college basketball), they’re just not recruiting as many high school kids,” Peterson said. “(Bigger schools) are kind of transfer-based, maybe shuffling players around from high major to high major, which allows us to have a bigger pool of high school players.”

Nathan Swaffar is a sports reporter for the Mitchell Republic. He joined the Mitchell Republic in July 2024 after graduating from the University of Kansas in May of 2024 with a degree in journalism and a minor in history. He covers a variety of prep and collegiate sports throughout South Dakota including USD Football.