SDSU men’s basketball coach to speak at SD All-Star Awards

Contact:
Morgan Holt
Sanford Health Media Relations
605-366-2432 / morgan.holt@sanfordhealth.org
 

SIOUX FALLS, S.D., April 5, 2021 – The top high school basketball players in the state will be honored during the annual South Dakota All-Star Awards Ceremony. The ceremony will again be held in a remote format due to COVID-19 safety guidelines.

The ceremony airs live at 6:30 p.m. on April 16 on KELOLAND TV and features South Dakota State men’s basketball head coach Eric Henderson.

Video features of the 10 finalists for boys and girls player of the year awards will air nightly on KELOLAND-TV during the 6 p.m. newscasts, starting tonight. Players of the year will be announced during the April 16 ceremony.

Henderson’s first season as a collegiate head coach was a historic one, as he was named the 2019-20 Summit League Coach of the Year while guiding the Jackrabbits to a 22-10 record and a share of their third-straight Summit League regular season title. South Dakota State went 16-0 at home in 2019-20 and posted a 13-3 record in league play. This season, the Jackrabbits finished 16-7 with a 9-3 record in Summit League play and earned the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament.

“It is always an honor to celebrate the accomplishments of the best high school basketball players in the state, many of whom we have had the privilege of watching play on Heritage Court,” said Jesse Smith, vice president of Sanford Sports. “Coach Henderson has established himself as a great coach and wonderful mentor, and we are looking forward to him giving an inspirational and powerful message to these athletes and their families.”

“KELOLAND Media Group is thrilled to honor these student-athletes for their remarkable seasons,” Sean Bower, KELOLAND sports director said. “We are also excited to have South Dakota State men’s basketball coach Eric Henderson be a part of the South Dakota All Star Awards ceremony. Henderson has been coaching basketball across all levels for the past two decades, and he can share his experiences as both a coach and player with the student-athletes. We are looking forward to honoring these athletes and an amazing evening with Eric Henderson.”

The all-star games, presented by the South Dakota Basketball Coaches Association and featuring the top girls and boys players in the state, will take place April 17 at the Sanford Pentagon. The girls will play at 10 a.m., and the boys will play at noon. Both games will air live on Midco Sports Network as well as streamed on MidcoSN.com. Rosters for both games will be announced later.

About the Sanford Pentagon

The cornerstone of the Sanford Sports Complex in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is the Sanford Pentagon, a 160,000-square-foot, five-sided facility featuring nine basketball courts, including the 1950s/1960s-inspired Heritage Court. The venue combines state-of-the-art amenities — including high-definition video boards and executive suites — with period-specific finishes that are a nod to the nostalgic days of basketball.

The 3,200-seat Pentagon is home to Sanford POWER Basketball Academy, Sanford POWER Volleyball Academy, the NBA G League’s Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Women’s and Men’s Basketball tournaments and the South Dakota High School Basketball Hall of Fame. For more information, visit sanfordpentagon.com.

About KELOLAND MEDIA GROUP

KELOLAND Media Group is the leading media company in the region. It owns and operates television stations, websites and mobile news applications. KELOLAND TV is one of the highest rated CBS affiliates in the nation and serves portions of South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska. KELOLAND News has earned numerous state, regional and national awards for excellence. KELOLAND.com is the region’s most visited local website.

KELOLAND Media Group also programs a MyNetworkTV affiliate through its second digital channel, hosts the ION network on its third digital channel and Court TV Mystery network on its fourth digital channel. It serves as the CW affiliate on its second digital channel in Rapid City.  KELOLAND WeatherNow is the area’s only all-local weather channel and is featured on nearly all cable systems in the region.

KELOLAND Media Group is part of Nexstar Inc. (NASDAQ:  NXST)