South Dakota Men to Play in Gulf Coast Basketball Showcase

The University of South Dakota men's basketball team is heading to Florida this Thanksgiving week, but this will be no vacation for the Coyotes.

USD is taking part in the eight-team 2016 Gulf Coast Showcase, November 21-23, at Germain Arena, near the campus of Florida Gulf Coast University.

The tournament is designed to showcase the nation's top mid-major programs and will see 12 games played in three days. South Dakota will open with Kent State of the Mid-American Conference, November 21. The Golden Flashes were 19-13 overall last season and finished in a four-way tie for the third-best record in the MAC at 10-8. USD finished 14-18 overall, 5-11 in Summit League play.

The Coyotes will face either Houston or George Mason on day two. Houston is one of three teams in the field that won at least 22 games and qualified for postseason play.

The complete first-round schedule for November 21:

11:00 AM ET – Vermont (23-14, 11-5 American East) vs. Wofford (15-17, 11-7 Southern)
1:30 PM ET – Hofstra (24-10, 14-4 Colonial) vs. Bradley (5-27, 3-15 Missouri Valley)
5:00 PM ET – Kent State (19-13, 10-8 MAC) vs. South Dakota (14-18, 5-11 Summit)
7:30 PM ET – Houston (22-10, 12-6 American) vs. George Mason (11-21, 5-13 Atlantic 10)

Game times for Tuesday and Wednesday will be the same, with semifinal games, November 22 at 5:00 PM and 7:30 PM ET. The championship game is November 23 at 7:30 PM ET.