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Skyforce Prepares For Season At Pentagon

Nate Wek

The Sioux Falls Skyforce are roughly two weeks away from starting its 2013-14 season in the NBA Development League. The Skyforce underwent a complete overhaul in the offseason.

The Skyforce have traded in the teal blue for fire red. In the offseason the Skyforce agreed to a hybrid partnership with the Miami Heat. This means the Skyforce plan to act as a developmental team for the Heat, which allows the Heat organization to send players down to the Skyforce or call players up. First year Skyforce Head Coach Pat Delany says he is more than ready to get this season under way.

"Yeah I don’t think words can really describe, I think everybody’s kind of anxious to kind of get the game started and get the competitive nature going," Delany says. "I was just telling some of our guys that I’m kind of sick and tired of each other and banging on each other."

The Skyforce host the Iowa Energy on Saturday in Sioux Falls for an exhibition preseason game. Delany says playing in the new Pentagon could give the Skyforce a great home court advantage.

"Yeah, for us it’s been great. Obviously to have these resources at the D-League level, I think it’s probably arguably the best in the D-League and it probably compares with some NBA facilities and stuff," Delany says.

The University of Wisconsin is also singing high praises of the Sanford Pentagon. This past Friday Wisconsin hosted the University of St. John’s for their  first game of the college basketball season. Wisconsin was victorious with a final score of 86-75. Wisconsin Head Coach Bo Ryan says the Sanford Pentagon is a great place to play basketball.

"It’s just nice to be in a first class facility run by first class people. I think that’s the key to anything when you’re in charge of a team," Ryan says. "Put them in a position to be in places that they can learn something and this was a great learning environment and a great environment for showing the love of the game of basketball."

The University of Sioux Dakota women’s basketball team is participating in a regular season game at the Pentagon. They will take on Drake University on November 21, with a 7 pm tip off.

Nate Wek is currently the sports content producer and sports and rec beat reporter for South Dakota Public Broadcasting. He is a graduate of South Dakota State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism Broadcasting and a minor in Leadership. From 2010-2013 Nate was the Director of Gameday Media for the Sioux Falls Storm (Indoor Football League) football team. He also spent 2012 and 2013 as the News and Sports Director of KSDJ Radio in Brookings, SD. Nate, his wife Sarah, and two kids Braxan and Jordy, live in Canton, SD.