Local athletes transfer to Dickinson State University
Apr. 20—DICKINSON — The Western Edge will welcome back two athletes who are bringing their talents to the Dickinson State University women's basketball team next season. The two athletes include Tayte Kohn of Lemmon, South Dakota, and the infamous 2021 Miss Basketball Samantha Oase.
It seems that DSU head coach Eric Nelson has once again identified some strong transfers, adding depth to their roster. The 2022-2023 season could certainly come with turbulence with the departure of key players, such as Courtney Olson, Shali Sheridan and Ashlie Watts — all of which came into the program as transfers.
"We are very excited to add Samantha and Tayte to our women's basketball program," Head coach Eric Nelson said. "Both players are local and will add some talent and depth to our roster... Anytime you get a transfer they have been around the block, they have been in the college basketball program and understand what it is all about. They can come in and help you out right away."
During her senior year, Oase led the Hettinger-Scranton Night Hawks to their third consecutive regional title and state tournament appearance. It earned her the title Miss Basketball — the highest honor that can be awarded to a senior basketball athlete.
After spending a year at Black Hills State University — the Division II school — the 6-foot, 1-inch sophomore will have the chance to fill in for forward Courtney Olson, who was arguably one of the Blue Hawks' greatest players. Olson, the senior athlete, nearly broke 10 of DSU's program records since joining the team her junior year.
"Sam even started a couple games last year as a true freshman and so she already has that experience," Nelson said. "She already knows what it is about and so she can step in right away and have an impact for our program."
Dickinson State, also looking for players to make an impact from the outside, see promise in what Kohn's magic touch will bring to the team.
Kohn was a five-year starting guard for the Lemmon High School girl's basketball team, who then joined Mount Mary University women's basketball program. Nelson said that they recruited Kohn out of high school and already have established a great working relationship with her.
"We have watched her for a couple of years now and we see that she is a pretty gifted scorer," Nelson said. "She might not be the tallest person in the world in the guard spot, but she can shoot it well (and) she can handle it really well. She does a good job at penetrating and getting into the paint... We think she is kind of a three-tier scorer, she can score at the basket, the mid-range and she can shoot it from threes."
Bringing in transfer players always comes with its perks, but the opportunity to play close to home is an extra bonus for the two. With five seniors departing, the DSU's women's basketball team will need to settle in quickly to help optimize and build off of the returning player's capabilities.
