WHITE RIVER — Joe Sayler has always stayed true to the yellow and blue. 

Sayler committed to the South Dakota State University men’s basketball team as a high school sophomore in Aug. 2020 and stayed loyal to his pledge, signing with the Jacks in 2022. In March 2025, coach Eric Henderson departed for Drake University, opening the transfer portal door for Sayler.

But the scoring machine from White River never wavered, staying committed to the Jacks and newly-promoted head coach Bryan Petersen. 

“Not really to be honest with you,” Sayler said when asked about possibly transferring. “I was kind of in a weird spot. Hendo was the only head coach that I have ever talked to, committing so early. When he left it was hard, but when I got to campus, coach Pete has been my guard coach and we grew a really good connection. Once he got the job I kind of knew I wanted to stay.”

The sophomore is now one of four South Dakotans in the starting lineup, joining Yankton’s Matthew Mors, De Smet’s Kalen Garry and Damon Wilkinson. The quartet helped the Jacks earn a 75-66 come-from-behind win over Merrimack College (Mass.) on Nov. 3 at the Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon at the Sanford Pentagon. 

The South Dakota foursome played in front of 1,784 fans, representing their hometowns on the court and proudly sporting the yellow and blue. 

“Playing for my state is really fun,” said Sayler, who was the 2023 South Dakota Mr. Basketball. “It’s something that means a lot to me. We could be really good and we had four starters today from South Dakota, which is really cool. We are going to keep building on that and being a South Dakota kid, it’s super special.”  

White River graduate and South Dakota State University guard Joe Sayler looks for an open teammate on Nov. 3 at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls. (Rodney Haas / 605 Sports)

Sayler, who pumped in 2,702 career points in high school, redshirted in the 2023-24 season for the Jacks. Last season, he started 30 games and finished second on the team in scoring average (12.7 ppg), second in field goals made (132) and tied for first in 3-pointers made (56).

He began his sophomore campaign with eight points and four rebounds in 19 minutes at the Field of 68 event. Sayler has been slowed by ankle injury, but Petersen expects the bouncy 6-foot-3, 200-pound guard to return to form. 

“Joe is one of the best players in this league,” Petersen said. “So we are really excited about his sophomore year. He’s gotta get fully healthy. He’s literally practiced a day and a half honestly before he came out here. He’s gotta keep competing and working at it and then hopefully he will get back to the Joe that we know he is.”

Sayler acknowledged his ankle is improving by the day, and said he is almost 100% healthy. On the court, Sayler said his No. 1 goal is to help the Jackrabbits win and make another postseason push. 

“It’s a new group, new coach,” Sayler said. “But it’s a good locker room and we all have one goal and that’s to win and get to March at the end of the year.”

Sayler starts in the backcourt with Garry, a junior, and Jaden Jackson, a sophomore from Bellevue, Nebraska. The trio was instrumental in SDSU’s season-opening victory.

Jackson tossed in 23 points, hit five 3-pointers and collected five rebounds. Garry added nine points, seven rebounds, four assists and nailed two key 3-pointers down the stretch.

In addition to scoring, Sayler hopes to bring maturity and calmness to the Jackrabbits this season.

“Just be someone that can calm the game down,” Sayler said. “Be poised when things aren't going your way, be able to be a vocal leader and then lead by example. Obviously, scoring comes with it. But just being able to facilitate and talk on the other end of the floor are my big focuses.”

The Jackrabbits placed three players in double figures in the season opener, and two more with eight or more points. Sayler expects the same kind of balanced production as the Jackrabbits eye another Summit League run.  

“We are very unselfish,” Sayler said. “I think it showed a little bit tonight and just celebrating each more than our own is a big thing. I think that’s just what I am most excited for. We are going to have nights where someone else goes off, and we are going to have nights when another person goes off. It’s just going to be like that for the whole year.”

The Jacks (1-0) will host Dakota State in a non-conference game on Thursday, Nov. 6. SDSU also has non-conference games with the likes of Northern Iowa, Oregon, Northern Arizona, Georgia State, Utah Valley, UC-Irvine, Idaho, Ball State, Wyoming, Milwaukee and Arizona before conference play. 

White River graduate and South Dakota State University guard Joe Sayler looks for an open teammate on Nov. 3 at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls. (Rodney Haas / 605 Sports)