Everyone knows that Jackrabbits are fast and can jump but they are also pretty smart. Matt Dentlinger is Exhibit A: a near-perfect GPA off the court and 1 of the best field-goal shooters in the Summit League on the court. His team has won at least 68% of its games for 3 straight years and the fans in Brookings cannot wait to see what is in store for the season ahead. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Matt about being a mechanical engineer and a great shooter.
You were born/raised in Iowa: what made you choose South Dakota State? I was always aware of who they were because a player from my area had gone there for college. They really stuck out to me during the recruiting process as being great basketball-wise and were also good in the subject I wanted to major in so they were my best option.
You play for Coach Eric Henderson: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him so far? He brings a ton of energy every day and has a great attitude/work ethic, which he stresses a lot.
You redshirted during your 1st year: how did that impact you either on/off the court? I redshirted along with 3 other freshmen, which was a really good experience. We had a lot of good upperclassmen to learn from and it gave us a chance to develop in the weight room. It really helped my basketball/strength/ability to play, while also allowing me to get acclimated to college life.
In January 2020 you scored a career-high 26 PTS/13-18 FG in a loss at South Dakota: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? A lot of it had to do with my teammates who are an amazing/selfless group. They got me the ball at the right time and fortunately it went in the basket a lot.
You beat Omaha in in the Summit tourney last March but lost your 3 other career conference tourney games by a combined 8 PTS: what will it take to get over the hump? Historically our program has been able to win the Summit tourney and get to the NCAA tourney, so that is a big goal of ours next season. It goes back to hard work and taking it 1 day at a time while getting better every day.
Your FG shooting has increased every single year (56.3% as a freshman/62.8% as a sophomore/63.7% as a junior): how have you been able to improve throughout your career? That has a lot to do with being smarter/more comfortable on the floor and knowing when to take a shot or when to pass it. My teammates are unbelievable passers who find the big men in the right spot every single time so they deserve a lot of credit for my point-blank layups.
Last month you were named 3rd-team Academic All-American: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? It was awesome! Academics has always been pretty important to me so I give a lot of credit to my parents. They taught me to work hard and do my best at everything I do, and I learned a lot from my siblings as well. It is a great honor that I will remember for a while.
You have a perfect 4.0 GPA: how do you balance your work on the court with your work in the classroom? Unfortunately I got a B last semester so I no longer have a 4.0! Balancing basketball and academics while being on the road during the season is a big challenge. Sometimes I have to watch a lecture online if I miss a class so it takes a lot of organizational skills. It comes back to working hard and getting it done so that I stay up to speed with everything.
What was the hardest part of being a student during a pandemic, and what was the hardest part of being an athlete during a pandemic? The hardest part of being a student was the abrupt switch from in-class learning to online learning. For engineering majors we have a lot of labs involving hands-on work so being unable to do those activities definitely posed a challenge, but my teachers did a great job of adapting. The biggest challenge as far as basketball was being unable to work out as a team after previously being together all of the time. After we were sent home last year we were on our own for workouts.
You are a mechanical engineering major: why did you choose that subject, and what do you hope to do in the future? I chose mechanical engineering in part because my dad/brother are engineers as well, and growing up on a small farm I was used to working with my hands and solving problems. I always enjoyed science/math so I figured I would be interested in it, but I do not have any specific plans yet for the future.