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ROCHESTER, Minn. 鈥� Had T.J. Otzelberger stayed at South Dakota State, there鈥檚 a good chance that Caledonia brothers Owen and Noah King would both be wearing Jackrabbit basketball uniforms this coming season.

But Otzelberger didn鈥檛 stay. He left South Dakota State a year ago to become head coach at UNLV.

One year without Otzelberger at SDSU was enough for Owen King, a sophomore last year who鈥檇 come off a freshman season in which he鈥檇 averaged 17 minutes and four points per game. New Jackrabbits coach Eric Henderson wasn鈥檛 as sold on King and limited him to 7 minutes per game.

It was the first time in Owen鈥檚 life that the game didn鈥檛 give him joy. There was too much sitting for that.

鈥淭o go from what I got to do my freshman year to not playing much in games this year, and sometimes not at all, made me realize how much I want to be on the court again,鈥� Owen said. 鈥淎nd I don鈥檛 want to just play, I want to play free. The way you play is important.鈥�

Owen chose to do something about his discontent.

At season鈥檚 end, he put his name into the NCAA transfer portal. And Noah, two years younger than Owen, having taken note of Owen鈥檚 decreased role at SDSU, in January decommitted from a pledge he鈥檇 made to the Jackrabbits in the fall.

The King brothers were both set to go through the recruiting process all over again.

Owen鈥檚 hope was that it would go much the same as the first time. Otzelberger tagged him as a 鈥渕ust-have鈥� player starting just after Owen鈥檚 sophomore year at Caledonia, leaving no doubt about his interest. Fellow Division I mid-majors Northern Iowa and North Dakota State also were in the recruiting mix for Owen. But SDSU felt best.

鈥�(Otzelberger) talked about how much he wanted me,鈥� said Owen, who鈥檇 been offered by the Jackrabbits in July heading into his junior year and accepted two months later. 鈥淗e made it seem like I was a need for his program, and that鈥檚 what I wanted to hear.鈥�

Plenty of high Division I programs were also trying to land Owen. But that was in his other sport, football. A standout quarterback beginning his sophomore year at Caledonia, the oldest of three King brothers had a pack of Big Ten teams after him, including Minnesota and Iowa. Florida State was also begging King to come to one of its camps. But Owen made it public midway through his sophomore year that basketball would be his college game.

Caledonia football coach Carl Fruechte fielded all of Owen鈥檚 football-recruiting calls, repeating to coaches that Owen couldn鈥檛 be swayed from basketball, even as he kept lighting things up on the football field.

鈥淚 just felt it was best to be honest and upfront with those college coaches,鈥� Fruechte said. 鈥淚 didn't want them to waste their time, and I also didn鈥檛 want to burn any bridges. It鈥檚 all about just being honest.鈥�

Owen鈥檚 second time around in the recruiting game didn鈥檛 last long. The very day that Owen鈥檚 name was entered into the transfer portal, he got a call from Winona State as well as a scholarship offer from the Warriors.

Going from Division I to Division II would be a step down, but the 6-feet-4 shooting guard liked WSU鈥檚 sales pitch. He also liked the location of the college 鈥� just 38 miles from Caledonia, meaning friends and family would have easy access to his games.

Division I programs New Hampshire and South Carolina State were also showing interest in him. But Winona State鈥檚 wishes for the athletic star were on another level.

鈥淭his second time around, I was really looking for a coaching staff that believed in me, the way (Otzelberger) did,鈥� Owen said. 鈥淚 wanted them to want me as much as I wanted them.鈥�

Winona State head coach Todd Eisner and assistant Zach Malvik never hedged about Owen, all while doing all of their recruiting with him over the phone. Owen knew what he鈥檇 be getting into at WSU. He鈥檇 grown familiar with its program growing up and had played in its gymnasium often.

鈥淚t was obvious that coach Eisner and coach Malvik really wanted me to be a part of their program,鈥� Owen said.

King said yes to WSU on April 1, about 2陆 weeks after the Warriors had offered him. Also joining him at Winona State will be another transfer from South Dakota State, close friend Alou Dillon, a 6-8 forward from Milwaukee.

鈥淗e鈥檚 going to help us a lot,鈥� Owen said, 鈥渁nd he is one of my best friends.鈥�

Noah King became a relatively easy 鈥済et鈥� for South Dakota State. He鈥檇 been around the program forever, first becoming familiar with the Jackrabbits as Owen was being recruited by them as a sophomore.

Otzelberger didn鈥檛 wait around to offer Noah, a 6-3 guard who graduated from Caledonia this spring as its all-time leading scorer. SDSU offered Noah his sophomore year. This past fall, he said yes, with new coach Henderson having kept that offer on the table.

鈥淚 think it was a little bit easier for my situation,鈥� Noah said. 鈥淭hey started recruiting me my freshman year, and back then I already had a brother who鈥檇 committed to them. I had a lot of insight into the program.鈥�

That insight was for naught once Henderson took over. The program under him differed from Otzelberger鈥檚 and obviously didn鈥檛 suit Owen. Once Owen became disgruntled, Noah鈥檚 appetite to go there went away.

He decommitted in January.

That marked the beginning of a long, difficult search for a new program, the COVID-19 pandemic preventing any in-person visits beginning in March.

Noah鈥檚 goal remained to land with another Division I team. Navy showed lots of interest, but he didn鈥檛 want to go the military route. Wofford College in South Carolina also went after him, but that didn鈥檛 appeal to Noah, either.

In the end, he chose a place that had familiarity to it. It wasn鈥檛 the school that Noah knew 鈥� Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa 鈥� but one of its coaches. That was assistant Ryan Kirsch, a South Dakota State graduate assistant during Owen鈥檚 senior year at Caledonia.

鈥淥wen stayed in touch with Kirsch the last two years that he鈥檚 been at Kirkwood, and he respected him a lot,鈥� Noah said. 鈥淚 was talking to him (this spring) and had a good relationship with him. He spoke highly of (Kirkwood head men鈥檚 basketball coach Tim) Sandquist.鈥�

It also helped sway Noah that Owen had gotten to know a handful of Kirkwood players and thought highly of them.

Noah may not be at Kirkwood long. His goal remains to land at a four-year Division I school. After one year at Kirkwood, it could be that his recruitment begins all over again.