On a cold March evening in South Dakota, Keith Benson heads to the Sioux Falls Arena to play on the same court where he earned two consecutive conference titles. Only tonight, he is not wearing the familiar black and gold uniform of the Golden Grizzlies. Instead, ‘Kito’ dons the bright teal jersey of the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

The Skyforce might not ring a bell with Oakland fans because they are one of the teams in the NBA Development League, a sort of “farm system” for the NBA.

The team is the D-League affiliate of the Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves and Orlando Magic.

The team consists of players looking to establish themselves and earn call-up to the NBA.

Benson believes his chance in the NBA will come soon, drawing confidence from his experience in college.

“At Oakland, I worked my way up and had to start from the bottom, so I’m just going to use it all as motivation,” Benson said. “I’m really confident about my chances to show people what I can.”

Until that chance comes, Benson looks to prove himself in the D-League and make the adjustments necessary to play at a higher level.

“For me, the only adjustment has been that I got more playing time at the college level,” Benson said. “Here, you just have to take advantage of whatever minutes you (get).”

Benson has made the most of his minutes, averaging 15.1 points and 7.7 rebounds in 18 games. During that time, he has notched six double-doubles and posted a season-high 27 points against the Erie Bay Hawks.

During his tenure with Skyforce, Benson has only seen the team win six out of a possible 18 games and is currently near the bottom of the D-League standings with a record of 13-29.

“I love to win, so it is just kind of disappointing,” Benson said. “I’m trying my best to be a part of the rebuilding process.”

Coach Morris McHone has been impressed with Benson’s play despite the failures of the team.

“Every time Keith catches it, there’s probably six hands in there on the ball,” McHone said. “He’s learning how to play in one of the toughest leagues you will have to play in as a big man.”

Regardless of the team’s record, McHone sees Kito wearing an NBA jersey someday.

“He’s got good soft hands, a really good shot, and he can play the high post extremely well,” McHone said. “I definitely think e has the potential to move up to the next level, there’s no question.”