Tuesday night promises to be an extra special moment for basketball fans in the Hub City.

On the south side of town, former Aberdeen Central standout Brianna Kusler will be coaching her Pierre Governors against the Golden Eagles. On the north side of town, former Aberdeen Roncalli coach Todd Neuendorf will guide his Hamlin Chargers against the Cavaliers.

Both coaches are looking forward to returning to where their basketball journeys began.

“I think that anytime that you go back to your roots, it’s a little bittersweet. It’s a little bit different playing against them rather than playing for them,” Kusler said. “There’s a little bit of friendly rivalry mixed in, just because of the circumstances.”

Tuesday will mark the first time that Neuendorf will have coached any team but the Cavaliers inside Roncalli gym.

“It’s not just another game. We had 11 really good years at Roncalli. For me it’s pretty special,” said Neuendorf who coached the Cavaliers to the 2015 State A championship. “Roncalli is a pretty special place to coach. I had great memories there, had great kids. Deep down in your heart, that’s kind of what you call home.”

While Kusler coached against Central at Golden Eagles Arena as a sophomore coach two years ago, this will be her first time as a head coach inside the facility.

She said that one of the highlights of coaching in Aberdeen is getting a chance to reconnect with so many people who have influenced her through the years.

“The beautiful thing about it is just all of the relationships. That’s something that I’ve really taken pride in,” Kusler said. “It’s who I’ve been molded by, basically. I’ve had phenomenal teachers, coaches, everybody and they’ve all come from the Aberdeen area. Who I’ve become, it really started there.”

Kusler said she hopes that when people watch her coach, they will see a part of themselves.

“It’s really a beatiful thing for me to able to go back and see all of those people. It might just be in passing and being able to say hi, but just really how appreciative I am of just what they’ve done for me,” she said, “and I hope that they can see themselves through some of the things that I do, because they’ve had a significant role in the development of who I’ve become as a coach and as a person.”

Both coaches still have family members and numerous friends in the area.

Still, that doesn’t necessarily ensure a warm reception come Tuesday night. Neuendorf knows first-hand how difficult an environment Roncalli Gym can be for opposing teams, from the Cavalier Crazies student body, to a live band, to limited room on the sidelines for coaches and players.

“I’ve had a number of people here at Hamlin and people at other schools, that love to go there because of the great environment,” Neuendorf said, “but they don’t love to go there, because it’s such a great environment.”

Neuendorf recalled some huge crowds during his days with the Cavaliers.

“We did have some games there where people were standing on the ends and you had to horseshoe ‘em in there, and it got hot and sweaty, and you were just wringing wet when it as all over,” Neuendorf said.

He said he is hoping that the atmosphere on Tuesday will be similar.

“I hope it’s like that again,” Neuendorf said. “I hope it’s a good crowd and we’re excited to play.”

Kusler also benefitted from a loyal Central fan base during her playing days. Now, she will learn what it’s truly like for the visiting squad.

“I loved playing there as athlete, so I’m hoping that our boys really like to play there as well, because it’s an awesome atmosphere,” she said. “I think that we’re going to have an exciting crowd. It should be a competitive game.”

With the current scheduling setup, Kusler and Neuendorf only get to make one appearance in town every other year. It just so happens that this time it takes place on the same evening.

And no matter what happens in the future, both coaches will always have a special bond with the Aberdeen community.

“I don’t have anything but good memories there,” Neuendorf said, “so going back there, I’m excited to go back.”

While it may seem a bit strange to see Kusler in a foreign color, she said it still traces back to where it all started.

“I always say blue and yellow, blue and gold makes green, so it was just destiny for me to be a Governor, I think,” Kusler said. “From where I started to now where I’m at, it was an easy transition.”