2017 Summit League Tournament: South Dakota State captures tournament title over Omaha

By Doug Winkey | Mar 8, 2017

Mar 7, 2017; Sioux Falls, SD, USA; South Dakota State Jackrabbits forward Mike Daum (24) drives on Omaha Mavericks forward Tre'Shawn Thurman (15) during the Summit League Conference Tournament at Denny Sanford Premier Center. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports /

The 2017 Summit League Tournament pitted South Dakota State and Omaha against each other for the conference’s NCAA Tournament at-large bid.

Three-seed Omaha faced off against four-seed South Dakota State in a wild Summit League Tournament title game. SDSU was up at halftime but had to battle back and fight off the pesky Mavericks. The Jackrabbits are hot right now on a six-game winning streak. For the second straight year, the Summit League rep hails from Brookings, SD.

SDSU’s profile is interesting. They rank an atrocious 311th in adjusted defense, but play at a slower pace and are 61st in efficiency, per KenPom’s offensive ratings. Those numbers by themselves suggest a team that is prone to defensive breakdowns but compensates with discipline and controlling the game’s rhythm.

SDSU’s opening opponent with have to contend with Mike Daum, the “Dauminator.” The 6’9″ sophomore from Nebraska is one of the best forwards in the nation this year. He is averaging 25.0 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. He scored an incredible 37 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in the championship against Omaha. Reed Tellinghuisen and A.J. Hess are the team’s other double-figure scorers, but six average at least seven per game. The Jackrabbits’ shooting splits are 46/36/77. SDSU has a mixture of guys young and old, but the majority of the rotation played in last year’s tournament loss to Maryland.

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This is South Dakota State’s second straight NCAA Tournament birth and fourth overall. This run has been particularly impressive considering it has all come in former Iowa State assistant T.J. Otzelberger’s first year. Otzelberger runs an offense very similar to the high-scoring Cyclones under former coach Fred Hoiberg. If Daum and company can execute that style in the tournament, they could knock off a power school.