Busting Brackets
Fansided

Summit League Basketball: Reaction to South Dakota State’s return to the NCAA Tournament

By Nolan Schmidt

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - MARCH 16: The South Dakota State Jackrabbits mascot stands on the court at the start of the game against the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Vivint Smart Home Arena on March 16, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - MARCH 16: The South Dakota State Jackrabbits mascot stands on the court at the start of the game against the Gonzaga Bulldogs during the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Vivint Smart Home Arena on March 16, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The stage was set for the Summit League tournament championship. South Dakota State and South Dakota battled to decide who was going to the NCAA Tournament.

It was the match-up Summit League fans clamored for. The venue was perfect for two South Dakota teams to be playing for the right to play in the NCAA Tournament. In front of a raucous and electric crowd in Sioux Falls, the Jackrabbits and Coyotes went toe-to-toe. For the Coyotes, they were eyeing their first ever bid to the NCAA Tournament. A win for South Dakota State would be their third consecutive berth.

Though the Coyotes got off to a decent start against the Jackrabbits, it did not last long. Despite Mike Daum sitting most of the first half due to foul trouble, South Dakota State commanded the half. This was the second game in a row where the Jackrabbits were heavily reliant on sources other than Daum. Like their semi-final game against North Dakota State, freshman David Jenkins Jr. was the offensive workhorse. He scored 16 points in the first 20 minutes of play. South Dakota State shot 50 percent from the field and 47 percent from three in the frame.

On top of that, Reed Tellinghuisen, Brandon Key, and Lane Severyn combined to score 20 first half points too. Though Matt Mooney scored 12 points, the Coyotes were still down 47-35 heading into the locker room. South Dakota did not shoot horribly in the frame, but the Jackrabbits clearly frustrated the Coyotes with their physical game plan.

That aggressiveness put South Dakota in a big enough offensive funk to where the Jackrabbits were able to push the ball in transition. This did not give the Coyotes time to set up their normal swarming defense and South Dakota State was able to get really good looks. Luckily for them, most of those good looks fell for the Jackrabbits. Remember, all of this took place as Mike Daum sat on the bench with two fouls (Daum exited the game with 11 minutes remaining in the half).

Give credit to South Dakota though. They never gave in and clawed their way back into the game, reducing the Jackrabbits lead to six with under four minutes to go. However, South Dakota State was just too much to handle on both ends. In the second half, Daum was able to play, no longer worrisome about foul trouble. The reigning Summit League Player of the Year dropped in a few three-pointers to boost the offense in the half.

Daum finished the game with 25 points and 11 rebounds. However, it was Jenkins Jr. who stole the show yet again, scoring 29 points and grabbing six rebounds. Sprinkle in 18 points from Tellinghuisen and 10 from Key and you have a solid overall performance. South Dakota State was able to come out on top winning 97-87.

Within those 97 points, the Jackrabbits shot 48 percent from the field and 50 percent from three. For South Dakota, they shot just 38 percent from the field and from three. Matt Mooney scored 30 points, but it took him 26 shots to do so. Timely baskets from Tyler Hagedorn and Tyler Peterson brought the Coyotes close, but it was not enough.

The Jackrabbits were just flat-out better than the Coyotes tonight. They flustered South Dakota early on with their physicality. South Dakota State was also able to succeed without their best player on the floor which bodes well for them heading into the NCAA Tournament. However, one has to wonder how the game would have ended up had South Dakota limited the Jackrabbits’ points around the basket. On seemingly every play, South Dakota State was able to attack the rim and score without much contention.

Along with that, I think South Dakota State had a mental advantage over South Dakota. Matt Mooney seemed to be taken out of his game early on and his emotions showed that. I attribute that to the Jackrabbits ability to anger the usually calm Mooney.

Sure, Mooney scored 30 points in this game, but he shot 35 percent from the field. It seemed at times that Mooney’s constant shooting hurt the Coyotes more than it helped them. That is not to say Mooney is not a fantastic player, but I just was not that impressed tonight is all.

Look for the Jackrabbits to be either a 12 or 13 seed heading into the NCAA Tournament. That usually means that South Dakota State will be a common upset pick for those filling out brackets. They surely look like a team that is capable of winning a few games in March. However, they will need to rely on Mike Daum more than they did in this tournament. David Jenkins Jr. was phenomenal in the Summit League tournament, but a strong performance from Daum to couple that is so vital.

Next: 2018 Pac-12 tournament preview

I cannot foresee a situation where Daum does not show up in the NCAA Tournament games. I mean, he sat out most of the first half on Tuesday night and he still scored 25 points. Anyway, the Jackrabbits have the talent and experience to be a real threat once the tournament begins. Do not be shocked to see them make a Sweet Sixteen run this season.

Before we get that far, we must first congratulate South Dakota State on being the 2018 Summit League Tournament Champion!