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South Dakota State: 3 Reasons why the Jackrabbits will beat Ohio State

By Nolan Schmidt

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - MARCH 16: Tevin King
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - MARCH 16: Tevin King /
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SALT LAKE CITY, UT – MARCH 16: Daum
SALT LAKE CITY, UT – MARCH 16: Daum /

Reason 1: Match-up Advantages

Say what you will about the differences between the Big Ten and Summit League, but the Jackrabbits have some serious advantages offensively coming into this game. It starts and ends with their star Mike Daum, who could easily be average16 points per game player at a Big Ten school. Nevertheless, the junior averaged 24 points and nearly 11 rebounds per game this season. In the Summit League tournament, Daum scored 33, 19, and 25 points respectively.

Now, he will likely match-up with Ohio State’s Kaleb Wesson, who holds only a 20-pound weight advantage over Daum. Despite this slight difference in size, Daum is a higher volume rebounder, nearly doubling Wesson’s rebounds per game mark. Wesson is an efficient player in the paint, but Daum is an efficient player inside and out. Having shot 46% from the field and 42% from three, Daum is one of the more all-encompassing players in the country.

It is worth noting that Daum is more experienced in the NCAA Tournament compared to Wesson, a freshman. However, the mere fact that Daum can pull Wesson away from the basket is worrisome for the Buckeyes. Without Wesson, they will have a paltry interior presence which will bode well for South Dakota State’s guards. Not to mention, Daum can shoot the three and has the strength to drive on Wesson too.

The mismatches do not end there, though. South Dakota State’s guards possess plenty of talent, perhaps more than the Buckeyes’ guards. David Jenkins Jr. is better than Kam Williams by a decent margin, in my opinion. The Jackrabbit freshman averaged twice the points that Williams averaged this season. While Tevin King may not feature greater numbers than C.J. Jackson, he is smarter and more reliable. King shoots an incredible 52% from the field, a phenomenal mark compared to other guards in the nation. Compare that to Jackson’s 41% clip.

Add Brandon Key into the mix for the Jackrabbits and I think South Dakota State will command the guard position in this game.

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