South Dakota State Basketball: 2018-19 season preview for the Jackrabbits

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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) /

Key reserves

The Jackrabbits’ biggest weakness will undoubtedly be their depth. Their starting 5 will have the talent to outclass most of their Summit League opponents, but if they want to get over the hump and make more noise nationally, certain guys will need to step up and become impact players off of the bench. One steady presence that coach Otzelberger will be able to call on with confidence will be Senior Brandon Key. Key finished last year with a well-rounded line of 6 points/2 rebounds/3 assists per game, and his experience and poise will be pivotal on a team with a lot of young players.

Outside of Key, the only other experienced players that Otzelberger will have available are Beau Brown (Junior) and Michael Carter III (sophomore). Brown has never seen significant playing time in his college career, and Carter is a transfer from Washington who scored just over 1 point per contest with the Huskies. That being said, it’s hard to imagine either of them playing a serious role on the team, but it’s possible considering the youth and inexperience of the rest of the bench.

Among all the freshman, whoever doesn’t start between Alou Dillon and Matt Dentlinger is certain to be called on for relief duty in the post. Two freshmen who could see playing time from the beginning of the season are Aaron Fiegan, who shot 46% from deep as a senior in high school, and Owen King, one of 5 finalists for Mr. Basketball Minnesota 2018. Other freshmen on the roster include Alex Arians, Matthew Mims, and Ryan Krueger.

The bottom line is that it’s just too early to tell which of them will play meaningful minutes and make an impact this season. All we know for now is that while they’re full of potential, there’s bound to be some growing pains as Otzelberger figures out which ones are ready in the here and now.