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Summit League Basketball: South Dakota State, Omaha tournament favorites

By Bryan Mauro

LAWRENCE, KS - DECEMBER 18: Head coach Derrin Hansen of the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks watches his team play against the Kansas Jayhawks during the first half on December 18, 2017 at Allen Field House in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Reed Hoffmann/Getty Images)
LAWRENCE, KS - DECEMBER 18: Head coach Derrin Hansen of the Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks watches his team play against the Kansas Jayhawks during the first half on December 18, 2017 at Allen Field House in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Reed Hoffmann/Getty Images) /
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SALT LAKE CITY, UT – MARCH 16: Mike Daum is the best player in the Summit League, and one of the best players overall in the country. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT – MARCH 16: Mike Daum is the best player in the Summit League, and one of the best players overall in the country. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images) /

Summit League Basketball will have one of the best conference tournaments in early slate. Can star senior Mike Daum lead South Dakota State to another NCAA Tournament appearance?

The teams that make up Summit League Basketball represent one of the more competitive mid major conferences in the country. Every team in the league has shown well over the last couple of years in the non-conference and the league has shown they will play anyone. Some mid-major conferences are often overmatched outside of their conference, the teams in the Summit have beaten Indiana, Minnesota, and Iowa over the last couple of years.

South Dakota State has dominated this conference since the new inception of the Summit League. Since 2012 the Jackrabbits have qualified for five NCAA tournaments. While the school is still waiting for their first tournament win. The Jackrabbits have navigated constantly having a target on their back in the conference. This year is no different. Since the conference changed its name from the Mid-Continent Conference in 2007, the only win in the NCAA tournament came from North Dakota State when they defeated Oklahoma.

The Summit League has some of the best young coaches in the country and one of them TJ Otzelberger, the head coach of the South Dakota State Jackrabbits, is going to be a hot name for power 5 jobs during the offseason. The league may not be thought of as much nationally but the teams in this league can all play basketball and have shown that they are not afraid of any conference of any school. The top teams this year are very talented schools who can give a scare into a bigger school in the NCAA tournament. The conference tournament is going to be competitive and a lot of fun to watch.