South Dakota State Basketball: Projecting Jackrabbits 2019-20 rotation

By Austin Hamm | Aug 19, 2019

RENO, NV - DECEMBER 15: Mike Daum #24 of the South Dakota State Jackrabbits heads off the court as Matt Dentlinger #32 of the South Dakota State Jackrabbits takes his place during he game between the Nevada Wolf Pack and the South Dakota State Jackrabbits at Lawlor Events Center on December 15, 2018 in Reno, Nevada. (Photo by Jonathan Devich/Getty Images) /

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SALT LAKE CITY, UT – MARCH 16: The South Dakota State Jackrabbits react late in 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) /

South Dakota State Basketball was led by an all-time great scorer in Mike Daum the last three years. What will their rotation look like now that he’s gone?

For South Dakota State Basketball, the 2019-20 rotation will look almost nothing like it did in 2018-19. Former head coach TJ Otzelberger left for UNLV in the offseason, with former assistant Eric Henderson being elevated to the lead spot on the staff.

On the court, nearly 70 points per game of the close to 85 the team scored has departed. Lost to graduation were scoring legend Mike Daum (25.3 ppg), sharpshooter Skyler Flatten (15.5 ppg) and point guard Tevin King (9.1 ppg). Also gone is dynamic scoring guard David Jenkins (19.7 ppg), who followed Otzelberger to UNLV after spending two years as the Robin to Daum’s Batman. Those four formed the core of a team that was 52-16 over the last two seasons. Even with a stunning loss in the first round of the Summit League tournament in 2019 prematurely ended a season where SDSU was eyeing their first NCAA tournament win, the success of the Daum-Otzelberger era was undeniable. But all good things come to an end, and the new iteration of Jackrabbits will still take the court this season.

That new iteration was going to include three-star guard Caleb Grill from Kansas, one of the more highly touted prospects SDSU had ever recruited. But once Otzelberger left, Grill reopened his recruitment and ultimately signed with Iowa State, leaving yet another question mark about the future look of this team.

With only one returning full-time starter and two seniors on the roster, this South Dakota State team will inevitably rely on youth throughout the season. In what will likely be a wide-open conference in the Summit League, how far they can make it will hinge on big performances from players with limited resumes.