Busting Brackets
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Summit League Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2019-20 season

By Austin Hamm

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - MARCH 22: Jordan Horn #33 and Vinnie Shahid #0 of the North Dakota State Bison react against the Duke Blue Devils in the second half during the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Colonial Life Arena on March 22, 2019 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - MARCH 22: Jordan Horn #33 and Vinnie Shahid #0 of the North Dakota State Bison react against the Duke Blue Devils in the second half during the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Colonial Life Arena on March 22, 2019 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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BOISE, ID – MARCH 15: Brandon Key #0 of the South Dakota State Jackrabbits reacts with teammates in the first half against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Taco Bell Arena on March 15, 2018 in Boise, Idaho. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
BOISE, ID – MARCH 15: Brandon Key #0 of the South Dakota State Jackrabbits reacts with teammates in the first half against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Taco Bell Arena on March 15, 2018 in Boise, Idaho. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

Summit League Basketball has a handful of teams who could call themselves contenders. Who will rise to the top?

Last year was the South Dakota State show in Summit League Basketball, with Mike Daum putting a bow on his historic career leading a high-powered Jackrabbit team with very realistic goals of winning at least one game in the NCAA tournament.

Those dreams were dashed with a massive upset loss in the conference tournament to Western Illinois, but that opened the door for North Dakota State to win the autobid and put on a good show in the round of 64 against Duke.

Omaha and Purdue-Fort Wayne, a legitimate contender most years, are also replacing some massive production. In Omaha, leading scorer Zach Johnson and his 18 points per game, and in Fort Wayne, John Konchar and his dominant all-around skill set.

Meanwhile, teams like Oral Roberts, South Dakota and Western Illinois have youngsters primed to step into an even bigger spotlight as established veterans now. Time will tell if guys like Kobe Webster (WIU) and Stanley Umude (USD) can make their mark not on their teams but on this season.

It felt like a flukey finish to the season a year ago, but as things stand now it feels like it was prescient of things to come. With the top four scorers from a year ago gone from the conference, the Summit League feels as wide open as it has in several years. How will things shake out in what looks to be a tightly contested conference race?