NCAA Basketball: 10 best players from state of South Dakota of last decade
By Joey Loose
6. Noah Freidel – South Dakota State
A 6’4 guard from Tea, a small town in South Dakota, Friedel made himself known to fans in his home state, playing the last three seasons at South Dakota State. He’s been an important backcourt piece for the Jackrabbits, even after missing time during parts of his last two seasons.
Freidel was impactful as a freshman, averaging 12.2 points and 4.1 rebounds while starting nearly every game for the Jackrabbits. His offensive numbers were just as impressive moving forward, with Freidel hitting around 39% of his 3-pointers in each collegiate season. He scored a career-high 35 points in a conference tournament loss to Purdue Fort Wayne as a freshman but did not play in the program’s NCAA Tournament game as a junior.
Freidel was named Freshman of the Year in the Summit League but missed considerable time the last two seasons due to personal reasons. When he was on the court, Freidel was a talented shooter and impactful player for the Jackrabbits, helping lead them to some of their recent success. Freidel entered the transfer portal and will be continuing his career next season at James Madison; he’s expected to be the best offensive player on next year’s Dukes squad.