Summit League Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)

1. Mike Daum

Despite starring at a mid-major in the Summit League, Daum established himself as one of the greatest college basketball players since the turn of the century with his play at South Dakota State. He starred for the Jackrabbits beginning back in 2015, spanning four impressive, successful seasons in Brookings.

He wasn’t even a starter as a freshman, but still managed to average 15.2 points a game and help lead the Jackrabbits to the NCAA Tournament. During his sophomore season, he scored a career-high 42 and then 51-point efforts in two games against Fort Wayne, averaging greater than 25 points a game in that season.

South Dakota State marched to Summit League titles in each of his first three seasons, while Daum averaged a double-double as an upperclassman. Though the Jackrabbits were upset in the Summit League Tournament in his final year, he averaged 25.3 points and 11.7 rebounds a game as a nearly unstoppable force.

Daum was named Summit League Player of the Year for three straight seasons and Tournament MVP three straight times, really racking in the awards and accolades. He was one of the nation’s top scorers in each of those three seasons and his 3067 career points is 8th in the history of the sport. Daum played masterful basketball at South Dakota State, dominated the Summit, and even led the nation in defensive rebounding in that final season. There’s a lot more we could say about his whole career; just know that he was something really special.