Summit League Tournament 2013 schedule and bracket: South Dakota St. looks to cut nets down

The Summit League Tournament is set to hit Sioux Falls Arena from March 9-12 as an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament is up for grabs.

The Summit League was one of the better mid-major conferences in the country this past season. Teams like South Dakota State, Western Illinois and North Dakota State find themselves in a possible Cinderella role. No one will really given them much of a chance should they reach the NCAA Tournament, but they have the talent and experience to make a run.

The quarterfinals are set to begin on Saturday evening. The first game will pit No. 1 seed South Dakota State against No. 8 IUPUI. The second will have second-seeded Western Illinois take on South Dakota.

On Sunday, No. 4 Oakland will face No. 5 Fort Wayne, and then No. 3 North Dakota State will play No. 6 Kansas City. The winners of these quarterfinals will square off in the semifinals, with the winners of those games then playing for the conference championship. A full look at the bracket can be found here.

Despite being the No. 3 seed, North Dakota State is the most dangerous in the field this year. According to Kenpom’s efficiency ratings, NDSU is the 73rd best team in the nation thanks to a stout defense and serviceable offensive attack. South Dakota State is rated second-best at 110. These two rivals could meet up in the championship game.

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