South Dakota State is making its third consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament. The Jackrabbits punched their ticket to the Big Dance by winning the Summit League tournament championship game over in-state rival South Dakota, 97-87. It’s the fifth time since 2012 they’ve been in the field of 68.
Meet the South Dakota State Jackrabbits. Can they upset Ohio State?
Mike Daum and the Jackrabbits will try to pull off the latest 5-12 upset in the NCAA tournament.
Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
The Jackrabbits will begin their tournament quest Thursday as the No. 12 seed in the West Region. They’ll be facing No. 5 Ohio State in Boise, Idaho at 4 p.m. ET.
Before you pick that trendy 5-12 upset in your bracket, here is what you should know about the Jackrabbits:
How did they do this year?
South Dakota State had a tremendous regular season, and continued its dominance in the Summit League tournament. The Jackrabbits enter the bracket with an overall record of 28-6 and a 13-1 mark in conference play.
South Dakota State’s best non-conference win came on Nov. 22 against Buffalo, who reached the NCAA tournament as a No. 13 seed. The team’s worst loss came five days earlier against No. 1 seed Kansas, when they lost, 98-64. In that game against the Jayhawks, Mike Daum had a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds.
Who is their best player?
Daum, a junior forward. is one of the least-heralded stars in college basketball. The 6’9 Daum is averaging a double-double this season with 23.8 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. He is shooting 46.2 percent from the field on 16 attempts per game and 42.1 percent from three-point range on 6.4 attempts per game.
Daum showed his ability to dominate against Buffalo earlier this season, scoring 34 points on 11-of-17 shooting from the field and grabbed six rebounds. For his consistently strong efforts, Daum was named Summit League Player of the Year for the second consecutive season and to the first-team All-Summit League for the third-straight year.
What is their tournament history?
South Dakota State is making its third consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament. But Jackrabbits are still looking for their first win: They are 0-4 in their appearances.
Last season, they made the tourney as a No. 16 seed. They hung tough with No. 1 Gonzaga in the first half, only being down four at halftime. But the Zags, did what good teams do best and beat them by 20 points to advance to the next round.
In 2016, the Jackrabbits were a No. 12 seed, but lost to No. 5 seed Maryland, 79-74, in their opening game. Daum played on last two tournament teams but has not had a breakout performance yet.
What is the mascot?
Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Say hello to Jack the Jackrabbit.
What is their Cinderella potential?
The Jackrabbits are not going to beat themselves. South Dakota State only turns the ball over 13.2 times per game, which is good for second in the country according to Kenpom.com. If Daum can get rolling and they can continue to limit their mistakes, the Jackrabbits could be the latest No. 12 seed to upset a No. 5 team.
Who are they playing in the first round?
The Jackrabbits will be taking on the No. 5 seed Ohio State Buckeyes on Thursday at 4 p.m. at the Taco Bell Arena in Boise, Idaho. The Buckeyes are led by junior forward Keita Bates-Diop, who is averaging 19.4 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.
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