South Dakota State Jackrabbits
Summit (25-9, 13-3)
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South Dakota State had a strong season especially in Summit League play. They tied Western Illinois for first place (although they had a worse overall record). They have been a little streaky this year, but they never strung too many losses together for their season to fall apart. The Jackrabbits are high-octane scorers. They are fundamentally sound in the half court set. Where ever they end up playing, defenses will have to buckle down on them.
Big Wins: 12/15 at Montana (68-67), 12/22 at New Mexico (70-65), 1/26 North Dakota State (69-53)
Bad Losses: 11/16 at Hofstra (63-66), 1/05 at South Dakota (71-74), 2/20 at CSU Bakersfield (78-79)
Coach: Scott Nagy (18 seasons at South Dakota State)
Why They Can Surprise:
This is a team that can score and score often. The Jackrabbits lead the Summit League in points per game and three-pointers made per game and are second in three-point shooting percentage. That is saying something considering the Summit League is one of the better shooting conferences. The top three teams in the conference are among the best 45 shooting teams in the whole country. The Jackrabbits can hit from anywhere on the floor and spread it around effectively. They also lead the league in assists. Averaging eight three-pointers per game, the defense is forced to play a perimeter game. The man for South Dakota State is Nate Wolters. He is the conference leader in scoring, and is fourth nationally. At nearly 23 points per game, he also leads the team in steals and assists. He is generally a lock for a dynamite performance and he can carry this team if needed. The Jackrabbits are also exceptional at ball control. They are sixth in the nation with just 10.3 turnovers per game.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Where they shine on offense, they falter on defense. Opponents shoot over 44 percent from the floor against them. Granted, most of the teams they play are in their conference where all teams seem to hit shots. The problem is that South Dakota State allows 36 percent from behind the arc. They are in the bottom half of the conference in that category and are among the worst teams nationally. They are a shorter team so they have a really tough time handling any interior presence. They intimidate no one in the lane when they are in a half-court defensive set. The Jackrabbits hardly get any blocks in, and they even have a hard time taking the ball away at all as they are easily the worst in the conference at stealing the ball. Lucky for them, it has not bitten them too much this year. Being savvy in the passing lanes will go a long way for them in the postseason. Quick hands are going to have to save them against big centers in the middle.
Probable Starters:
Brayden Carlson, Junior, Guard, 8.7 ppg, 2.4 apg
Chad White, Junior, Guard, 10.0 ppg, 1.3 apg, 4.0 rpg
Nate Wolters, Senior, Guard, 22.7 ppg, 5.8 apg, 5.6 rpg
Tony Fiegen, Senior, Forward, 10.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg
Jordan Dykstra, Junior, Forward, 12.5 ppg, 7.9 rpg
Key Roleplayers:
Marcus Heemstra, Junior, Forward, 4.2 ppg, 2.7 rpg
Taevaunn Prince, Sophomore, Guard, 4.4 ppg, 2.1 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 74.0 (34th in nation, 1st in conference)
Scoring Defense: 65.8 (155, 4)
Field-Goal Percentage: 46.7 (34, 3)
Field-Goal Defense: 44.2 (236, 3)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 7.8 (35, 1)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 39.1 (13, 2)
Free-Throw Percentage: 75.3 (16, 2)
Rebound Margin: 3.9 (62, 2)
Assists Per Game: 14.5 (67, 1)
Turnovers Per Game: 10.3 (6, 1)
Last Five Postseason Appearances:
2012 NCAA Second Round loss to Baylor
*all team stats through 3/10
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
