The South Dakota Jackrabbits have made it to the NCAA Tournament. Here’s a preview of the team and a prediction of how they’ll do during March Madness.
Resume
Team: South Dakota Jackrabbits
Record: 26-7
Conference: Summit League
Head coach: Scott Nagy
How they got here: Won conference tournament
The Good
Don’t sleep on the Jackrabbits. This is a team that scored wins over TCU and Minnesota this year, and they gave Texas Tech all it could handle back in mid-December. Mike Daum has the size and range to create matchup problems. He can score inside, and he hits the glass with abandon. He also can knock down the three, and the Jackrabbits as a whole are blessed with some good shooters.
The Bad
The Jackrabbits use a lot of drive-and-kick offense, but that doesn’t lead to a lot of assists. SDSU has to work hard for shots, and when teams can clamp down defensively, the Jackrabbits can try to do too much on the floor. When the team has an off-shooting night, it can struggle to find its footing.
Prediction
Although South Dakota State won’t back away from the challenge of playing a tougher opponent, this isn’t a team that can put together a run. They are a team that can pull off a first-round upset, but don’t look for this to be your Cinderella this year.