The 2020 season ended in disappointment for the South Dakota State Men’s Basketball team with many ups and downs throughout the season. But one thing is for sure, there is a lot to be excited about this season for the Jackrabbits. The Jacks return virtually all of their production while adding a few pieces that could really put them over the summit .
Returners
The Jackrabbits are returning 9 guys that played important minutes and roles over the past couple seasons. All five starters are returning, highlighting preseason first teamers Doug Wilson and Baylor Scheierman and preseason second teamer Noah Fridel. Friedel is back after sitting out the end of last year and is looking to return as the big contributor we saw out of him two years ago.
I believe it is safe to assume we will also see Matt Dentlinger and Alex Arians start as well. That five has a lot of versatility and on court chemistry. The returners off the bench also bring their own flair to the lineup. Charlie Easley and Matt Mims will be the two remaining guards off the bench. Easley performed well in 2020 as a big defensive stopper and had some timely shooting. David Wingett and Luke Appel are the returning forwards on the bench. Appel is going to see a lot of time at the 4 and 5 position where we really saw his role flourish in 2020 as another offensive threat down low. Wingett is a great spread-the-floor 4 and can help guard longer 3’s as well.
New players
The Jackrabbits are bringing three new men to the roster this season, Zeke Mayo, Broden Lien, and Jaylon Gentry. All three of these players can show up on day one and bring something new to the team that may not already be present. Mayo is a 6’3 guard who is quick and long His speed and length will add a great defensive presence at the guard position, something we saw the Jacks struggle with last year against quicker guards like Oral Roberts’ Max Abmas. Lien is a 6’8 forward and is physically ready at the position now. One big benefit he adds is his outside shooting capabilities. Gentry will be a veteran in the back court and bring energy off the bench.Energy is a big attribute that has been talked about with Jaylon, which will be great for the team come mid season if they need a little boost.
Expectations
South Dakota State has lofty expectations this season. They were voted to win the Summit League in the preseason poll. With Wilson and Scheierman on the preseason poll as first teamers and Friedel as a second teamer, the expectations are going to be through the roof. Look for the Jacks to start off with some tough non conference games against teams such as Alabama and Washington. They will hold an advantage over other teams due to their on court chemistry, something a lot of teams likely won’t have early on due to the new transfer rules in college basketball.
Expect the Jackrabbits to have a strong season with more depth, versatility, and offense than we have seen in past seasons. There will be games where the Jacks have three guys scoring 20+ points and others where they will have five to eight guys with 10+ points. They will feast on the lower level teams and be the toughest battle for any of the top teams in the Summit League. This team will likely be able to succeed through hiccups in the season with the depth and hopefully right the ship and win the Summit League tournament this year!
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