Starting a new every Thursday series where I give you 3 keys for every team this weekend, and what I think happens
Omaha @ Kansas City
Omaha
0-8 Summit League
- move the ball via the pass and not the dribble: Really tough matchup for Omaha. Kansas City hounds ball handlers all the time every game. If Omaha falls in love with putting the ball on the floor, could be a long night
- Pile and Tut on the glass: Kansas City is not a big team but are difficult to rebound against. No one on Kansas City’s roster can match Pile’s size and strength down low, however.
- Defend: Omaha is giving up close to 81 points per game on the season. The good news Kansas City doesn’t tend to pull away from anyone. If Omaha can defend consistently maybe the pull out a game or two this weekend.
Kansas City
3-5 Summit League Off last week
- Keep the defensive energy from the last several series: As said above this seems like a rough matchup for Omaha, especially if they are without Ruffin. If Kansas City comes with their usual energy they should be okay.
- Let McKissic do his thing: One of the best in the Summit League at getting the ball to the basket. I am not sure who in Omaha’s lineup has the size-speed combination to stop McKissic from doing that.
- Let Caden Boser fire from deep: Who follows the big man out there? What does it open up if it’s Pile who does?
What happens: Kansas City sweeps. The Roos don’t pull away from anyone so maybe Omaha finds a way to get one, but this feels like a really bad matchup for an Omaha team likely to be without Marlon Ruffin.
Denver @ Western Illinois
Denver
1-7 Summit League:
- Jase Townsend being aggressive: Did you know Townsend is shooting 50% from the field this season? He has been really efficient. Unfortunately sometimes disappears. Also fantastic at getting to the line where he shoots 90%.
- Do damage down low: Western Illinois has had trouble against bigs at time this season. Is this the time that we all remember how good Robert Jones is? Can Sam Hines take advantage of his athleticism? If so good things may be coming for Denver
- Match Western’s energy: One of the keys to Western Illinois’s 3 game winning streak is the energy by both players on and off the court. One of the most excitable benches’s in the league and the team feeds off it. Can Denver use their first Summit League victory as a springboard to keep them off the bottom of the league?
Western Illinois
3-7 Summit League.
- Will Carius: Not sure who Denver attempts to defend Carius with but there doesnt seem to be a good matchup for Carius on the Pioneers. Carius is quietly starting to put together an All Summit League type season and this could be a weekend where fans start paying attention.
- Colton Sandage taking care of the ball: Roscoe Eastmond is an underrated lead guard in the Summit League. It’s a bit of a matchup of the wily vet pg against the guy making his 5th start at the position.
- Offensive glass: Players like Ramean Hinton and Cam Burrell get their hands on all sorts of balls for the Leathernecks. If they crash the offensive glass effectively this might be the Leathernecks weekend.
What happens: Western Illinois sweeps. Maybe Denver getting their first win propels them this weekend, I don’t think there is a ton of difference talent-wise between these teams. However, I just think Western is a team playing with confidence and togetherness.
South Dakota @ North Dakota
South Dakota
9-1 Summit League
- Zizic factor: USD is going to need to matchup with UND’s best offensive weapon in Filip Rebraca and the first name that comes to mind is Tasos Kamateros. However, with a matchup like this, I can’t help but envision Nikola Zizic being put together in a lab somewhere in Montenegro, Rocky 4 style. If there is someone I want to match up with Rebraca most frequently it’s Zizic.
- Perimeter defenders: With Zizic and Kamateros banging with the North Dakota big man, it’s up to the South Dakota perimeter defenders to ensure they are not beat on the perimeter by UND. The matchup I most hope to see is Xavier Fuller on Tyree Ihenacho. As Fuller’s name is being mentioned in defensive player of the year conversations, shutting down a special talent like Ihenacho could turn those whispers into yells.
- AJ Plitzuweit: Last time these two teams played Plitzuweit was still getting his division 1 legs underneath him and the Coyotes lost. Plitzuweit scored 5 points on 2 of 9 shooting. The Yotes need second half of the season Plitzuweit to show up this weekend.
North Dakota
5-7 Summit League
- Filip Rebraca: Last time against South Dakota, the Yotes chose not to double Rebraca and he absolutely torched them. I would be absolutely shocked if USD again chose not to double him, given the results of that game. So Rebraca is going to have to make quick decisions when doubled and prove he can do the same thing he did last time now that the USD bigs are vastly improved.
- Outside shooting: As was said above, it seems logical the Coyotes will double Rebraca this time around, so will Caleb Nero. Bentiu Panoam, Ethan Igbanugo, and the other UND shooters make USD pay for doubling the big man.
- The crowd and energy: This is a huge weekend for North Dakota. At 5-7 they are sitting comfortably in 5th place but both Kansas City and Western Illinois could catch them this week. The Fighting Hawks could suddenly be staring at a 7 seed. The sparse crowd, team bench and whoever else need to treat this as the critical series it is.
What happens: This just has the feel of a South Dakota sweep and not much North Dakota can do about it. If South Dakota uses a similar approach to the last time they played, then we might see some fantastic performances by Filip Rebraca.
South Dakota State @ Oral Roberts
South Dakota State
- A reminder that the canceled games matter: Because of the 4 games SDSU missed due to covid concerns their opponents had. Each loss is magnified. This is as easily noted in the Summit League standings USD and SDSU both have one loss but USD with a .900 winning percentage and SDSU with an .833. A split here helps ORU and hurts SDSU.
- Baylor Scheierman: The do-everything guard is a matchup nightmare for the Golden Eagles. Honestly, who defends him. He is either too big or too quick for whoever gets the task.
- Douglas Wilson attacking Kevin Obanor: Obanor has been plagued with foul trouble too often this season and Wilson looks like a plague of biblical proportions. Wilson consistently attacking Obanor could lead an already short-handed Golden Eagles to bigger issues.
Oral Roberts
- RJ Glaspers injury: Many Summit League fans may not realize how important Glasper’s injury is to Oral Roberts. Glasper is a second ball-handler and an important #3 scoring option for ORU. At this point in the season, no one else has shown they can deliver the same results.
- Deshang Weaver’s post defense. Oral Roberts has been searching for a defensive option in the post next to Kevin Obanor. Weaver may be quietly showing that he is that option. Weaver is long and active in the post and makes it difficult. With Wilson and Dentlinger coming to town. Weaver’s role becomes even more critical.
- Consistent perimeter defense: ORU can score with SDSU when the Golden Eagles are defending. The problem is too many Jackrabbit players can consistently hit from the outside. If anyone doesn’t do their job on the perimeter, it’s going to be a long night for Oral Roberts.
What happens
South Dakota State: The loss of Glasper hurts ORU more than most Summit fans realize. This was already an uphill battle to beat SDSU, but without Glasper, Obanor and Abmas may be needed more offensively than they are able to give so someone needs to step up. I think SDSU will be out to prove they are the best team in the Summit and ORU is standing between them and proving it.