We have a pretty good idea what a Jackrabbit is – and not the furry friend kind, either.
This Jackrabbit can shoot the ball well, has won a lot of games in dominating its league, and has never won an NCAA Tournament game before this Thursday. At least, that’s the way a South Dakota State Jackrabbit looks from a Providence point of view.
“It’s short preparation, but we’ll learn a lot about them (the Jackrabbits) as quick as we can,” Providence College head coach Ed Cooley said. “At least the region is great for our fans, get an Uber up to Buffalo. But we’re excited.”
What the Friars have undoubtedly learned already is this:
· South Dakota State has the nation’s longest win streak at 21. They haven’t lost a game since playing at Missouri State and losing by 12 on Dec. 15.
· Their best win of the season may have come in the game just before that loss, a 77-74 win over Pac-12 member Washington State in Spokane, WA.
· South Dakota State is the No. 1 three-point field goal team in the country, at 44.9%.
· South Dakota State is the first team in the history of the Summit League to go unbeaten through league play, at 18-0, then sweep the league postseason tourney.
· South Dakota State has never won an NCAA Tournament game, going 0-5 previously. The last trip was in 2018, and two members of that team are still on the roster.
· At 30-4, South Dakota State is in the midst of the best season in school history and received a 13-seed. These Jackrabbits are the first team in school – and conference – history to win 30 games in a single season.
Should be enough to catch any Friar eyes. And while it’s also true South Dakota State hasn’t had the night-in-and-night-out physical battles that exist in the Big East, this is the stuff March is made of. That is, upsets happen when attention isn’t paid to detail.
And when the underdog has a chip on its’ shoulder.
“I thought we were for sure going to be at least a 12,” Summit League player of the year Baylor Scheierman told the Sioux Falls Argus Leader. “Considering, you know, we’re 30-4 with a 21-game winning streak. But it is what it is. I wanted to go someplace warm, but I’m happy we’re in and excited to get to go compete.”
But are they capable of getting that first “W” on the big stage? “I think it’s super important,” junior guard Alex Arians told the paper. “It’s never been done in our program, and I think it’s definitely something that this group of guys is capable of. We go out and continue to do what got us here – play loose, have fun, get stops, we’re just gonna soak it all in and play ball.”
And Jackrabbits’ coach Eric Henderson, finishing just his 3rd season as head coach but fifth year in the program overall, also knows what his rabbits, er, guys…are facing.
“I know if you win the Big East regular season title you’re pretty damn good,” Henderson said. “I know they’re big, they’re physical and obviously very, very athletic. We’re going to have to do a heck of a job on defense and on the glass. I just want our guys to enjoy the heck out of this experience and then when it’s time to play go be themselves.”
TOURNAMENT NOTES
The Friars will be traveling to Buffalo, NY late Tuesday afternoon and will then appear for an open practice and a round of media interviews Wednesday afternoon. Tip time for Thursday has been set at 12:40p ET, and television coverage will be from truTV.
Providence and South Dakota State will tip off the regional sessions, followed by fifth-seed and Big 10 Tournament champ Iowa against 12th-seed Atlantic-10 tourney champ Richmond. The winners will meet for the right to move into the Sweet 16.
Thursday night will feature West region participants UConn (5-seed) against New Mexico State (12-seed) and 13th-seeded Vermont taking on four-seed Arkansas in the Buffalo pod. The winners will also square off Saturday. Should put a premium on St. Patrick’s Day chicken wings in the birthplace of the (buffalo) chicken wing…to say the least…with UConn fans also in tow.
Rhode Island’s other NCAA participant is Bryant, winners of the Northeast Conference and making their first-ever trip to the Division I tournament. The Bulldogs play in Dayton, OH Wednesday night against Wright State for the right to move into the main bracket and tackle top-seeded Arizona Friday in San Diego. They enter the NCAA Tournament with a 22-9 record and feature the highest-scoring duo in the country in Peter Kiss (25.1 ppg) and Charles Pride (18.0 ppg).
It will be the first-ever meeting between Bryant and Wright State, winners of the Horizon League.
And just where IS Wright State University? In Dayton, Ohio…just a few miles away from the UD Arena on the University of Dayton campus where the game will be contested.