Need a bracket-buster? South Dakota State is already a media darling in Buffalo.
If you’re a Jackrabbit, you’re going to have a spotlight shined on you, just for the namesake. It turns out, at least some of the hype surrounding South Dakota State in this year’s NCAA Tournament might be warranted.
· Longest winning streak in the country, at 21-straight.
· Top shooting team from 3-point range in the country, at 45% per game.
· Number 2 in scoring, behind top overall seed Gonzaga, at nearly 87 points per game.
Any chance these Jackrabbit droppings are a by-product of residing in the Summit League – where SDSU ran through its’ season undefeated for the first time in the 40-year history of the conference – at 18-0?
Perhaps. But to hear both sides of this Thursday First Round NCAA Tournament game tell the story, these Jacks are wild, even if they are seeded 13th.
And pretty good, too.
“In order to win these type of games, you’re going to have to score points because the other teams are going to score, too,” said Baylor Scheierman, SDSU’s leading scorer, shooter and Summit League Player of the Year. “I think it makes us a lot more difficult to guard, being able to have a lot of people that can shoot on the perimeter.”
“I know they’re one of the highest shooting percentage teams in the country, so we definitely have our hands full with them,” said PC’s primary defensive stopper Justin Minaya. “Last time (against Creighton), we didn’t have our best game, so we want to respond from last game. That’s kind of our biggest thing right now.”
While it is true South Dakota State’ offense is high-octane, and a large part of the reason why so many appear to have fallen in love with the idea of a 13-seed beating a 4-seed, it is also true the Jacks haven’t faced the competition night-in-and-night-out that the Friars have.
Therein lies the beauty and the magic of March Madness – the little guys getting their shot at the big boys.
“Well, it’s something you can’t really hide from,” said Jacks’ head coach Eric Henderson. “It says a lot about our guys…that people have confidence in them, and so do I. We’re going to embrace this opportunity.”
“I think Providence College gets overlooked, for whatever reason,” PC’s Ed Cooley explained. “Everybody forgets. Hopefully, we can move forward, but being a Providence kid, man, I’m up here and looking at you guys (asking those questions). I am laughing so hard, it’s unbelievable.”
Why he was laughing, was left unsaid.
By comparison, SDSU is 2-2 against Quad 1 and 2 opponents this season, with their best win coming on the road at Pac-12 member Washington State. The Friars’ schedule features 19 of their 30 games against teams ranked in the Top 100 of the NET, and they are 14-5 against Quads 1 and 2 for the year.
Will the tougher schedule make a difference? Is the talent level that much greater in the East over the Upper Midwest? Are the big boys from the Big East ready for the challenge from the Summit Leaguers?
“I think what makes them good is how simple they are,” Cooley explained. “Very, very hard to guard. I think they have a pro prospect (Baylor Scheierman) who can play anywhere in America. I think different styles of play and then the stage playing at Madison Square Garden sets you up for this stage here.
“The practice of it sets you up for what we’re about to go through tomorrow playing against an incredible opponent,” Cooley added.
TOURNAMENT NOTES
It is a small world, after all. Following the Friars’ Wednesday shoot around and media session, Ed Cooley met for a few minutes with Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery, whose team will face Richmond following the Friars and Jackrabbits Thursday. Cooley and McCaffery have known and competed against each other for years, dating back to their days in the MAAC with Fairfield and Siena, respectively…SDSU is making just its’ 6th appearance in the NCAA’s, but all six trips have occurred in the last 11 years. Providence is making its’ 21st appearance in the dance, and first since 2018…SDSU has won at least two non-conference games away from home in 12 of the last 14 years. They have one so far this year, against Washington State in December…Jacks’ coach Eric Henderson revealed he taught second graders for two years before becoming a high school coach and teacher – prior to his becoming a college head coach. He did tell the media there is a lot of familiarity in instructing his team – as he once did with younger students…South Dakota State’s 44.9% from three not only leads the nation this year, but it would also be the best mark by ANY team in 28 seasons, since Indiana shot 45.4% from three in 1993-94…tip-off for this 4 vs. 13 matchup in Buffalo begins at 12:40p ET Thursday, and will be televised on truTV.