JACKS, WILSON TOP SUMMIT PRESEASON BALLOTS

SIOUX FALLS - Three South Dakota State men's basketball players received Preseason All-Summit League accolades and the Jackrabbits were selected as the team to beat in this year's Summit League preseason poll, the league office announced Monday.

Douglas Wilson was chosen as Preseason Player of the Year and joined Noah Freidel on the first team, while Matt Dentlinger was selected to the Preseason All-Summit League Second Team. SDSU received 33 of 36 first place votes to receive the top spot in the preseason poll.

Last year, Wilson was the conference Player of the Year after leading the Jackrabbits to 22 wins and a regular season title. The senior from Des Moines, Iowa, topped the squad with averages of 18.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. He connected on 62.8 percent of his field goal attempts, the eighth best success rate in Division I.

Freidel, a sophomore from Tea, S.D., averaged 12.2 points per game and made 66 3-pointers a year ago, shooting 39.5 percent from beyond the arc. The reigning Summit League Freshman of the Year scored 20 or more points seven times against league opposition. He also earned All-Summit League Honorable Mention honors last season.

A redshirt junior from Arcadia, Iowa, Dentlinger is coming off a second-team all-conference campaign in which he averaged 12.2 points and six rebounds per game. He shot 62.8 percent overall, but that rose to 69.7 percent in league play, easily the best in the Summit League. The CoSIDA Academic All-District VI selection scored in double figures 11 times against league competition and twice posted double-doubles.

The Jackrabbits were 22-10 last season under first-year head coach Eric Henderson, sharing the Summit League's regular season title with a 13-3 conference record. It marked the third straight year SDSU won at least a share of the regular season league title.

The preseason honors are voted on by a group comprised of the league's coaches, sports information directors and select media.

South Dakota State is scheduled to open the 2020-21 season with two games in the Little Apple Classic in Manhattan, Kan., Nov. 25 and 27. The rest of the non-conference slate and the Summit League schedule will be released at a later date.

2020-21 Preseason Summit League Player of the Year
Douglas Wilson – South Dakota State

Preseason All-Summit League First Team
Noah Freidel, South Dakota State
Kevin Obanor, Oral Roberts
Matt Pile, Omaha
Filip Rebraca, North Dakota
Stanley Umude, South Dakota
Douglas Wilson, South Dakota State

Preseason All-Summit League Second Team
Max Abmas, Oral Roberts
Matt Dentlinger, South Dakota State
Rocky Kreuser, North Dakota State
Marlon Ruffin, Omaha
Jase Townsend, Denver

*Preseason Player of the Year automatically earns a spot on first team

Men's Basketball Preseason Poll

Rank	School (1st Place Votes)	Points
1.	South Dakota State (33)	608
2.	Oral Roberts	514
3.	North Dakota State (3)	466
4.	Omaha	379
5	South Dakota	354
6.	North Dakota	301
7.	Kansas City	248
8.	Denver	203
9.	Western Illinois	167

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Recent Results

Players Mentioned

Matt Dentlinger

Noah Freidel

Douglas Wilson

Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus #2 St. Thomas on March 5, 2026 , Loss , 67, to, 80

Completed Event: Men's Basketball at South Dakota on February 28, 2026 , Loss , 70, to, 75

Completed Event: Men's Basketball at Kansas City on February 26, 2026 , Win , 73, to, 59

Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus North Dakota on February 21, 2026 , Win , 91, to, 83

Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus North Dakota State on February 18, 2026 , Loss , 66, to, 74

Completed Event: Men's Basketball at Oral Roberts on February 14, 2026 , Win , 87, to, 69

South Dakota State University Athletics