Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus #2 St. Thomas on March 5, 2026 , Loss , 67, to, 80
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FINAL
Men's Basketball
67
vs #2 St. Thomas
80
South Dakota State University Athletics
Photo by: Dave Eggen/Inertia
REGULAR SEASON IN REVIEW
3/1/2022 1:53:00 PM | Men's Basketball
The Summit League Tournament begins Saturday for the South Dakota State men's basketball team. While that is the focus of head coach Eric Henderson and his squad, the regular season this crew put together is one of the best in program history. It warrants a second look.
The Jackrabbits are the first team in the 40-year history of the Summit League to run the table – a perfect 18-0 conference record, winning by an average of 15.5 points per contest. Murray State, which went 18-0 en route to the Ohio Valley Conference crown, is the only other team to finish the regular season with an unblemished league mark this year.
South Dakota State completed its seventh perfect season at home in the last 11, going 14-0 at home. The Jacks have won 17 straight at Frost Arena, which is the fourth longest in the country.
That's not their only streak though – they've won 18 straight overall and nine consecutive on the road, each of those the longest in Division I. The Jacks are 27-4 overall, one win shy of matching the 2017-18 team (28-7), for the most victories in program history.
SDSU's success is attributable to a record-setting offense that currently leads the nation in both overall field goal percentage (52.7) and three-point percentage (45.1) while averaging 87.2 points per game, the second most in Division I.
The three-point shooting deserves further exploration. The NCAA instituted the three-point line for the 1986-87 campaign. In the first six seasons of its existence, the top 25 percentages in Division I history occurred. In fact, 23 of those happened in 1987, 1988 or 1989. Indiana's 1994 team shot 45.4 percent, which is tied for 25th all-time. No team has shot better than 44.7 percent since.
SDSU's 45.1 percent rate from deep would not only be the best in Division I hoops in 27 seasons, it would also establish a school record. The 1986-87 team currently holds the mark at 42.7 percent.
And it isn't just one individual – four different Jackrabbits are shooting better than 46 percent for the year from long range. Alex Arians (36-of-66, 51.5 percent) and Charlie Easley (42-of-84, 50 percent) are both making at least half of their attempts, while Matt Mims and Baylor Scheierman are shooting 47.9 and 46.8 percent, respectively.
This year's Jacks have put up at least 90 points in a game 12 times this year. That's the most in the nation – Gonzaga and Arizona have each turned the trick on 11 occasions.  And nine times the Jacks have shot at least 58 percent in a game, highlighted by a 63.8 percent performance at St. Thomas in which SDSU made 30-of-47 attempts on Jan. 20.
Free throws have been a pivotal part of this team's success – on both ends of the floor. SDSU is shooting 75.8 percent for the year, ranking seventh nationally with 466 makes at the line. Opponents have only shot 409 – meaning the Jacks have made 57 more free throws than the opposition has attempted. Finally, State is outscoring its foes by 163 points at the line, the fourth largest margin in the country.
Let's go one step further. Only one Division I men's basketball team can claim membership in the 50-40-70 club – that's 50 percent shooting overall, 40 percent from above the arc and 70 percent at the charity stripe. Not only are the Jackrabbits a part of that club, but they clear all of those hurdles easily.
The Jacks have also been efficient in handling the basketball, committing 10 or fewer turnovers in 12 of the 18 league games. Thursday in the win at Oral Roberts, the Jacks turned it over just three times, matching the Division I program mark for fewest in a game. Even more impressive, it occurred in an up-tempo affair that required overtime – three turnovers in 45 minutes of basketball.
The name of the game for this team has been balance, particularly in Summit League play. Four Jackrabbits are averaging double figures, and six tally at least 8 points a game against the conference.
SDSU has also been excellent defensively. The Jackrabbits lead the Summit League in not only offensive field goal percentage, but also in opponents' field goal percentage. State is one of six Division I programs that can claim such a feat, alongside Arizona, Dayton, Gonzaga, Norfolk State and Toledo.
Scheierman is the only player in Division I men's basketball to lead his conference in both rebounds and assists. He's averaging 18.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 5.1 assists in league play. Three times the Summit League player of the week, his 7.6 defensive rebounds per game for the entire year is the 10th most in the nation. He also joined the 1,000-point club last week, currently ranking 41st in school history with 1,047 for his career. Finally, he's tallied 11 double-doubles, the most in the conference.
Douglas Wilson has shined in his third and final year in yellow and blue. The Kirkwood Community College transfer ranks 18th in school history with 1,338 points, racking up over 20 points seven times this season. His defensive plays in the final minute helped SDSU secure two of its toughest victories. He had a steal and score to clinch the victory over Oral Roberts (Dec. 22), and then his block of a potential game-tying jumper secured the Dec. 30 win at North Dakota State.
Luke Appel earned the Summit League's final player of the week award this season, racking up a league-best 41 points in the overtime win at Oral Roberts last week. His two pressure-packed free throws with one second remaining in regulation tied the game, allowing the Jacks to win the contest in the extra session.
Appel, Arians, Easley, Scheierman, Wilson, Zeke Mayo, Matt Dentlinger and Noah Freidel have all scored at least 20 points once this season. Meanwhile, six Jackrabbits have made five three-pointers in a game - Arians, Easley, Mayo, Mims, Friedel and Scheierman. And, Appel, Scheierman, Wilson and David Wingett have each posted a double-double.
SDSU has received plenty of national accolades this season. The Jackrabbits have received votes in each of the last three Associated Press Top 25 polls. Only once in school history had SDSU garnered even a single vote in the poll before the year began. Monday also marked the first time the Jacks received a vote in the Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll in program history.
It has been quite a year for the Jackrabbits, who open the Summit League Tournament against eighth-seeded Omaha Saturday at 6 p.m. in the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center in Sioux Falls.
-GoJacks.com-
The Jackrabbits are the first team in the 40-year history of the Summit League to run the table – a perfect 18-0 conference record, winning by an average of 15.5 points per contest. Murray State, which went 18-0 en route to the Ohio Valley Conference crown, is the only other team to finish the regular season with an unblemished league mark this year.
South Dakota State completed its seventh perfect season at home in the last 11, going 14-0 at home. The Jacks have won 17 straight at Frost Arena, which is the fourth longest in the country.
That's not their only streak though – they've won 18 straight overall and nine consecutive on the road, each of those the longest in Division I. The Jacks are 27-4 overall, one win shy of matching the 2017-18 team (28-7), for the most victories in program history.
SDSU's success is attributable to a record-setting offense that currently leads the nation in both overall field goal percentage (52.7) and three-point percentage (45.1) while averaging 87.2 points per game, the second most in Division I.
The three-point shooting deserves further exploration. The NCAA instituted the three-point line for the 1986-87 campaign. In the first six seasons of its existence, the top 25 percentages in Division I history occurred. In fact, 23 of those happened in 1987, 1988 or 1989. Indiana's 1994 team shot 45.4 percent, which is tied for 25th all-time. No team has shot better than 44.7 percent since.
SDSU's 45.1 percent rate from deep would not only be the best in Division I hoops in 27 seasons, it would also establish a school record. The 1986-87 team currently holds the mark at 42.7 percent.
And it isn't just one individual – four different Jackrabbits are shooting better than 46 percent for the year from long range. Alex Arians (36-of-66, 51.5 percent) and Charlie Easley (42-of-84, 50 percent) are both making at least half of their attempts, while Matt Mims and Baylor Scheierman are shooting 47.9 and 46.8 percent, respectively.
This year's Jacks have put up at least 90 points in a game 12 times this year. That's the most in the nation – Gonzaga and Arizona have each turned the trick on 11 occasions.  And nine times the Jacks have shot at least 58 percent in a game, highlighted by a 63.8 percent performance at St. Thomas in which SDSU made 30-of-47 attempts on Jan. 20.
Free throws have been a pivotal part of this team's success – on both ends of the floor. SDSU is shooting 75.8 percent for the year, ranking seventh nationally with 466 makes at the line. Opponents have only shot 409 – meaning the Jacks have made 57 more free throws than the opposition has attempted. Finally, State is outscoring its foes by 163 points at the line, the fourth largest margin in the country.
Let's go one step further. Only one Division I men's basketball team can claim membership in the 50-40-70 club – that's 50 percent shooting overall, 40 percent from above the arc and 70 percent at the charity stripe. Not only are the Jackrabbits a part of that club, but they clear all of those hurdles easily.
The Jacks have also been efficient in handling the basketball, committing 10 or fewer turnovers in 12 of the 18 league games. Thursday in the win at Oral Roberts, the Jacks turned it over just three times, matching the Division I program mark for fewest in a game. Even more impressive, it occurred in an up-tempo affair that required overtime – three turnovers in 45 minutes of basketball.
The name of the game for this team has been balance, particularly in Summit League play. Four Jackrabbits are averaging double figures, and six tally at least 8 points a game against the conference.
SDSU has also been excellent defensively. The Jackrabbits lead the Summit League in not only offensive field goal percentage, but also in opponents' field goal percentage. State is one of six Division I programs that can claim such a feat, alongside Arizona, Dayton, Gonzaga, Norfolk State and Toledo.
Scheierman is the only player in Division I men's basketball to lead his conference in both rebounds and assists. He's averaging 18.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 5.1 assists in league play. Three times the Summit League player of the week, his 7.6 defensive rebounds per game for the entire year is the 10th most in the nation. He also joined the 1,000-point club last week, currently ranking 41st in school history with 1,047 for his career. Finally, he's tallied 11 double-doubles, the most in the conference.
Douglas Wilson has shined in his third and final year in yellow and blue. The Kirkwood Community College transfer ranks 18th in school history with 1,338 points, racking up over 20 points seven times this season. His defensive plays in the final minute helped SDSU secure two of its toughest victories. He had a steal and score to clinch the victory over Oral Roberts (Dec. 22), and then his block of a potential game-tying jumper secured the Dec. 30 win at North Dakota State.
Luke Appel earned the Summit League's final player of the week award this season, racking up a league-best 41 points in the overtime win at Oral Roberts last week. His two pressure-packed free throws with one second remaining in regulation tied the game, allowing the Jacks to win the contest in the extra session.
Appel, Arians, Easley, Scheierman, Wilson, Zeke Mayo, Matt Dentlinger and Noah Freidel have all scored at least 20 points once this season. Meanwhile, six Jackrabbits have made five three-pointers in a game - Arians, Easley, Mayo, Mims, Friedel and Scheierman. And, Appel, Scheierman, Wilson and David Wingett have each posted a double-double.
SDSU has received plenty of national accolades this season. The Jackrabbits have received votes in each of the last three Associated Press Top 25 polls. Only once in school history had SDSU garnered even a single vote in the poll before the year began. Monday also marked the first time the Jacks received a vote in the Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll in program history.
It has been quite a year for the Jackrabbits, who open the Summit League Tournament against eighth-seeded Omaha Saturday at 6 p.m. in the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center in Sioux Falls.
-GoJacks.com-
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