A jam-packed non-conference slate has not only meant plenty of fun Summit League basketball splashing across your screen, but has also allowed storylines to emerge from the increasingly not-so-small sample sizes. Along with the big-time moments like South Dakota State’s win over No. 10 Louisville during Feast Week and Kacie Borowicz’s incredible start to the season, here are four such storylines to watch.
 
North Dakota State fueled by new faces
The Bison have had a laundry list of notables already this season, bagging a dramatic opening night road win (Montana), power conference win (Minnesota) and sweep of Mountain West foes at the Nugget Classic (Boise State and Montana). Senior Heaven Hamling’s explosive campaign has been the headliner, in no small part because of her 39-point effort against the Wolfpack. Fellow program mainstay Abby Schulte is also off to a quality start, but there have also been a number of new faces behind NDSU’s non-conference surge. 
 
Freshman Elle Evans (12.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg) has jumped in as an immediate starter and key part of the rotation, while junior Emily Behnke – who isn’t new but played sparingly the past two seasons – has excelled in a new, greater role (9.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg). Those have also been big parts of a Bison defense whose early defensive numbers but traditional (opponents’ field goal percentage) and new age (opponents points per 100 possessions) are better than they were a season ago. 
 
Sprinkle in contributions from transfers Taylor Brown (9.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg) and Abbie Draper (6.0 ppg), and Jory Collins has weaved together returnees and newcomers into a formidable team thus far this season.
 
Pilakouta powers Omaha to quality start
With four wins, the Mavericks are already in shouting distance of their entire win total from last year, and off to their best start since the 2018-19 season. That’s been due in large part to a career campaign thus far from graduate center Elena Pilakouta, who has been a force for UNO on the interior. The Cypriot is averaging career highs in points (14.4 ppg), rebounds (6.8 rpg), field goal percentage (64.0 FG%) and free throw percentage (90.5 FT%, where she’s hardly missed this year. 
 
That reliable production in the post underpins what should continue to develop into a dangerous UNO offense. Sophomore Grace Cave (9.6 ppg) and FGCU transfer Aaliyah Stanley (11.0 ppg) have offered punch from deep, and have given opponents plenty to think about when combined with Pilakouta’s back-to-the-basket prowess. During the Mavericks’ historic win against Wichita State, it was Cave hitting a late three to force overtime, and Pilakouta converting an and-one to help sink the Shockers. 
 
Carrie Banks must be banking on that sort of varied attack to climb the Summit League standings this year. 
 
South Dakota still has perimeter pop
It was always going to be a season of learning opportunities for first-year coach Kayla Karius and her team. While the Coyotes have had highs (road wins at Saint Louis and Bradley) and not-so-highs (a winless trip to Las Vegas Holiday Classic), there have been encouraging signs throughout. 
 
At their best, the Yotes still have some of the perimeter offensive firepower that made them so dangerous a year ago. Grace Larkins (16.9 ppg, 40.5 3P%) is enjoying the breakout campaign that seemed inevitable as the talented sophomore has stepped into a leading role, and Alexi Hempe (10.1 ppg) has exploded out of the gates, especially shooting the ball, after redshirting during last year’s Sweet 16 run. Macy Guebert (6.4 ppg) has also shown the winning DNA that presumably comes from being a part of so much success over her career, seen in part when she drilled a go-ahead three late against the Billikens. Madison Grange’s recent season-ending ACL injury does, however, remove another potent option.
 
USD has lacked a consistent interior presence to this point, and the defense understandably isn’t at the atmospheric levels it was a year ago, but the young squad already seems to have an offensive ceiling that should keep them competitive throughout the year. 
 
The Roos gobble the glass
If there’s a missed shot, Kansas City probably just grabbed it. One of the early themes in Dionnah Jackson-Durrett’s first season has been the Roos’ ability to dominate the glass. And while Jackson-Durrett’s reputation for developing backcourt dynamos has shone early, including with the Sanaa’ St. Andre’s sparkling start scoring the basketball, there’s been positives in the paint as well.

Junior Dani Winslow set the program rebound record (24) in the early November win against Tennessee State, and is currently within the top five nationally in rebounds per game (12.4 rpg). She is rarely leaving the court after being a bit player last season, and has been complemented in the paint by another returnee thriving in a newer role in junior Jocelyn Ewell (8.8 ppg, 6.1 rpg). As a team, the Roos rank in the top 40 in the country in both offensive and defensive rebounding rate per HerHoopStats.com, which should trouble opponents throughout the year.