It's never too early for basketball images to be dancing in your head and that's just the case for me with the start of the college basketball season right around the corner. And, with the full Summit League men's basketball schedule released
last week, here are five games that jump out ahead of the 2022-23 campaign.
South Dakota State at Oral Roberts | December 19
Talk about a salivating matchup right from the jump. The Golden Eagles figure to be appointment viewing this season and not just in Summit League circles. ORU may well be one of the best mid-major teams in the country, as Paul Mills already had a roster with seemingly no holes before Max Abmas announced he'd be returning to Tulsa. They are one of the Summit's clear favorites and will get an early test from another one of those favorites, an SDSU team that itself has plenty of talent and winning DNA returning despite losing its two main engines from last year's historic team. Charlie Easley marking with Abmas? Zeke Mayo trying to outgun Isaac McBride? Sign us up.
North Dakota State at St. Thomas | December 21
This pre-Christmas clash should provide an early glimpse into two teams that are fascinating for similar reasons. The accomplished core that won big in Fargo is gone, but Grant Nelson's talent and versatility headline a young NDSU team, and the safe money would suggest Dave Richman will have them competing at a high level sooner rather than later. On the other end, UST brings in one of the top prep recruiting classes in the league along with several Division I transfers and, if last year's debut taught us anything, it's that the Tommies can score. This game in St. Paul could be an early test for two teams adjusting to newer rosters.
Kansas City at Omaha | December 31
What's better than New Year's Eve hoops? Two programs banking on new beginnings will meet on the day that precedes, well, new beginnings. First-year coaches Marvin Menzies and Chris Crutchfield have gone about rebooting their respective programs in slightly different ways. Menzies will roll out a largely new roster that features a lot of size and length from both the Junior College and prep ranks. Crutchfield, on the other end, has some important players returning – like Frankie Fidler – and has an incoming class heavy on Junior College transfers. The proximity and similarity of these two programs suggests a rivalry could one day develop, and perhaps it will under two new head coaches that have both won big at the Division I level.
Denver at South Dakota | January 19
Vermillion will be bubbling over with perimeter players that can fill up the box score when this game rolls around in late January. The Yotes will be eying the league title with a backcourt that includes A.J. Plitzuweit, Mason Archambault, Kruz Perrott-Hunt and Paul Bruns, all of whom have posted at least one season averaging 14 or more points per game. The Pioneers are ascendent as well, as Jeff Wulbrun will look to build on a quality debut campaign in which young players featured heavily. One those youthful contributors – sophomore Tevin Smith, who averaged 12.3 ppg as a rookie in league play – is joined by experienced scorers in transfers Marko Lukic and Tommy Bruner giving DU the potential to trade baskets with any team in the conference, including a dynamic one like USD.
Oral Roberts at South Dakota | February 23
If you're looking for late season drama, this game might be it. The Jackrabbits – and, of course, others – will surely have a say in the regular season title race, but the Golden Eagles and Yotes figure to be, respectively, the first and second teams listed when the preseason poll is announced. Their initial meeting on December 21 in Tulsa is fascinating in its own right, but the return game in Vermillion on the last Thursday of the regular season could well be decisive in the title race. It may well be all the more packed with high stakes as the Golden Eagles will be staring down a tough game just days later in Brookings, which itself may have major seeding and title implications.
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