You can be excused if you start filling out brackets in your mind, but it’s not yet time to sweep the floor, turn out the lights and close up shop on the regular season. The final week of games before Sioux Falls has plenty riding on it, including these five storylines:
Will Oral Roberts finish the job?
The confetti has fallen and the regular season trophy has been secured. Now, all that’s left is perfection as the Golden Eagles try to join last year’s South Dakota State team as the only pair of undefeated regular season champions in League history.
Is that just window dressing? Perhaps, since it would seem winning Paul Mills’ first regular season title and breaking the hold Dakota-based schools had on that spot since the last time ORU won the title in 2012 was a significant milestone in and of itself. But while it won’t make that regular season trophy any shinier, doing so with an 18-0 flourish would be another incredible footnote for the program during its Max Abmas era.
We looked at the most difficult tests two weeks ago. Some proved accurate, as St. Thomas did indeed push the Golden Eagles in a sold out gym, and some proved woefully inaccurate, as North Dakota didn’t even warrant special mention yet went and
really put a scare into ORU last weekend. Yet, what always figured to be the biggest hurdle does remain: that juicy game in Frost Arena to close the regular season.
Plus, any game the Golden Eagles don’t lose is one more opportunity to argue an at-large case, should it be needed.
Has South Dakota State reached another level?
There’s a case to be made that this Jackrabbit team is every bit the foil that an ORU team receiving votes in both this week’s AP and Coaches' Top 25 polls deserves. Step back and consider their entire resume.
Their non-conference win at Boise State has turned out to be among the best any Summit team has gotten in recent memory. They’ve ridden multiple, lengthy conference winning streaks and of their four losses, two were in tight fashion on the road against the teams immediately behind them (UST and NDSU), and one featured a blown lead in a wild game in Macomb. The other, of course, was the blow out loss to ORU in its League-opener.
The team has proven it has the mettle to make furious comebacks and win games in the final minute with Zeke Mayo’s fingerprints covering both scenarios throughout the, including an 18-point comeback in the final 13 minutes last Thursday in the Mile High City. Matt Dentlinger might be the best back-to-basket scorer in the League and SDSU suddenly seems deep whether that’s through Matthew Mors’ increased role (10.5 ppg last week) or Charlie Easley’s return (24 mpg last week). However the regular season finale goes, it’s become clear that Eric Henderson has built a very good team that is playing some of its best basketball down the stretch.
The race for the all-important No. 3 seed
Winning big things in March means beating good teams. But that doesn’t mean a, what’s the right word for it, “more favorable” path is such a bad thing, does it?
The preeminence of this ORU team would seem to make landing on the opposite of the bracket from them as important as ever, putting a bit of extra juice on the race for the No. 3 seed, which on the surface looks to be between NDSU and St. Thomas. And, is it ever set up beautifully for the final week with the two teams meeting in Fargo on Thursday. Western Illinois is lurking as well and we'll see what lies ahead for them next.
The Tommies were great their last time out on the road, winning their first two League games away from home this season with a sweep of Omaha and Denver. They also own a win over the Bison in their first meeting of the year in St. Paul in December. These are two of the better offenses in the league, and while both teams have played the Golden Eagles close over the past two weeks, both would likely prefer to have a hypothetical third match up take place on a Tuesday night.
Can Western Illinois grab some momentum?
The Leathernecks have taken to streaks this year like, well, a bulldog to a bone. The bulk of their 15 wins have come within two lengthy heaters, one in the non-conference and one throughout January in Summit play.
They’re now on a three-game losing streak, which Rob Jeter would surely like to extinguish before the tournament begins. It’s a yo-yo of a schedule for WIU, which will look to reverse that losing trend as they make the trip to the North Dakota schools this week. If Western were to take care of business in the Peace Garden State and get some help along the way, the Leathernecks could potentially snatch the No. 3 seed.
The Leatherneck defense has sagged in the past three games, but they have good history this year against the Bison and Fighting Hawks. They kicked off their League season with a win over NDSU in December, and Trenton Massner’s national spotlight-grabbing 46-point night came against UND. WIU is still on track to have its best season under Jeter and, as plenty of teams can attest, are plenty dangerous with Massner at the helm. A win (or two) in the last week could launch them on another all-important winning streak.
Is there a dark horse ready to emerge?
While their respective travel partners have the more glossy match up on Feb. 25, there is still some interesting components about Kansas City’s trip to South Dakota. The teams have arrived at similar records – 11-18 (7-9) for the Roos, 11-17 (6-10) for the Coyotes – in markedly different ways. So, the result of Saturday's regular season finale in Vermillion between these two could be the determining factor in which one is starting their tournament with a first-round game on Friday and which one is resting until a quarterfinal tilt on Sunday.
USD likely didn’t expect to be in the spot it is after being picked third in the preseason poll. Its talented guards haven’t consistently produced the offense many thought and frontcourt depth has been an issue (not to mention the program navigating Eric Peterson’s injury). Still, it’s hard to look at a lineup that features the players it does and not feel it has a chance against any team in the League.
The Roos, on the other hand, have roughly performed to their preseason expectations (6th) but have done so with the inconsistency that comes from a young roster. They are capable of big nights, as final minute losses to ORU and SDSU at various points this season suggest. Shemarri Allen’s health, however, is a big question heading into the final week when it comes to the team making a theoretical run in Sioux Falls.
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