SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – South Dakota State junior Zeke Mayo was named The Summit League Men’s Basketball Player of the Year Thursday as League officials announced six individual awards, the all-league honorees, the all-newcomer team and the all-defensive team.
Mayo was the top scorer on a South Dakota State squad that won at least a share of its fifth regular season title in the past six seasons, finishing the campaign with a 12-4 record and two-game lead on Kansas City and North Dakota. He is the fourth different Jackrabbit to earn Player of the Year honors during that stretch (Mike Daum, 2018; Douglas Wilson, 2020; Baylor Scheierman, 2022).
The Lawrence, Kan., native averaged 21.1 ppg and made a Summit League-best 42 3-pointers in conference play to earn All-League First Team honors for the second consecutive season. He averaged 22.0 ppg as the Jacks closed out the regular season with five straight wins.
Mayo was not the only Jackrabbit to collect an individual honor as sophomore William Kyle III was named the Defensive Player of the Year becoming the first SDSU player to garner those honors since Cody Larson in 2015.
Kyle III was the League’s top shot blocker, swatting away 36 shots in 16 League games, while also recording three double-doubles and ranking fifth in rebounding at 7.1 rpg. He also averaged 14.0 ppg and shot a League-best 63 percent from the floor to join Mayo on the All-League First Team.
Kansas City swept the remaining four awards after the Roos equaled their best finish in program history, tying for second with a 10-6 record. They reeled off six straight wins to finish out their League slate. The quartet of Roos winning individual honors were Marvin Menzies, Coach of the Year; Jamar Brown, Newcomer of the Year; Khristion Courseault, Sixth Man of the Year; and Jayson Petty, Freshman of the Year.
Menzies guided the Roos to the program’s highest finish since the 2004-05 season when they finished second alone under the direction of Rich Zvosec, who was Kansas City’s only previous Coach of the Year recipient.
A JUCO All-American a season ago, Brown quickly became a fixture in Menzies’ lineup, starting all 31 games and averaging 16.5 ppg and 5.2 rpg against League competition. The Chandler, Ariz., native had four of his six 20-plus point games and three double-doubles in Summit action. He was also an All-League First Team and All-Newcomer Team selection.
Courseault was the top scoring reserve in League play, averaging 11.7 ppg off the bench for the Roos. The graduate transfer became the first Roo to win Sixth Man of the Year accolades. He reached double figures 10 times, including a season-high 22 in a road win at South Dakota. He also finished with 10 assists in that contest to record his first double-double.
Petty also made history becoming the first Kansas City player to claim Freshman of the Year honors. He moved into the starting line for good with 10 regular season games remaining and averaged 11.3 ppg as the Roos finished 8-2 during that stretch.
The individual and all-league honors are voted on by the League’s nine head coaches, athletic communication directors and select media members. All of these accolades were based on the player's performance in Summit League play.
Mayo was the only returning player on the All-League First Team as he was joined by Kyle III, Brown, Denver guard Tommy Bruner, Omaha forward Frankie Fidler, and North Dakota guard B.J. Omot.
Bruner enters the Summit League Tournament leading the nation in scoring at 24.5 ppg and averaged 24.1 ppg, which included a pair of 40-plus point games. His 49-point outing in a double-overtime win against South Dakota was the single-highest scoring game by a Division I player this season.
Fidler was second among League players in scoring (23.1 ppg) and sixth in rebounding (7.0 rpg). He also made a League-best 123 free throws in conference play while only missing 17.
Omot joined Kyle III as the only sophomores on the either of the All-League First or Second Teams. He led the Fighting Hawks to a four-game improvement from a year ago, which was tops among all League teams. He ranked sixth in scoring in League play at 17.0 ppg.
St. Thomas forward Parker Bjorklund and Oral Roberts guard Issac McBride were named to the All-League Second Team for the second consecutive season. Bjorklund was joined by teammate Raheem Anthony as those two helped the Tommies to a fourth-place finish at 9-7.
McBride was one of four Summit League players to average 20-plus in Summit action. He started all 16 League games and averaged a League-high 39.3 minutes per game.
North Dakota guard Tyree Ihenacho, who was the League’s Freshman of the Year back in 2021, earned a spot on the second team. He averaged 14.0 ppg and 4.6 apg in his return to the Fighting Hawks after two seasons with James Madison.
North Dakota State junior Andrew Morgan earned all-league honors for the first time his career landing on the second team. The Bison forward averaged a team-high 15.6 ppg and 5.8 rpg.
McBride, who earned honorable mention honors as a sophomore, found his way onto the All-League second team after scoring 12.6 ppg.
This year’s honorable mention squad featured South Dakota’s duo of guard Kaleb Stewart (18.2 ppg, 1.8 apg) and forward Lahat Thioune (15.0 ppg, 9.5 rpg), South Dakota State guard Charlie Easley (13.3 ppg, 1.9 rpg), North Dakota State guard Boden Skunberg (14.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg), who earned the distinction for the second straight year, and Denver forward Touko Tainamo (15.0 ppg, 7.8 rpg).
Kyle III headlined the All-Defensive Team and was joined on that squad by his Jackrabbit teammate, Easley, Kansas City guard Babacar Diallo, North Dakota guard Eli King and North Dakota State guard Jacari White.
Brown, Anthony, Thioune and Stewart were joined on the All-Newcomer Team by North Dakota forward Amar Kuljuhovic, who ranked second in the League with eight double-doubles.
Each of the League’s nine teams will embark on Sioux Falls this weekend for The Summit League Men's Basketball Championship. The action starts Friday at 7 p.m. CT when No. 8 seed Oral Roberts takes on No. 9 seed South Dakota at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center.
All first round, quarterfinal and semifinals games will be televised by Midco Sports and streamed digitally on the Summit League Network powered by the Midco Sports Plus app. Tuesday's title game will air on CBS Sports Network at 8:30 p.m. CT.
2024 Summit League Men's Basketball Awards
First Team
Jamar Brown, Kansas City (Jr., G)
Tommy Bruner, Denver** (Sr., G)
Frankie Fidler, Omaha** (Jr., F)
William Kyle III, South Dakota State (So., F)
Zeke Mayo, South Dakota State^** (Jr., G)
B.J. Omot, North Dakota (So., G)
Second Team
Raheem Anthony, St. Thomas (Gr., G)
Parker Bjorklund, St. Thomas** (Gr., F)
Tyree Ihenacho, North Dakota (Sr., G)
Issac McBride, Oral Roberts** (Sr., G)
Andrew Morgan, North Dakota State (Jr., F)
Honorable Mention
Charlie Easley, South Dakota State (Sr., G)
Boden Skunberg, North Dakota State** (Sr., G)
Kaleb Stewart, South Dakota (Jr., G)
Touko Tainamo, Denver (Jr., F)
Lahat Thioune, South Dakota (Gr., F)
^Player of the year automatically earns a spot on the first team
*previous all-league selections noted above
All-Defensive Team
Babacar Diallo, Kansas City (Sr., G)
Charlie Easley, South Dakota State (Sr., G)
Eli King, North Dakota (So., G)
William Kyle III, South Dakota State (So., F)
Jacari White, North Dakota State (Jr., G)
All-Newcomer Team
Raheem Anthony, St. Thomas (Gr., G)
Jamar Brown, Kansas City (Jr., G)
Amar Kuljuhovic, North Dakota (Jr., F)
Kaleb Stewart, South Dakota (Jr., G)
Lahat Thioune, South Dakota (Gr., F)
Player of the Year
Zeke Mayo, South Dakota State
Defensive Player of the Year
William Kyle III, South Dakota State
Sixth Man of the Year
Khristion Courseault, Kansas City
Freshman of the Year
Jayson Petty, Kansas City
Newcomer of the Year
Jamar Brown, Kansas City
Coach of the Year
Marvin Menzies, Kansas City
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