2024 Summit League Tournament Preview & Conference Awards

CBB Review prepares you for every conference tournament leading up to Selection Sunday on Mar. 17. Up next: The Summit League Tournament.

The past two Summit League Tournament champions have been 18-0 in the conference standings before sweeping the postseason tournament, with South Dakota State and Oral Roberts representing the conference in the past two iterations of March Madness. This year, it’s much more wide open in Sioux Falls, as every team has at least five conference wins and four conference losses. It’s anyone’s game in the Summit. And y’all? Watch out for Tommy Bruner, Columbia’s finest. 

2024 Summit League Conference Awards

Player of the Year: Tommy Bruner, Denver

Freshman of the Year: Noah Feddersen, North Dakota State

Transfer of the Year: Lahat Thioune, South Dakota

Coach of the Year: Marvin Menzies, Kansas City

First Team:

• G: Tommy Bruner, Denver (24.5 PPG, 4.4 APG, 2.8 RPG, 1.3 SPG)
• G: Zeke Mayo, South Dakota State (19.3 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.2 SPG)
• G: Isaac McBride, Oral Roberts (19.7 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 3.0 APG, 37.7 3P%)
• F: Lahat Thioune, South Dakota (14.4 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 0.8 APG, 57.7 FG%)
• F: Frankie Fidler, Omaha (19.5 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.2 SPG)

Second Team:

• G: Jamar Brown, Kansas City (15.3 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.4 APG)
• G: Kareem Thompson, Oral Roberts (12.3 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.6 SPG)
• F: Touko Tainamo, Denver (16.3 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 0.6 APG)
• F: B.J. Omot, North Dakota (16.8 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 1.4 APG)
• F: William Kyle III, South Dakota State (13.1 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.7 BPG)

Summit League Tournament Simulation

First Round – Fri., Mar. 8

8. Oral Roberts (11-18, 5-11) vs. 9. South Dakota (12-19, 5-11) – 8 p.m. on Midco Sports Plus

These teams split the season series, with the home team winning each time out. The most recent was the Coyotes’ win in Vermillion just two games ago, a nail-biter that saw an eventual one-point of victory. Both teams have quality players, with Isaac McBride and Kareem Thompson as evidence of that on the Oral Roberts side and Lahat Thioune being that dude over in South Dakota. Who wins the rubber match? Recency bias sides with the Coyotes: the Golden Eagles haven’t won a game in over a month, and haven’t won away from home once since conference games began. 

George’s pick: 9. South Dakota

Quarterfinals – Sat., Mar. 9 – Sun., Mar. 10

1. South Dakota State (19-12, 12-4) vs. 9. South Dakota – 7 p.m., Mar. 9 on Midco Sports Plus

South Dakota State isn’t the same juggernaut of years’ past, but this is still a pretty good Jackrabbit team, and that shows when one looks at the conference standings. Zeke Mayo, as always, is playing great ball, and Charlie Easley and William Kyle III have been fantastic on the defensive end. Chaos may rear its head in the tournament, but likely not in this matchup. 

George’s pick: 1. South Dakota State

2. Kansas City (16-15, 10-6) vs. 7. Denver (15-16, 6-10) – 9:30 p.m., Mar. 9 on Midco Sports Plus

If you’re looking for an upset, here you go. Denver has Tommy Bruner, who I only assume will step up in March. On the surface, this doesn’t make sense. Kansas City beat Denver twice already this season and held Bruner to 12 points in their first meeting. But try stopping him three times. That’s a difficult task, and one I’m not sure the Roos are up for at this moment in time. 

George’s pick: 7. Denver

4. St. Thomas (19-12, 9-7) vs. 5. North Dakota State (15-16, 8-8) – 7 p.m., Mar. 10 on Midco Sports Plus

It’s weird seeing NDSU below .500. It’s like seeing Arkansas below .500, or Wichita State below .500, or you get the point. The point this year is that St. Thomas has simply rapidly turned into a quality mid-major program in just a few years, and that’s thanks to head coach John Tauer but also guards Raheem Anthony and Kendall Blue, along with team MVP, forward Parker Bjorklund. This season’s series was split between the Bison and the Tommies, but after the Bison won the last meeting a couple weeks ago, these two teams have gone in different directions. Give me the Tommies. 

George’s pick: 4. St. Thomas

3. North Dakota (18-13, 10-6) vs. 6. Omaha (14-17, 7-9) – 9:30 p.m., Mar. 10 on Midco Sports Plus

According to KenPom, North Dakota is ranked 236th in the latest rankings. Not too bad. Omaha is pretty close behind at 261st. While Omaha beat the Fighting Hawks by double-digits in early January, North Dakota got revenge in Grand Forks about a month ago, a 99-78 victory. B.J. Omot, Treyson Eaglestaff, and Tyree Ihenacho combined for 76 points just by themselves. There’s a much better chance of that happening than a repeat of January, even if Frankie Fidler finds some magic. 

George’s pick: 3. North Dakota

Semifinals – Mon., Mar. 11

1. South Dakota State vs. 4. St. Thomas – 7 p.m. on Midco Sports Plus

This is the marquee matchup of the tournament. These are the two best teams in the conference, and chances are one of them will be dancing, even if they lose this game. (More on that later, sorry for the spoiler.) South Dakota State enters the tournament on a five-game winning streak, including a win over the Tommies in Brookings. And they swept the season series! But, it was by a combined six points, and St. Thomas’s offense has been clicking recently. By recently, I mean the past two games. But that has to count for something. Give me the Tommies. 

George’s pick: 4. St. Thomas

3. North Dakota vs. 7. Denver – 9:30 p.m. on Midco Sports Plus

How did it go for these two programs when they met earlier this season? North Dakota won 92-78. “What about the other game?,” one could ask. That is the other game. Somehow, both meetings between these two teams ended up with the Fighting Hawks defeating the Pioneers 92-78. What’re the chances that it happens again? Anything’s possible, it’s the Summit League. 

George’s pick: 3. North Dakota

Championship – Tues., Mar. 12

3. North Dakota vs. 4. St. Thomas – 9:30 p.m. on CBSSN

Yes, St. Thomas has the highest ceiling in the Summit League this year, and, when playing their best, are certainly a good choice to win the conference. They’re well-rounded, veteran-led, and are simply a good basketball team. That showed when they beat this North Dakota team by 25 on the road earlier this season. (Even though they did lose by 10 at home to that same team later.) The issue is that St. Thomas isn’t actually eligible for the NCAA Tournament, so if the bid would go to South Dakota State, I think. Funny how that works. SDSU could lose to St. Thomas and then have to root for the Tommies in order to go dancing. We saw it last year with FDU, so anything’s possible, really. 

George’s pick: 4. St. Thomas