Summit League basketball made a real impression on the national stage last year. After managing to win the Summit League Tournament as the 4-seed, Oral Roberts earned the conference’s lone bid into March Madness. From there, the Golden Eagles became the ultimate Cinderella story by becoming the first 15-seed ever to reach the Sweet 16. ORU came within two points of extending their run further still. Last year’s darling school is seeded third in the 2022 Summit League basketball tournament. Perrenial powerhouse South Dakota State appears to be the team to beat after completing an undefeated season in league play. The following contains the Summit League Tournament bracket and schedule, as well as a preview of what we can expect to see.
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Summit League Basketball Standings
| Team | Conf. Record | Overall Record | Seed |
| South Dakota State | 18-0 | 27-4 | 1 seed |
| North Dakota State | 13-5 | 21-9 | 2 seed |
| Oral Roberts | 13-5 | 18-11 | 3 seed |
| Kansas City Roos | 12-6 | 19-11 | 4 seed |
| South Dakota Coyotes | 11-7 | 18-11 | 5 seed |
| Western Illinois Leathernecks | 7-11 | 16-14 | 6 seed |
| Denver Pioneers | 7-11 | 11-20 | 7 seed |
| Omaha Mavericks | 4-14 | 5-24 | 8 seed |
| St. Thomas (MN) Tommies | 4-14 | 10-20 | N/A |
| North Dakota Fighting Hawks | 2-16 | 6-25 | N/A |
Summit League Tournament Schedule
Dates: March 5-8
TV Schedule: ESPN+ (Quarterfinals, Semifinals); ESPN2 (Championship)
Venue: Sanford Pentagon — Sioux Falls, SD
Byes: None
Defending Champion: Oral Roberts
Summit League Tournament Bracket
Quarterfinals
- (1) South Dakota State 87, (8) Omaha 79
- (2) North Dakota State 82, (7) Denver 62
- (3) Oral Roberts 80, (6) Western Illinois 68
- (5) South Dakota 74, (4) Kansas City 61
Semifinals
- (1) South Dakota State 83, (5) South Dakota 60
- (2) North Dakota State 92, (3) Oral Roberts 72
Championship Game
- (1) South Dakota State 75, (2) North Dakota State 69
South Dakota State advances to NCAA Tournament
Summit League Breakdown
Last year’s Summit League Tournament bracket got turned on its head in the Semifinals as both Oral Roberts and North Dakota State sprung upsets to reach the title game. The Golden Eagles went on to win their fourth conference tournament title and make history in the NCAA Tournament. The results were much to the chagrin of the South Dakota State faithful. Although the Summit League basketball tournament is technically played on a neutral floor in Sioux Falls, the Jackrabbit faithful pack the Sanford Pentagon annually to support their team. Despite regularly being the team to beat, SDSU has not won the tournament since 2018.
When it comes to the College Basketball NET Rankings, South Dakota State is clearly the class of Summit League basketball. The Jackrabbits achieved a No. 71 overall ranking. Many college basketball analysts believe SDSU is capable of an extended NCAA Tournament stay of their own should they qualify. Defending champion Oral Roberts was the next-highest team in the NET at No. 146. 2-seed North Dakota State and 4-seed Kansas City also achieved rankings within the top-200. 5-seed South Dakota nearly did so as well coming in at No. 203 overall.
The Summit League basketball preseason poll is one of the most accurate we have seen thus far. Voters correctly pegged the top three in order with South Dakota State followed by North Dakota State and Oral Roberts. Further down the line, Kansas City was among the noteworthy overachievers. The Roos are seeded fourth in the Summit League Tournament bracket after being picked to finish sixth. Meanwhile, North Dakota underachieved greatly. Picked to finish seventh, UND finished last in the Summit League basketball standings and failed to qualify for the tournament.
Team Stats | 2022 Summit League Basketball Tournament
(1) South Dakota State Jackrabbits
NET Ranking: 71 (No. 1 in Summit)
KenPom Overall Efficiency Ranking: 68 (No. 1 in Summit)
Adjusted Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 117.0 (No. 13)
Adjusted Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 105.8 (No. 219)
Strength of Schedule Rating: -3.39 (No. 241)
(2) North Dakota State Bison
NET Ranking: 176 (No. 3 in Summit)
KenPom Overall Efficiency Ranking: 166 (No. 3 in Summit)
Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: 103.1 (No. 189)
Adjusted Defensive Efficiency: 102.8 (No. 154)
Strength of Schedule Rating: -4.91 (No. 278)
(3) Oral Roberts Golden Eagles
NET Ranking: 146 (No. 2 in Summit)
KenPom Overall Efficiency Ranking: 148 (No. 2 in Summit)
Adjusted Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 110.5 (No. 61)
Adjusted Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 109.1 (No. 285)
Strength of Schedule Rating: -4.01 (No. 255)
(4) Kansas City Roos
NET Ranking: 196 (No. 4 in Summit)
KenPom Overall Efficiency Ranking: 201 (No. 4 in Summit)
Adjusted Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 101.5 (No. 219)
Adjusted Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 103.8 (No. 177)
Strength of Schedule Rating: -4.17 (No. 260)
(5) South Dakota Coyotes
NET Ranking: 203 (No. 2 in Summit)
KenPom Overall Efficiency Ranking: 203 (No. 5 in Summit)
Adjusted Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 105.4 (No. 142)
Adjusted Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 108.0 (No. 264)
Strength of Schedule Rating: -5.09 (No. 308)
(6) Western Illinois Leathernecks
NET Ranking: 228 (No. 6 in Summit)
KenPom Overall Efficiency Ranking: 235 (No. 6 in Summit)
Adjusted Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 102.2 (No. 202)
Adjusted Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 107.5 (No. 256)
Strength of Schedule Rating: -5.79 (No. 304)
(7) Denver Pioneers
NET Ranking: 291 (No. 7 in Summit)
KenPom Overall Efficiency Ranking: 284 (No. 7 in Summit)
Adjusted Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 101.2 (No. 225)
Adjusted Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 111.3 (No. 316)
Strength of Schedule Rating: -4.89 (No. 277)
(8) Omaha Mavericks
NET Ranking: 348 (No. 10 in Summit)
KenPom Overall Efficiency Ranking: 344 (No. 9 in Summit)
Adjusted Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 98.0 (No. 281)
Adjusted Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 116.9 (No. 354)
Strength of Schedule Rating: -1.73 (No. 192)
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