The South Dakota State Jackrabbits are headed to the NCAA Tournament for the third straight season. And who has been on the team all three seasons? Junior stretch 4 Mike Daum.
The NBA prospect was superb for South Dakota State in the Summit League bracket. Because of his consistent play, Daum is the National Player of the Week, presented by Rocket Mortgage by Quicken Loans.
Daum averaged 25.6 points and 13.6 rebounds while sinking 10 3-pointers in SDSU's three-game run to the Summit League championship. The Jackrabbits beat Western Illinois 66-60 in Saturday's quarterfinal, handled North Dakota State 78-57 in Monday's semis, then won 97-87 over second-seeded South Dakota in Tuesday night's title game in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Daum put up 25 and 11 vs. the Coyotes. It marked the second straight season that SDSU beat its in-state rival in the Summit League Tournament. T.J. Otzelbeger, coach of the Jackrabbits, is in his second season and has this team rolling. South Dakota State has only one loss since December 15. The Jackrabbits are 28-6 and could be a trendy upset pick. Daum is a big reason why. At 6-foot-9 and with a 43-percent 3-point shot, he's a tough matchup.
You'll likely love watching this team and this player on that first Thursday or Friday of the NCAA Tournament. Daum is averaging 23.8 points and 10.4 rebounds this season. SDSU will need those kind of numbers to pull off a first-round upset.
