If you’re new here from following just the men’s side, you didn’t read that wrong. On the women’s side, the Summit League is threatening for multiple bids – and it’s not the first time either. They sent multiple teams to the tournament in 2019 and 2021 – both times, it was South Dakota and South Dakota State.
Something the Summit League has never done is send North Dakota State as its automatic qualifier. But that might change this year. Summit League Coach of the Year Jory Collins’ Bison squad lost
just a single conference game all year en route to a breakthrough first-ever regular-season title.
Now, for the Bison, it’s all sights on their first NCAA Tournament. At 29-3, the Bison are right in the thick of bubble talk – right now, as the conference leader, they’re a placeholder on the 11-seed line; not many bracketologists have put out too much information on what their status would be if they needed an at-large bid. South Dakota State is also very much in the at-large conversation, varying between last four in and first four out depending on where you look. Neither one feels very comfortable. It will be high stakes in Sioux Falls!
Let’s meet the teams vying for the tournament crown:
- North Dakota State (26-3 overall, 15-1 Summit): Sometimes it takes a special player to lead a special team to a special season, and that player this year has been junior Avery Koenen. The conference Player of the Year is averaging a double double in league play (19.8 ppg, 11.9 rpg) and has been at her best when it was needed: she put up 26 and 13 in their win over SDSU earlier in the year, and 29 and 15 (!!) to wrap up the outright title in their last game against North Dakota.
- South Dakota State (24-6, 14-2): The perennial power Jackrabbits put together another strong resume in their campaign for a staggering 14th NCAA bid in 17 tournaments, all under 26th year head coach Aaron Johnston. Five of their six losses have been to teams in the field, and they also have wins over Kansas State, Rice, and the aforementioned Bison by 15 in the season’s penultimate game. The conference’s best defensive team in many categories is led by Summit League First-Teamer Brooklyn Meyer, who leads the league in scoring with 22.8 points per league contest, while also grabbing 8.6 rebounds a game.
- South Dakota (22-8, 12-4): Not long ago, the Coyotes made three consecutive tournament appearances (would have been four if not for COVID), but fell back to the pack after Dawn Plitzuweit left for the Power 5. Last year, they finished 11-20 overall and 5-11 in league, both their worst marks ever at the D-I level, but made a big jump this year in coach Carrie Eighmey’s second year. Angelina Robles transferred in from conference foe Denver and averaged over 16 points a game in league play, and got nearly that much from the conference’s newcomer of the year in D-II transfer Molly Joyce. Beware – they could well spoil the party for SDSU and NDSU.
- Oral Roberts (15-14, 8-8): Last year’s title game participants regressed a bit in coach Cophie Anderson’s first season at the helm, but could be a sneaky out if their opponents aren’t prepared for their frenetic pace, clocking in at eighth in the nation. Jalei Oglesby averages more than 16 points and 5 boards for the Golden Eagles, and Ari Gordon is an All Second-Teamer and First-Team Defensive selection.
- St. Thomas (15-15, 8-8): Coach Ruth Sinn announced a month ago that she would retire at the end of this, her 21st season. Sinn, who led the Tommies to three Division III Final Fours and another Elite 8, will have this one shot to take her squad to the Division I tournament. She’ll rely heavily on sophomore standout Alyssa Sand, who averaged nearly 20 points a game in league play and was fourth in the league in assists (3.3 apg).
- Denver (11-18, 5-11): This will be the Pioneers’ last year in the Summit League before moving to the West Coast Conference, and a change might be for the better – they’ve managed just two winning seasons out of 13 years in the Summit. Sophomore all-First Team Coryn Watts averages 19.9 points a game, but will need some help from her friends if they are to weave any magic.
- Kansas City (7-22, 4-12): It’s been a tough road for the Roos, especially lately, as they dropped their last seven contests. Twins Elauni and Emani Bennett have been strong performers, receiving Second Team and Honorable Mention honors, respectively, but they’ll need something of a miracle to beat first-round opponent South Dakota State, who beat the Roos by 53 in their last meeting.
- Omaha (5-26, 3-13): When the season ends for the Mavericks and their first-year head coach Jamie Carey, it will be with mercy. A silver lining? After starting the year 2-22, with 14 of the losses by 20 points or more, they ended with three wins in their last seven games, as well as a close loss to top-3 South Dakota. Oh, and they had two freshmen on the all-freshman team. Are things looking up?
- North Dakota (7-23, 3-13): North Dakota also had a first-year head coach in Dennis Hutter, but couldn’t quite engineer close to the same year as Omaha did, losing their last five. They have a chance to at least pick up one win to close the year in the opening round game against Omaha, with whom they split during the year.
