These mid-major stars could bust your bracket
South Dakota State forward Mike Daum already has experienced the NCAA Tournament twice before. Now he wants to discover what it feels like to win on college basketball’s biggest stage.
Daum, one of the nation’s most prolific scorers, heads a list of several notable players from one-bid leagues relishing their chance at the spotlight this week. South Dakota State (28-6) is the No. 12 seed in the West Region and faces Ohio State (24-8) on Thursday in Boise, Idaho.
“Being able to say I won a game in March Madness would be something I’ve dreamed about ever since I was a little kid,” Daum said. “It would be a blessing to be able to do this.”
Daum’s had a couple of shots before. He scored 16 points in a 79-74 NCAA Tournament loss to Maryland two years ago and had 17 points last season when South Dakota State fell 66-46 in the opening round to Gonzaga .
Those games provided a rare national showcase for Daum, one of the nation’s top players from outside the major conferences.
After redshirting his first year at South Dakota State, Daum has developed into a two-time Summit League player of the year. The 6-foot-9 junior is one of five finalists for the Karl Malone Award given annually to the nation’s top power forward.
Daum ranks sixth among all Division I players in scoring (23.8) and 14th in rebounding (10.4) this season. He’s ready to apply the lessons learned from South Dakota State’s last two NCAA appearances while trying to lead the Jackrabbits the first round.
“The size and length is the biggest noticeable aspect of other (NCAA Tournament) teams,” Daum said. “We don’t have a lot of guys who are 7-footers or 6-9 with beyond 7-foot wingspans in the Summit League, guys who are unbelievable athletes. When we get into the NCAA Tournament, you play a team with a full roster of guys like that. For us, it’s just mentally preparing for things like that.”