Daum leads notable list of one-bid players

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.

The Jackrabbits star 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, which advanced to the national championship game.

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-foot9 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 beyond the first round.

Here’s a rundown of some other potential NCAA Tournament impact performers from one-bid leagues:

JOE CHEALEY

G, College of Charleston

Chealey scored 32 points as Charleston erased a 17-point, second-half deficit to beat Northeastern 83-76 in overtime in the Colonial Athletic Association championship game. The 6-4 senior has been named first-team all-CAA two consecutive years. He has 18.5 points per game.

CLAYTON CUSTER G, Loyola-Chicago

Custer was named the Missouri Valley Conference’s player of the year. The 6-1 junior has 13.4 points and 4.3 assists per game. He has helped Loyola earn its first NCAA berth since 1985 . Custer was part of the 2014-2015 Iowa State team that made the NCAA field, but he didn’t play in the NCAA Tournament.

JEMERRIO JONES

F, New Mexico State

The Western Athletic Conference player of the year averages 13.1 rebounds to rank second among all Division I players. The 6-5 senior also has 11.1 points per game. He has five double-doubles in his last six games. He has reached the 20-rebound mark five times in his last 11 contests.

D’MARCUS SIMONDS G, Georgia State

Simonds leads the Sun Belt in scoring (21.1) and is the league’s player of the year. The 6-3 sophomore scored 27 points as Georgia State beat Texas Arlington in the Sun Belt title game.

JONATHAN STARK G, Murray State

This 6-foot senior has led the Ohio Valley Conference in scoring each of the last two years and was named the OVC player of the year this season. He averages 21.8 points and has scored at least 22 points in 11 of his last 13 games. Stark has made 3.52 3-point baskets per game to rank sixth in Division I.