Daum heads list of notable players from 1-bid leagues
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 onebid 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 7974 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-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.
“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 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.”
Here’s a rundown of some other potential NCAA Tournament impact performers from one-bid leagues:
JOE CHEALEY (guard, College of Charleston)
Next game: Friday vs. Auburn at San Diego
Notable: Chealey scored 32 points as Charleston erased a 17-point, secondhalf 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 straight years. He has 18.5 points per game.
D’MARCUS SIMONDS (guard, Georgia State) Next game: Friday vs. Cincinnati in Nashville, Tennessee
Notable: 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 74-61 in the Sun Belt championship game.
CLAYTON CUSTER (guard, Loyola of Chicago) Next game: Thursday vs. Miami in Dallas
Notable: 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 2014-15 Iowa State team that made the NCAA field.