2021–22 Summit League men's basketball season

The 2021–22 Summit League Conference men's basketball season started non-conference play on November 9, 2021, and began conference play on December 20, 2021. The regular season ended on February 26, 2022, setting up the 2022 Summit League men's basketball tournament from March 5 to March 8. South Dakota State was the regular season champion, finishing with a perfect 18-0 conference record for the first time in conference and team history. The Jacks would go on to win the Summit League tournament as well, beating North Dakota State to reach their first NCAA tournament berth in four years.

Conference changes Due to the addition of St. Thomas (MN), the conference schedule was expanded to 18 games. Each team played every team twice, once at home and once on the road.

Head coaches

Coaching changes Denver hired Jeff Wulbrun after Rodney Billups was let go.

Coaches TeamHead CoachPrevious JobYears At SchoolRecord at SchoolSummit League RecordSummit League TitlesNCAA TournamentsNCAA Sweet 16'sDenverJeff WulbrunStanford (Assistant)10-00-0000Kansas CityBilly DonlonNorthwestern (Assistant)327-277-7000OmahaDerrin HansenOmaha (Assistant)17246-233*64-7400**0***North DakotaPaul SatherNorthern State (Assistant)324-3515-17000North Dakota StateDavid RichmanNorth Dakota State (Assistant)8136-8769-41320Oral RobertsPaul MillsBaylor (Assistant)557-6631-30111St. ThomasJohn TauerSt. Thomas (Assistant)11224-57^0-000^^0^^^South DakotaTodd LeeGrand Canyon (Assistant)447-4028-19000South Dakota StateEric HendersonSouth Dakota State (Assistant)338-1722-6110Western IllinoisRob JeterMinnesota (Assistant)27-155-9000 Notes:

Year at school includes 2021–22 season. Overall and Summit League records are from the time at current school and are through the end of the 2020–21 season. NCAA Tournament appearances are from the time at current school only. *110 Wins and 68 Losses at Division II level

**2 NCAA Division II Tournaments

***1 NCAA Division II Sweet 16's and 1 NCAA Division II Elite 8

^All wins and losses at Division III level

^^8 NCAA Division III Tournaments

^^^4 NCAA Division III Sweet 16, 2 NCAA Division III Final Fours, and 1 NCAA Division III National Championship

Preseason awards The Preseason Summit League men's basketball polls was released on October 12, 2021.

Preseason men's basketball polls First Place Votes in Parentheses

South Dakota State (23) - 636 North Dakota State (7) - 606 Oral Roberts (6) - 545 South Dakota - 480 Western Illinois - 356 Kansas City - 341 North Dakota - 279 Omaha - 255 Denver - 217 St. Thomas 120

Preseason honors HonorRecipientPreseason Player of the YearMax Abmas, Oral RobertsPreseason All-Summit League First TeamMax Abmas, Oral RobertsJosiah Allick, Kansas CitySam Griesel, North Dakota StateRocky Kreuser, North Dakota StateBaylor Scheierman, South Dakota StateDouglas Wilson, South Dakota StatePreseason All-Summit League Second TeamWill Carius, Western IllinoisTyree Eady, North Dakota StateNoah Freidel, South Dakota StateXavier Fuller, South DakotaTasos Kamateros, South Dakota

Regular season

Conference standings ConferenceOverallRankTeamRecordPercentRecordPercentTiebreaker1South Dakota State18–01.00030–5.8572North Dakota State13–5.72223–10.6973Kansas City12–6.66719–12.6134Oral Roberts12–6.66719–12.6135South Dakota11–7.61119–12.6136Western Illinois7–11.38916–16.5007Denver7–11.38911–21.3448St. Thomas4–14.22210–20.3339Omaha4–14.2225–25.16710North Dakota2–16.1116–25.194

Conference matrix DenverKansas CityOmahaNorth DakotaNorth Dakota StateOral RobertsSt. ThomasSouth DakotaSouth Dakota StateWestern Illinoisvs. Denver–1-11-10-22-02-00-22-02-01-1vs. Kansas City1-1–1-10-20-22-00-20-22-02-0vs. Omaha1-11-1–1-12-02-02-02-02-01-1vs. North Dakota2-02-01-1–2-02-01-12-02-02-0vs. North Dakota State0-22-00-20-2–0-20-20-22-01-1vs. Oral Roberts0-20-20-20-22-0–0-21-12-01-1vs. St. Thomas2-02-00-21-12-02-0–2-02-01-1vs. South Dakota0-22-00-20-22-01-10-2–2-00-2vs. South Dakota State0-20-20-20-20-20-20-20-2–0-2vs. Western Illinois1-12-01-10-21-11-11-12-01-0–

Players of the Week WeekPlayer(s) of the WeekSchoolNov. 15Baylor ScheiermanSouth Dakota StateNov. 22Evan Gilyard IIKansas CityNov. 29Noah FreidelSouth Dakota State (2)Dec. 6Colton SandageWestern IllinoisDec. 13Baylor Scheierman (2)South Dakota State (3)Dec. 20Francis LacisOral RobertsDec. 27Trent MassnerWestern Illinois (2)Jan. 3Max AbmasOral Roberts (2)Jan. 10Max Abmas (2)Oral Roberts (3)Jan. 17Trent Massner (2)Western Illinois (3)Jan. 24Tevin SmithDenverJan. 31Max Abmas (3)Oral Roberts (3)Feb. 7Marvin Nesbitt Jr.Baylor Scheierman (3)Kansas City (2)South Dakota State (4)Feb. 14Sam GrieselNorth Dakota StateFeb. 21Evan Gilyard II (2)Kansas City (3)Feb. 28Luke AppelSouth Dakota State (5)

Records against other conferences Power 7 ConferencesRecordPower 7 ConferencesRecordACCNoneAmerican1-0Big East0-2Big Ten1-5Big 120-5Pac-121-2SEC1-1Power 7 Total4-15Other Division I ConferencesRecordOther Division I ConferencesRecordAtlantic 101-1ASUN1-1America EastNoneBig Sky5-7Big SouthNoneBig West3-0ColonialNoneConference USA0-3Horizon League3-2Ivy LeagueNoneMAAC1-0MAC3-0MEACNoneMVC2-5MWC2-8NEC1-0OVC3-4Patriot LeagueNoneSoConNoneSouthland2-2SWAC2-0Sun Belt3-2WAC2-6WCC2-0Other Division I Total40-41NCAA Division I Total40-56NCAA Division II Total2-0NCAA Division III Total7-0NAIA Total9-1NCCAA Total4-0Total Non-Conference Record62-57

Points scored TeamForAgainstDifferenceDenver 2257 2380 -123Kansas City 2311 2085 +226North Dakota 2178 2444 -266North Dakota State 2469 2267 +202Omaha 2088 2505 -417Oral Roberts 2582 2306 +276St. Thomas 2241 2260 -19South Dakota 2329 2198 +131South Dakota State 3005 2561 +444Western Illinois 2493 2470 +23 Through March 8, 2022

Home attendance TeamArenaCapacityTotal GamesAverage AttendanceAttendance HighTotal Attendance% of CapacityDenverHamilton Gymnasium2,500137921,607Nov. 7 vs. Regis10,30531.7%Kansas CitySwinney Recreation Center1,50013†7491,558Feb. 26 vs. South Dakota St9,73850.0%North DakotaBetty Engelstad Sioux Center3,300151,3802,541Feb. 26 vs. North Dakota St20,71241.8%North Dakota StateScheels Center5,460151,9133,510Dec. 22 vs. North Dakota28,70035.0%OmahaBaxter Arena7,89810†1,3481,957Jan. 29 vs. Kansas City13,48017.0%Oral RobertsMabee Center10,154154,0476,094Nov. 26 vs. Oklahoma St60,71439.9%St. ThomasSchoenecker Arena1,800139471,405Feb. 12 vs. North Dakota St12,32352.7%South DakotaSanford Coyote Sports Center6,000151,6584,224Feb. 5 vs. South Dakota St24,88327.6%South Dakota StateFrost Arena6,500142,2983,821Jan. 29 vs. North Dakota St32,18035.4%Western IllinoisWestern Hall5,13912†8861,500Nov. 16 vs. Iowa Wesleyan10,63517.2% Bold - Exceed capacity † - Does not include games where an attendance figure was not given As of February 27, 2022 Does not include exhibition games

All-League Honors HonorRecipientPlayer of the YearBaylor Scheierman, South Dakota StateDefensive Player of the YearMarvin Nesbitt Jr., Kansas CitySixth Man of the YearLuke Appel, South Dakota StateFreshman of the YearPaul Bruns, North DakotaNewcomer of the YearEvan Gilyard II, Kansas CityCoach of the YearEric Henderson, South Dakota StateAll-Summit League First TeamMax Abmas, Oral RobertsEvan Gilyard II, Kansas CitySam Griesel, North Dakota StateRocky Kreuser, North Dakota StateBaylor Scheierman, South Dakota StateDouglas Wilson, South Dakota StateAll-Summit League Second TeamMason Archambault, South DakotaTrenton Massner, Western IllinoisMarvin Nesbitt Jr., Kansas CityKruz Perrott-Hunt, South DakotaArkel Lamar, Kansas CityAll-Summit League Honorable MentionLuke Barisic, Western IllinoisPaul Bruns, North DakotaK.J. Hunt, DenverTasos Kamateros, South DakotaIssac McBride, Oral RobertsAll-Defensive TeamBoogie Anderson, South DakotaTyree Eady, North Dakota StateTrenton Massner, Western IllinoisMarvin Nesbitt Jr., Kansas CityDouglas Wilson, South Dakota StateAll-Newcomer TeamLuka Barisic, Western IllinoisEvan Gilyard II, Kansas CityK.J. Hunt, DenverTrenton Massner, Western IllinoisZeke Mayo, South Dakota State Source:

Postseason Conference tournament

The top 8 teams from the Summit League qualify for the conference tournament. The tournament is at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

NCAA tournament

Only South Dakota State was selected to participate in the tournament as the conference's automatic bid.

Seed Region School First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four Championship No. 13 Buffalo Regional South Dakota State — — — — —1 BidW-L (%):TOTAL:

References