What You Should Know

Welcome to the first of many weekly blog posts about the South Dakota State men’s basketball team. In my first post, the Jacks get their first look at Power 5 opponents this week as they play at USC on Nov. 13 and travel to Nebraska Nov. 15. 

Here’s what we can expect out of these two opponents:

USC

After finishing a disappointing 16-17 overall last year following two consecutive 20+ win seasons, the Trojans, who were ranked fifth in the PAC-12 preseason poll, are 2-0 to start the 2019-20 season. 

USC hasn’t had much of a challenge yet when it comes to competition, however, they did beat No. 10 Villanova in an exhibition game Oct. 18.  

Okongwu Onyeka leads the way for the Trojans as a force inside the paint, averaging 20 points per game and 11.5 rebounds per game. The 6’9” 245 llb freshman already has nine blocks on the season. Isaiah Mobley, a 6’10” forward, is averaging 11 PPG and 7 RPG.

Like the Jacks, USC has a lot of new faces. The 2019 recruiting class, including Onyeka and Mobley, is ranked seventh in the nation by 247sports.com and has the program excited for this season and beyond. 

10 newcomers joined the roster this season, but the team still has a core of returnees such as Jonah Mathews, Nick Rakocevic, Elijah Weaver and Charles O'Bannon Jr.

The Trojans can hurt you all over the floor and have several players who can guard different positions. 

This is the first ever meeting between the two programs. 

Keys to the game: This will be an early test since USC has so much potential. Shut down Onyeka in the paint, but don’t forget about Mobley, Mathews and the other playmakers on this team. 

Be aggressive while staying out of foul trouble. Alex Arians has played in road environments like this and David Wingett has experienced it too in his brief time with Memphis, so those two guys will need to step up. 

UNL

The Fred Hoiberg era has not started off the way Nebraska was hoping. Home losses against Southern Utah and UC Riverside has put the Huskers in desperate need of a win. 

It is a full rebuilding project for the Huskers, who have pretty much a full roster of transfers and freshmen and it is obvious that the team is trying to figure out its identity early in the season. 

Nebraska is averaging just 62.5 points a game. One strength has been the guard duo of Cam Mack and Jervay Green. Mack is the top scoring player so far this season, averaging 12 points per game while Green is averaging 11.5 ppg, has five steals and four blocks.

With those guards, Nebraska plays a fast-paced offense, but they don't shoot the ball well, especially 3-pointers as reflected in the stats.

The Jacks have never beaten the Huskers in the 12 games played. 

Keys to the game: Nebraska isn’t known for their height this season, so Wilson needs to have a big game underneath the basket. Also, the Jacks need to take care of the ball and limit the turnovers.  It will be a tough road test for the Jacks. 

Any time you play a Big 10 opponent on the road, it is expected that you will be challenged. But I think State is capable of winning this game.

What’s going right?

Doug Wilson looks like the new star to shine in a Jackrabbit uniform. The JUCO transfer has been a machine in the post the first three games and has caught more eyes for his highlight reel dunks. 

Most of the damage on offense has been done inside the paint. While Wilson has been important, Matt Dentlinger has stepped up as another option to score close to the basket. The sophomore is 10-for-17 from the field

Brandon Key came off the bench and played an important role on the 2017-18 Summit League championship team. After sitting out a year, Key is now the starting point guard and has impressed early on. He is second on the team with 13 points per game and is leading the team with 13 assists.

The depth. Last year’s thin rotation under T.J. Otzelberger caused for some problems throughout the season. Eric Henderson has used an eight-man rotation in the first two weeks, which has given more players more opportunities to make an impact. Depth is huge if injuries ever start to take over.

What’s going wrong? 

As expected with any group of new faces, the Jacks have been sloppy. They've turned the ball over 46 times in three games, which they will need to clean up as the competition gets better if they want a shot of winning those games. 

Three point shooting was such a strength for the team a season ago. Mike Daum, Skyler Flatten and David Jenkins Jr. were fantastic scorers who won a lot of games for the Jacks because of their numbers on offense. 

Now, the team has only made 19 3s and is shooting just 29% from 3-point range. Teams are going to start to focus on locking down the paint for the Jacks. That’s where Alex Arians, Baylor Scheierman, David Wingett and Noah Freidel need to come in and provide some balance. I have even noticed Alou Dillon and Dentlinger putting up shots out there.

It was good to see Scheierman and Wingett step up in big moments against CSU Bakersfield, but it is important that these young players continue to grow. The more experience they get in big situations, the better they will be come March. 

Stat of the week: 

Doug Wilson's 24 points in the season-opening win are the most in a Jackrabbit debut dating back to 2000-01 when game-by-game stats were readily available (Source: SDSU sports information department).

If you like what you read or have any recommendations, you can find me on Twitter @Carson_Herbie or email me at carson.herbert@jacks.sdstate.edu