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Introducing Cinderella: South Dakota State’s Mike Daum is a name you need to know

Summit N Dakota St S Dakota St Basketball

North Dakota State’s Dexter Werner (40) looks around South Dakota State’s Mike Daum (24) on his way to the net during an NCAA college basketball game for the Summit League men’s tournament championship, Tuesday, March 8, 2016, in Sioux Falls, S.D. (Elisha Page/The Argus Leader via AP)

AP

Conference: Summit League

Coach: T. J. Otzelberger

Record: 17-16 (8-8 T-4)

Ratings and Rankings:

Kenpom: 182
RPI: 168
AP/USA Today: N/A

Seeding: Despite a 17-16 record, not only could South Dakota State avoid the First Four in Dayton, the Jackrabbits will likely jump ahead of the No. 16-line. Expect South Dakota State to be a No. 15 seed.

Names you need to know: Mike Daum is drawing interest from NBA franchises, and anyone who watched Tuesday night’s 37-point(5-of-9 from three), 12-rebound performance can see why. The 6-foot-9 sophomore now gets a chance to go from one of college basketball’s best-kept secrets and into the national spotlight.

Stats you need to know: 51: Mike Daum wasn’t the first player to score 50 in a game this season, but he did register the highest point total of 2016-17, scoring 51 in a win over Fort Wayne on Feb. 18. It was the most points scored in a college basketball since since South Dakota State legend Nate Wolters scored 53 in Feb. 2013.

Big wins, bad losses: South Dakota State beat in-state rival South Dakota twice, including in the Summit League Tournament semifinal. A four-game skid in January included losses to Western Illinois and Oral Roberts, the worst two teams in the conference.

How’d they get here?: Mike Daum scored 33 in a quarterfinal win over No. 5 seed Denver. In a matchup with top-seeded South Dakota, a different Mike -- Michael Orris -- sunk a deep two-pointer from the wing with 1.4 seconds remaining to squash the NCAA Tournament hopes of the Jackrabbits’ in-state rival. The finals against No. 3 seeded Omaha, featured 13 lead changes, but Daum was brilliant down the stretch.

Outlook: The Jackrabbits are back in the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season and fourth time since 2012. Although, they have yet to win a game. Projected as a No. 15 seed, the odds will be against the Jackrabbits once again. However, Daum has the capability to become a breakout star in the next few weeks. If I was the coach of a team slotted against him, I’d likely be losing sleep.

How do I know you?: Nate Wolters.