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2020 Summit League Men’s Basketball Tournament Basics

Dates

Saturday, March 7th and Sunday, March 8th (quarterfinals); Monday, March 9th (semifinals); Tuesday, March 10th (championship)

Format

Bracket with split quarterfinal doubleheaders

Site(s)

The Denny Sanford Premier Center will be the site for the sixth year in a row, though the Summit League Tournament has been in Sioux Falls since 2009.

TV/Streaming Info

ESPN2 has the final on Tuesday night. Midco SN will air the quarterfinals and semifinals regionally with ESPN+ picking up those broadcasts for streaming nationally.

Participants

Eight of the Summit’s current nine members qualify, with the last-place Western Illinois Leathernecks (5-21, 2-14) missing out.

Downloadable Bracket

Schedule

Quarterfinals (Sat., March 7)

Midco SN will air and ESPN+ ($) will stream both games.

Game 1: No. 8 Denver Pioneers (7-24, 3-13) 69, No. 1 North Dakota State 71
The Bison swept the season series.

Game 2: No. 7 Purdue Fort Wayne 77, No. 2 South Dakota State Jackrabbits (22-10, 13-3) 74
The Jackrabbits swept the season series.

Quarterfinals (Sun., March 8)

Midco SN will air and ESPN+ ($) will stream both games.

Game 3: No. 5 Omaha Mavericks (16-16, 9-7) 52, No. 4 Oral Roberts 79
The season series was a home split.

Game 4: vs. No. 3 South Dakota Coyotes (20-12, 10-6) 71, No. 6 North Dakota 74
The Coyotes swept the season series.

Semifinals (Mon., March 9)

Midco SN will air and ESPN+ ($) will stream both games.

Game 5: No. 4 Oral Roberts Golden Eagles (16-14, 9-7) 69, No. 1 North Dakota State 75
The season series was a home split.

Game 6: No. 7 Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons (14-19, 6-10) 56, No. 6 North Dakota 73
The season series was a home split.

Championship (Tue., March 10)

Game 7: No. 6 North Dakota Fighting Hawks (15-18, 7-9) 53, No. 1 North Dakota State Bison (25-8, 13-3) 89
The season series was a home split.

10-Year Mayhem Potential

Data from Bob Vetrone Jr. on Twitter.

Over the past 10 seasons, one of the Summit League’s top two seeds has won the automatic bid eight times. Five of those titles have gone to the No. 1, with the last coming in 2018. Curiously, the No. 4 seed has won two of the last three championships.

• 1 seed (5): 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2018
• 2 seed (3): 2012, 2015, 2016
• 4 seed (2): 2017, 2019

10-Year NCAA Seeding Record

Years with an NCAA win are in bold.

• 12 seed (3): 2014, 2016, 2018
• 13 seed (2): 2011, 2013
• 14 seed (2): 2010, 2012
• 16 seed (2): 2017, 2019 (First Four)
• 15 seed (1): 2015

Over the past six seasons, the conference has alternated between the 12 and 15 or 16 lines. That pattern won’t be repeated; however, as no Summit contender will end up seeded higher than 14th this year, with 15 being far more likely.

Last NCAA Tournament Appearances

North Dakota State: 2019 (16 seed, 1st Round)
South Dakota State: 2018 (12 seed, 1st Round)
North Dakota: 2017 (15 seed, 1st Round, Big Sky member)
Oral Roberts: 2008 (13 seed, 1st Round)

Either NDSU or SDSU have represented the conference in each of the last eight NCAAs. The Oakland Golden Grizzlies, now in the Horizon League, went in both 2010 and 2011. When you consider NDSU also went in 2009, Oral Roberts’ 2008 bid is the last time a Summit current member not nicknamed “Bison” or “Jackrabbits” represented the conference in the field of 68.

Four members returning next season, Denver, Omaha, South Dakota, and Western Illinois have never reached the Tournament, while this will be Purdue Fort Wayne’s last chance to do so as a Summit member before joining the Horizon for 2020-21. However, the Summit will still have five non-qualifiers next season as the Kansas City Roos return to the conference after a stay in the WAC.

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