Jackrabbits, Wildcats face off Thursday

Thursday, November 21

Tucson, Ariz.

8 p.m. CT / 7 p.m. MT

South Dakota State University

Arizona

BROOKINGS, SD - NOVEMBER 19: Brandon Key #0 of the South Dakota State Jackrabbits takes the ball to the basket past a pair of defenders including Tavon King #1 of the University of North Alabama Lions during their game Tuesday night at Frost Arena in Brookings, SD. (Photo by Dave Eggen/Inertia)

Photo by: Dave Eggen/Inertia

11/20/2019 8:53:00 AM | Men's Basketball

GAME 7: South Dakota State (4-2) at No. 14 Arizona (4-0)

When	Thursday, Nov. 21 \| 8 p.m. CST / 7 p.m. MST
Where	McKale Center \| Tucson, Arizona
Live Audio / Radio	Jackrabbits All-Access \| Jackrabbit Sports Network I WNAX 570 AM \| Tyler Merriam
Television / Live Video	Pac-12 Network \| Daron Sutton & Matt Muehlebach
Live Stats	GoJacksLive.com
Game Notes	South Dakota State \| Arizona
Social Media	Twitter I Facebook

Previewing the Game
South Dakota State men's basketball hits the road for a one-game stop this week, traveling to Tucson, Arizona for a Thursday matchup with the Arizona Wildcats. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. CST / 7 p.m. MST from the McKale Center.

The Jackrabbits, under the direction of first-year head coach Eric Henderson, are coming off a 78-73 victory over North Alabama Thursday and are playing their third Power Five opponent in four games. SDSU is 4-2 on the season and 1-2 in road games.

No. 14 Arizona is 4-0 on the year under the Sean Miller, topping New Mexico State last weekend, 83-53.

This is the first-ever meeting between the teams.

About South Dakota State
The two-time defending Summit League regular season champions bring a new look to the court in 2019-20 with Eric Henderson patrolling the sidelines and seven newcomers (including two redshirt freshman) making their Jackrabbit debut this year. The fresh start has yielded positive results through six games, as SDSU is averaging 77.7 points per game with a plus-six rebounding margin (44.3 boards per game).

The Jackrabbits are shooting 44.5 percent from the field and have found their way to the line 144 times in six games, burying 105 from the charity stripe overall.

Douglas Wilson is off to a fast start in his first year at SDSU, reaching double figures in all six games with a team-leading 17.7 scoring average. The two-time NJCAA All-American and 2018-19 NJCAA Player of the Year has two double-doubles for the Jackrabbits, adding 8.7 rebounds per game alongside a 57.9 field goal percentage.

Brandon Key (12.8 points per game) has been electric at the point, posting four double-digit scoring performances on the season with 23 assists (3.8 per game). He has a 1.21 assist-to-turnover ratio through six games. Key is back for the Jackrabbits after redshirting a year ago. The Milwaukee, Wisconsin native had 112 assists in 2017-18.

Matt Dentlinger has turned in a pair of double-doubles in the opening month of the year, most recently in a 17-point, 11-rebound performance against North Alabama. Dentlinger is averaging 10.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, sinking 21-of-37 (56.8 percent) from the field while adding 11 offensive rebounds.

Alex Arians is the most experienced Jackrabbit as a sophomore after starting 33 games a year ago. Arians has logged 25.2 minutes per game in 2019-20 and has 31 points (5.2 per game) and 32 rebounds (5.3 average) for State.

Noah Freidel, the 2019 Argus Leader Class A Player of the Year, has started the first six games of career and is playing 21.7 minutes per game. Freidel has reached double figures in two of the last three games, burying three 3-pointers in the win over North Alabama with an 11-point effort. He has seven total 3-pointers for the year, just behind David Wingett (eight) and Baylor Scheierman (eight) for the team lead.

Scheierman and Wingett have been the top two options off the bench for SDSU, sitting fourth and fifth, respectively, in scoring average for the Jacks. Scheierman sits at 8.0 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, while Wingett is posting 7.2 points per game with five steals and a team-high four blocks.

Scheierman is a two-time Class B All-State, All-Area and All-Conference selection from Aurora, Nebraska, and as a senior averaged 22.1 points, 9.8 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game while helping his team to a state tournament berth.

Wingett joined the Jackrabbit squad in late May as a transfer from Memphis and received an NCAA waiver for immediate eligibility. The Winnebago, Nebraska product scored over 2,200 points in his high school career and spent a season at Bull City Prep Academy.

About Arizona
The 14th-ranked Wildcats are averaging 87.8 points and 38 rebounds per game, posting plus-34.5 scoring and plus-5.7 rebound margins through four games.

Arizona is shooting 52.7 percent as a team and has a trio of double-figure scorers.

Zeke Nnaji, the back-to-back Pac-12 Freshman of the Week, leads Arizona with 21 points per game, adding six rebounds per contest with five blocks.

Nico Mannion (13.3 points per game) has dished a team-high 18 assists alongside a 1.63 assist-to-turnover ratio, and Josh Green (11.3 points per game) rounds out the top scorers alongside a 5.0 rebounding average.

Jemari Baker Jr. is close behind at nine points per game, sinking a team-high eight 3-pointers, while Chase Jeter has started all four games and leads the squad with 6.3 ebounds per contest.

A South Dakota State Win Would ...
Give SDSU a 5-2 record on the year ... hand the Jacks their eighth win over a Power Five opponent ... give the Jacks a 1,540-1,042-1 program mark.

A South Dakota State Loss Would ...
Deal the Jackrabbits their second road loss of the season and move the team to 4-3 on the year ... make SDSU 0-1 all-time against Arizona ... give the Jacks a 1,539-1,043-1 program mark.

Wilson Honored by Summit League
Douglas Wilson was selected as the Summit League's Men's Basketball Athlete of the Week, announced Nov. 11.

Wilson is coming off a monster debut week for the Jackrabbits, averaging 21 points and 8.7 rebounds per contest with a trio of double-figure scoring performances. Wilson helped SDSU to a 3-0 record to begin the year, scoring 24, 13 and 26 against UTRGV, Peru State and CSU Bakersfield, respectively. Wilson tallied his first-career double-double in the win over CSU Bakersfield with a game-high 13 rebounds.

New Faces, New Roles
South Dakota State's lineup will feature new roles and new faces throughout the season, as the Jackrabbits return only 16.9 percent of their scoring from 2018-19, and 10.7 percent of their 3-point makes. SDSU's 15.8 points per game returning ranks sixth-lowest nationally, and the 16.9 percent back is the third-lowest margin (according to available records).

#FearFrost

The Jacks own a 106-6 record at Frost Arena over the last seven seasons dating back to 2011-12, which includes perfect home records in five of the last seven years. That span includes two home winning streaks of 30 or more games and three of 25 or more.
Since 2011-12, South Dakota State has won 94.6 percent of its home games, a mark that top all Division I programs in that span. South Dakota State won 34 consecutive games from Jan. 30, 2014 to Dec. 28, 2016. It ended as the nation's second-longest active streak.
The Jackrabbits won 30 consecutive home games from Jan. 29, 2011 to Nov. 14, 2013.
SDSU won 26 consecutive home games from Dec. 31, 2016 to Dec. 22, 2018.
South Dakota State won 34 consecutive home nonconference games inside Frost Arena from Dec. 31, 2016 to Dec. 22, 2018. That mark was the fourth-longest active streak when it ended.
SDSU put together undefeated seasons inside Frost Arena the following years: 1984-85 (18-0), 2002-03 (17-0), 2011-12 (14-0), 2012-13 (13-0), 2014-15 (13-0), 2015-16 (12-0) and 2017-18 (15-0).

Quick Hits

SDSU's 93-91 victory over CSU Bakersfield saw five Jackrabbits reach double figures for the first time in 2019-20. The feat last happened Jan. 31, 2019 against Oral Roberts.
State posted back-to-back 50-rebound games to open the season. The last time an SDSU program had 50-plus rebounds in consecutive games was Dec. 15 and 27, 2002 against Finlandia (60) and Fort Lewis (58). The Jacks also had three-straight games with 50-plus rebounds that season: Nov. 23, 29 and 30.
Douglas Wilson's 24 points on Nov. 5 are the most in a Jackrabbit debut dating back to 2000-01, when game-by-game statistics were readily available.
South Dakota State has not lost three consecutive games since January 2017.
SDSU went 13-0 when holding opponents under 70 points last season (11-9 when not) and scored 70-plus points in 32 of 33 contests. The Jackrabbits were 12-0 when holding opponents under 70 points in 2017-18. The Jacks have accomplished the feat twice this year.
At least one Jackrabbit has scored in double figures over the last 380 games dating back to Jan. 12, 2008 at IUPUI when Anthony Cordova had nine points to lead the Jacks.
State has made at least one 3-pointer in 410 consecutive games. The last time the Jackrabbits did not make a 3-point field goal was Jan. 25, 2007
SDSU is 94-18 all-time in home openers (where records available). Dating back to 2004-05, SDSU's first year of DI transition, SDSU is 12-4 in those games.
SDSU is 75-39 in season-openers all-time. The Jacks are 8-8 in season-opening games at the Division I level.

State Adds Two on National Signing Day
South Dakota State men's basketball announced a pair of signees on National Signing Day, with William Mfum and Noah King set to join the Jackrabbits in fall 2020.

William Mfum enters his senior campaign at Spring Creek Academy (Plano, Texas) on a high note, earning All-Texas Christian Athletic League and All-City First Team honors as a junior. Mfum averaged 19.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game in 2018-19, burying 34 3-pointers and hitting 47 percent from the field. The 6-2 guard scored 20 or more points in nine games a year ago and had one double-double. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, Mfum is the son of Stella Nyarko and Seth Adjei and plans to major in business management.

Noah King averaged 19 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.0 steals per game as a junior, helping his team reach the section 1AA semifinals. The 6-2 guard has scored over 1,900 points in his prep career and is closing in on the school's all-time scoring record. King also led Caledonia's football team to a state championship in 2018 and will compete in the 2019 Class 2A Minnesota State Football Semifinals next week. The younger brother of current Jackrabbit Owen King, Noah hails from Caledonia, Minnesota and is the son of Brad and Susan King. He is undecided on his major.

Jackrabbits in Two Scheduling Agreements
Summit League teams are in year two of scheduling agreements with the Western Athletic Conference and Big Sky.

The Jackrabbits took on Grand Canyon last year in the first year of the Summit League/WAC challenge, defeating the Lopes in the 2018-19 season opener. Year two of the challenge sent SDSU to face CSU Bakersfield Nov. 9, where the Jacks claimed a 93-91 double-overtime win.

The scheduling agreement with the Big Sky is a four-year contract. The Jackrabbits will play the following games as part of the deal:
2018-19: Montana (home), Eastern Washington (away)
2019-20: Idaho (home), Montana State (away)
2020-21: Eastern Washington (home), Montana (away)
2021-22: Montana State (home), Idaho (away)

Jacks Picked Fifth in Preseason Poll
South Dakota State men's basketball earned two first-place votes and was tabbed fifth in the 2019-20 Summit League men's basketball preseason poll, released in October.

The poll is voted on by league coaches, sports information directors and select media.

Tough Tests
South Dakota State has four Power Five (ACC, SEC, Big 12, Big Ten, PAC-12) opponents on the 2019-20 schedule, facing USC, Nebraska, Arizona and Indiana this season.

South Dakota State has seven wins over Power Five programs since joining The Summit League in 2007, picking up victories over Iowa State (2008), Iowa (2010 and 2017), Washington (2011), TCU (2015), Minnesota (2015) and Ole Miss (2017).

SDSU's wins over Iowa and Ole Miss in 2017-18 came in the shortest time frame of any Summit League team since 1998 (seven days). The Jackrabbits are the fifth league team to post a win over separate Power Five conferences in the same regular season, and the first to do it since 2009.

Jackrabbits' Last Time Out
South Dakota State men's basketball came out victorious in a closely-contested matchup Tuesday night, defeating North Alabama 78-73 at Frost Arena.

Down one at halftime, the Jackrabbits (4-2) shot 63.2 percent in the second half to surge ahead down the stretch. Additionally, SDSU turned in a plus-16 effort at the charity stripe, burying 25-of-33 at the line.

Matt Dentlinger led the way with a 17-point, 11-rebound double-double, matching Brandon Key with a team-high four assists without committing a turnover.

Key poured in 18 points to lead the Jackrabbits in the scoring column, matching his career high in points while burying a trio of 3-pointers.

Noah Freidel and Douglas Wilson added 13 points each, with Freidel hitting three 3-pointers and Wilson shooting 80 percent (4-of-5) from the field.

SDSU pulled down 40 rebounds in the game, turning 11 offensive boards into 17 second-chance points.

Neither team controlled the momentum through a back-and-forth opening frame. State's first lead came after the under-12 media break on a Freidel 3-pointer, but five minutes later saw a 28-22 lead slip away before halftime as UNA rallied to take a 33-32 lead into the locker room.

The second half started with an offensive frenzy from both squads, as fans saw five lead changes in the opening 94 seconds before an Alex Arians layup at 18:26 started a 5-0 run that gave SDSU all the separation it would need the rest of the way. UNA pulled within one on three occasions before the 10-minute mark, but the Jacks pushed their lead to double figures on a Dentlinger layup at 6:58 at the close of a 9-0 SDSU rally.

The Lions would not quit, however, and cut its deficit to five inside the-two minute mark before 3-pointers from Freidel and Key down the stretch sealed the win.

Opponent Last Time Out
TUCSON, Ariz. -- Zeke Nnaji did not miss a shot for the second straight game while scoring 19 points, Jemarl Baker added 16 points and No. 19 Arizona rolled over depleted New Mexico State 83-53 on Sunday. Arizona (4-0) took advantage of the short-handed Aggies (2-2) from the start, scoring the game's first 10 points and using another big run to lead by 22 at halftime. The Wildcats were at their free-flowing offensive best, shooting 53%, and shut down a New Mexico State team missing three key players.

Nnaji made all seven of his shots after going 8 for 8 against San Jose State and is 32 for 38 in four games this season. The 6-foot-11 freshman has made 17 straight shots, dating to the second half of last Sunday's game against Illinois. Jabari Rice had 14 points to lead New Mexico State, which shot 33%.

Outside of a Dec. 14 game against No. 8 Gonzaga, Sunday's game against the Aggies was expected to be the Wildcats' biggest remaining test before the Pac-12 season starts.
One problem: New Mexico State came to the desert short-handed.

The Aggies were without point guard A.J. Harris (finger), guard Clayton Henry (thumb) and big man Wilfried Lakayi (knee). Terrell Brown also has been struggling with a strained hip flexor and Rice suffered a sprained left wrist against Southern on Thursday.

The attrition hurt the Aggies at the start against Arizona. New Mexico missed six shots and had two turnovers before making its first shot 5:20 into the game. The Aggies fought back with an 8-0 run, but Arizona answered with a 15-2 spurt to start the rout. The Wildcats made 18 of 31 shots to lead 43-21 at halftime.

The Aggies shot 8 of 26, had 12 turnovers and were the latest team unable to stop Nnaji, who had 15 points and made all seven of his shots in the first half.

-GoJacks.com-