Both South Dakota State and the Jackrabbits’ All-American forward, Mike Daum, were near unanimous selections en route to being named The Summit League preseason favorite and Preseason Player of the Year, respectively, for the upcoming 2018-19 men’s basketball season.
The Jacks, who topped the preseason poll with 570 points, and Daum both received all but two first-place votes by a panel of 36 voters consisting of the league’s nine head coaches, sports information directors, and select media members.
The remaining two first-place votes in the preseason poll were split among South Dakota (2nd; 470 points) and Denver (3rd; 454 points), while the other two preseason player of the year votes went to Purdue Fort Wayne’s John Konchar.
Daum and the Mastodon’s senior point guard were joined on the Preseason All-League First Team by South Dakota forward Trey Burch-Manning, Omaha wing Zach Jackson, SDSU guard David Jenkins, Jr., and Denver guard Joe Rosga.
The Preseason All-League Second Team was dotted by a pair of Western Illinois standouts. The Lumberjack duo of seven-footer Brandon Gilbeck and guard Kobe Webster was accompanied by South Dakota forward Tyler Hagedorn, Oral Roberts forward Emmanuel Nzekwesi and North Dakota State guard Tyson Ward.
Trailing the top three teams in the poll were Purdue-Fort Wayne, North Dakota State, Oral Roberts, North Dakota, Omaha and Western Illinois.
