2024-25 Summit League preview

Coaches and players that live in the mid-major world know that the formula is quite simple — punch your ticket with an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by winning your conference tournament in early March. How difficult is it if you do not secure that automatic bid? Only twice has the Summit League been a two-bid league — 2019 and 2021.  

If you are looking to capture Summit League women’s basketball hardware, the path runs right through the state that is home to Mt. Rushmore, the scenic Black Hills and everyone’s favorite tourist trap, Wall Drug. The last team other than South Dakota State or South Dakota to win a regular season or tournament title in recent years was former league member Western Illinois in 2017. 

For the past two seasons, no one has come close to knocking South Dakota State off the top spot in the league. The Jackrabbits have gone undefeated in conference play (18-0 and 16-0 respectively) and have won back-to-back tournament championships. They have punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament in 12 of the last 16 seasons. While SDSU has set the standard in the Summit League, there are others hot on their tail. Four of the top five scorers in the conference from last season return as well as eight of the top ten rebounders from a year ago. One new head coach joins the ranks and year two of the Big Sky-Summit League Challenge dots the non-conference schedule of each team. 

Welcome to the 2024-25 Summit League season preview, where Fighting Hawks pester Bison, Coyotes hunt Jackrabbits, Roos bounce on Mavericks, Pioneers and Tommies battle to stake their claim, and Golden Eagles soar from high above. The battles will be fierce, and high-level talent will be on display. Who will be holding the magic ticket to the Big Dance come March?

Looking for a specific team? Click the links below to skip to your favorites.

South Dakota State | Oral Roberts | North Dakota State | South Dakota | St. Thomas | Denver | North Dakota | Kansas City | Omaha

*The order of teams in this preview reflects the Summit League preseason poll (voting panel included the nine head coaches, sports information directors and select media members.)

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South Dakota State: 27-6 overall, 16-0 in Summit League in 2023-24

The consensus around those entrenched in Summit League women’s basketball is that a fully healthy and stocked South Dakota State roster is going to be a handful to stop. Head coach Aaron Johnston, now in his 25th season in Brookings, lost multiple players to injury last year but still led SDSU to its second-consecutive undefeated conference season (16-0), a conference tournament championship and a No. 12 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

The Jackrabbits will get all-conference veterans in 5’11 guard Haleigh Timmer and 6’1 forward Kallie Theisen back healthy to pair with one of the best forward-guard duos in the Midwest. Reigning Summit League Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year Brooklyn Meyer averaged 16.8 points and 7.6 boards per game last season. The 6’2 forward shot 59% from the floor, learning to deal with all kinds of defensive looks and finishing through contact. Senior point guard Paige Meyer (15.2 points per game) racked up 121 assists last season, many at the hands of the other Meyer on the floor.

SDSU was tops in the league in scoring defense, field-goal percentage defense and rebounding last season and looks to lock teams up again this year. Depth will be bright spot with the likes of 6’2 senior Mesa Byom in the frontcourt (6.7 rebounds per game) and junior guards Madison Mathiowetz and Ellie Colbeck leaning on their experience from last year. The Jackrabbits will be tested in the non-conference with matchups against Creighton and Duke at home and a trip to Texas in December. They will begin the defense of their conference title on Jan. 2 at Oral Roberts.

Oral Roberts: 21-11 overall, 11-5 in Summit League play in 2023-24

Year three of the Kelsie Musick era finds a complete roster of players that she and her staff have brought to Oral Roberts. “Speed kills” is the theme and the Golden Eagles’ dribble-drive system produced the top scoring offense in the league last year. ORU averaged 82.1 points per game and showcased a host of versatile scorers.

Junior Taleyah Jones, a 5’10 guard from Broken Arrow, OK, led ORU in scoring at 17.5 points per game and was named Summit League Newcomer of the Year. Multi-dimensional forward Ruthie Udoumoh, the top rebounder in the conference last season, returns for her fifth year along with 5’8 redshirt junior Jaley Olgsby. The Sixth Woman of the Year in the conference is a scrappy spark off the bench for ORU, averaging 13.9 points per game last season.

The Golden Eagles also return the Freshman of the Year, guard Emily Robinson who posted 10.3 points per game. Goals are high, including wanting to advance to the tournament finals, but to do so ORU needs to be better at the free throw line and more consistent defensively every game out. Big tests in November and December include games against Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri, all with their sights set to challenge SDSU for a conference title.

North Dakota State: 22-12 overall, 13-3 in Summit League play in 2023-24

A second-place finish in the regular season standings and runner-up in the Summit League tournament finals last year has North Dakota State highly motivated heading into the this season. Gone are his top two scorers, but head coach Jory Collins has quality depth at multiple positions. Senior Abby Draper, who stands at 6’2, (10.1 points per game) started 33 games a year ago along with fellow senior Abby Schulte. The 5’10 guard from Maple Grove, MN led the Bison in assists and averaged just shy of 30 minutes per game.

New faces, including Illinois State transfer guard Molly Lenz and freshman guard Marisa Frost, will give NDSU true point guard options in the backcourt to play faster for 40 minutes. Sophomore 6’2 forward Avery Koenen had a solid freshman campaign, leading the team in rebounding (5.1 boards per game) and brings a stretch-wing to the floor that creates matchup problems. The fans in Fargo will see this new-look Bison squad for the first time on Nov. 4 when Drake comes to town. More non-conference challenges in December will get them ready for Jan. 4 to open Summit League action at St. Thomas.  

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South Dakota: 23-13 overall, 9-7 in Summit League play in 2023-24

Rivalries are a staple in the Summit League and the battles between South Dakota and South Dakota State have set the standard in recent years. The Coyotes are the only team with a new head coach, as the Carrie Eighmey era begins in Vermillion. Eighmey, who spent one season at Idaho and had great success at Northern Kentucky prior to that, inherits a squad that finished fourth in the league a year ago and appeared in the WNIT.

All things for USD will run through the hands of 5’9 senior guard Grace Larkins. The Altoona, IA native is a two-time First Team All-Summit League selection and has one of the most consistent stat lines anywhere. Last season, she averaged 16.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game while logging just shy of 33 minutes per game. 6’ redshirt senior Alexi Hempe, who played in every game last season, has 3-point range and will take on a bigger role this year. Junior Carley Duffney averaged 7.7 points per game last season and is a versatile scorer and defender. Five true freshmen and two redshirt freshmen will be in the mix for minutes as well.

Eighmey and her staff have set the motto of “control the controllables,” including valuing the basketball. Last season, the Coyotes suffered at the hands of a -2.2-turnover margin which was the difference down the stretch in many close games. Early non-conference matchups against St. Louis, Nebraska and Arizona State will tell us a lot about this new-look USD program. Summit League action tips on the road Jan. 2 at Denver.

St. Thomas (MN): 15-16 overall, 7-9 in Summit League play in 2023-24

While every coach in college basketball navigates challenges for their program, Ruth Sinn has had a more unique journey than most. The St. Thomas head coach is entering her 20^th season at the helm of the program, but 16 of those seasons were at the Division III level. The Tommies are in year four of a five-year transitional period to Division I.

Last year, STU won two more games overall than the year before and usher in this season with six seniors who have been with Sinn from the start of the Division I journey. 5’7 guard Jada Hill, a second-team All-Summit League selection, started all 31 games a year ago and averaged 13.2 points per game. She also was second in the league in assists, dishing out 132 on the season. 6’2 senior Jo Langbehn averaged 12.4 points per game and shot over 66% from the field on the year.* The engine that will drive the Tommies’ offense this season will be sharpshooting junior guard Amber Scalia. The Stillwater, MN native poured in just under 17 points per game and shot 35% from behind the arc. Sinn knows their team defense needs to tighten up this year but look for the offense to play faster in the open court. STU will play a challenging non-conference schedule before they open Summit League play at home on Jan. 2. 

*Langbehn’s season field goal percentage would have been top three nationally, but due to the transitional period, UST statistics do not factor into national NCAA statistics (NCAA.com)

Denver: 8-22 overall, 5-11 in Summit League play in 2023-24

Ask anyone associated with Denver women’s’ basketball and they will tell you the name of the game this season is consistency. Head coach Doshia Woods, now in her fifth season at the helm of the program, has eight new faces on the roster to go with a core group of veterans. The Pioneers have added size to go with their perimeter system that made them the top 3-point shooting team in the Summit League for the second year in a row (8.24 per game).

Junior guard Emma Smith, a 5’8 playmaker, started all 30 games last season and earned honorable mention All-Summit League. She poured in 12.7 points per game and was second in the league in assist/turnover ratio. Fellow junior, 6’ Jordan Jones, had 22 double-figure scoring games and was named to the All-Summit League second team last year. Emily Counsel, a 6’3 graduate student from Perth, Australia, will be a key figure in the inside-outside game. She knocked down 60 made-3’s last season and substantially improved every individual statistical category from the previous season. Denver wants to be play faster this year and to be ready for Summit League play, Woods has set up non-conference challenges against Green Bay, Colorado and Northern Colorado to get the Pioneers prepared. They tip league play on Jan. 2 when they host South Dakota.

North Dakota: 9-21 overall, 5-11 in Summit League play in 2023-24

When you remove the top scorer in the Summit League from your lineup and she was also a veteran fifth-year senior, things are going to be very different for North Dakota. Head coach Mallory Bernhard no longer has the services of dynamic guard Kaci Borowicz at her disposal, but the Fighting Hawks are not backing down. Bernhard, now in her fourth full season as head coach at her alma mater, has her team entering the year with a chip on their shoulder and ready to compete. The top two returning scorers from a year ago are 5’11 junior Kiyah Hurst (12.4 points per game) and 6’1 sophomore Kiera Pemberton (10.5 points per game.) UND adds five freshmen and one redshirt freshman to the roster along with a key transfer. Junior Walker Demers returns home (Grafton, ND is 45 minutes from the UND campus) after playing two seasons at South Dakota. The 6’1 forward shot 51% from the field last year will be a big part of the Fighting Hawks’ offense as well as helping them lock down the paint on defense. Can the offense for UND with this new-look roster find continuity? Bernhard and her team will find out with tough non-conference tests against Green Bay, Drake and Wyoming before opening Summit League play at Omaha on Jan. 2.

Kansas City: 12-20 overall, 3-13 in Summit League play in 2023-24

Competition helps raise the bar for success and it is ever-present in the gym this season for the Kansas City Roos. Third-year head coach Dionnah Jackson-Durrett is building her program piece by piece with returners and newcomers who want to compete every day. Twelve wins in 2023-24 was up from the season prior and the Roos return key pieces for the upcoming year. 5’6 junior guard Alayna Contreas returns as the team’s top scorer (10.2 points per game) and 5’11 sophomore Emani Bennett, a Summit League All-Freshmen team selection, is back after averaging 8.4 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. The Roos were third in the league in scoring defense, allowing just over 66 points per game, a tough defensive identity they can hang their hat on again this season. Jackson-Durrett has added shooters to the roster and wants her offense to run more downhill. The front court will get a boost from 6’3 junior Chloe Dallas, a transfer from Wabash Valley. As always, Kansas City will play a tough non-conference road slate, including at Nebraska, Kansas and Tulsa, all to sharpen that competitive edge. Summit League play tips off Jan. 2 at St. Thomas.

Omaha: 8-23 overall, 3-13 in Summit League play in 2023-24

One of the skills coaches in college sports must master these days is the art of blending — taking their returners and blending them with transfers and freshmen, knowing it will look different one year from now. For Omaha head coach Carrie Banks, blending has been tops on her list all summer and fall. The Mavericks have 10 new players, many of which will be called on to make an immediate impact.

6’3 freshman center Harriet Ford from Australia will give Omaha a tough rebounding presence inside, especially for a team that was last in the Summit League in every rebounding category. Senior forward Aaliyah Moore, a transfer from Loyola-Chicago, gives Banks additional depth and size at the wing. 5’6 point guard Alana Powell, a transfer from CCBX-Essex, comes in having been Top 10 in the nation in assists last season in the junior college ranks. Her presence can only help 5’7 senior Grace Cave, the Mavs’ top scorer a season is ago (12.3 points per game), to move more off the ball and attack off the dribble. Graduate student Katie Keitges, a native of Knoxville, IA, was the team’s top 3-point shooter a year ago and along with Cave, will force teams to honor the deep threat on possession. With a renewed focus on rebounding and team defense, the Mavs look to surprise many in the Summit League. The season starts Oct. 27 at Drake and then on to battles at Nebraska, Kansas and Wisconsin to name a few. They will open Summit League action at home on Jan. 2 against North Dakota. 

*All statistics noted in this article are sourced from university and league provided statistics

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