The South Dakota State women’s basketball team just got picked second in the Summit League preseason polls, and honestly, are we even surprised anymore? This is a squad that ripped off *four* straight Summit League tournament titles, finished second in the regular season last year with a crazy 27-7 record, and even with that kind of dominance, they’re not consensus number one. What gives, pollsters?
The Men Have Something to Prove in Petersen’s Second Year
For the Jackrabbit men, the Summit League coaches tabbed them to finish third, and you know what? That feels about right, maybe even a little generous given what happened last year. Bryan Petersen is heading into his second season, and after a tough 14-18 run in 2025-26, which was the program’s first losing season since way back in 2009-10, there’s definitely some work to do. Remember that gut-wrenching loss to St. Thomas in the Summit League tournament quarterfinals? Oof. But hey, we’ve got some serious talent getting recognized. Joe Sayler is repping the Jacks on the Preseason First Team All-Summit League, and Kalen Garry and Jesse Van Kalsbeek both grabbed Second Team honors. That’s some firepower right there, and they’re gonna need every bit of it to climb past that third spot and make some noise.
The ‘Yotes Are Gearing Up, Too
You can’t talk Summit League without talking about our rivals down south, the South Dakota Coyotes. Their men’s squad landed the fifth spot, which makes sense after a super turbulent 2025-26 season that was absolutely hammered by injuries. They battled their way to a 16-16 record but ultimately fell to Omaha in the tournament quarterfinals. Vince Buzelis is the only Coyote men’s player to snag a preseason honor, making the Second Team. On the women’s side, USD got the third spot, coming off a massive turnaround year where they went 26-10. They even made a crazy run to the WNIT Fab Four, which was legit! But let’s not forget, they lost to *our* Jackrabbits in the Summit League tournament semis. Molly Joyce is the lone Coyote woman on the preseason teams, grabbing First Team All-Summit League honors. It’s gonna be a fight, as always.
We’re just under a month out from the 2026-27 season kicking off, and if these preseason polls are any indication, both the Jackrabbit men and women are going to be playing with a serious chip on their shoulders. The women lost to Washington in the NCAA Tournament first round last year, and you *know* Emilee Fox, Hadley Thul, and Katie Vasecka, all Second Team picks, are hungry to prove they’re the best. And the men, with Sayler leading the charge, are itching to show that last year was just a blip. Get ready, folks, because the Summit League is about to get wild!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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