The 2025 Summit League Tournament kicks off this week in one of the most highly anticipated tournaments yet.
The Omaha Mavericks narrowly earned the top seed with a 13-3 conference record, but multiple teams are in contention for hoisting the trophy on Championship Sunday.
South Dakota State, the defending Summit League champions, earned the No. 3 seed and will host North Dakota in the quarterfinals on Friday.
Here’s what to know about each team ahead of the 2025 Summit League men’s basketball tournament.
No. 1 Omaha (19-12, 13-3 Summit League)
It has been a historic run for Omaha after clinching their first-ever regular season championship in program history in the final week of conference play. Summit League coach of the year Chris Crutchfield has created huge strides from last season’s 7-9 conference record, and now enters Sioux Falls with the best record in the Summit and will play either No. 8 Kansas City or No. 9 Oral Roberts Thursday.
The Mavericks’ veteran leadership has been a huge factor in their success with playmakers like Summit League Player of the Year, Marquel Sutton.
The senior averaged 21 points per game in the Summit League and is the first-ever player in program history to receive Player of the Year honors.
No. 2 St. Thomas (22-9, 12-4 Summit League)
While the Tommies are still ineligible for the NCAA tournament due to the probation rules for teams transitioning to Division 1, a Summit League Championship is still in play for the best shooting team in the conference.
Miles Barnstable and Drake Dobbs have been two workhorses for the Tommies this season. Barnstable, earning 1st-team All-Conference and All-Newcomer team honors, leads the Tommies in points per game, averaging nearly 15 points and three rebounds a game.
Dobbs, who earned 2nd-team and All-Defensive team honors, averages 12 points, four assists and three rebounds per contest, shooting 46% from beyond the arc. The Tommies face-off with the No. 7 Denver Pioneers on Thursday.
No. 3 South Dakota State (20-11, 11-5 Summit League)
It’s been a relatively down year for the Jacks coming off a Summit League championship a year ago, but they are still poised to make a run in this year’s conference tournament. The Jacks have effectively reloaded after losing all five starters from last season, but it will still be a tough hill to climb to go back-to-back.
“As far as a reset I don’t know if it’s that because we’re not going to reinvent the wheel or anything. It’s not time to put new stuff in or try to trick people. We belive in what we do, we beleive in the guys we have,” head coach Eric Henderson on if the tournament is a reset time for the Jackrabbits.
Oscar Cluff has been one of the best transfer players in the country boasting 17 points, 12 rebounds (2nd in the nation) and three assists, tallying 21 double-doubles in 29 games for the Jacks this season.
Cluff was also a finalist for Summit League Player of the Year and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, given to the best center in college basketball. The Jacks matchup with No. 6 North Dakota on Friday.
No. 4 North Dakota State (21-10, 10-6 Summit League)
The Bison are also coming off a year that saw a lot of turnover in the starting lineup, but just like the Jacks, got one of the best big men transfer in the country to propel NDSU to the No. 4 seed in the conference.
NDSU’s Jackson Moni has been as advertised for the Bison, netting over 20 points, five rebounds and three assists in his first year of D-1 basketball.
Moni and fellow senior Jacari White have provided a spark that will likely challenge the Mavericks if they can knock off South Dakota in the quarterfinals on Friday.
No. 5 South Dakota (18-13, 9-7 Summit League)
The ‘Yotes have been a late riser in the Summit League, winning five of its last seven games to close out a 9-7 conference record. USD could be a dark horse to win it all in Sioux Falls because of its red-hot offense averaging over 85 points per game, only rivaling Alabama and Gonzaga for the highest scoring average in the country.
The Coyotes’ Achilles heel, however, is on the defensive side of the ball, giving up the most points per game in the conference (83.2 PAPG). The Coyotes will take on No. 4 North Dakota State in the quarterfinals Friday.
No. 6 North Dakota (11-20, 5-11 Summit League)
North Dakota has certainly declined from its 10-6 conference record last season, but could easily pull off an upset or two in the Summit League tournament.
2nd-team All-Conference guard Treysen Eaglestaff is one of the best scorers in the Summit League, averaging over 18 points per game, including a 40-point game early in the season against Alabama.
Despite totaling just five conference wins, the Fighting Hawks did steal a game against the Jacks in Grand Forks and will look to potentially end their season in Sioux Falls Friday. “You look at North Dakota they’re playing extremely well with there lineup. They’re playing a little bit different, they’ve had a few injuries as well so they’re playing a little more five out motion trying to get you spread out and that will create some challenges for us,” SDSU head coach Henderson.
No. 7 Denver (11-20, 5-11 Summit League)
After making the Summit League Championship game last season, the Pioneers will have an uphill battle to reach the biggest game in the tournament once again.
Losing All-Conference guard Tommy Bruner, Denver has young pieces that will look to make an impact in this year’s tournament, one of which is the Conference Freshman of the Year Sebastian Akins.
This season has seen Akins average 13 points, three assists and two rebounds a game. Alongside Akins is DeAndre Craig, netting 13 points, four rebounds, three assists and a steal per contest as well. The Pioneers tournament will start Thursday against No. 2 St. Thomas.
No. 8 Kansas City (12-19, 4-12 Summit League)
Kansas City enters Sioux Falls as the No. 8 seed in the tournament despite being the preseason favorites in the Summit League. After winning its first two games in conference play over USD and ORU, the Roos dropped 12 of the last 14 games.
UMKC guard Jamar Brown has been a bright spot on a disappointing season for Kansas City, averaging 16 points and seven rebounds, earning 2nd-team All-Conference honors. The Roos will face No. 9 Oral Roberts in Wednesday’s play-in game.
No. 9 Oral Roberts (7-22, 3-13 Summit League)
Just two years removed from an undefeated conference season and a trip to the NCAA tournament, Oral Roberts finds itself as the bottom seed of the 2025 Summit League Tournament. The Golden Eagles won just three conference games this season, but have shown they can be a dangerous team to play in March, knocking off St. Thomas, 71-66, on Feb. 22.
ORU will go as far as senior guard Issac McBride will take them. McBride, a 2nd-team All-Conference selection, nets 19 points per game, shooting 39% from three-point range. ORU and UMKC face off Wednesday night for the right to play top-seeded Omaha in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
