The Summit League men’s basketball tournament tips off on Friday, and one of 10 programs will earn a ticket to the Big Dance. We’ll take a look at all of the pertinent 2023 Summit League Tournament odds (courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook), schedule, and how you can watch. It all begins on March 3, yet Oral Roberts — the odds on favorite — won’t take the court until Saturday.
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Summit League Tournament Odds
Tournament Notes
As we alluded above, Oral Roberts is set at -180 to advance to March Madness for the second time in the last three seasons. Those odds are equivalent to a 64.29% implied probability. The Golden Eagles enter the tournament with the nation’s longest winning streak, accruing 14 consecutive victories since Jan. 12.
Paul Mills’ bunch owns the seventh-highest effective field goal percentage across D-I. Its scoring predominantly comes via behind the arc, as the Eagles are manufacturing the 10th-highest 3-point scoring rate. They’re paced by the 6-foot Max Abmas, who carried Oral Roberts all the way to the Sweet 16 before nearly defeating Arkansas in 2021. Abmas is even with Purdue’s Zach Edey for the fifth-highest scoring average (22.3 ppg) in the country.
The Eagles resemble their most recent contender, playing five-out with two-time transfer Connor Vanover, a 7-foot-5 floor-spacer, manning the middle. Together, they generate the 25th-quickest average possession length (15.9 seconds) in college basketball.
Value Elsewhere For Summit League Odds?
No Summit League foe is built well enough defensively to fend off Oral Roberts — in a tournament setting — for 40 minutes. But No. 2 seed South Dakota State is best positioned to do so. Not only do the Jackrabbits operate at a slower pace than the Eagles, but they also boast a top-100 defensive rebounding percentage. That’s a critical metric for an opponent attempting to shrink the number of possessions against an electric scorer like Abmas.
Moreover, Eric Henderson’s squad wasn’t healthy when it was blitzed by the Eagles on Dec. 19. It nearly upset them in their rematch, holding Oral Roberts to 1.01 PPP. Believe it or not, that’s notable, considering Abmas & Co. have delivered the fifth-most efficient offense in the sport. They’re posting roughly 1.14 PPP on the season.
Jackrabbits lead guard Zeke Mayo (18.3 ppg) is their clear-cut primary scorer, with Baylor Scheierman transferring to Creighton. He’s a key contributor on the glass as well — despite his 6-foot-3, 185-pound frame. If Mayo matches Abmas’ proficiency, along with the help of Matt Dentlinger inside the arc, don’t count out South Dakota State in a potential title game tilt.
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Summit League Tournament Schedule
- First Round: Friday, March 3
- Quarterfinals: Saturday/Sunday, March 4/5
- Semifinals: Monday, March 6
- Summit League Championship: Tuesday, March 7
How To Watch
The first three rounds are available for viewing on the ESPN+ streaming platform. Additionally, on Tuesday, the Summit League tournament title game tips off at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2. Here is the rest of the conference tournament schedule.
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