Summit Hoops on the "Worldwide Leader"

At least three Summit League men's basketball teams will make appearances on ESPN's Family of Networks during the upcoming season. While the full ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU broadcast schedule is expected to be released next month, three dates involving Summit League teams have already been announced:

Nov. 9: South Dakota State at Alabama, 9 p.m. ET on ESPNU
Nov. 12: IUPUI at Michigan, 9 p.m. ET on ESPNU (NIT Season Tip-Off)
Dec. 19: Oakland at West Virginia, 9 p.m. ET on ESPNU

The Summit League Championship Games on March 12 are also part of the schedule. The men's title will air on either ESPN or ESPN2 at 9 p.m. ET. ESPNU will broadcast the women's championship at 4 p.m. ET.

All nine Summit League men's teams will participate in the Sears BracketBusters on Feb. 23, which may include additional television opportunities on ESPN's Family of Networks.

@summithoops

Preseason Prognostications, Part I

A month before the start of practice for the 2012-12 men's basketball season, the first college basketball preview magazine hit the newsstands. Lindy's Sports College Basketball is the initial such publication available and provides analysis of all 340 Division I teams.

Lindy's puts The Summit League at No. 18 in its rankings of the 31 conferences. The magazine tabs South Dakota State as the league champion and Nate Wolters as its Player of the Year. Wolters is also listed as the nation's No. 10 point guard.

@summithoops held a "Tweetdown" of the nine Summit League teams and the all-league and honor roll selections as chosen by Lindy's. A quick synopsis is below.

Predictions
1) South Dakota State
2) North Dakota State
3) Oakland
4) Western Illinois
5) IUPUI
6) Fort Wayne
7) Kansas City
8) South Dakota
9) Omaha

All-League
     1st Team: Nate Wolters, South Dakota State; Ceola Clark III, Western Illinois; Frank Gaines, Fort Wayne; Taylor Braun,  North Dakota State; Jordan Dykstra, South Dakota State.
     2nd Team: Travis Bader, Oakland; Lawrence Alexander, North Dakota State; Ian Chiles, IUPUI; Terell Parks, Western Illinois; Marshall Bjorklund, North Dakota State.

Player of the Year: Nate Wolters, South Dakota State
Newcomer of the Year: Duke Mondy, Oakland

Honor Roll
Best Shooter: Travis Bader, Oakland
Best Rebounder: Terell Parks, Western Illinois
Best Playmaker: Nate Wolters, South Dakota State
Best Defender: Ceola Clark III, Western Illinois
Most Versatile: Nate Wolters, South Dakota State
Best NBA Prospect: Nate Wolters, South Dakota State

To read the complete scouting reports for each of The Summit League's nine teams, pick up a copy of Lindy's Sports College Basketball 2012-13 at your local newsstand or purchase online at lindyssports.com.

Former IUPUI Golfer Set to Take on Q-School

Former IUPUI men's golf standout Michael Davan is ready to take on the next step in his career on the links. Next week, the Illinois-native will begin pre-qualifications for Q-School, playing 54 holes at the BlackHorse Course at Bayonet and BlackHorse on Monterey Bay. 

Davan will start two days of practice on Sunday (Sept. 9) before teeing off on Tuesday (Sept. 11).

Oakland Adds Two to Baseball Coaching Staff

Ty Rogers and Ryan Hilton will join Oakland as assistant baseball coaches for the 2012-13 season, head coach John Musachio announced on Wednesday. 

Rogers will work with recruiting and infielders in addition to assisting with the offense, Hilton will work with the catchers and assist hitters.

SDSU Names Nord Assistant Women's Basketball Coach

South Dakota State University women's basketball head coach Aaron Johnston announced Friday that Carissa Nord has been elevated to a full-time assistant coaching position.

 

A graduate assistant during the 2011-12 season in which the Jackrabbits made their fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament, Nord replaces Emilee Thiesse, who was named head coach at Minnesota State, Mankato, earlier this week.

SDSU's Somsen Named Coastal Plain League Pitcher of the Year

The Coastal Plain League announced today that Layne Somsen of the Fayetteville SwampDogs has been named the 2012 Rawlings CPL Pitcher of the Year.

Somsen, a 6-0, 185-pound junior from South Dakota State went 5-0 with an impressive 1.29 ERA during the regular season. In seven starts the right-hander pitched 42 innings of work, surrendering just eight runs - six earned - on 18 hits. Meanwhile, he walked only 15 and struck out 47. He also was a part of two combined shutouts, featured a 0.79 WHIP and opposing batters hit a mere .129 against him.

Reggie Hamilton to Play Professionally in Italy

Reggie Hamilton

Former Oakland guard Reggie Hamilton has signed to play professional basketball in Italy and will join Victoria Libertas Pesaro in the Italian Serie A. The Summit League's first NCAA scoring champion with 26.2 points per game in 2011-12 was recently invited to play for the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Summer League. Hamilton owns The Summit League's single-season record for points (942 in '11-12) and ranks seventh on the career scoring list (2,185).

Alex Young Signs Pro Contract in Italy

Alex Young

Former IUPUI forward Alex Young has signed to play professional basketball in Italy. The Summit League's No. 4 all-time scorer inked a deal to play for Orlandina Basket of Italy's Second League, beginning later this month. Young had been playing for the Sacramento Kings' Summer League team.

NCAA Champion Cameron Levins Advances to Olympic Final

Cameron Levins has qualified for the men's 5,000-meter final with a personal best time of 13:18.29, in the second of two heats during Wednesday morning's qualifying. The Campbell River, British Columbia native improved on the career-best time he established in April by 0.18 seconds. 

In a field of 43 men, Levins qualifies with the eighth-best time of the 15 headed to Saturday's final, after an 11th-place finish in the 10,000-meter race on Day 8. 

Two-Time NCAA Champion Levins Finishes 11th at London Olympics

Historically, Canadians haven’t had much to cheer about in the long-distance races. But Saturday was different. Cam Levins of Black Creek, B.C., hung with the lead pack until the final lap, finishing 11th in 27:40.68. Mohammed Ahmed of St. Catharines, Ont., was 18th in 28:13.91. 

Levins, 23, a two-time NCAA champion this year, hadn’t faced competition at the highest level until the Olympics. He will regroup to run in the heats of the 5000m on Aug. 8.