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The Summit League is out with its pre-season poll for men's basketball and the University of South Dakota is picked to finish dead last in the 10-team conference. I think they are wrong.

I don't think the USD will finish in the top 5, but I do think they can hang most nights with the bottom 5. IPFW, UMKC, Southern Utah and Western Illinois are picked 6 thru 9. I think the Yotes are just the new kid in town. They are Ren McCormack in Footloose... they can (and must!) dance and they will prove it to their new League oppressors!

Louie Krogman is a senior. Charlie Westbrook is a senior. Ricardo Andreotti is a senior. Trevor Gruis is a legit 6-10 and can play. New guy Nick Mabbutt (funny) is 6-10 and may be what they need when Andreotti and Gruis pick up their 3rd fouls in the first 8 minutes.

USD will run into some buzzsaws in Oral Roberts (stacked) and Oakland (Reggie Hamilton back, but Keith Benson finally gone). But the Yotes beat Wyoming and Eastern Washington last year... teams that are built with lots of long, lean athletes like some of the Summit League's best.

I don't know.  I could be wrong.  But I do think Boots' boys will surprise some people who stuck em at the bottom of the poll.