Pinnacle  +8½ -105 BET365 +8½ -105 SportInteraction +8½ -110 BetOnline +8½ -110

Posted at 5:00 PM EST.

ST. THOMAS +8½ -105 over South Dakota St

8:00 PM EST. The Jackrabbits are no joke. They are 15-4 overall and are now 8-0 in conference play after beating Denver in conference play last game out by 18. They also beat in-state rival South Dakota by 19 three games ago and we mention that because South Dakota and St. Thomas have identical records. That said, the Jackbunnies are on cruise control until the Conference Tournament begins, where they will surely be the favorite to punch their ticket to The Dance with an automatic bid. We have to wonder just how much fire is in their bellies to show up in Minnesota and wipe the floor with a non-threat

Before we discuss St. Thomas, how about a warm Division-I welcome to the Tommies first. Like a first round MLB draft pick on a fast track to the majors, St. Thomas leap-frogged the D-II steppingstone, vaulting straight from D-III to D-I in the blink of an eye. 

Well, it wasn’t technically that easy but in case you might be interested, here is an insanely in-depth and fascinating piece by Pat Borzi of the MinnPost. 

It details a drama filled, topsy turvy path to the big boy playground. Ultimately, Summit League commissioner Tom Douple was the angel whose wings lifted St. Thomas to the holy land of D-I.

Head coach Johnny Tauer compiled a dazzling display of accolades during his Division-III dominance. He’s the third all-time winningest coach in D-III and has been named the National Coach of the Year three separate times since 2011. The offense may be further refined by one of the sharpest offensive gurus in college basketball, Mike Maker, the former head coach at Marist. His experience extends far beyond that brief stint in Poughkeepsie – he has over three decades of service under his belt, including two notable mentorships under John Beilein and Dana Altman.

The Tommies are 8-8 in their inaugural year and they have not looked out of place one bit. They have an impressive résumé that includes a six-point loss at Fordham, a 10-point loss at Drake, a nine-point home win over Niagara and a 23-point win over Western illinois. Unlike the Jackrabbits, whose state of mind we cannot quantify, the Tommies get a chance here to host the Summit League’s gold standard and we promise you they’ll be ready to battle like there’s no tomorrow. The Tommies are getting progressively better each game and this is the game they had circled on it’s calendar. As a very live underdog, we’ll trust they’ll come in under the number and maybe even win outright.

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