Two Players Lead Dominant Programs With Much Different Profiles
NBA scouts continually follow the success of Keith Benson of the Oakland men's team while mostly SDSU women's basketball fans follow the travails of Macey Michelson, who is from Marshall High School in Minnesota.
In their play and with their personalities, the 6'11 Benson and 5'6 Michelson are as far apart as their size difference. Yet, they both play in the moment, providing critical plays for their team when winning situations demand it.
For the past three seasons, this pair of seniors have been driving forces behind the success of their respective teams. Benson, who is averaging 18 points and 10.1 rebounds this season, led Oakland to its third Summit League Tournament Championship game and their second straight title. Michelson, a three-year starter, has led the SDSU women to three straight Summit League Tournament titles, despite winning the league regular season championship just once.
In defining both, the most apt descriptor is "winner," which is how their coaches label them, if in around about ways.
Benson is called the "most dominant player ever in the Summit League" by his coach Greg Kampe, who team has won its second straight tournament championship and now has appeared in four of the last five tournament games. At 6'11, Benson is one of the quiet giants who is a difference maker. Featuring a game that includes strength and intimidation, Benson is one of those players that stands out and impacts the offensive strategy of opponents. In the past two seasons, Benson has led his team to a 34-2 record and they have won 49 of the past 52 games in league play. At the tournament, Oakland is 8-1 in the past three years with its only loss to North Dakota State in the finals in 2009 when the Gorillas owned a 13-point lead with eight minutes to play. The Bison won that game led by the efforts of Ben Woodside, Pierre's Michael Tveidt and Brent Winkelman, yet hardly any team has touched the Oakland team since.
In Oakland's domination of the 2011 tournament, Benson had 28 points, 14 rebounds, three blocked shots and four assists to lead the Grizzles to a 90-76 win over Scott Sutton's feisty and athletic bunch from Oral Roberts. He was a driving force behind an Oakland team that won every game by double digits, averaging over 90 points a game. Benson had 65 points, 27 rebounds, five blocks and seven assists over three games in earning the tournament's MVP honors.
It shouldn't come as any surprise that Benson would shine in the biggest moments of Oakland's 25-9 campaign, that includes a 17-1 record in running away with the Summit League regular season crown. He has had 19 double doubles this year, including four against Oakland's toughest opponents, West Virginia, Purdue, Michigan State and Tennessee - 26 points and 10 rebounds against the Vols on their home floor.
If anyone doesn't think the big man from Country Day High School in Detroit can step out and shoot, think again. He has a career 38.5 percent mark from three-point range. When, Oakland rolled up the second highest point total in Summit tourney history in the 110-90 win against SDSU, Benson made his only three point shot attempt.
While Benson goes about his business in big steps, Michelson is the unheralded leader of the South Dakota State women's team. In 2009, Michelson was a role player for a dominant SDSU women's team that defeated Texas Tech in the NCAA tournament only to fall to Baylor on a last second shot. A year ago, she helped lead SDSU to a second Summit League title and gave Final Four qualifier Oklahoma fits in a first round game.
In 2011, Michelson's floor leadership and play-making abilities helped third-seeded SDSU win another Summit title. The Jackrabbits are 9-0 in three tournament. They are the only women's team ever to qualify for the NCAA tournament in its first three years of eligibility.
Michelson doesn't overwhelm anybody from first appearance. Yet, she is a fireplug who wears her emotions on her sleeve. When she makes a play, her fist pumping emotions draw the SDSU faithful to their feet. She carries that pep into the press conference room and doesn't flinch about how she leads as a person and a player.
SDSU's head coach Aaron Johnston said that while she may not be all-tournament type player, Michelson is one of the team's MVPs. Anybody who watched the Jacks' wins over IPFW and Oakland observed how her floor leadership was critical to the team's success.For the tournament, Michelson had 27 combined points, 13 assists six rebounds and five steals. Yet, it was her play in the semifinal win over IPFW that was crucial to the Jacks' championship. In that game, she had 15 points, three assists, three rebounds and hit three of five from three point range. Two of those three-point field goals were in back to back possessions in the second half. When she hit two free throws with 11 seconds to play, SDSU led 70-67 and they withstood a close call three-pointer to advance.
Throughout the semifinal game, IPFW guards utilized their quickness to torment SDSU's guards, except when Michelson was on the floor. She maintained the Jackrabbits slower tempo, utilizing inside strength, which enables them to keep the game and the score in front of them. Kristin Rotert's six three-pointers were critical as was a two-pointer with less than a minute to go, but it was SDSU's floor general, Michelson, that calmed down SDSU when IPFW continually fought back from large deficits.
Rotert was named the women's tournament MVP and with good reason. She averaged over 20 points per game and made a number of big shots for the Jacks. But for observers of the tournament, Michelson's heady floor play, complimented by several big baskets, was significant and maybe more important to the final result.
As both teams move on, it is expected that SDSU will have a seed from 14-16 while Oakland will receive a 12-13 seed. Funny how as dominant as Oakland has been in league play, it doesn't translate into a top ten tournament seed.
As the Summit League attempts to build its profile, an Oakland upset in the first round would be a major step. The same holds true for the Jackrabbit women. If the Summit League ever expects to receive more than its automatic bid, winning is the only remedy. And to win, Oakland will need big-time performance from its quiet giant Keith Benson. For SDSU, it will mean that Michelson is battling, making big plays, and providing the emotional lift that drives the team forward.
From my perspective, Michelson and Benson are the leading women and men for their respective partners in basketball's biggest boogie.
Notes on the tourney
Come on World Wide Leader -- I can hear Dan Patrick now, come on "World Wide Leader" you can do better. What should our mock headline be - Are we in California or South Dakota? The ESPNU commentators continually referred to SDSU as San Diego State, upsetting the Jackrabbit faithful as well as local media. Better preparation for the broadcast seems to be the order of the world wide leader's talent.
Scoreboard outage -- The Sioux Falls Arena has to rectify its haunting scoreboard issues. No matter what the reason, when a scoreboard issue props up two years in a row, it is sure to upset Summit League officials, coaches and even players. As smoothly as the tournament ran this year, future prospects for retaining the tourney in Sioux Falls, lay in part, with answering that one big board question. You can't have scoreboard issues on nationally televised games. It makes the league a bit less relevant and is embarrassing to the league and the host city.
Podium observations -- As moderator of several press conferences, my favorite players were Caitlyn Sears of Southern Utah, Macie Michelson of SDSU, and Reggie Hamilton of Oakland. Sears thanked the media for talking with her after her team lost - a classy young woman. Michelson showed her fiery spirit in the press conference room and Hamilton carried himself in that atmosphere like he did on the floor - quick witted and with a flare.
One has to always appreciate SDSU's Aaron Johnston's straight-talking confidence. He doesn't mince words and always gives a take on how it is. Greg Kampe of Oakland is passionate about his team; I think he had the longest answer to a question, like 2 1/2 minutes when he pointed out the greatness of Keith Benson.
Media shortfall -- Asking SDSU guard Jill Young if it was her first press conference, was not good. However Johnston followed up with a quip that it wasn't his first either. When one person initially showed up for the press conference after the men's championship for Oral Roberts Scott Sutton, it wasn't a shining moment for the media.
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