Summit League Preview: 2026-27 College Basketball Predictions & Best Bets Recap
Ryan McIntyre (@Moneyline_Mac) and Elliot Money (@IM_MonEy) from the Pump Fake pod break down the 2026-27 Summit League preview, starting with Mark Turgeon’s return to the Midwest at UMKC. It ends with Ryan McIntyre riding St. Thomas and Elliot Money taking South Dakota State in Sioux Falls.
The Bison, The Tommies And The Turgeon Era
North Dakota State is the team to beat until somebody proves otherwise. The Bison beat North Dakota in last year’s title game. That sent Dave Richmond back to the Big Dance for his fourth trip in 13 years. St. Thomas also went 12-4 in league play and still came up short. Meanwhile, Omaha and South Dakota State both had down years by their own standards. The league is down to eight teams because Denver left for the WCC. Elliot Money co-hosts the Pump Fake pod, and he passed along a rumor. The Missouri Valley could look at poaching UMKC, Omaha and St. Thomas. Omaha and UMKC fit on a map, but a St. Paul school in the Valley feels like a reach.
The headline hire is in Kansas City. Mark Turgeon takes over the Kangaroos after runs at Wichita State, Texas A&M and Maryland. Ryan McIntyre calls it a hell of a hire for the Roos. Elliot Money grew up 20 minutes from Wichita State and went to Turgeon’s camps as a kid. But he also expects some pain in year one, because first-year transitions are rarely smooth. Then there’s the building. UMKC moves its home games to the Kansas City Municipal Auditorium, which holds about 10,600. That arena hosted John Wooden’s first NCAA title. So it beats a rec center by a mile, but Turgeon has to win enough to fill it.
Stock Up On The Roos, Stock Down On North Dakota
Both guys took UMKC as the stock-up team, and it wasn’t close. Turgeon is a proven coach going back to his Midwest roots. Even if the wins lag, the buzz around the program is real. Elliot Money also added South Dakota State as a second stock-up pick. The Jackrabbits went 14-18 overall and 7-9 in the Summit in Peterson’s first season. They bring back the most returning production in the league, too. So year two looks like the spot where South Dakota State starts looking like South Dakota State again. That is an easy buy.
The stock-down call was just as unanimous. North Dakota reached the title game last year and lost to its rival. Now they lose a lot of that talent, and both guys expect a real step back. Elliot Money said Oral Roberts might be the only team they finish above. By the time the rankings came out, both had them in the basement anyway. They lost Egelstaff before last season and somehow got better. But that kind of magic rarely repeats, so the guys see a boomerang year. From the championship game to the basement is a rough trip.
Our Summit League Preview Standings Start With The Tommies
St. Thomas is the regular-season pick from both guys. The coaches’ poll has the Tommies second, but Elliot Money bumps them up one spot to first. The big reason is Kendall Blue coming home. He averaged over 12 points a game two years ago, then barely played at Nebraska. Now he’s back next to Carter Bajerk and Austin Hero, and the roster runs deep. The Tommies also keep knocking on the door. They finished one game back two years ago and two games back last year. So with that continuity, Ryan McIntyre thinks this is the year they finally get it done.
Second place is where they split. Elliot Money has South Dakota State at two, because second-year coaches tend to take the leap. The Jackrabbits return Joe Saylor and Jalen Gary. They also add Miles Thompson from SIU Edwardsville by way of Barton County Community College. Then there’s Jesse Van Kalsbeek, the sleeper player of the year pick from Troy Chewning (@Troychewning). He put up 28 points, 12 rebounds and five assists a game at Northwestern College in Iowa, an NAIA school. Meanwhile, Ryan McIntyre trusts Richmond a little more and keeps the Bison second. Both guys agree it’s a clear top three.
The middle of the table gets messy. Elliot Money slots Omaha fourth with only one returning starter, because a lot of talent is coming in. Ryan McIntyre goes South Dakota fourth and Omaha fifth. Elliot Money has the Coyotes fifth and keeps it simple: they can score, but they can’t defend. At six, Elliot Money gets bold with UMKC. He sees a 5-11 or 6-10 league record after last year’s 3-13. Meanwhile, Ryan McIntyre likes Oral Roberts at six in year two under Barnett, with the Roos seventh. Elliot Money flips those two. And both put North Dakota eighth.
Tommies Dancing, Jackrabbits In Sioux Falls
The conference tournament is where the guys finally break. Elliot Money takes South Dakota State, because the event is in Sioux Falls and the Jackrabbits fans will have the place rocking. His theory is the Tommies get high and mighty after winning the regular season. But Ryan McIntyre rides the Tommies all the way to the dance. They’re eligible now, and Tommyville has waited a long time for this one. For player of the year, both pick Kendall Blue, though Carter Bajerk got a mention. Coach of the year splits again. Elliot Money goes Peterson, and Ryan McIntyre goes John Tower to finish his Tommies clean sweep.
Podcast Chapters
00:00 Download the SGPN App Today!
01:01 Summit League Doubleheader With Elliot Money
02:57 Bison, Tommies and the Turgeon Era
12:08 Stock Up, Stock Down
15:13 Regular Season Finish: Tommies, Jackrabbits, Bison
24:44 Conference Champion, Player and Coach of the Year
27:50 Sign-Off & Socials
