The St. Thomas men’s basketball team was the preseason pick to win the Summit League title, making the Tommies the odds-on favorite to win the conference tournament and make history in its first season of eligibility for the NCAA Division I tournament.

The tournament’s winner earns the Summit League’s automatic bid.

Despite finishing second to North Dakota State in the regular-season standings, the Tommies (23-8 overall, 12-4 Summit) head to Sioux Falls, S.D., this week liking their chances to make program history.

St. Thomas men’s basketball coach Johnny Tauer acknowledges the crowd at Lee & Penny Anderson Arena after his team’s 92-75 victory over Oral Roberts on Feb. 7, 2026, (Kason Zetah/St. Thomas Athletics)

Only three victories away from landing in the field of 68, the Tommies wouldn’t be human if they weren’t thinking about what the end of this weekend might hold for them.

“It’s definitely hard,” senior guard Ryan Dufault said. “I’ve had trouble not thinking about it as the season has gone on. But we just have to play the same way and not do anything different. We have such a talented roster; everyone is coming together right now.

“Defensively we’ve been playing so well, and everyone is just buying in to winning.”

Along with averaging a conference-best 85.7 points per game in Summit League play, and rallying around that renewed commitment to defense, the Tommies are bolstered by an 84-62 thumping of North Dakota State six days ago at Anderson Arena that earned a regular-season split.

“We don’t talk a lot about, ‘Oh, they’re in first place so this game means more,’ ” Tommies head coach Johnny Tauer said of the win. “I think it was a magical night here because of the crowd, and they had a lot of Bison fans here who live in the Twin Cities.

“But it’s just like any game — you get humbled in sports really quickly if you think you’ve arrived. I can tell you lessons we learned from the four conference losses, but we’ve also learned really important lessons (from wins).

“It was a great win. They beat us the first time. Our guys were pleased with how they played, but they know it’s one game.”

The Tommies also were pleased with how the regular season ended. They beat Omaha 68-53 after losing 98-94 to the Mavericks on Feb. 12.

“I feel like right now we are playing with the most joy we’ve played with all year,” said leading scorer Nolan Minessale. “I think we’re really connected, and we’re peaking at the right time. … We’re still young and we’re still learning (but) we’re learning that the more united and connected we play, the better we’re going to be.”

The Tommies open tournament play on Thursday against seventh-seeded South Dakota State (8-8, 14-17). The Tommies won both meetings during the regular season, but both games were competitive. Adding to the challenge for the Tommies, the Jackrabbits are sure to have a strong contingent of fans on hand after making the one-hour drive from Brookings.

“Historically, they are as good as any team in the Summit League,” Tauer said. “Everything you do against them you are going to earn it, because they’re tough, they’re well coached, they’re veteran — and we’re on the road. It will be a great test.”

The Tommies entered the season with only four players who had played significant minutes at the Division I level. They made it through the regular season without losing two games in a row while enjoying a nine-game winning streak in December and January.

“When you look at where we were seven our eight games into the season, I think they’ve grown leaps and bounds,” Tauer said. “Collectively, the synergy they play with on offense, the trust they have developed in one another on defense has been really impressive.”

Added Minessale: “There’s been an emphasis to defend, defend, defend, and our offense will come, because what makes us special is how unselfish we are. Even when our offense is struggling, it is going to come at times, just because of how we move the ball.”

The Tommies have long been a team that relies on the 3-point shot, but an infusion of more athletic players has allowed them to take the ball to the basket with more regularity and more success.

“It’s much more of an inside-out attack now,” Tauer said. “And the 3 should be a function of the way they are guarding our 2s.”

The Tommies are shooting 63.9 percent on 2-pointers, which leads the nation. Meanwhile, the 3-pointer remains a legitimate weapon, with the Tommies connecting on nearly 37 percent of their attempts.

They have proven tough to beat when they can couple their high-powered offense with tenacious defense. It will be the recipe for success in Sioux Falls.

“The best teams in March are usually the well-rounded ones,” Tauer said. “You want to be elite in both areas, but there aren’t a lot of teams that are truly elite in both areas. But I do think there are a lot more ways we can win.”

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