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We continue our 2016-17 season preview interview series with South Dakota State SO PF Mike Daum. There is very little room left in his trophy case despite having just 1 year under his belt: last season he was named Freshman All-American, Summit League Freshman of the Year, Summit League 6th Man of the Year, and conference tourney MVP. He has only started 2 games in his college career yet he is the unquestioned leader of the Jackrabbits after topping the team in PPG/RPG/FT%. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Mike about his sensational debut season and adjusting to a new head coach.
You grew up in Nebraska: what made you choose South Dakota State? It was a combination of the players/coaches when I took my recruiting trip here. SDSU made a big effort to stand out to me right away and I felt that it was the right school for me.
Last year you were named conference ROY/6th Man of the Year: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start, and how is your mindset going to change as you make the switch from sub to starter? I went into the season with the mindset of making the most of my minutes and playing as hard as I could. I kept my head down and just played the game. This year I still have a humble mentality just like last year: I have a lot of work to do and will do whatever Coach asks of me.
You were also #3 in the conference with 82.4 FT%: what is your secret for making FTs? Nothing going through my mind: my mom said that I should just step up to the line and shoot it and it seems to go in for me.
You shot 44.6 3P%: how are you able to make shots from behind the arc despite standing 6’9”, 245 pounds? It started when I was younger: my mom worked with me on my form/wrist flick/release. I did not know that I would end up as 6’9” and my shot has improved over the years.
In the 2016 Summit League title game you scored 18 PTS in a win over North Dakota State en route to being named conference tourney MVP: how were you able to play your best when it mattered the most? There was not a different mentality in the title game: I take it 1 game as a time and treat it like the last game I might ever play.
In the 2016 NCAA tourney you scored 16 PTS in a 5-PT loss to Maryland: what did you learn from that game that you think can help you this year? The physicality of that game was a lot different: the Terps had several guys who ended up getting drafted. It just shows that we can compete with anybody if we get to work: it was a great eye-opening experience for me.
You have a new coach this year in TJ Otzelberger: what is he like, and how has the transition been so far? The transition was phenomenal: it was tough when Coach Nagy left but we have a whole new energy and we are super-excited about Coach TJ. We are looking forward to getting it going and playing for him.
Your non-conference schedule includes games against Cal/Northern Iowa/Wichita State: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? All of those games will present big tests in a different way. Cal has great players: Ivan Rabb is a phenomenal player who will probably be a top-10 pick.
You only have 2 seniors on the roster: do you think this team is built to win now or is it going to be a work in progress? I think we are very capable of doing just fine right now. We have great leadership and we know what we can do.
What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? As of now we do not have any goals, but every team wants to win their conference tourney and make the NCAA tourney. We are focusing more on ourselves and making ourselves better both on and off the court. We will have more camaraderie this year, which should carry over into our games.