Klay Thompson gave a heartfelt thanks to his childhood idol, Kobe Bryant, during his acceptance speech at the 2022 ESPY awards.

Burke and South Dakota States Nate Wolters are two of the most exciting guards in college basketball this season.

Both are Wooden Award finalists and both will set the tone at each end of the floor in this matchup.

Both teams shoot well from behind the arc and marginally from the charity stripe. His ability to create both opportunities for his teammates and shots for himself put him among the list of elite-level players in college basketball.

Some tournament teams seemingly come out of nowhere in their bid for glory on the national stage.

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A second-round exit looks to be on the horizon for South Dakota State. They might not take a lot of threes, but they get on the move, they dont screw up and turn the ball over, and they score a whole lot of points.

Prediction: Michigan 70, South Dakota State 64.

The Wolverines are an 11-point favorite in this game for a reason.

ET, Betting Line: Michigan -11, over/under 138.5 (from BetOnline.com), Michigan Injuries: Tim Hardaway, Jr.knee, probable (per USA Today), South Dakota State Injuries: None (per USA Today).

As Chris Mannix of NBC Sports points out, the pressure is on Wolters in this matchup: Good matchup of NBA-caliber point guards on Thursday: Michigan's Trey Burke and South Dakota's Nate Wolters.

South Dakota State 83, South Dakota 70 Line: COMING, o/u: COMING ATS Confidence out of 5: COMING, CFN Latest NFL Mock Draft: Post-Combine, 5: College basketball starting now 1: Baseball negotiations, 2022 College Football Schedules: All 131 Teams. The Wolverines started the regular season 16-0 with several quality wins, but losses to Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan State and Ohio State raise some questions about their ability to hold up against some of the nations top talent. Either South Dakota is able to put up 85 points, or its in trouble because .

Burke has posted double-digit points in every contest this season, eclipsing the 20-point barrier 13 times.

Michigan escaped a brutal Big Ten schedule with all seven regular-season losses coming against conference foes. Averaging 19.2 points, 6.7 assists and 1.6 steals per game, Burke has done plenty to justify the hype this season. Jonas Vingegaard wins final mountain stage on Hautacam Tadej Pogacar crashes on descent; rival Vingegaard waits Vingegaard becomes leader in mountains competition Wout van Aert extends lead in one-man race for green Remaining list of teams and riders after 18 Tour stages, After the Steelers signed defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi in June, there were plenty of people who noted that Ogunjobi was suspended one game for his role in a 2019 brawl with the Steelers.

South Dakota States biggest win? Not only is the sophomore point guard electric with the ball in his hands, hes also one of the most consistent players on any squad in the nation. It was meant to be one of the happiest times of her life.

Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content, Michigan -11, over/under 138.5 (from BetOnline.com).

Patriots safety Devin McCourty heard Asante Samuel's comments about the Tom Brady vs. Bill Belichick debate -- and has a slightly different opinion than Samuel on the subject. The Jackrabbits (25-9) defeated North Dakota State in the Summit League championship last week, locking up their berth in the Big Dance in dominant fashion. Wolters needs a big game.

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Its on a 19-game winning streak with an offense thats hitting everything.

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At 64, Wolters has the size to be a mismatch problem for Burke and the Wolverines.

Rebounds, assists and turnovers per game are fairly even and just one point per game separates the two squads offensively.

1 in the nation in field goal percentage hitting 53% of its shots its unbelievable from three, and its about to get past a fantastic performance from South Dakota with a big late run to finally pull away.

(Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports). With VCU, North Carolina and Kansas potentially on the horizon with a win over South Dakota State, Michigan will have an opportunity to quell some of those concerns and prove its inconsistency wont be a factor in the NCAA tournament.

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Apart from the obvious implications of a second-round loss, both South Dakota State and Michigan have a lot to play for.

Its a disaster trying to guard the three, it doesnt block shots or intimidate, and there just arent any steals. The Wolverines traversed a schedule filled with top-tier competition in the regular season.

South Dakota States RPI (62, per realtimerpi.com) and strength of schedule (189, per teamrankings.com) pale in comparison to Michigans marks. The Jackrabbits reached the national tournament last season for the first time in program history, falling to Baylor 68-60.

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However, those stats mean very little in the NCAA tournament.

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Okay, so thats all a little much the D isnt that awful but it allows teams to hit 45% from the field and its not going to come up with the big stops when needed.

Theyre a tad inconsistent overall, but theyre hovering around 50% from the field over the last several weeks because they get to the rim and they move the ball around well enough to create easy shots. Among the players that are still available in NBA free agency, where could guys like Collin Sexton, Carmelo Anthony, and Dennis Schroder end up? During the ESPY awards Wednesday night, Andre Iguodala sincerely apologized for Warriors owner Joe Lacob getting fined by the NBA.

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South Dakota State is doing everything right. South Dakota State doesnt have the makings of a dangerous sleeper this year, but it does have a chance to gain added exposure and experience on which to build for future seasons. Statistically, both teams have had very similar seasons.

His 27-point performance against North Dakota State in the Summit League finals clinched the conference championship for the Jackrabbits, securing their bid in the Big Dance. Lets take a look at all the information youll need to pick a winner in this second-round matchup.

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Be sure to fill out your NCAA tournament bracket with this Printable PDF, Follow all the action with this Live Bracket, which will be updated throughout the tournament, Make your picks for the 2013 NCAA Tournament here with the Bracket Challenge Game. South Dakota doesnt do much of that whole defense thing. News, Golden State Warriors player Andrew Wiggins also shared why teammate Steph Curry will make a great 2022 ESPYS host. South Dakota States roster features just one other player scoring more than 12 points per game (Jordan Dykstra, 12.5 PPG), and Wolters doesnt have the running mates Burke has in Hardaway and Robinson.

The Wolverines, led by sophomore point guard Trey Burke, boast one of the best backcourts in the nation, but some critical second-half losses in the imposing Big Ten have perhaps slowed their momentum entering the tournament. Allyson Felix, Aaron Rodgers, Katie Ledecky, Oksana Masters and Stephen Curry are some of the beloved athletes nominated for major awards at the 2022 ESPYS.

With a year of tournament experience now in their pocket, the Jackrabbits are in position to build on last years appearance with a strong showing in this years action.

Its a team more than prepared to keep up in a possible up-and-down shootout with a South Dakota State team that scores 80 points getting off the bus.

Ogunjobi was playing for the Browns when Myles Garrett bashed Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph in the head with a helmet during an [more]. Michigan holds the advantage at nearly every position on the floor. And suddenly, it did not seem like the time to celebrate.

Wolters has put up bigger numbers this season, but he has less to work with at the offensive end than Michigans standout point guard. In an exclusive interview with E! With 22.7 points, 5.8 assists and 5.6 rebounds per game this season, Wolters has established himself as one of the countrys most dangerous point guards.

Coming off a four-game win streak, South Dakota State will be poised to play the giant-killer role in the second round.

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The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. The Big Ten demolished itself in the regular season, but Indiana, Ohio State and Michigan State escaped in better tournament position than Michigan.

The fourth-seeded Michigan Wolverines are in arguably the toughest region to traverse in the NCAA tournament this year. Depth and consistent production from several key starters make the Wolverines a dangerous opponent to face for any team in the tournament. As long as the South Dakota defense can hit its threes it makes them when it takes them itll be in this late. While I dont believe the final score will be that lopsided, its hard to envision a scenario in which Michigan doesnt advance past the Jackrabbits on Thursday. Wolters will have a marquee game for the Jackrabbits, but it wont be enough to upend Burke and his Wolverines.

South Dakota State is a newcomer to the Big Dance.

If the Wolverines are to face a potential rematch with any of those teams, they will have to get through a brutal South Region.

The Columbus native didnt exactly come out of nowhere, but his sophomore campaign has been superior to nearly everything he did as a freshman last season. For the Jackrabbits to stay alive in the tournament, theyll need a massive performance from their best player. With a matchup against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits in the round of 64, the Wolverines will be challenged from the onset of the tournament. A 70-65 win at New Mexico on the heels of a blowout loss at Belmont. Its No. Michigan is a heavy favorite to escape the second round unscathed, but as weve seen time and again this college basketball season, anything can happen between the first whistle and the last.

Hes a better shooter than he is a slasher, and with a four-inch advantage over his counterpart, a little separation will mean a lot of points for Wolters from behind the arc on Thursday. With MLB's second half resuming Thursday, let's take a look at some predictions for the 2022 World Series, MVP and where Juan Soto will end up. Minty Bets, Nick Bromberg, Pamela Maldonado, Frank Schwab, Andy Behrens, Dalton Del Don, Matt Harmon, Liz Loza, Scott Pianowski, South Dakota vs South Dakota State prediction, college basketball game preview, how to watch: Monday, March 7, Date: Monday, March 7 Game Time: 7:00 ET Venue: Denny Sanford Premier Center, Sioux Falls, SD How To Watch: ESPN+ Record: South Dakota (19-11), South Dakota State (28-4) Sign up and live stream college basketball on ESPN+ Todays Best Bet to Lock in Now.

Where: The Palace of Auburn Hills, Detroit, MI, When: Thursday, March 21, at 7:15 p.m. With Tim Hardaway, Jr. and Glenn Robinson III flanking him in the backcourt, Burke wont have to be Michigans primary scorer throughout the tournament, but he will assume a critical role on the defensive end of the floor against South Dakota State and Wolters.