South Dakota State transfer Baylor Scheierman narrows focus to top five

After contact from at least two dozen high-major programs, South Dakota State guard Baylor Scheierman has cut his list of favorites down to just five teams, according to Draft Express reporter Jonathan Givony.

Arkansas, Clemson, Creighton, Duke, Nebraska are the five finalists, per Scheierman’s agent Austin Walton. The final five won’t have to wait long as he’s making his decision in the next week.

Kentucky, Kansas, Mississippi State, Texas, and Wake Forest were the five schools that did not make the cut from his top 10 to the top five.

Last week, after declaring for the NBA Draft, the 6-foot-6 shooting guard entered the transfer portal. He’s maintaining his eligibility and looking for a new home despite exploring the draft waters.

Last year at South Dakota State, Scheierman averaged 16.2 points, 7.8 points and 4.5 assists to help the Jackrabbits to a 30-5 overall record and a perfect 18-0 record in conference play. They appeared in the NCAA Tournament as a No. 13 seed and fell to Providence in the first round of the big dance.

Baylor Scheierman down to five

The former Jackrabbit is a rising senior with two years of college eligibility. He graduated from Aurora High School out of his home state Nebraska in 2019, averaging 22.1 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game as a senior. He came out of high school as a two-star basketball recruit and did not hold any scholarships from high-major programs.

Scheierman’s first season with South Dakota was a major growing experience. He played 20 minutes per contest, averaging just 6.0 points and 4.7 rebounds while shooting 42.7 percent from the field and 24.7 percent from three-point range.

He made a dramatic jump in his sophomore season, nearly tripling his scoring output. In 35 minutes per game, he had soaring to 15.4 points while shooting 49.8/43.8/84.5. Scheierman earned First Team All-Summit League honors for his hard work.