GAME NOTES: After a disappointing loss in the Summit League Tournament last year that ended the team's season, the South Dakota State Jackrabbits will start the quest for postseason play once again as they travel to face the Buffalo Bulls in non-conference action on opening night at Alumni Arena.

Although the Jackrabbits fell short in their loss to IPFW (64-60) in the league's tournament last season, SDSU still managed to finish the 2013-14 campaign with a 19-13 overall record and an impressive 10-4 mark in conference play.

Buffalo played extremely well down the stretch last season, but fell short in the Mid-American Conference Tournament that ended the team's 19-10, 13-5 campaign. The Bulls lose some big names from their roster headed into the new season.

South Dakota State has won the only contest between these two teams in their brief all-time series history. That contest came during the 2011-12 season, when the Jackrabbits and Bulls met in the BracketBuster at Frost Arena in Brookings, South Dakota.

Last year was the first time in three seasons the Jackrabbits didn't make it to the NCAA Tournament via the Summit League's automatic postseason bid. Even though SDSU was dropped in the conference tournament, the Jacks still made it to the College Basketball Invitational. Things may not be looking as great as last season however, since South Dakota State is entering the new campaign without two of the Summit League's best players from a year ago in Jordan Dykstra (16.0 ppg, 7.6 rpg) and Brayden Carlson (14.9 ppg). The team is also missing reliable role player Chad White (9.7 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 66 assists), who started all 30 games in which he played.

Now that several of the team's leadership roles are up for grabs, the reins will seem to fall to Cody Larson (13.1 ppg, 7.0 rpg), who shot 52 percent from the floor in 2013-14, and Jake Bittle (8.5 ppg) - the only other returning starter. In the team's seven-point exhibition victory over Dakota Weslyan, Deondre Parks scored a team-high 20 points, while Reed Tellinghuisen netted 19 with seven rebounds.

This year, Buffalo is without Javon McCrea (18.5 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 65 blocked shots), Joshua Freelove (13.5 ppg) and starting point guard Jarod Oldham (8.5 ppg, 153 assists), so the uncertainty of what lies ahead is palpable. Forward Will Regan is the team's returning leading scorer, having averaged 10.6 ppg and a healthy 5.8 rpg. He's joined by key reserves from 2013 Shannon Evans (8.5 ppg, 95 assists) and Jarryn Skeete (5.5 ppg). Xavier Ford, who started 17 games last season, also returns, and coach Bobby Hurley believes freshman Lamonte Bearden will become a fixture with the team almost right away.

In Buffalo's 79-60 victory over Wheeling Jesuit in an exhibition match last week, Regan topped the team with 16 points, and added eight rebounds in the contest. Both Evans and Mory Diane chipped in with 14 points, and Ford netted 12 with four steals. Raheem Johnson came off the bench to pull down a team- best nine rebounds.

Still, no one can replace McCrea, who was an absolute beast in every aspect of the game and the heart and soul of the Buffalo lineup a year ago. South Dakota State has similar problems having to replace Dykstra and Carlson, although Parks really broke through in the team's exhibition. Both teams will take some time to adjust, but the Jackrabbits are a more well-rounded squad going forward.