South Dakota State guard Zeke Mayo (2) rebounds against Alabama during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Friday, Nov. 12, 2021, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)

Former Lawrence High standout Zeke Mayo’s first season of college basketball will continue into the NCAA Tournament.

Mayo’s South Dakota State Jackrabbits earned the automatic bid from the Summit League by topping North Dakota State in this week’s conference tournament title game, 75-69 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Mayo scored 12 points in 37 minutes and hit a key runner late in the game to give the Jackrabbits a three-point lead inside the final minute.

ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi has SDSU projected as a No. 12 seed in his latest Bracketology, and the Jackrabbits already have been pegged by several college basketball analysts as a team to watch to pull off a first-round upset. If they land as a 12 seed, the history of 12s upsetting 5s only figures to work in their favor.

A starter for South Dakota State in 20 of the team’s 34 games so far this season, Mayo averaged 9.6 points per game this season and shot 41.7% from 3-point range. He hit 53 3-pointers in 127 attempts, both marks ranking second on the team.

Before heading north, Mayo was a multi-year standout for the Lions, helping to lead LHS to four state tournament appearances during his prep career.

As a senior, Mayo was named the Sunflower League Player of the Year after averaging 21.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.9 steals per game. He scored a season-high 41 points in his final game as a Lion at the 2021 state semifinals.

Mayo also was a co-recipient of the 2021 DiRenna Award, which is given annually to the best player in the Kansas City metro area.

Mayo and his team, along with the rest of the college basketball world, will learn their postseason fate during Sunday’s NCAA Tournament Selection Show set for 5 p.m. on CBS. The tournament is slated to begin on Tuesday and Wednesday with the First Four games in Dayton, Ohio. Round 1 games begin Thursday and this year’s Final Four is set for April 2 and 4 in New Orleans.