Big Sky Conference update – Jan 26, 2012

JUST IN TIME FOR TONIGHT’S GAMES… All the news you ever wanted to know about the Big Sky, the weekly edition.
YOUR WEEKLY DAMIAN LILLARD IS A STUD LINK-FEST: A Salt Lake Tribune story on his success. USA Today also jumped in sometime in the last week to talk about him. Then there’s this little blurb which went up at noon EST on Wednesday afternoon. Finally, here is Lillard’s Draft Express page.

Eastern Washington
Record: 9-11, 3-4, t5th
Weekend: 0-1
Major superlatives: Lost by 2 in OT; 76 ppg for, 78 against.
Season conference stats: 4th scoring offense (72.7 ppg), 4th scoring defense (69.9 ppg), 3rd scoring margin (plus-3.7). Percentages: 173-417 FG (9th), 67-196 3-point (7th) 96-140 FT (5th).
What it means: Portland State walked into Cheney and walked out with an OT win, which only intensifies this rivalry and makes the return trip on Feb. 25 potentially for anything from the No. 3 seed to maybe EWU getting into the tournament. And it’s just fun. Worse is the knowledge you had the lead throughout the second half, though it never got higher than five, but got outscored 7-3 in the final 1:28 of regulation. Also, having the lead until the final 40 seconds of OT and coughing it up is going to make Jim Hayford’s club really, really mad.

Idaho State
Record: 5-14, 3-4, t5th
Weekend: 1-0
Major superlatives: Won by 16; 78 ppg for, 62 ppg against; plus-16 scoring margin.
Season conference stats: T7th scoring offense (64.0 ppg), 3rd scoring defense (69.0 ppg), 7th scoring margin (minus-5). Percentages: 156-368 FG (7th), 42-123 3-point (8th), 94-138 (6th).
What it means: More road-warriorness from the Bengals – “NAU led by 11 points early in the contest, but the Bengals came back to tie the game at the half and carried the momentum into the second half. After extending the lead to 10 points at 52-42, the Bengals went on a 14-0 run to pull away from the Lumberjacks, leading by as many 25 points. NAU was out-scored 46-30 overall in the second half.” Now all they have to do is beat UNC in Greeley (which happens tonight) and they can start to maybe think about the postseason. Unless they continue to go 1-2 every three home games, which projects to a 2-6 or 3-5 home record. In conference.

Montana
Record: 13-6, 6-1, 2nd
Weekend: 2-0
Major superlatives: Won by 18, won by 29; 80.5 ppg for, 57 against; plus-23.5 scoring margin.
Season conference stats: 3rd scoring offense (75.0 ppg), 1st scoring defense (60/9 ppg), 1st scoring margin (plus-14.1). Percentages: 182-348 FG (1st), 48-113 3-point (2nd), 113-151 FT (3rd).
What it means: Feast on the weary and poor, bide time until the rematch with Weber State. And watch out for the intrastate rival, who could be nipping on UM’s heels when the first rivalry game comes around in Bozeman in a couple Saturdays.

Montana State
Record: 10-8, 5-2, 3rd
Weekend: 2-0
Major superlatives: Won by 7, won by 12; 78 ppg for, 68.5 against; plus-9.5 scoring margin.
Season conference stats: 5th scoring offense (72.0 ppg), 6th scoring defense (70.9 ppg), 5th scoring margin (plus-1.1). Percentages: 178-388 FG (5th), 56-132 3-point (3rd), 92-129 FT (4th).
What it means: There was crunch-time defense and MSU set itself apart, albeit at home vs. UNC. True test will come in Greeley, Colo. But MSU seems to have found a gameplan – shoot steady when possible, start hot and counter-punch when punched. MSU jumped from almost seventh in FT percentage to fourth and sank 34 free throws this past weekend at home, but it is relying on outscoring opponents and getting defensive stops only when it matters.

Northern Arizona
Record: 5-15, 1-7, 8th
Weekend: 0-2
Major superlatives: Lost by 14; lost by 16; 64.5 ppg for, 79.5 against; minus-15 scoring margin.
Season conference stats: t7th scoring offense (64.0 ppg), 9th scoring defense (76.8 ppg), 9th scoring margin (minus-12.6). Percentages: 181-431 FG (8th), 45-129 3-point (6th), 105-155 FT (7th).
What it means: Seven losses in a row, and now the big question becomes “Where does this program go once this season ends?” Safe to say there won’t be a playoff berth for NAU unless UNC and ISU completely fall apart. The chance to play spoiler is all the Lumberjacks can look for at this point and the administration must start thinking about the program’s future. There is a good young base to work with because Adras was a solid coach and he and his staff recruited well.

Northern Colorado
Record: 6-12, 3-4, t5th
Weekend: 0-2
Major superlatives: Lost by 18; lost by 12; 65 ppg for, 80 against; minus-15 scoring margin.
Season conference stats: 6th scoring offense (67.4 ppg), 5th scoring defense (70.0 ppg), 6th scoring margin (minus-2.4). Percentages: 157-313 FG (2nd), 32-62 3-point 42-89 (1st), 116-173 FT (8th).
What it means: Losses on the road to the Montana teams mean a logjam for one of the last two spots. Not much because the road record is 1-2 in conference, but the home games against the Montana schools become that much bigger. If the Bears sweep at home this weekend, they’re at 5-4 and right back in it. Big game tonight vs. ISU.

Portland State
Record: 10-9, 4-3, 4th
Weekend: 1-0
Major superlatives: Won by 2 in OT; 78 ppg for, 76 against.
Season conference stats: 1st scoring offense (77.7 ppg), t8th scoring defense (75.7 ppg), 5th scoring margin (plus-2). Percentages: 181-364 FG (3rd), 43-109 3-point (5th), 139-184 FT (2nd).
What it means: This home weekend is very big. Even a split might vault them into third. There’s not much more to add at this point; this weekend is very big and all the Vikings know it.

Sacramento State
Record: 5-13, 0-7, 9th
Weekend: 0-2
Major superlatives: Lost by 7, lost by 29; 60.5 points for; 78.5 against; minus-18 scoring margin.
Season conference stats: 9th scoring offense (61.1 ppg), 7th scoring defense (71.1 ppg), 8th scoring margin (minus-10.0). Percentages: 153-353 FG (6th), 29-104 3-point (9th), 93-142 FT (9th).
What it means: The tailspin continues and the fanbase is apathetic to it at this point.

Weber State
Record: 15-3, 7-0, 1st
Weekend: 1-0
Major superlatives: Won by 14; 81 ppg for, 67 against.
Season conference stats: 2nd scoring offense (77.1 ppg), 2nd scoring defense (65.3 ppg), 2nd scoring margin (plus-11.9). Percentages: 178-397 FG (4th), 58-146 3-point (4th), 126-151 FT (1st).
What it means: The top 3, right now, is intriguing. WSU has command of the Big Sky, but has to make the always-dreaded-by-everyone Montana trip later this year. Randy Rahe’s club, if it continues to play steady and solid, will host the BSC tournament for what feels like the hundredth year in a row, but they didn’t host last season and had only hosted six years in a row before that. If not, Missoula or even Bozeman has an outside shot at hosting a tournament.

Big Sky Conference update – January 18, 2012

We’re back and slightly better than before, and we have the latest Big Sky notes.

Eastern Washington
Record: 9-9, 3-3, t5th
Weekend: 1-1
Major superlatives: Won by 5, lost by 1; 67.5 ppg for, 65.5 against; plus-4 scoring margin.
Season conference stats: 4th scoring offense (72.2 ppg), 6th scoring defense (68.5 ppg), 3rd scoring margin (plus-3.7). Percentages: 145-347 FG (7th), 61-171 3-point (6th) 82-116 FT (4th).
What it means: Middle of the pack after nearly halfway through, with the upper hand on Northern Arizona, Sac State and Montana State. Only MSU is above the Eagles in the standings, which makes a Jan. 28 home date with the Bobcats the most crucial game the rest of the month, even as they host Portland State on the 21st.

Idaho State
Record: 4-14, 2-4, 6th
Weekend: 1-1
Major superlatives: Won by 1, lost by 12; 68 ppg for, 73.5 ppg against; minus-5.5 scoring margin.
Season conference stats: 9th scoring offense (61.2 ppg), 6th scoring defense (70.2 ppg), 8th scoring margin (minus-9).
What it means: One step forward, one step back. Down 14 with under 5 to go, win on a four-point play with 8 seconds left had people in Pocatello happy until they went to Portland and somehow the Vikings took 36 foul shots. They’ve got two road wins, one over a team picked highly by coaches & media (Northern Colorado). That’s big, but they’re 0-3 at home in the conference. Anomaly city for interim head coach Deane Martin.

Montana
Record: 11-6, 4-1, 2nd
Weekend: 1-1
Major superlatives: Won by 25, lost by 16; 61.5 ppg for, 67.5 against; minus-6 scoring margin.
Season conference stats: 5th scoring offense (69.6 ppg), 7th scoring defense (71.8 ppg), 6th scoring margin (plus-10.4). Percentages: 128-248 FG (1st), 34-74 3-point (2nd), 74-101 FT (3rd).
What it means: For now, it means the Wildcats stand alone. UM played without center Derek Selvig, who can shoot and defend both outside and inside. Another post, Art Steward, fouled out with 16 minutes to go in the game. The Grizzlies are still on the path to finish top-2 right now, and shot a not horrible, but not great, 20-52 (38.5%) in the game to drop to 51.6% shooting in Big Sky play. You read that right – 51.6% despite a near-40% game in Ogden.

Montana State
Record: 8-8, 3-2, t3rd
Weekend: 1-1
Major superlatives: Lost by 14, won by 2, ; 71 ppg for, 66.5 against; plus-4.5 scoring margin.
Season conference stats: 8th scoring offense (60.4 ppg), 4th scoring defense (68.2 ppg), 8th scoring margin (minus-7.8). Percentages: 126-269 FG (4th), 38-87 3-point (3rd), 58-89 FT (7th).
What it means: One, the team is perimeter oriented. Nearly as many 3-pointers as free throws, and a better percentage from beyond the arc. Two, things are relatively as they should be for the Bobcats. MSU owns roadies over ISU and Northern Arizona now, but needed late heroics from a player or two to offset the fact it let a 15-point lead slip away. Suffice to say, crunch-time defense is not a current strong suit of the Bobcats’. Big game looms Saturday when Northern Colorado comes to Bozeman, but can’t overlook Sacramento State, as bad as the Hornets are.

Northern Arizona
Record: 5-13, 1-5, 7th
Weekend: 0-2
Major superlatives: Lost by 25, lost by 2; 62.5 ppg for, 76 against; minus-14.5 scoring margin.
Season conference stats: 7th scoring offense (63.8 ppg), t8th scoring defense (75.7 ppg), 9th scoring margin (minus-11.8). Percentages: 135-337 FG (8th), 30-93 3-point (8th), 83-119 FT (5th).
What it means: The honeymoon for interim head coach Dave Brown is over. Since the Arizona Styate upset at the buzzer, NAU has posted one victory, a 9-point win over fellow bottom-feeder Sac State. The next chance comes in Pocatello on Saturday, because they’re not losing in Ogden on Thursday. Outside of MSU, the losing streak margin is minus-18.75.

Northern Colorado
Record: 6-10, 3-2, t3rd
Weekend: 1-1
Major superlatives: Lost by 11, won by 1; 73 ppg for, 78 against; minus-5 scoring margin.
Season conference stats: 6th scoring offense (68.4 ppg), 3rd scoring defense (66.0 ppg), 4th scoring margin (plus-2.4). Percentages: 112-223 FG (3rd), 32-62 3-point (1st), 86-133 FT (8th).
What it means: If Portland State makes a charge, UNC will feel the pain of a loss. Staved off a Washington state sweep, barely, to stay above sea level after 5 BSC games. It’s been flip, flop since conference started and this weekend’s trip into Montana marks a four-game, two-weekend(ish) road trip for B.J. Hill’s team. They own a win over NAU, but ISU owns a win over them and hosts the Bears – after they get through playing UM and MSU.

Portland State
Record: 9-9, 3-3, t5th
Weekend: 0-1
Major superlatives: Won by 1, won by 12; 83 ppg for, 71.5 ppg against; plus-11.5 scoring margin.
Season conference stats: 1st scoring offense (77.7 ppg), t8th scoring defense (75.7 ppg), 5th scoring margin (plus-2).
What it means: The Washington teams are both on equal footing at this point, which was sort of expected but also seems strange in a way. This Saturday, they duke it out to get separation from each other in Cheney. PSU has a little momentum after two wins in a row, but Tyler Geving’s team seems mercurial at this point – like Hayford’s Eagles squad or both MSU and UNC.

Sacramento State
Record: 5-11, 0-5, 9th
Weekend: 0-2
Major superlatives: Lost by 5, lost by 1; 63.5 ppg for, 66.5 against; minus-3 scoring margin.
Season conference stats: 8th scoring offense (61.4 ppg), 4th scoring defense (68.2 ppg), 8th scoring margin (minus-7.8). Percentages: 106-245 FG (6th), 24-81 3-point (9th), 71-112 FT (9th).
What it means: People are starting to finally get fed up with Katz’s stagnancy and appalled he still has three years left on his contract. Second last in ppg (61.4), mid-pack in points allowed (68.2) and in the bottom four in most of the metric statistical categories. There’s not much more to say about a team on a six-game skid.

Weber State
Record: 14-3, 6-0, 1st
Weekend: 2-0
Major superlatives: Won by 14, won by 16; 71.5 ppg for, 56.5 against; plus-15 scoring margin.
Season conference stats: 2nd scoring offense (76.5 ppg), 2nd scoring defense (65 ppg), 1st scoring margin (plus-11.5). Percentages: 145-321 FG (5th), 54-132 3-point (5th), 115-138 FT (1st).
What it means: The cheese stands alone. The Wildcats turned a 21-19 deficit into a 16-point rout, outscoring the Griz 61-43 from the 9 minute mark of the first half onward. Weber’s lead was 27-22, then ballooned to 49-36 at the half. Kyle Bullinger and Frank Otis came back to play, with Otis chipping in seven points in 11 minutes off the bench. They’re starting to get healthier, which means problems for the rest of the Big Sky.

Big Sky roundup, week 1

Opening weekend in the Big Sky

Eastern Washington
Record: 7-7, 1-1
Weekend: 1-1
Major superlatives: Won by 16, lost by 8; 76.5 ppg for, 72.5 against; plus-4 scoring margin; 52-112 FG; 20-53 3pt; 29-43 FT.
Summary: One night, the lead stuck. The other, it didn’t. The Eagles made an early 25-10 lead against Montana State and rode it to an 82-66 victory. How? EWU was outrebounded and committed 21 turnovers, but shot 50% (FG)-40%(3pt)-70% (FT), four in double digits and forced 22 turnovers themselves.
Two days later, Eastern took a nine-point lead (47-38) on Laron Griffin’s jumper but quickly fell silent from there. Cliff Ederaine split a pair of foul shots to cut UM’s lead to 49-48, then didn’t score for three minutes after that. The Eagles trimmed it to a point a couple times, but couldn’t flip it around.
What it means: Middle of the pack, but a big road win in Bozeman (only the ninth time in 36 tries) gives EWU the upper-hand over the Bobcats at this point.

Idaho State
Record: 3-10, 1-1
Weekend: 1-1
Major superlatives: Lost by 14, won by 2; 60.5 ppg for, 66.5 against; minus-6 scoring margin; 42-98 FG; 15-41 3pt; 22-35 FT.
Summary: Chase Grabau put up a career-best 31 in the loss and ISU kept up with Weber in the second half, but no one else scored in double figures. On Monday, two more three-pointers and three more two pointers (12) offset UNC hitting 10 more free throws (plus-2) and the fact that five Bengals scored just one more point than Morgan (11).
What it means: See above, replace road win in Bozeman with Greeley and MSU with UNC.

Montana
Record: 9-5, 2-0
Weekend: 2-0
Major superlatives: Won by 11, won by eight; 77 ppg for, 67.5 against; plus-9.5 scoring margin; 48-95 FG; 15-31 3pt; 43-56 FT.
Summary: Montana made 15-of-26 (57.7%) field goals in the first half and was 7-of-9 (77.8%) from three-point range against Portland State. Against EWU, an 18-1 run turned the tide and Mathias Ward scored a career-best 28 as the Griz shot 50.5% from the field in weekend 1
What it means: The start of a solid BSC season and the second 2-0 start in Big Sky play after weekend 1.

Montana State
Record: 6-7, 1-1
Weekend: 1-1
Major superlatives: Lost by 16, won by 13; 76 ppg for, 77.5 against; minus-1.5 scoring margin; 52-112 FG; 13-32 3pt; 35-50 FT.
Summary: The biggest win-loss swing goes to the Bobcats, who played … not good against EWU, then found itself against PSU to snap a four-game skid. Looking back, the only thing MSU did badly was allow 11 3-pointers to the Eagles. They hit 21 FGs to 27 for EWU in the same amount of shots.
What it means: A huge three-game road swing looms, with a chance to steal two road wins and momentum from teams purportedly weaker (Idaho State and Northern Arizona). Middle of the pack with four other schools.

Northern Arizona
Record: 5-9, 1-1
Weekend: 1-1
Major superlatives: Won by 9, lost by 16; 68.5 ppg for, 72 against; minus-3.5 scoring margin; 49-119 FG; 17-40 3pt; 22-34 FT.
Summary: Simple enough. Won the game they should have, lost the game they should have (maybe, depending on who you ask).
What it means: Middle of the pack with four other schools, won at home, lost on the road.

Northern Colorado
Record: 4-9, 1-1
Weekend: 1-1
Major superlatives: Won by 16, lost by 2; 67.5 ppg for, 60.5 against; plus-7.5 scoring margin; 44-80 FG; 12-20 3pt; 35-52 FT.
Summary: A last-second layup went awry. Sophomore guard Tate Unruh, the team’s leading scorer, sat out most of the game with a left ankle injury sustained early in the first half and played just seven minutes. Add Unruh, or even that layup make, and UNC might be 2-0. Also, a minus-10 turnover margin (17) in the game didn’t help
What it means: Unruh most likely is there for the return trip to Pokey. Go into Sacramento and get a win and things will be right again before a huge homestand against the state of Washington.

Portland State
Record: 6-8, 0-2
Weekend: 0-2
Major superlatives: Lost by 11, lost by 13; 68.5 ppg for, 80.5 against; minus-12.0 scoring margin; 48-115 FG; 9-31 3pt; 32-41 FT.
Summary: The Vikings couldn’t defend against the Treasure State, allowing a combined 53% on field goals (56-105). Twenty-two missed 3-pointers, which is about right (PSU shot 27% in the pre-conference play and averaged 4.5 a game). Charles Odum didn’t show up early in either road game – 23.5 points in two games, but scored 37 of his 47 points in the second half.
What it means: Depends on whom you ask. They say you never lose in conference until you lose at home (or something to that effect). But starting 0-2 in conference and falling into a four-game tailspin can’t be good for confidence or egos.

Sacramento State
Record: 5-8, 0-2
Weekend: 0-2
Major superlatives: Lost by 9, lost by 11; 63.5 ppg for, 73.5 against; minus-10 scoring margin; 48-109 FG; 10-32 3pt; 21-37 FT.
Summary: Decent shooting, bad free throws. Three players in double figures for the weekend and a almost great game against Weber – down 40-27, Sac State pulled within 42-36 at the 15:27 mark, but never got closer – gives Hornet supporters mixed feelings. The Hornets had a fifth player in the last two seasons leave recently, as Walter Jackson announced he was leaving the program on Dec. 26, three days before the conference opener at NAU. Boosters have come out in support of Katz and noted he will get through his contract, which runs out after 2013-14.
What it means: See Portland State, change four-game skid to three.

Weber State
Record: 10-3, 2-0
Weekend: 2-0
Major superlatives: Lost by 14, won by 9; 76 ppg for, 63.5 against; plus-12.5 scoring margin; 48-101 FG; 16-39 3pt; 40-46 FT.
Summary: Ho-hum, kind of. Lillard went for 48 on opening weekend at home, but Scott Bamforth returned in a scoring aspect (20 points, 4.5 rebounds & 4 assists) while shooting 42 percent from the field and 91 percent from the free throw line. Bamforth averaged 12.3 points in the month of December prior to Big Sky play. Jordan Richardson, Darin Mahoney and Kyle Tresnak have also come together in Kyle Bullinger’s absence and will be the starting lineup from now on.
What it means: See Montana. Things will start to separate for WSU (and the Griz) this weekend.

Your Big Sky Conference primer

For all the information you’ll ever need heading into tonight’s Big Sky opener for a few teams, look here.

For some quick-hit material, team-by-team capsules are below. Looking at the preconference standings, well, the cream rises to the top. The order is pretty much how many around the league figure the conference season will go, save for Sacramento State being among the Big Sky Tournament teams. The bigger picture is accurate: Weber State on top, then Montana and then a giant jumble that needs to be put together like a jigsaw puzzle.

Big Sky Conference capsules

Eastern Washington

• Record: 6-6
• Streak: Lost 1
• Go-to guy: Collin Chiverton, Jr., F (18.0 points per game; 40-95 3-pointers, 42.1 percent). Chiverton is joined by two others in double-figure scoring, but is far and away the main option for the Eagles. Half of his shot attempts (95-189) are from 3-point range, but he is also an 82.8 percent free-throw shooter.
• Quick hits: The Eagles have lost 18 players to fouling out throughout the season, including Laron Griffin five times, Cliff Ederaine four times and both Chiverton and Cliff Colimon three times. … Colimon, EWU’s point guard, averages 5.58 assists and has eclipsed his assist and steal totals from last year before conference play begins. … The Eagles top four free-throw shooters are a combined 75 percent (118-157) from the line.

Idaho State

• Record: 2-9
• Streak: Lost 4
• Go-to guy: Chase Grabau, Sr., G (10.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4 assists, 2.2 steals per game; 34-72 field goals). Though he is only third on the list in scoring, Grabau is an all-around player for the Bengals: first in field goal percentage (min. 60 attempts), first in assists and steals, second in rebounds, third in blocks.
• Quick hits: ISU has three players netting double figures heading into conference play, but non have more than 133 points. … Grabau is 11 assists from breaking his total from last season … Seven-foot-4 redshirt junior center Jakub Kusmieruk is fourth on the team in rebounding with 3.2 per game.

Montana

• Record: 7-5
• Streak: Won 2
• Go-to guy: Will Cherry, Jr., G (14.0 points, 3.5 assist, 2.2 steals, 50-136 field goals). Cherry has led the team in scoring five times and leads them in most categories (free throws made and taken, field goals taken, 3-pointers taken, assists, steals).
• Quick hits: Forward Derek Selvig has missed three games but is still third on the team in scoring (8.3 ppg) and first in rebounds (7.1 rpg). … UM is one of only two teams in the Big Sky at .500 or better whose field goal percentage is worse than its opposition (42 percent to 41). … The Griz are also being outrebounded (35.2-33.4) by nearly two boards a game.

Montana State

• Record: 5-6
• Streak: Lost 3
• Go-to guy: Xavier Blount, Jr., G (11.6 points, 1.27 steals per game; 40-99 field goals, 40.4 percent). Blount has established himself as the No. 1 option on offense; he can score coming off a screen, taking his man to the basket or with a mid-range jumper.
• Quick hits: Centers Jourdain Allou (31-49 FG) and Mohammed Fall (32-59 FG) are shooting a combined 58 percent. … Despite missing two games, forward Tre Johnson leads the team in rebounds (58 total, 6.4 per game) and is second in points per game (9.9) and blocks (10). …Four different Bobcats have doled out 21 or more assists, while five have collected 11 or more steals.

Northern Arizona

• Record: 4-8
• Streak: Lost 1
• Go-to guy: James Douglas, Fr., G (12.5 ppg; 57-136 FG). Douglas is a scorer in the mold of Cameron Jones based on his first non-conference slate. He’s put up the most shots and 3-pointers for the Lumberjacks – sinking the most, too – and has a shooting percentage that hovers around 40 percent.
• Quick hits: Point guard Stallon Saldivar has taken on more of a scorer’s role (9.0 ppg) but hasn’t lost his penchant for being a pass-first playmaker, averaging 5.4 assists a game. … Redshirt freshman forward Gaellan Bewernick is second on the team in rebounds (56, 4.7 per game) and first in blocks (six). … Senior guard Durrell Norman leads the team in rebounds (78. 6.5 per game) and steals (16, 1.3 per game).

Northern Colorado

• Record: 3-8
• Streak: Lost 3
• Go-to guy: Tate Unruh, RSoph., G (13.1 points, 1 steal per game, team-best 26 3-pointers; 50-104 field goals) Unruh and true sophomore Paul Garnica have taken the scoring load upon themselves. Unruh is shooting 48 percent from the field, 45.6 from 3-point range and combines with Garnica to shoot 45 percent (96-for-214) from the field.
• Quick hits: Veterans Emmanuel Addo, Elliot Lloyd and Mike Proctor were expected to be the main trio for BJ Hill, but are third, fourth and fifth, respectively, in scoring per game and second, eighth and third, respectively, in rebounding per contest. … Redshirt sophomore center Connor Osbourne, who sat due to injury last season, leads the team in blocks (seven), rebounds per game (5.2) and overall field goal percentage (56.1, 23-41).

Portland State

• Record: 6-6
• Streak: Lost 2
• Go-to guy: Charles Odum, Sr., G (16.7 points, 1.5 steals, 68 field goals, 57 free throws; 68-138 FG). Odum is also the team leader in free throw percentage 89.1 percent (57-64) and assists (31, 2.6 per game). The 6-foot shooting guard has shot 61-66 (63.5 percent) from 2-point range this season.
• Quick hits: Junior forward Renado Parker, a mid-season transfer in 2010-11, has scored 47 points (9.4 per game) and grabbed 22 rebounds (4.4 per game) in five contests since becoming eligible. … One of two conference teams who went 0-6 on the road during non-conference play. … The Vikings have hit one less field goal (334-333) and 22 less 3-pointers (76-54) than their opposition, but balance it with a plus-73 margin in free throws made (210-137) and a plus-106 margin in free throws attempted (285-1798).

Sacramento State

• Record: 6-6
• Streak: Lost 2
• Go-to guy: Joe Eberhard, Jr., G/F (11.1 points, 6.4 rebounds per game, team-best 16 3-pointers; 46-93 field goals). Eberhard leads the Hornets in minutes and rebounds and is second in field goal percentage (min. 45 attempts), 3-point percentage (min. 20 attempts) and assists.
• Quick hits: The Hornets have outscored their opponents, 726-719, and are plus 29 (391-362) in second-half scoring. … Sacramento State has lost six games by an average of 12.5 points per contest, but only two of those losses are by more than 11 points (26, 29). … Freshman point guard Dylan Garrity leads the conference in assists (76, 6.9 per game) and has hit 28-34 free throws.

Weber State

• Record: 8-3
• Streak: Won 2
• Go-to guy: Damian Lillard, RJr., G (25.4 points, 1.1 steals, 3.6 assists per game; 83-170 FG). The two-time All-Big Sky first-team is up to his old tricks, having carried the Wildcats through Kyle Bullinger’s injury and Scott Bamforth’s recent shooting slump. He leads the team in points, steals assists, field goals (made and taken), free throws (made and taken), 3-pointers (made and taken) and total rebounds (64).
• Quick hits: The Wildcats are the only Big Sky team to have a positive margin in 19 different statistical categories. The one stat it trails in? Blocks at minus-13 (33-20). … Center Kyle Tresnak, the team’s tallest player at 6-foot-10 and a full-time starter, is seventh on the team in rebounding (32, 2.9 per game)… Lillard has taken 75 more shots than anyone else on the team.

The coaching carousel continues for the Big Sky

Merry Christmas, and thanks for playing. Word came out today that Idaho State coach Joe O’Brien resigned from Idaho State this afternoon on the heels of a 2-8 record. O’Brien was head coach of the Bengals since 2006 and in his first three years, led the Bengals to the Big Sky Tournament and a fourth place finish in the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons. For his career at Idaho State he finished with a 56-105 record and 33-46 in Big Sky play.

This one doesn’t seem like a “resign-or-get fired” ultimatum deal at face value. In a sense, seems like O’Brien saw the writing on the wall. His best ISU team finished fourth in the Big Sky in 2008-09, going 9-7 in conference but 13-19 overall. O’Brien never won more than 13 games total in five full seasons, doing it twice, but fell down the last two. He had two starters returning in Chase Grabau and Abner Moreira.

… Continue Reading

Has Northern Arizona found its spark?

People scoffed and laughed when 70-year-old Dave Brown was hired to replace Mike Adras, (who’s own story on the resignation is taking strange turns)who suddenly resigned after a 2-7 start. (Full disclosure: so did I.) Um, a few less people are laughing today after the Lumberjacks beat Arizona State on Saturday night.

… Continue Reading

A busy and exciting week in the Big Sky

There has been a lot to discuss since last week. Let’s go down the line, team by team.

WEBER STATE

Weber State lost a crucial element to its success, but went 1-1 after Damian Lillard, whose shoulder has to be hurting, carried his team again and was named Big Sky Player of the Week for the second consecutive week (23 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 5.5 apg; 31 pts & personal-best 9 dimes against Southern Utah). Scott Bamforth has expressed recently through social media he’s unhappy with how he’s played the past couple weeks, though he’s still second on the team in scoring. Question is, can anybody stop Lillard and/or will he break down eventually trying to be Jordan/Kobe/the team’s superstar?

PORTLAND STATE

The Vikings have shown great improvement under Tyler Geving and stayed with Oregon most of the night before falling. Charles Odum and Chehales Tapscott have taken over as the leaders of this team and Renado Parker has come on strong after becoming eligible.

EASTERN WASHINGTON

The Eagles play at UCLA tomorrow night and have been in a little bit of tailspin against D-I teams. The 3 C’s (Collin Chiverton, Cliff Colimon and Cliff Ederaine) head the Eagles’ effort

MONTANA STATE

A very strange game played out in a loss for the Bobcats despite a team-record FTs made. Xavier Blount is emerging as a bona fide option on offense and settling into the No. 2 scorer’s role.

MONTANA

Montana lost the MWC-Big Sky crossover to fall to 5-5. Guards Will Cherry and Kareem Jamar lead the team, while Derek Selvig seems to be struggling as he returns from a foot injury.

SACRAMENTO STATE

The Hornets beat up on some non D-I school and Dylan Garrity has started to come back to earth after starting the season with 31 assists and six turnovers in four games. He’s still good, better than projected, but conference season will tell a lot about development.

NORTHERN COLORADO

The Bears host Denver tonight and are struggling relative to the competition, even in wins. Plus that lost to Westminster is an albatross.

NORTHERN ARIZONA

Yes, the Lumberjacks won in Dave Brown’s debut. No, not many think this is the start of a turnaround. NAU is still struggling.

IDAHO STATE

The Bengals lost in OT and seem to be falling apart. Melvin Morgan and Chase Grabau must feel like they’re on an island alone most nights.

**UPDATE**
The weekly Big Sky notes

Mike Adras resigns post at Northern Arizona

We always show up when craziness ensues. Yesterday, head coach Mike Adras resigned as head man of Northern Arizona. The Lumberjacks were off to a 2-7 start after a 49-40 loss to Pepperdine, dropping Adras’ career record to 193-170. That’s not too bad of a record. He was 99-83 in 13 seasons of Big Sky play and his team was a tournament semifinalist last season.

Now in most coaching situations where a team goes through a bad season or has a bad start, one wonders how exactly this resignation came to be. Was it a “I’ll get out before they ax me” decision by Adras? Was it a “resign or you’re fired” call by the AD, Jim Fallis? Those seem to be the only options, whether logically or illogically.

… Continue Reading

Weber State loses a key component

Last year, nine games in, Damian Lillard tore his ACL. This year, Randy Rahe‘s squad was dealt another blow as redshirt senior forward Kyle Bullinger dislocated his elbow against San Jose State three days ago (semi-warning: the video is, at least, cringe-inducing. At most, might make you hurl.)

Reports aren’t confirmed just yet, but word is he will be gone at least three weeks, maybe a month or slightly longer.

Who is Bullinger? Well, he’s started 100 games for the Wildcats and is the team’s best low-post threat and key glass man (7.2 points, 9.0 rebounds). … Continue Reading

A closer look into the Big Sky’s Monday twinbill

We’ll start with what people are calling “the appetizer”: Montana State at San Jose State.

It was a game between a pair of 2-3 teams in which the Bobcats felt favored: MSU’s losses were to higher quality opponents, as it were, and their lone Division I victory was over Utah, a low Pac-12/former top Mountain West team. SJSU’s lone D-I win was over UC-Irvine by a pint and secure only when a last-second basket was overturned.

MSU took control early with hot outside shooting, hitting 5 of its first 10 3-pointers. … Continue Reading

Quick hitters from Monday Night F… err, Big Sky hoops

The appetizer was appetizing for the Montana State Bobcats, who almost blew a 14-point lead but held on to win.

In the main event, Weber State stayed close, but fell at St. Mary’s. Damian Lillard scored 26 in the second half, but the Gaels gave the Wildcats loss No. 1 on the season. I’ll have a column looking at both games, along with the conference notes, tomorrow afternoon.

Grizzlies bow up, take down national mid-major favorite sleeper

Long title, kind of confusing. What isn’t confusing is this: Montana said “not so fast” to all those who have been riding the Weber State bandwagon since the start of the 2011-12 season.

On Saturday in front of 3,500-plus in Missoula, the Grizzlies took down the Long Beach State 49ers by a basket, 73-71. LBSU was ranked No. 8 in the weekly mid-major top 25 poll as of Nov. 21.
Rather, it was two free throws by senior forward Derek Selvig that eventually did in Dan Monson’s team with eight seconds left.

In a back-and-forth affair that saw eight tie and, subsequently, eight lead changes, Montana took its final lead on a jumper by Will Cherry with 38 seconds to play. Cherry added two freebies to put Montana up three, then Selvig’s charity-stripe tosses increased the advantage to 73-68. LBSU’s Larry Anderson nailed a 3-pointer with three ticks on the game clock, but it was too little, too late.

Important to note was how fortunate, or lucky depending on whom you ask, Montana was throughout the contest. UM was down 11 at one point in the first half and scuttled away leads of up to seven points (64-57) as the game wound down. In addition, the Griz won as LBSU, in the final 38 seconds, went 1-of-2 from the field and 0-of-2 from the free throw line. The free throw misses wasted an offensive rebound and a chance to take a 70-69 lead.
In other Big Sky action Saturday:

Montana State fell to former Big Sky member Idaho after shooting dismally in the first half.

Four in double figures wasn’t enough as Idaho State fell to Utah State.

Portland State outlasted Louisiana Tech in Wyoming.

Sacramento State gave away a 17-point lead in a loss to McNeese State.

Northern Arizona fell in California.

Northern Colorado got its second win in as many days and left South Padre Island with a .500 tournament record.

On Sunday, Portland State ended the Wyoming Jim Thorpe Classic with a 2-1 record and Jim Hayford is now 3-2 as a Division I coach.

The Big Sky’s big day

Here we go again. Weber State showed no letdown after a midweek win over Utah State, beating UC-Irvine convincingly on Saturday. In addition, Montana State beat Utah to even its record to 1-1 against the Pac-12 . MSU is now minus-2 against the Pac-12 in terms of point differential (minus-6 at Arizona State, plus-4 at Utah), and Brad Huse bested one of his mentors, Larry Krystowiak, whom he coached under at Montana for two seasons.

Speaking of Montana, the Griz won Thursday and play again today. In other Thursday action shorthanded Sacramento State fell to Washington State and Eastern Washington let a nine-point lead slip away at Oregon. Northern Arizona won Thursday, Idaho State won Friday.

The Big Sky’s record was 11-5 this past week, not counting Montana and Northern Colorado‘s games tonight. We will, later, though. The Bears spend all week in South Padre Island, Texas, and come back after Thanksgiving. Boy, will it be easier to update things and plan features when we hit December and a sense of normalcy comes in.

Weber State proves it’s going to be a tough team to beat

Big week for the Wildcats. They did this, and Jeff Goodman of CBS Sports took notice.  Also, here’s an intriguing tale about Mr. Bamforth in light of the victory, which Mr. Burton chronicled thusly.

Big Sky news and notes

We’ll start with simplicity: Sacramento State’s Joe Eberhard has been selected as the first Big Sky Conference men’s basketball Player of the Week. And here’s the weekly news and notes that come out each Tuesday afternoon.

Of course, it doesn’t include Weber State’s 73-63 win over Utah State. Junior shooting guard Scott Bamforth scored a career-high 28 points on 7-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc. His performance, and that of his team (12-of-23) brings the season total to 29-of-52 (.558), which is emblematic of an opening-week trend in the conference. The Wildcats (2-0) and Eastern Washington Eagles (1-1, 24-59, .407) have used the long-range bomb to score close to half their total baskets made (29-of-57, .508, Weber; 24-of-50 .480, EWU), and six teams have already sunk 10 or more 3-pointers just a couple games into the campaign. With five straight days of games opening today, it will be interesting to see how this early trend plays out.

There’s not much else to discuss aside from a handful of blowouts over cupcakes and “moral victories” as Montana State came back from a 12-point halftime deficit before falling by six at Arizona State; Oklahoma dispatched Idaho State but just by four points; and Eastern Washington held a 64-62 lead at Gonzaga before the West Coast Conference powerhouse turned it around for an eight-point win. It did produce one of the better quotes I’ve read in a while.

“I am pleased with our effort,” Idaho State coach Joe O’Brien told isubengals.com. “I would have loved to win the game, but when you have 21 turnovers on the road, you don’t win. You can stay close and some people can call it a moral victory, but I am too old for moral victories. I am greedy. I want to win.”

We’ll have a more complete weekend wrap on Sunday — though there will be games Sunday and Monday — and then get into a regular news & notes blog for Wednesday mornings.

2011-12 Big Sky Conference Preview

It was a great year for the Big Sky Conference in 2010-2011. A record four teams participated in the postseason, with Northern Colorado (21-11), Montana (21-11), Weber State (18-14) and Northern Arizona (19-13) all playing into the third weekend of March.

Northern Colorado earned its first-ever Big Sky championship and NCAA Tournament berth on the back of conference MVP Devon Beitzel, who led the league in points (21.5), free throw percentage (90.4) and made 3-pointers (74). Beitzel was also selected to the United States Basketball Writers District VIII team, the Lou Henson All-America team and an AP All-American honorable mention after averaging 1.8 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.7 3-pointers made per game. … Continue Reading

Breaking the Studious Silence

Big Sky Preview

Big Sky Conference 2007-08 Preview

by Nick Dettmann

For the first time in a long time, most of the Big Sky will look like the way it did at the end of last season.

Only Eastern Washington and Northern Colorado have new coaches this season. Therefore this year should be quite competitive now that everyone knows each other.

Weber State was the Big Sky representative in the NCAA tournament last year. Its reward? No. 2 seed UCLA in Sacramento, Calif. Outside of maybe the first few minutes, the game wasn’t even close. But for Weber State to get the NCAA tournament was quite a feat.

In the season prior, the Wildcats finished last in the Big Sky Conference and missed the conference tournament for the first time in more than two decades.

In came Randy Rahe.

Rahe turned a program that was fading quickly around into the Big Sky Conference tournament champions. Players were quitting the program left and right. But Rahe convinced some to stay and brought in a whole new core of players and excelled with them.

Meanwhile, Montana has strong core of players back, led by Andrew Strait and Jordan Hasquet.

Look for the Big Sky to be a two-horse race between Montana and Weber State. But don’t count out teams like Northern Arizona, Portland State and Montana State. Even Idaho State might creep in there as well with a solid season.

Teams (listed by projected finish)

Montana Grizzlies (17-15, 10-6 Big Sky, third place in 2006-07)
Coach: Wayne Tinkle (second season)
Assistants: Nate DuChesne, Brian Marso, Andy Hill
Projected starting five:
Andrew Strait
Jordan Hasquet
Matt Martin
Ceylon Elgin-Taylor
Cameron Rundles
Schedule highlights:
Nov. 11 at Gonzaga
Nov. 23-25 at Hispanic Invitational (Spokane, Wash.)
Dec. 15 at Pacific
Key losses: Bryan Ellis, Matt Dlouhy
Newcomer to watch: Ceylon Elgin-Taylor. A transfer from Irvine Valley College where he was a balanced player. He averaged 13.8 points, 4.7 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game last season. Elgin-Taylor is a guard.
Projection for the season: A tough nonconference schedule will prepare the Grizzlies this season. Three teams which reached the NCAA tournament last season are on the schedule, not counting the conference foe Weber State. The Grizzlies have two of the conference’s best players in Strait and Hasquet. Both were the top two scorers a season ago, and have been with the program for a while.

Weber State Wildcats (20-12, 11-5, tied first)
Coach: Randy Rahe (second season)
Assistants: Eric Duft, Jeff Linder, Tim Gardner
Projected starting five:
Juan Pablo Silveira
Dezmon Harris
Arturas Valeika
Tyler Billings
Daviin Davis
Schedule highlights:
Nov. 12-13 at CBE Tournament, Westwood, Calif.
Nov. 28 vs. Utah
Dec. 1 at Illinois
Dec. 5 at BYU
Key losses: David Patten, Dan Henry
Top newcomer: Kellen McCoy. A small, quick point guard, he only stands 5-foot-6 and 175 pounds. He transferred from Northern Oklahoma College in Tonkawa, Okla., where he averaged 19.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game.
Projection for the season: One of two teams will win the Big Sky Conference this year – Montana or Weber State. Losing Patten will be the difference for the Wildcats, but they will be right in the hunt to at least get to the tournament championship game again. A tough nonconference schedule will certainly help.

Montana State Bobcats (11-19, 8-8, tied fifth)
Coach: Brad Huse (second season)
Assistants: Danny Sprinkle, Shawn Dirden, Ryan Orton
Projected starting five:
Mecklen Davis
Casey Durham
Branden Johnson
Carlos Taylor
Divaldo Mbunga
Schedule highlights:
Nov. 9 at UNLV
Nov. 30-Dec.1 hosting Bobcat GranTree Inn Classic (Alcorn State, Texas-Pan American, Pepperdine also involved)
Dec. 8 at Nevada
Key losses: Nick Dissly, Carson Durr, Ted Morris
Top newcomer: Divaldo Mbunga. Mbunga has a physical presence that is matched by not many teams in the Big Sky. He’s 6-foot-9 and 240 pounds. However, he might be unpolished for the Division I level right away. Will probably make an impact later in the season.
Projection for the season: The Bobcats have two of the best guards in the Big Sky in the same backcourt. Carlos Taylor and Casey Durham have the experience and will need it as they are two of just four seniors on the roster who saw extensive playing time last season. Mecklen Davis will see more than his 19.4 minutes per game last season. A schedule which garnered a 160 in the RPI poses some challenges for the Bobcats. UNLV, a Sweet 16 team a year ago, poses a real challenge.

Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (18-12, 11-5, tied first)
Coach: Mike Adras (ninth season)
Assistants: Rob Bishop, Billy Hix, Kenneth Turner
Projected starting five:
Josh Wilson
Kyle Landry
Ryan McCurdy
Nathan Geiser
Zarko Comagic
Schedule highlights:
Nov. 13 at Arizona
Nov. 21 at Kansas
Dec. 1 Western Kentucky
Dec. 5 UNLV
Dec. 20-21 at Gossner Foods Classic, Logan, Utah
Feb. 23 ESPN BracketBusters
Key losses: Ruben Boykin Jr., Marques Green, Stephen Sir
Top newcomer: Zarko Comagic. A 6-foot-6 junior forward who could step in and be an immediate impact. Averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds per game last season at Central Arizona Junior College.
Projection for the season: Josh Wilson is the best backcourt leader in the Big Sky. He led the conference in assists each of his first two seasons of college basketball. He has 376 assists in 62 career game for average of nearly 6.1 per game. Last season, he ranked ninth in the nation in assists per game at 6.03. Landry will also be big for the Lumberjacks. He averaged 10.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game last season, and recorded four double-doubles. Landry is the team’s leading returning scorer.

Portland State Vikings (19-13, 9-7, fourth)
Coach: Ken Bone (third season)
Assistants: Tyler Geving, Curtis Allen, Erik Harper
Projected starting five:
Dupree Lucas
Scott Morrison
Deonte Huff
Julius Thomas
Jeremiah Dominguez
Schedule highlights:
Nov. 9 at UCLA
Nov. 17-18 at Top of the World Classic, Fairbanks, Alaska
Dec. 9 at Washington State
Dec. 18 at Washington
Feb. 23 ESPN BracketBusters
Key losses: Juma Kamara, Ryan Sommer
Top newcomer: Jeremiah Dominguez. Sat out last season after transferring from the WCC’s University of Portland. He will be a junior this season.
Projection for the season: The Vikings are an increasingly improved program with some talent. They could be the team that flies under the radar this season in the Big Sky Conference. Three starters return for PSU, and a solid bench will help make a run in the conference. Additionally, a tough schedule will really make the Vikings a difficult team to play against when conference gets going.

Idaho State Bengals (13-17, 8-8, tied fifth)
Coach: Joe O’Brien (second season)
Assistants: Steve Swanson, Geoff Alexander, Mike Brown
Projected starting five:
Matt Stucki
Logan Kinghorn
Ammorrow Morgan
Demetrius Monroe
Donnie Carson
Schedule highlights:
Nov. 9 at Iowa
Nov. 14 at BYU
Nov. 17 at Long Beach State
Nov. 23-24 at Oregon State Tournament (Corvallis, Ore.)
Dec. 15 at UCLA
Dec. 27 at Utah
Dec. 31 at Washington
Key losses: Akbar Abdul-Ahad, David Schroeder, John Ofoegbu
Newcomer to watch: Lucas Steijn. Originally signed with Indiana before transferring to John A. Logan Junior college. Steijn, a junior, averaged 10.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game last season, and shot .543 from the field and 78 percent from the free-throw line.
Projection for the season: For the first time in what seems like an eternity, the Bengals will start the 2007-08 season without David Schroeder. Schroeder was the heart and soul of the Bengals for six years with a number of medical redshirts. But with a year under his belt, O’Brien can really begin to convince his players what he’s trying to do. It won’t be easy as the Bengals have yet another difficult nonconference schedule.

Eastern Washington Eagles (15-14 overall, 8-8, tied for sixth)
Coach: Kirk Earlywine (first season)
Assistants: Grant Leep, Jamie Matthews, Rachi Worthman
Projected starting five:
Kellen Williams
Marcus Hinton
Adris DeLeon
Brandon Moore
Blake Solomon
Schedule highlights:
Nov. 9 at Washington State
Nov. 18 at Washington
Nov. 21-24 at Great Alaska Shootout
Dec. 5 at Kansas
Key losses: Rodney Stuckey, Paul Butorac
Newcomer to watch: Adris DeLeon. A junior transfer from College of Southern Idaho where he averaged 8.3 points and 3.9 assists per game last season. DeLeon is a Bronx, N.Y., native.
Projection for the season: The Eagles will have to learn quickly what life is like without Rodney Stuckey. Stuckey was the No. 15 overall selection in this June’s NBA draft by the Detroit Pistons. In the two years with EWU, Stuckey was the most prolific scorer the conference has ever seen. Had he stayed for his entire four years, he easily could have shreaded every scoring record in Big Sky history. Kellen Williams will be a big factor this season as he returns as the leading scorer (8.4 points per game).

Sacramento State Hornets (10-19, 5-11, eighth)
Coach: Jerome Jenkins (eighth season)
Assistants: Tarvish Felton, Kenya Crandell, Scott Eitelgeorge
Projected starting five:
Roderick Adams
Loren Leath
Justin Williams
Alonzo Young
Schedule highlights:
Nov. 9 at Kansas State
Nov. 21 at Pacific
Nov. 27 at Stanford
Dec. 11 at Oregon
Dev. 15 at Marquette
Key losses: Alex Bausley, Haron Hargrave, Angel Alamo
Top newcomer: Justin Eller. A 6-foot-8 sophomore forward/center who will need some development. Comes in with great numbers from last season (17.7 points, nine rebounds per game), but is untested.
Projection for the season: Jenkins enters this season probably on the hottest seat in the conference. That is mainly because he is the second-longest tenured coach in the conference, only behind NAU’s Adras. But the Hornets have not improved much, going 62-82 since the end of the 2001-02 season, and 30-42 in the conference most importantly. In addition, the Hornets lost a ton of skill. It will probably be another tough year for Sacramento State.

Northern Colorado Bears (4-24, 2-14, ninth)
Coach: Tad Boyle (first season)
Assistants: B.J. Hill, Shawn Ellis, Carlos Daniel
Projected starting five:
Sean Taibi
Kirk Archibeque
Thanasi Panagiotakopoulos
Will Figures
Chris Kaba
Schedule highlights:
Nov. 9-10 at Air Force Classic, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Nov. 14 at Iowa
Dec. 17 at Gonzaga
Key losses: Dwayne Birden, Matt Kline
Top newcomer: Jabril Banks. A 6-foot-7 230 pound forward who transferred from Indian Hills County College. Averaged just a mere 5.1 points and 3.1 rebounds per game last season. He will more than likely come off the bench.
Projection for the season: A weak schedule stands out. Johnson & Wales and Denver are both on the schedule twice. Outside of the tournament at Air Force and road games at Iowa and Gonzaga, this team will not be tested. But the Bears did what about everyone expected them to do, finish last in the Big Sky and they should finish there again this year. There is some decent talent available at UNC, but not good enough. This is still a project a few more years in the making before being competitive in the Big Sky.

Big Sky Tournament Preview

Big Sky Conference Tournament Preview

by Nick Dettmann

Last year, the top seed for the Big Sky Conference tournament failed to make the NCAA tournament.

This season has a very good chance of repeating history.

Last season, Northern Arizona was clearly the most dominant team in the Big Sky – thus landing the hosting rights for the conference tournament. But the Lumberjacks failed to finish the job, losing to the Montana Grizzlies in the conference tournament championship game.

What stung worse for NAU was that the ‘Jacks lost the game on their home floor.

This year, Weber State has the hosting rights. But the Wildcats were not as dominant as NAU was last season. Oh, by the way, NAU is the No. 2 seed in the tournament.

Not to mention this league is traditionally wide-open to begin with.

The Big Sky Conference Tournaments gets underway Saturday with a pair of quarterfinal games. Montana State travels to play Portland State, and Idaho State travels to play Montana. The winners advance to Tuesday’s semifinals in Ogden, Utah.

Idaho State split its season series with Montana, with both teams winning on the other team’s home court. Idaho State won Jan. 18, while Montana won in Pocatello just a few days ago.

But if it wasn’t for one gorgeous play with less than four seconds remaining in regulation, the Bengals would have won both games. Had the Bengals done that, the roles would be reversed as it would have been Montana traveling to Idaho State.

That’s just how tight this conference is.

The Bengals have reason to believe that they can make some noise in the tournament as the No. 6 seed. ISU beat Montana convincingly earlier this season, and only lost by one Monday night. If the Bengals get past Montana, the Bengals would play Weber State. ISU gave the Wildcats their lone conference loss at home.

But the one thing that’s working against the Bengals is experience on both sides of the spectrum. Idaho State is playing in its first Big Sky Conference tournament game since the 2003-04 season. The Grizzlies on the other hand have been to the NCAA tournament the past two seasons, including advancing to the second round last year. And there are many players on Montana’s roster who were contributors to last year’s squad, including All-Big Sky player Andrew Strait.

In the other quarterfinal, Montana State missed out on a chance to host the quarterfinal game by losing to Idaho State on Tuesday night. Instead, this game will be played in Portland State, which spells disaster for the Bobcats.

The Stott Center can be a tough place to play, and much like many other teams in the conference, one bounce here or there could have spelled a different season for the Vikings.

Portland State has played more consistently this season than Montana State, and having the home crowd on their side will provide a big difference for the Vikings.

Big Sky Notebook

Big Sky Conference Notebook

by Nick Dettmann

Player of the Week: David Patten, Weber State

Conference standings
1. y-Weber State (18-10 overall, 11-4 conference)
2. x-Northern Arizona (14-11, 8-5)
3. Montana (14-13, 8-5)
4. Idaho State (12-13, 7-5)
5. Montana State (10-16, 7-6)
6. Portland State (16-12, 7-7)
7. Eastern Washington (13-14, 6-8)
8. Sacramento State (9-17, 4-9)
9. z-Northern Colorado (4-21, 2-11)
x-clinched a spot in Big Sky tournament
y-clinched at least a share of Big Sky regular season title
z-Not eligible for postseason tournament because of NCAA reclassification requirements

Tournament host scenarios

Weber State is in the driver’s seat. If the Wildcats beat Sacramento State on Feb. 26, the Wildcats will be the host for the Men’s Big Sky Conference tournament March 6 and 7.

But if the Wildcats lose, Weber State’s situation still looks good to host. The tournament will be hosted either by Weber State, Montana or Idaho State.

The Wildcats are guaranteed at least a first-round bye as they cannot finish any worse than second place in the standings.

In order for Idaho State to host, the Bengals must finish 11-5, as must Weber State. In addition, Montana must finish ahead of Northern Arizona. ISU and Weber State split the regular season meetings this season. But the Bengals, if they finish 11-5, will have swept Montana, while Weber split with the Grizzlies. Weber would host if NAU finishes ahead of Montana because the Wildcats swept the ‘Jacks and ISU was swept.

For Montana to host the tournament, the Grizzlies must also finish 11-5 if Weber loses to Sacramento State. But in addition, Montana State must finish ahead of Portland State as Montana went 2-0 against the Bobcats, and Weber State was 1-1. If Portland State finishes ahead of MSU, the Wildcats get the tiebreaker, having beaten PSU twice.

Eastern Washington Eagles (13-14 overall, 6-8 conference)
Last week’s result
At Santa Barbara, Calif., Feb. 17: Eastern Washington 71, UC-Santa Barbara 70 (ESPN BracketBusters)
Upcoming games
Feb. 22 vs. Idaho State
Feb. 24 vs. Sacramento State
Against UC-Santa Barbara, Kellen Williams hit two free-throws with four seconds remaining that gave EWU a 71-67 lead. Rodney Stuckey scored 30 points with five assists and two rebounds. Paul Butorac scored 18 points, grabbed seven rebounds and blocked four shots.

Idaho State Bengals (12-13, 7-5)
Last week’s results
No games played
Upcoming games
Feb. 22 at Eastern Washington
Feb. 24 at Portland State
Feb. 26 vs. Montana
Feb. 27 vs. Montana State
Idaho State can still host the Big Sky tournament, but the Bengals must win out and get help from Sacramento State, and hope Montana beats Northern Arizona on Feb. 22. If ISU wins at least two of the next four games, the Bengals will just about wrap up their spot in the Big Sky tournament, a first since 2004.

Montana Grizzlies (14-13, 8-5)
Last week’s results
At Ogden, Utah, Feb. 14: Weber State 73, Montana 67
At Missoula, Mont., Feb. 17: Pacific 78, Montana 77 (ESPN BracketBusters)
Upcoming games
Feb. 22 vs. Northern Arizona
Feb. 24 vs. Northern Colorado
Feb. 26 at Idaho State
Bryan Ellis scored a team-high 17 points against the Wildcats as the Grizzlies fell out of first place in the conference. Andrew Strait was held to just five points and five rebounds. Against the Tigers, freshman Cameron Rundles scored a collegiate-high 20 points. Strait scored 15 points.

Montana State Bobcats (10-16, 7-6)
Last week’s result
At Sacramento, Calif., Feb. 14: Sacramento State 90, Montana State 82
Upcoming games
Feb. 21 vs. Northern Colorado
Feb. 25 vs. Northern Arizona
Feb. 27 at Idaho State
Against the Hornets, a 23-point, six-rebound and four-assist effort from Nick Dissly was not enough. MSU shot a blazing 64 percent from the field in the second half, and 56 percent for the game. But the Bobcats committed 26 turnovers, and Sacramento State scored 29 points off those turnovers.

Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (14-11, 8-5)
Last week’s result
At Flagstaff, Ariz., Feb. 17: Northern Arizona 78, San Jose State 67 (ESPN BracketBusters)
Upcoming games
Feb. 22 at Montana
Feb. 25 at Montana State
Feb. 27 at Northern Colorado
Northern Arizona’s Ruben Boykin Jr. recorded his 13th double-double of the season against the Spartans, scoring 19 points and grabbing 11 rebounds to lead the way.

Northern Colorado Bears (4-21, 2-11)
Last week’s results
No games played
Upcoming games
Feb. 21 at Montana State
Feb. 24 at Montana
Feb. 27 vs. Northern Arizona

Portland State Vikings (16-12, 7-7)
Last week’s result
At San Luis Obispo, Calif., Feb. 17: Cal Poly 92, Portland State 87 (ESPN BracketBusters)
Upcoming games
Feb. 22 vs. Sacramento State
Feb. 24 vs. Idaho State
Against Cal Poly, the Vikings shot 62.5 percent in the second half, but still fell short. Paul Hafford scored 23 points to lead the way, hitting seven 3-pointers in the loss. Dupree Lucas scored 18 points and had eight assists. Cal Poly made 14-of-35 3-pointers for the game and hit 8-of-10 free-throws in the final 33 seconds.

Sacramento State Hornets (9-17, 4-9)
Last week’s result
At Sacramento, Calif., Feb. 14: Sacramento State 90, Montana State 82
Upcoming games
Feb. 22 at Portland State
Feb. 24 at Eastern Washington
Feb. 26 at Weber State
Sacramento State snapped a four-game losing streak against the Bobcats, forcing 26 turnovers, including 18 steals. Kris Groce scored a team-high 21 points. Haron Hargrave and Angel Alamo each scored 18.

Weber State Wildcats (18-10, 11-4)
At Ogden, Utah, Feb. 14: Weber State 73, Montana 67
Upcoming games
Feb. 26 vs. Sacramento State
Against the Grizzlies, Weber State clinched at least a share of the Big Sky Conference regular season championship with the victory. David Patten scored 21 points and grabbed a collegiate-high 11 rebounds. Montana shot 40.6 percent from the field. Weber State improved to 14-0 when holding its opponent to under 45 percent shooting. J.P. Silveira scored 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting.