Saturday, December 1, 2012

Saturday Big Sky Preview

As I write this, Montana State, is trailing San Jose State by double digits near the end of the first half, so I won't include anything about that game in my preview. Here are a few things to look for on this Saturday in the Big Sky.

- Sacramento State looks for another Pac-12 win - The Hornets took down Utah earlier in the year, and now they will take a crack at trying to beat Arizona State. It won't be easy, as the Sun Devils are 5-1 and led by freshman Jahii Carson, who averaged 19 points per game. The record could be a little deceiving, as their only quality win was Arkansas. It will be tough for the Hornets, but if they can slow down Carson and get the ball down low, they can hang with them.

- Northern Arizona trying for win number three - Last year, NAU got their third win in game number 10 (and then only won two more games the rest of the year), while this year's version hopes to get it in game number seven. They take on Sam Houston State, who likes to slow the game down. NAU will need big games from their two high-scoring guards, Gabe Rogers and DeWayne Russell.

- Portland State will try and slow down Loyola Marymount - Defense has not been the calling card for Portland State, but they will need to do something to slow down an LMU team that averaged over 76 PPG. Apart from an opening season win against a lower-division opponent, PSU had allowed 81 points to Oregon, Portland, and Oklahoma State. Unlike last year, they don't have the offensive firepower to stay in games if they are allowing that many.

- Northern Colorado with a great chance for a road win - Road wins have been tough to come by for Big Sky teams this year, but UNC has a good chance for one against UC Riverside. The Highlanders are just 1-6, with losses against Texas State and Alaska-Anchorage. The Bears are coming off a well-played game against Colorado State, so they should have the confidence that they can win this game. If they play like they did against CSU, they will win this game.

Anything else going on?

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