Top Departing Players #9: Cliff Ederaine

With the throes of the offseason all around us, I thought it would be fun to take a look at the 20 best players that are departing from the Big Sky, either due to graduating, declaring for the draft, or transferring.

Cliff Ederaine for Eastern Washington was (kind of sneakily) one of the more versatile players in the Big Sky this season. He was a forward that was comfortable playing in the post (and hardly ever shot from three-point range), but he also had very solid ballhandling skills and could create shots for himself and others.

Like Mike Proctor, he was one of the best rebounders in the conference, with a 20.2 DR% (for averages, he pulled down 7.3 boards per game). He hit the glass hard for them on both ends. Offensively, he shot 51% from twos, though he made just 61% of his freebies. He could create his own shot, but he was not super efficient there.

The great thing about Ederaine was that he contributed in every facet of the game. He had a 20.3 Assist Rate (3.0 per game), which is robust for a guy that played mostly power forward for them. He could protect the glass a bit, with 1.3 blockes per game (5.1 block %) and 1.3 steals per game (2.5 steals %). Obviously he was nobody's defensive player of the year in the conference, but he helped out on that end.

He had some weaknesses... he fouled too much (like seemingly everyone else for the Eagles last year) and he turned it over too much (sometimes he tried to make too much happen), but he was an important player for EWU in that he did a bit of everything for them. How they replace him will be a key factor in determining the course of their season.

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Idaho State @ Eastern Washington Quarterfinal Preview and Prediction

The Big Sky Tournament is finally upon us! On Saturday, there will be two quarterfinal games being played. In the four vs five matchup, we will see Idaho State travel to Cheney to take on Eastern Washington. Let's break it down.

PREVIOUS MATCHUPS
They actually have played twice in the past week. Last Thursday, Eastern Washington won 85-78 in Idaho, and on Tuesday night they won 77-64 in Cheney.

BACKCOURT
I look at this as the 1-2-3 positions for these teams. For Idaho State, they have two Big Sky second teamers in Chase Grabau and Kenny McGowen. Grabau is a do it all guy that has been one of the most versatile players in the conference. He gets to the line, is very efficient offensively, is a very good passer, and can even stretch the floor. Defensively, he makes plays happen. Kenny McGowen has had some really big moments as well this year. He hasn't been an overly efficient player, but when he gets hot he can make teams pay. Rounding out the lineup is Melvin Morgan, who like McGowen is kind of a streaky player. When they are on, they can beat anyone in the conference.

EWU is led by first-teamer Cliff Colimon, who has been one of the best point guards in the Big Sky this year. He is a very solid passer, and can also put up 20 points on you. He gets to the line, and shoots well enough that you always have to account for him. Joining him in the backcourt is Jeffrey Forbes, who is unheralded but has a role on this team. He is a very solid defender, and again helps to keep defenses honest. Collin Chiverton has had an interesting season. He can be a bit of a ball stopper, but he does shoot 41% from downtown. He is the rare guy that may be wise to stop shooting so many twos, as he only makes 33% of them.

EDGE: I will cop out and call it even. Both backcourts are very streaky, with one guy (Colimon, Grabau) for each that really stands out.

FRONTCOURT
Eastern Washington starts two seniors up front, and both have been consistent, solid players for them. Cliff Ederaine is a bit more versatile, as he is a really good passer and surprisingly deft ballhandler for his size. Laron Griffin is a more traditional banger. He is a solid rebounder, and efficient offensive player around the hoop.

ISU's frontcourt is led by Abner Moreira, one of the best rebounder and interior defenders in the Big Sky. He doesn't add a whole lot offensively, but he sets the standard for toughness for the Bengals. He is flanked by Andre Hatchett, who is only 6'4'' but plays a lot of minutes in the frontcourt.

EDGE: Eastern Washington has the decided frontcourt edge.

BENCH
Idaho State has struggled with a thin bench all year long, as their bench plays just 24.4% of the team's minutes, 301st in the country. Even more, not many of those guys have contributed. Sherrod Baldwin and Garrett Swanson can make some plays, but neither guy has really been a consistent player for them.

Eastern Washington gets 28.3% of their minutes from the bench, just 229th in the country, but they have a lot more talent and depth. Tremayne Johnson is a versatile forward that can step in at either spot. Jordan Hickert keeps teams honest with his shooting. Perhaps most importantly, Parker Kelly has developed into a big-time weapon for them off the bench, and has even been a guy they have looked for in crunch time. He has been one of the most pleasant surprises in the conference.

EDGE: Eastern Washington has better players off the bench, and more of them.

WHO WINS
The truism is that it is tough to beat a team three times in one season, and this is even more true if we are talking about three times in a nine day stretch. However, I simply think Eastern Washington is the better team. They are more athletic, they are better shooters, and they are deeper. Idaho State has had some nice moments this year, and you know they are going to come out thinking they can win, but I have a hard time seeing it.

One way to exploit EWU is by getting to the foul line, and that is not something ISU is very good at, as they are more of a jump shooting team. The Eagles are susceptible to losing at anytime, because they are so reliant on the three-point shot, but I think they have a lot more options and weapons than the Bengals. The third time will not be the charm for Idaho State.

EASTERN WASHINGTON 76, IDAHO STATE 67

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Damian Lillard The Star As Weber State Beats Eastern Washington

Eastern Washington has come close to beating some really good teams so far this year, but they haven't been able to get that signature win yet. They thought tonight was going to be the night, but Weber State was able to hold them off for one reason.

Damian Lillard.

He showed once again why he is the best player in the Big Sky Conference, and why he should get some consideration as an All-American. Simply put, he was fantastic, and EWU had no answer for him, as the Wildcats won 76-69.

He started out the game on a roll, making his first five shots. In the second half, when Eastern Washington crawled back in it and made it a back-and-forth game, it was Lillard who was able to get good shots, get to the line, and get his teammates open looks time and time again, staving off any plans Eastern Washington had for a signature win.

Lillard finished with 30 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists, including shooting 4/7 from downtown and 12/13 from the stripe. He also surpassed 1,500 points for his career. One underrated aspect of his game is that he is great at getting to the line, and shoots 90% when he does get there. When he is on, he simply plays at a higher level than anyone else in the Big Sky.

He didn't quite do it alone, as Scott Bamforth continued his recent run of strong play, finishing with 19 points, including 4/5 from downtown.

For Eastern Washington, they got solid offensive performances from Cliff Colimon and Cliff Ederaine, but not a lot of other guys. Colimon had an inefficient 18 points, while Ederaine had 20 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 steals. He played very well.

However, to win these games, EWU needs strong performances from Collin Chiverton. He scored 3 points on 1/10 shooting, and Parker Kelly was in the game quite a bit late instead of him. EWU is not going to be able to beat the top teams in the Big Sky if that is happening.

For Weber State, they played an arguable top 3 Big Sky team on the road, still missing their two starting forwards, in a game where they turned the ball over 22 times -- and still win! That is a great sign for them, solidifying themselves as the team to beat in the Big Sky. With Damian Lillard running the show, it is going to be hard for any team to top them.

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Eastern Washington Scores Road Win Over Montana State

Jim Hayford and the Eagles are off to a great start in the Big Sky. Anytime you can get a conference road win you have to be very pleased, all the better when you can do it in convincing fashion like EWU did, beating Montana State 82-66.

“What a great way to open the Big Sky Conference schedule,” said Hayford. “There is no better way to start league play than with a road win, especially at such a tough place to play as Bozeman. I’m very proud of our team.

EWU jumped out to a 25-10 lead and never looked back from there. The Bobcats cut the lead to 9 at intermission, but it seemed like EWU's advantage stayed between 10-12 for most of the second half. Their key was two fold. One, they forced 22 MSU turnovers, which led to 26 Eagles points off turnovers. Second, they simply shot the ball better. They made 50% of their shots, including 11 treys.

Cliff Colimon looked like the best player on the floor, though he did have 5 TOs. He scored 22 points and knocked down some big shots in the second half when MSU was trying to put a run together. Cliff Ederaine had a solid day, scoring 16 points and 7 rebounders, but he did turn it over 6 times. He is a decent ballhandler for his size, but definitely has times where the dribbles the ball a bit too much. Collin Chiverton also had 12, but only 3/11 shooting. Chiverton has not yet met a shot he did not like.

For MSU, they continued their shooting woes, shooting below 40% for the fourth straight game. Montana State was able to do some things well - they forced 21 Eagles turnovers and got to the line often - but it was not enough to overcome their poor shooting. Christian Moon was their star and kept them in the game, finishing with 20 points (including 3/5 from downtown). He has a great stroke and is a great piece for them.

Xavier Blount, however, struggled for the third straight game. He finished with just 5 points on 1/7 shooting, and didn't look at any time like he would be able to take the game over or give them a nice run. He needs to be a lot better.

For Eastern Washington, the optimism around the program will only grow after a game like this, a nice conference road win where they never trailed. For Montana State, they are left to ask more questions as they go into a Friday night home game against Portland State that looks very big for them.

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Eastern Washington Hangs On To Beat Pacific Lutheran

You can understand why it would have been tough for Eastern Washington to get up for this game. They were coming off a game against UCLA, it was a Friday night game against a lower level opponent, and the crowd at the Reese Center was sparse (to be generous). Still, the game had to be a little closer than Jim Hayford would have liked.

Eastern Washington managed to win the game 83-72, but the game was in doubt until the final minute. The Lutes shot the ball well, and EWU just could not put them away until the very end of the game.

The best player on the court for the Eagles was Cliff Colimon, who finished with a season-high 26 points. He also finished with 7 assists and 5 rebounds while playing all 40 minutes, so he certainly put in a full day's work. He did have 7 turnovers though, which is a big flag. This has not been a big problem for him this year though, so it could be a one game aberration.

Collin Chiverton also had 26 points, and he had an efficient day from the field. He was 10/19 from the field while making 4 treys. Cliff Ederaine was the only other Eagle in double figures, as he had 12 points. Overall, EWU shot 57% from the field and made 11/22 from downtown. After a poor offensive showing the other night, this had to be good to see, no matter the opponent.

This was Eastern Washington's last game before conference play. They open the Big Sky season December 28th with a trip to Bozeman to take on Montana State.

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Eastern Washington Coasts to Victory

Eastern Washington became the third Big Sky team to take on Idaho this year, and if we use them as a barometer, the Eagles are better than Montana and Montana State. They jumped out to an early 27-7 lead en route to a 73-66 victory, pushing their record to 4-2.

“That will make the drive home to Cheney a little easier,” said first-year head coach Jim Hayford. “I’m really, really proud of our players. We had a great offensive rebounding effort, and obviously, we came out shooting the ball really well and got them on their heels. Idaho came back with some big punches, but we didn’t rest on that big lead and showed poise. I’m just very proud of our players.”

Cliff Ederaine continued his impressive senior season, notching 13 points and 8 rebounds, having another efficient night from the floor. Cliff Colimon also had 13 points, and dished out a team-high 6 assists to go with it. Junior big man Jordan Hickert had his best game of the year off the bench, as he hit 4 three balls to finish with 12 points.

There were two keys to this game. The first was the defense, as the Eagles held them to 4 points for the first 9 1/2 minutes of the game, helping them build their lead. Jeffrey Forbes was key defensively, as he held Idaho's leading scorer Deremy Geiger to just 8 points. The other key was three-point shooting, as Eastern Washington made 13/28 in the game. Their offense is heavily predicated on hitting the outside shot, so when they do that, they can beat anyone.

It is early in the year, but the Eagles are looking extremely impressive, and certainly have jumped into the top 3 in everyone's mind. They travel to Washington State on December 3rd, and that is a winnable game. If they do pull it out, the Mid-Major top 25 might soon be making room for Eastern Washington.

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Eastern Washington Topples Hawaii

It is never easy to fly to Hawaii and win, especially by 16. So Eastern Washington had to be excited after beating Hawaii 89-72 on Tuesday night, really taking control of the game in the second half.

Hawaii jumped out to an early lead, but the Eagles took a 33-29 lead into intermission. From the start of the 2nd half they jumped on things, leading by as many as 18 before the final margin of 17.

Collin Chiverton got things going in the first half, as he had 12 of his 20 points, a game-high. He hit three more treys, and is a huge weapon from the outside. Cliff Ederaine picked it up in the second half, scoring 14 of his 18 points. Cliff Colimon also had another nice day, with 15 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds. Jeffrey Forbes was the only other Eagle in double figures, with 14 points.

I thought this would be a good barometer for the Eagles, as they have lost some tight games on the road against good competition this year. They answered all questions, as Hawaii is a solid team. Coupled with Montana State's loss, the Eagles look like a top 3 Big Sky team to me right now. Coach Hayford said the trip has been good for his team in other ways too:

“Our players keep showing poise,” Hayford said of having second-half leads in all four games. “This has really been a good trip because the players can spend time together and bond. To play well is one thing, but to see them get along really reinforces all of those things so much. It was just a great night to be an Eagle.”

The Eagles have to be feeling good about themselves heading into the holiday, but they will have no time to rest. UC Davis comes to town on Sunday.

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