Eastern Washington and Sacramento State Advance in Big Sky Tournament

Through two games in the Big Sky Tournament, the favorites have advanced on the backs of their stars.

The first game of the day was an entertaining, back and forth affair between Eastern Washington and Idaho. Points came in flurries, with the Eagles eventually prevailing 91-83 to move on.

They were led by Tyler Harvey, who was simply sensational, tying a Big Sky tournament record with 42 points. He was 13/20 from the field, and hit eight threes in the victory. It wasn't a case of Idaho losing track of him either... Harvey hit stepback jumpers with guys in his face. He was essentially unguardable at times, and it was a lot of fun to watch. Mikh McKinney was a rightful MVP winner, but Harvey showed that at his best, he was the toughest guy to guard.

At times, it looked like EWU wasn't going to get enough from everyone else to get the win (other than Harvey, the Eagles were 5/20 from downtown), but they got just enough plays down the stretch. Venky Jois got a lot of defensive attention, but he eventually finished with 10 points and 14 rebounds. Ognjen Miljkovic made enough shots to be dangerous, and finished with 13. Bogdan Bliznyuk made some plays down the stretch. They got just enough from everyone else.

Idaho was almost not going to be denied, as they put on an offensive clinic of their own. The star was Connor Hill, who finished with 23 points and looked like a senior doing everything he could to prolong his career. At times, it looked like his range was unlimited. Perrion Callandret played perhaps the best game of his career, and gives them hope that they will have a great backcourt next year (along with Sekou Wiggs). Ark Mkrtchyan did his thing, as always. In the end, they just couldn't get the stops they needed. They were a fun team to watch, with a lot of offensive talent and the ability to raise their game against good opponents, but they just never found that elite level defensively.

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The Eagles opponent in the semifinals will be Sacramento State, who held off a pesky Portland State team to get the 70-60 win.

Portland State took care of the ball, and they were patient against the Sacramento State zone, but they just couldn't find enough good shots, as they were just 22/61 from the field. The Hornets were very disciplined in the zone, always staying in position and never overpursuing.

On the other end, the Hornets were powered by their starts. Dylan Garrity had 22 points and was 8/8 inside the arc, Mikh McKinney had 24 points, and Cody Demps finished with 13 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists. The trio combined for 55 of the Hornets 70 points, showing why they are arguably the best trio in the Big Sky.

For the Vikings, Gary Winston was excellent, as the senior finished with 26 points, but the Vikings had no balance in this game. Tiegbe Bamba and DaShaun Wiggins both had their moments, but nobody else was able to get anything done against the Hornets zone. In the end, Sac State won this game with their defense, which is not a phrase we would expect to write about them this year.

The Eagles won an entertaining affair, while the Hornets slowly strangled the Vikings into submission. In the end, both styles get you into the Big Sky semifinals. The Eagles win will get a few more headlines because it was more visually appealing, but the Hornets arguably looked better in their victory.

We'll get a matchup that many expected to see in the title game for much of the season. It will be an even matchup, as both teams split in the regular season. It will come down to the stars - Harvey and Jois on one side, McKinney and Garrity on the other. We are all in for a real treat!

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Sacramento State Alone In First For Now

When everyone wakes up on Friday morning and checks the Big Sky standings (I assume this is something that people do), they will see Sacramento State alone atop the Big Sky at 3-0 after their 63-61 win over North Dakota. Eastern Washington and Idaho are currently 2-0, but the Hornets are the lone team with three wins.

It took a tough battle on the road to get the win, but the Hornets ended the game on a 9-3 run, and got a Mikh McKinney floater with 2.6 seconds left to give them the win. Among the notables, Sac State's 9-5 overall mark and 3-0 Big Sky mark is their best start since 2005-06, and they are 3-0 in the Big Sky for the second time since they joined the conference in the 90s.

There is nothing terribly impressive about North Dakota right now, though Grand Forks is always a tough place to go win, but I thought the way they won was encouraging. Their offense was bogged down a bit, and UND was able to do an excellent job on McKinney and Dylan Garrity, who combined for 23 points on 8/20 FG, which is a slow night for them.

However, the Hornets got others guys to step up. Senior forward Zach Mills played 35 minutes, and scored 17 points, including hitting 3/4 from downtown. Alex Tiffin had 12 points and 5 rebounds off the bench. Defensively, UND was 2/10 from the floor, and even though they shot the ball well overall, the Hornets didn't allow them second chance opportunities.

It was a full team win, and for a team that at times can be overly reliant on their two man backcourt, that is an even better sign than the fact that it happened to bring them to 3-0.

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Sacramento State Outlook

It's time to get ready for the Big Sky season again with some overviews of each team this month, and then eventually we'll get into more detailed looks at everything.

What They Lost: One of the biggest reasons for optimism around Sac State this year is the fact that they did not lose a lot of key contributors from last season's team. The biggest loss was Jordan Salley, a forward who played about 40% of the team's minutes last year. He was a nice piece for them, as he shot 60% from the floor and was a solid rebounder in the frontcourt. Their other loss was forward Joey Quigley, who got some nice hype as a versatile forward when he committed, but never converted it into any reliable production. He was a bit player that struggled to produce when he did play. They did not lose anyone else that played any type of minutes, even inconsistently.

Who Returns: The other big reason for optimism around the Hornets is their backcourt, which certainly has a strong case to be the best in the league. Dylan Garrity and Mikh McKinney are both seniors, and both could be first-team all-conference players. Garrity has had a sterling four-year career, turning from a pass-first PG with limited scoring ability as a freshman (his assist rate was 12th in the nation his first year) into a dynamic scoring guard who is still a good distributor. Last year he made 48% of threes on five attempts per game. You may also remember his 70 footer to beat Weber State, one of the best moments in college basketball last year.

McKinney, meanwhile, was one of the most improved players in the Big Sky last year. He greatly improved his scoring efficiency (53% twos, 33% threes, and 82% FT on plenty of attempts), while becoming one of the best assist men in the conference, surpassing even Garrity. Improbably, he was better than Garrity last season, and should be poised for a big senior year. Cody Demps is the nominal small forward, but has the versatility to play some different spots. He would be better served not taking so many threes (9/44 last year), but is a glue guy for them. Dreon Bartlett also returns in the backcourt as a three-point shooting specialist off the bench.

Up front, they will rely on Eric Stuteville, a big man that got better and better as the season went along. Toward the end of the year, he showed flashes as a diverse scorer in the post who holds his own on the glass. His potential is probably as one of the better bigs in the conference. Zach Mills is only 6'5'', but he did some nice things for them as a junior, and can play the four spot. He is a good outside shooter, and decent on the defensive glass. Senior Alex Tiffin will be in his second year, and there seems to be some optimism about him, though he didn't flash a ton as a junor. He shot just 43% last year. Nick Hornsby is one other returner that will contribute. He was a well regarded recruit coming into last year, though he got lost in the shuffle a bit as a freshman. In a bit under 15 minutes per game, he showcased nice versatility and skill on the glass, but struggled to score. He shot just 38% on twos and 4/18 from three. If he can find good shots and become a bit better putting the ball in the basket, he will be a nice all-around player for them.

Newcomers: One name to watch it Mason Stuteville (brother of Eric), who seems to be getting some pub as one of the best freshman in the league. He is a dynamic big man (though thin), who appears to have some inside-out capability. He will add another dynamic to the frontcourt which was a weak point for the squad last year. Another big man in the recruiting class is 6'10'' James Herrick, who averaged 11 and 11 last year, and is a bit more of a traditional big man as compared to Stuteville. They also have early signee Justin Strings, a 6'6'' forward who fits in the mold of shorter power forwards which have been so effective in the Big Sky. He averaged 18 and 8 last year and looks like he will be an impact player for them in time.

They also signed two guards. One is 5'10'' Jiday Ugbaja, a very good athlete who could be a great shooter for them. He may not have an impact right away because of the other depth, but he could be starting as soon as next season. He could be joined next year by Marcus Graves, who had the impressive stat line of 17.6 PPG/5.4 RPG/ 4.6 APG last year. Coach Katz compared his game to Garrity's, calling him a "shooter that can drive." Similar to Ugbaja, it's hard to say how many minutes will be available this year, but he should be an important long-term piece for them.

General Outlook: Sacramento State has never had a winning record at the DI level, but this looks like the year it will happen. In a league often dictated by guard play, they are in great hands with a senior backcourt of Garrity-McKinney. Though the frontcourt doesn't have the experience yet, they appear to have the talent with the Stuteville brothers and Zach Mills. After getting a taste of the Big Sky tournament last year, they are one of the favorites heading into this season. Don't be surprised if they not only have a winning record, but win the league, which would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.

Note: This post was updated to include the part about Nick Hornsby, who I forgot about on my first posting.

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How Did Sacramento State Turn Their Season Around?

On January 25th, Sacramento State fell to Northern Colorado in Greeley, dropping their record to 6-11 overall, and 2-6 in the Big Sky. It looked like another lost season for the Hornets. Since then, all they've done is win 7 of 8, putting them at 9-7 in the Big Sky and on the verge of a conference tournament berth. In that time, they shocked Weber State, and beat North Dakota and Northern Colorado (convincingly), who have often looked like the second and third best teams in the Big Sky.

So, how have they done it?

The first factor, and perhaps the biggest, has been the schedule. The early portion of their Big Sky slate was tough, with six of their first eight on the road, including road trips to Montana and to the UNC/UND swing. The fact that they were 2-6 during that time (they played two home games, beating EWU and losing to PSU in overtime) is not that big of a surprise, because that is a tough slate.

Things obviously got easier. Of the 7-1 stretch, they have played six home games (6-0) and two road games (1-1). They avenged their loss to Portland State (but lost at EWU, the reverse of what happened when they hosted the teams), and then won six at home. As noted, it wasn't an easy stretch of home games, as they beat arguably the top three teams in the conference not including themselves, but they did benefit from a long stretch at home.

The other difference has been simple - they have become an offensive machine during the past eight games. According to my calculations, here are the differences in games against DI opponents:

6-11 start (which was really 4-11, since two of those wins were against non-DI teams) - 0.991 PPP
7-1 recent stretch - 1.166 PPP

To put it in perspective... that 0.991 PPP would be 8th in the Big Sky for the year, while the 1.166 PPP would be far and away the best in the conference. Using conference play only, the 0.991 PPP would rank 10th in the Big Sky, while the 1.166 PPP would be a close second behind Northern Colorado. If they had a 1.166 PPP all year, that would rank in the top 20 in the nation.

The defense has gotten a little better too, going from 1.106 PPP before the steak, to 1.053 PPP since the streak started. In the Big Sky this year (which is scoring at 1.09 PPP for the year, second highest in the NCAA among any conference), that 1.05 mark is actually pretty good.

It's not hard to see their strengths - they have the best backcourt in the Big Sky, with both Dylan Garrity and Mikh McKinney putting up great junior seasons. Garrity has been fantastic throughout his career (he is a great shooter and solid distributor), so his stardom is no surprise. He has increased his three-point percentage to a deadly  46% rate, while shooting it more than he ever has. That has been huge for them, because every shot he takes is a good shot for them, for the most part.

McKinney has been more of a surprise... in his first season last year, he showed flashes of being a nice off the dribble with a outside shot that was at least good enough to keep defenses honest, along with a good ability to get to the line. This year, he has grown in many ways, and might be one of the more improved guys in the Big Sky. While his outside shot hasn't been falling (hi 3PT% is down from 37% to 31%), but he has become a better finisher, shooting 54% on two-point attempts, up from 41% last year (that is HUGE). He has maintained his excellent ability to get to the line (and shooting 85%). He has also grown to be more of a distributor... while Garrity's assist rate has dropped, that is due to McKinney taking on more playmaker duties, as his Assist Rate jumped from 20.2 to 29.2, another huge jump.

The frontcourt has always been a question mark, but that has picked up recently, as Zach Mills has played well, and Eric Stuteville is becoming the reliable option we thought he would be.

So, will the success continue? Yes and no. They travel to take on Weber State and a desperate Idaho State team this weekend, and 1-1 would be a success. Then they are at home to take on the Montana schools. The guess here is they finish 11-9, around the 5th seed in the Big Sky tournament.

Going forward, they have a chance to make some noise in the Big Sky tournament, because they have a great backcourt duo, and an emerging frontcourt. They are an offensive machine over the last month, and the defense has looked better too. They aren't getting a ton out of their seniors either, so it's not out of the question that they could be a favorite heading into the Big Sky next season, a thought that would have been inconceivable a month ago. It's been a rapid rise for the Hornets, and the best should be yet to come.

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Vote Dylan Garrity for Play of the Year

Obviously, Dylan Garrity's 75 foot game-winner against Weber State earlier this year was amazing.

If you don't remember it somehow - here it is.

Now, you can vote for it for the Geico Play of the Year. Sac State's website has all of the details on how you can vote here, or you can go directly to their Facebook page and vote.

You should vote.

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Sacramento State Beats Weber State At The Buzzer

A lot happened before the final 15 seconds of this game, but they weren't nearly as exciting as the final 15 seconds. Let's run down the scene:

- Weber State had the ball, trailing 71-70. Davion Berry had the ball up top, and they called a handcheck foul on Sacramento State (which did seem to be a weak call). Sac State coach Brian Katz protested on the sideline, and got called for the quickest technical I've seen in a while. With the technical and the foul call, Davion Berry went to the line shooting 4.

- Berry missed the two technical foul shots, but then made the two foul shots. 72-71, 15 seconds left.

- The Hornets took the ball down to the other end, and tried to do a handoff at the top of the key. The ball was fumbled, and there was a scramble on the floor, and the whistles blew. I am still not totally sure what the actual call was. Anyway, Randy Rahe started protesting, and he got whistled for a technical foul call that was as quick as the one on Katz. Additionally, Weber State called a timeout when they had no timeouts, resulting in another technical.

- For the second time in 10 seconds, someone was shooting four free throws. This time, it was Mikh McKinney, who made all four. Hornets led 75-72 with just over 6 seconds left.

- Davion Berry got the ball for Weber State, and with 0.7 seconds left on the clock, he drained a 30 footer to tie the game at 75, presumably sending it to double OT.

- Dylan Garrity said not so fast, draining the 75 footer.



Amazing.

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Dylan Garrity Makes 75 Footer To Beat Weber State

The game was unreal. More to come, but here is the final shot, courtesy of the twitter account of Brandon Fessler:



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Idaho State Beats Sacramento State on Late Tomas Sanchez Bucket

With Sacramento State coming in to Pocatello to play Idaho State, most everyone could have expected a close, competitive game. That is exactly what happened.

Sacramento State led most of the way, but it was Idaho State making the plays down the stretch to win, 60-59. Let's set the stage.

It was 57-56 Hornets, with the ball and about 50 seconds on the clock. They had a great possession, stalling for much of it before getting the ball into Dylan Garrity's hands late. He showed great poise, passing the ball off to John Dickson for an open lay-in. Hornets lead 59-56, 19.8 seconds left.

After that, a couple coaching decisions shaped the rest of the game. The first was a good decision by Bill Evans. Instead of trying the three, ISU recognized that there was enough time to get a quick two and foul. So, Tomas Sanchez took the ball hard to the rim and scored with 11.8 seconds left, cutting the lead to one.

On the Hornets inbound (which came after a timeout), it was Joe Eberhard in bounding the ball, eventually getting it to Julian Demalleville. This is curious because Eberhard is an 80% free throw shooter on the year, while Demalleville had been 10/16 from the line in his career. You have to get the ball to your best free throw shooters in that situation.

You know what happens next. Demalleville missed the front end of a 1-and-1, Sanchez got the ball, took it the length of the court, and scored on a driving bucket with 2.5 seconds left. Dylan Garrity missed a last second heave (apparently Brian Katz was upset because he thought there should have been a foul called, but I agree with a no-call), and the Bengals win 60-59.

Great coaching from ISU, poor coaching down the stretch from Sac State, big time plays by Tomas Sanchez, and suddenly both teams are 3-4. With the way things are going right now in the conference, that type of 20 second stretch could be the difference between making or missing the Big Sky tournament.

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Dylan Garrity and DeWayne Russell Are Co-Big Players of the Week

Both Dylan Garrity of Sacramento State and DeWayne Russell of Northern Arizona have played some excellent basketball this year, so it makes sense that they are named Co-Big Sky Players of the Week.

Garrity, a 6-2 sophomore point guard from Huntington Beach, Calif., averaged 20 points, six assists, and one steal per game as the Hornets picked up victories over Cal State Bakersfield and Utah. He shot 69.2 percent from the field, 62.5 percent from 3-point range, and 94.4 percent from the free-throw line.

Russell, a 5-11 true freshman guard from Peoria, Ariz., scored a career-high 25 points as Northern Arizona snapped its 18-game losing streak with an 85-82 road win over UC Davis.

Russell is a name all Big Sky fans should get to know, and they hopefully already know about Garrity, who was the best freshman in the conference last season.

It is beginning to be fair to say that they are not just two of the best young guards in the conference, but two of the best guards in the conference, period.

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Notes From The Past Few Days

Over the past week I have had the pleasure of both being really sick (I missed two days of work and should have missed more... I am still fighting it), and having a really busy week of work (hence why I did not miss more time), which has led to slower posting here than I would normally like. So, let's get caught up on some of the action over the past few days that I have missed.

- The one thing I didn't miss was Sacramento State's 3-0 start, including two wins over Division I teams. Dylan Garrity is making an early case for All-Conference honors, with 15.3 ppg and seven assists per contest early in the year.

- Northern Colorado turned in a historically great offensive performance in their first game of the year, but couldn't replicate that in their second game, losing 64-53 to Cal Poly. They shot just 3/18 from downtown, which is a big stat for them. The difference in the game was the free throws... UNC was 6/13, Cal Poly was 22/30.

- I predicted Derrick Barden to be the rebounding champ in the conference, and he pulled down nine in the game. However, he was just 2/6 from the field for seven points. They will need some more offense from him, and I expect he will be just fine. It just takes a little time to find your place in the offense.

- Weber State lost 68-67 in OT to San Jose State, with two guys widely expected to be all-conference players struggling for them. Kyle Tresnak was 0/8 with two points, and Scott Bamforth was 3/10 for 11 points. Needless to say, they need those guys.

- Two newcomers did step up for WSU... Davion Berry scored 21 points on 8/17 shooting, while Joel Bolomboy had 11 rebounds. Everyone expected Berry to be good, but he looks like he will lead the team in scoring easily. Bolomboy was expected to be more of a role player this year, but he might be too talented not to get a bunch of minutes.

- Nick Robinson may have a bigger rebuilding job on his hands than he might have expected. Southern Utah lost 66-54 to Green Bay, and 112-69 to CS Fullerton. None of their three games have been easy, but they haven't been particularly competitive either.

- It wasn't always pretty, but Montana got a 66-63 win over Idaho. The young guards are showing they are talented but inconsistent (Gregory/DeShields: 14 points, 3 assists, 4 turnovers), but the Grizzlies got enough from their stars. Kareem Jamar had 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists, while Mathias Ward pitched in 16. Spencer Coleman had nine points and five rebounds, including a big three late. At this stage of the year, a win is a win.

- North Dakota continued their road struggles, getting blown out 72-47 at Northern Iowa. They were playing with Troy Huff, missing his second straight game after breaking his jaw. Aaron Anderson led the team with 12 points, but he was unusually inefficient doing it. Alzono Traylor had nine points and four rebounds, and I was impressed with him. He had a nice move near the basket, and showed good touch on a 15 footer. It will be big for them if he is able to become a consistent contributor.

- We went to the Nuggets/Heat game last Thursday night, and I would recommend for any basketball fan to go watch LeBron James play in person. He is incredible to watch. The athleticism, the presence, the passing ability.... it is incredible how many wide open looks his teammates get after passes from him. If you get the chance to watch him, you should take the opportunity.

Anything I missed?

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Sacramento State Suddenly Carrying the Big Sky Torch

A week into the season, and Big Sky teams have just two victories against Division I opponents. Both of those wins are by Sacramento State.

After a thrilling, come from behind win last night over Utah, the Hornets are now 3-0. It is early, but they are looking a lot better than the seventh place team that the coaches poll predicted, the eighth place team the media predicted,or even the sixth place team that I predicted.

The Hornets had four players score in double figures, comprised of point guard Dylan Garrity (game-high 19), forward John Dickson (16), shooting guard Mikh McKinney (13) and swingman Joe Eberhard (10). Garrity and McKinney are both sophomores, and they combined for 15 of the team’s points during the 29-13 run.

In fact, Garrity had 11 of his 19 points during the final 9:07, including a high-arching jumper that gave the Hornets a 72-71 lead with 1:29 to play. That marked Sacramento State’s first lead since midway part of the first half when a Dickson three-pointer gave the Hornets a 21-20 lead.

A win over Utah doesn't quite mean as much as it used to, but it is still a road win over a Pac-12 opponent, which is far more than anyone else can put on their resume in the conference in this young season.

Utah led 58-45 at the 12:27 mark before the Hornets came back. Dylan Garrity was the star, scoring 19 points on 5/7 shooting (3/4 from downtown) and 6/6 from the charity stripe. He scored 11 of his 19 points in the final nine minutes. That man needs to shoot more!

The Hornets are 3-0 for the first time since 1999-2000, and this looks like their best team in ages. They will try to improve to 4-0 on Tuesday night, when they take on rival UC-Davis. At a time when it is arguably an insult by Utah if they put you on their non-conference schedule, this win has to feel great for the Hornets.

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Sacramento State Impressive In Victory

 

Sacramento State is a better team than they have been in past years, and they showed it on Wednesday night, beating Cal State Bakersfield 85-67.

Cal State Bakersfield is not going to the NCAA Tournament or anything like that, but they lost to UT-Arlington by 2 (UTA was a really solid team last year), and to California by 13 (even if the game wasn't really as close as that).

Simply put, it's a game past Sac State teams would have struggled with, and here, they led throughout, pulling away in the second half en route to the 18 point victory.

They were impressive offensively, shooting 49% and getting to the free throw line 36 times. Dylan Garrity was a star as always, with 21 points (a career high) and seven assists (a number he might average this year). He was very good leading the offense.

The guy I was especially impressed with was guard Mikh McKinney, who got the start for the Hornets. He looked very quick off the dribble, and seemed to be able to get in the lane almost anytime he wanted, where he also had some nice finishes. He had 23 points (7/13 FG, 7/7 FT), five rebounds, three assists, and three steals. He had some good buzz around him heading into the season, and he is making good on that.

In an early season where Big Sky teams have really struggled with Division I opponents, it was good to see Sacramento State take care of business on their home court.

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Weber State, Portland State, Sacramento State All Notch Wins

Weber State, Sacramento State, and Portland State all started the season with home games against lower competition, games they should dominate. All three schools did just that.

Weber State lived well in their first game without Damian Lillard, dropping a ridiculous 110 points on Arizona Christian. AZ Christian is an NAIA school, but still nice to see them score 55 points in each half. Seven guys scored in double figures in this game for the Wildcats, and they shot 64% from the floor (and still wound up with 16 offensive boards)

Two quick guys to focus on... Davion Berry scored a cool 17 points in his debut (in 23 minutes), shooting 6/10 from the floor and 3/5 from downtown. Off the bench, Joel Bolomoboy played 22 minutes and notched a double, with 16 points (5/5 FG, 5/8 FT), 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks. They are deep.

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Sacramento State started things off right with a 96-62 win over UC-Merced. Going into the year I thought the Hornets seemed settled at a starting lineup, but Brian Katz started Joey Quigley and Mikh McKinney, relegating Konner Veteto and Jackson Carbajal to coming off the bench (I believe he used this lineup in the exhibition game also).

Five guys scored in double figures for the Hornets, who led by just 8 at the break before blowing it open in the second half. John Dickson led the way with 18 and 9, while Veteto had 17 and 8. Dylan Garrity picked up where he left off last year, scoring six points, but dishing out nine assists.

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Portland State's victory margin was less than the other two games, but winning was never really in doubt in a 77-58 win over Pacific. Their lead was 26-24 late in the first half, but the Vikings went on a 13-4 run to head into the break, and never looked back.

Dre Winston led the way with 16 points, shooting 5/6 from the field and 3/4 from downtown. Aaron Moore (13) and Michael Harthun (11) also scored in double figures. PSU turned it over 19 times, which is just way too much. Lateef McMullan needs to be the steady hand as a senior PG, but he struggled. He was just 2/7 from the field and had 5 TOs.

The Vikings will travel to face Oregon on Monday night.

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Big Sky Freshmen Rankings

Back in Mid-December, I created my first rankings of the freshmen in the Big Sky. With the season near the end, it's time to take another look at things (and we probably will at the end of the year too). As always, top five in the conference.

1. Dylan Garrity (Sacramento State) - 7.8 PPG, 6.8 APG, 2.5 RPG, 1.0 SPG
Garrity continues to lead the conference in assists, he is sixth nationally, and highest among all freshmen in the country. He has come in and led the team from day one, and that is impressive to do. His assist rate is eleventh in the country, and he has logged a ton of minutes for the Hornets. It is clear what he needs to do to get better - cut down on turnovers (three per game), improve his outside shot (31%), and bulk up a bit - but it is also clear that Sacramento State has a very nice leader for their offense.

2. Tevin Svihovec (Northern Colorado) -10.9 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.1 SPG
The last time I did this list he didn't even make the top five, which shows how much he has gotten better as the year has gone on. He is the Bears' go to player offensively, and usually has the ball in his hands if it is late in the game. He has been a very efficient scorer, as he shoots 80% from the stripe, 50% inside the arc, and 43% from downtown. Those are great numbers. He is going to be a great player for UNC by the time he is done there.

3. James Douglas (Northern Arizona) - 12.1 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.2 SPG
He has had to shoulder a lot of the offensive load, as Gabe Rogers has not returned to be the offensive threat he was before he hurt his shoulder. Douglas has struggled at times and been more of a volume scorer, but has shown a lot of ability. He has good range on his jumper, and solid quickness off the dribble. He could be one of the leaders scorers in the conference as early as next year, depending on what type of system a new coach brings in.

4. Parker Kelly (Eastern Washington) - 4.4 PPG, 1.1 RPG, 41.% 3PT
Kelly has come on of late and hit a lot of big shots, most notably against Northern Colorado and Northern Arizona. He is an excellent shooter, and at this point in his career that is about all he does. Still, for a walk-on freshman he has had an impressive season, and is a nice piece for a team that will lose a lot of talent this year. He is Jim Hayford's type of player - smart, doesn't make a lot of mistakes, and can knock down shots.

5. Gaellen Bewernick (Northern Arizona) - 5.7 PPG, 5.1 RPG
Bewernick is an undersized forward in the mold of Chehales Tapscott of Portland State. He is a great rebounder for his size (and has very nice rebound percentages), scores efficiently down low (shooting nearly 60%), and can make some things happen defensively. Whoever the new coach of Northern Arizona is, the cupboard should not be bare, despite the poor record. They have some solid, young talent.

Also Considered: Gary Winston (Portland State), Tim Huskisson (Northern Colorado), Gelaun Wheelwright (Weber State)
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Saturday Big Sky Predictions

Four more games on the docket for today, and each game becomes more important than the last. Let's take a quick peek at each game.

Montana State @ Northern Colorado
Bobcat fans have seen this movie before. MSU started off the conference slate by going 6-2, but they have lost four straight. While they are still tied for third in the Big Sky, that is looking more tenuous by the day. Northern Colorado is desperate for positive things to happen to their young club, and I think they might be able to draw some things from their loss to Montana.They know that with another loss their season will end with no conference tournament, and I think they will do enough at home to win. NORTHERN COLORADO 73, MONTANA STATE 68

Idaho State @ Northern Arizona
This is almost a must-win for Idaho State, just because NAU is a very beatable team right now. However, they'll be playing likely without Chase Grabau, which is big for this team. Kenny McGowen and Melvin Morgan have to hit some shots, but they don't have a lot of offensive weapons outside of that. Not long ago ISU was the team playing with nothing to lose because nothing was expected from them. Today, that team is NAU. Look for them to pull the upset at home. NORTHERN ARIZONA 65, IDAHO STATE 59

Eastern Washington @ Weber State
Suddenly, EWU is close to seeing the season slip through their fingers, as there is a chance they will be even in the win column with Sacramento State or Northern Colorado after this game. I think the Eagles will be okay and still make the tournament, but I can't see them pulling the road shocker. Damian Lillard should have a fine day, and his ability to get to the free throw line will serve him well. WEBER STATE 82, EASTERN WASHINGTON 71

Montana @ Sacramento State
There are not a lot of teams playing better than Sacramento State right now, but Montana may be one of them. They see the Hornets four straight wins and raise them seven, and 13 out of 14. The Grizzlies are at the end of a tough road stretch, but I think they have it in them to win one more. Dylan Garrity is playing great basketball, but Will Cherry eats freshmen PGs for lunch. MONTANA 75, SACRAMENTO STATE 69

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Logjam in the Middle of the Big Sky

Before the night, in order for an optimal logjam in the middle of the Big Sky, you would have said two things needed to happen. One, Sacramento State would have to beat Montana State, which would move the Hornets closer to conference tournament play, and keep the Bobcats at six wins. The other thing would be for Portland State to beat Idaho State, since that would move both teams to 6-6 and tied with MSU for third place.

Check and check.

In the first game, it was Sacramento State getting their fourth win in a row, 86-76 over Montana State. They were led by freshman Dylan Garrity, who finished with a Sacramento State record of 16 assists (while also chipping in 14 points). He already led all freshmen in assists, and that number will only increase. It was a superb effort to be sure. He got help in those assists by guys knocking down guys, especially Joe Eberhard, who had 23 points, including going 5/5 from downtown. As a team, the Hornets were 11/19 from three point land.

For MSU, both Xavier Blount and Christian Moon were neutralized, and that usually spells trouble for the Bobcats. They were held to 15 points on 4/15 shooting, which makes it tough for them to win. Tre Johnson led the team with 17 points and 7 rebounds.

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In the other game, Portland State coasted to a relatively easy 67-54 win over Idaho State. They jumped out to an early 10 point lead, and that never dropped to below 7 the rest of the way.

Chehales Tapscott was the star, going for 15 points and 16 rebounds to help secure the road win. He was 7/11 from the line and just had a very nice all-around game. Charles Odum also contributed 18 points on just 9 shots.

Idaho State was playing without Chase Grabau. He got a concussion in the Montana game that was not discovered until after the team got back to Pocatello. He will likely be out on Saturday as well. An already thin team struggles to put up points with Grabau, who does a little bit of everything for the Bengals. Melvin Morgan led them with 18 points.

With these games, the middle of the Big Sky now looks like this:

Montana State: 6-6
Portland State: 6-6
Idaho State: 6-6
Eastern Washington: 5-6
Sacramento State: 4-8
Northern Colorado: 4-8

With four of those teams moving on to the conference tournament, it should be a fun couple of weeks.

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Eastern Washington, Sacramento State Get Victories

On Thursday night, there were two games featuring teams on the conference tournament bubble taking on teams that were tied at the bottom of the Big Sky.

In the first game, Eastern Washington had a battle with Northern Arizona, ultimately winning a big game 74-68. It was in no way a pretty win, as they trailed by as many as nine in the second half, but they got the job done and gutted it out. It moves them to 5-5 in the Big Sky and alone in fifth place in the conference.

Four guys scored in double figures for the Eagles, including 11 in the second half from true freshman Parker Kelly, who hit big shots and big free throws down the stretch. On a night where the Eagles shot just 35% from the field, they must be happy to have escaped with a win.

For NAU, it is their second straight tough defeat at home. On Monday, they fell in OT to Northern Colorado, and here they were not able to hold onto a solid second half lead. Ephraim Ekanem had perhaps the best game of his career, throwing in 15 and 7 for the Lumberjacks, but the team struggled down the stretch when both he and Durrell Norman fouled out.

Eastern Washington will host Sacramento State on Saturday, while Northern Arizona will host Portland State.

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In the other matchup, it was Sacramento State traveling to Greeley and really beating Northern Colorado from the get go. The final was 73-62, and the Hornets led throughout the game, much of it by a margin of double digits, which certainly gave the feel that the game was never really in doubt.

The Hornets shot the ball well, as they were at 50% for the game. Dylan Garrity had one of his most complete games of his career, scoring 16 points and dishing out 9 assists. Since he was the guy that most likely would have been guarded a lot by Elliot Lloyd, it is safe to say that Lloyd's presence was missed. Joe Eberhard and Jackson Carbajal were also in double figures.

For UNC, the story of the game was their free throw shooting. They finished an abhorrent 11/28 from the stripe, and that was AFTER a 6/8 run late in the game. They started the game 5/20, which almost boggles the mind. In comparison, I am reasonably certain that I could make more than 5/20 if I shot free throws with my left hand (I am right-handed).

Tevin Svhihovec led the team with 19 points, while Connor Osborne chipped in 11.

It was a tough loss for the Bears, because you have to win the home games you are favored to win if you want to go to the conference tournament. The loss drops them to 4-6 in the Big Sky, tied with Portland State for sixth. Sacramento State moves to 2-8, and with six conference games to play, they are two back of sixth place. It is still a bit of a long shot to make the tournament, but not nearly as long of a shot as it would have been a week ago. At the very least, with two convincing wins, they can't be counted out yet.

What were your impressions of the game?

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Thursday Night Thoughts

A few takeaways from each of the three Thursday night games in the Big Sky.

Montana 76, Northern Colorado 58
- This was a chance for the Bears to take a big step in their growth and maturity, but they couldn't do it. They got off to a great start, getting a 12 point lead in the first half, but they could not sustain it. Montana led by one at the break, and then blew the Bears out in the second half.
- Will Cherry was the man in this game, with 27 points (17 in the first half), six assists, and four steals. He was a level (or two) above anyone UNC had on this given night.
- Still would like to see Montana's freshmen (especially Keron DeSheilds and Kevin Henderson) get some more run, but it is tough to question Tinkle - he has proven himself well.

Weber State 81, Northern Arizona 67
-  Weber State showed how dangerous they can be and how many weapons they have. Damian Lillard had 18/6/6, but Kyle Tresnak was the leading scorer with 22 points. Playing against NAU's front line, it was a nice game plan by the Wildcats to get the ball down low.
- Northern Arizona shot 53% from the field, but they still weren't even that close in this game. It didn't help that leading scorer James Douglas missed the game with an illness. Hopefully he can return quickly.
- Weber State is now 11-0 at home. That is a scary thought since as of now, both the semifinals and finals of the Big Sky tournament would be played in Ogden.

Montana State 72, Sacramento State 65
- I keep doubting how good Montana State is, and they keep winning. Sure, they have benefited from a nice schedule in the early going, but there is something to be said about winning the game that  you're supposed to win. That is what the Bobcats have done this conference season.
- As they have done this year, MSU hit some big free throws down the stretch.
- Finally a nice scoring effort from Sac State guard Dylan Garrity! He led all scorers with 18 points, and even knocked down three treys. He has been a nice playmaker for the Hornets, but has struggled mightily with his shot.
- If Montana State can beat Northern Colorado at home, they will improve to 5-2 in the Big Sky, another strong start. Suffice to say that MSU fans have seen this movie before, but they hope that this time around it has a happy ending.

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Sac State Sports Profile on Dylan Garrity

Excellent article over at Sac State Sports on freshman guard Dylan Garrity, who leads all freshmen in assists with 6.9 per game.

The Sacramento State men’s basketball coach was watching a game at Huntington Beach Edison High School and he knew after one quarter he had found the next Hornets star.

“I called my assistant coach and said ‘I’m going to offer him,’ ” Katz said, who usually prefers to watch a player in multiple games before offering a scholarship. But what he saw that day in Dylan Garrity was enough to make him want the two-time all-state guard on the spot.

The Hornets take on Northern Arizona tonight.

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Sacramento State Falls to SE Missouri State

In the most exciting Big Sky game of the night, Sacramento State lost a close game to Southeast Missouri State, 77-76.

Lucas Nutt made the first of two free throw attempts with 3.3 seconds left to give the Redhawks (5-7) the lead. When he missed the second one, John Dickson attempted a buzzer-beater from behind half court that was well short.

The Hornets were down by 10 with 4:39 to play, including tying the game with 38 seconds left, but it was not enough to pull out the victory. The loss snaps a two games winning streak for Sac State, and drops them to 5-6.

Freshman PG Dylan Garrity has struggled of late, but he was excellent in this game, posting his first career double-double. He had 11 points (he was very good at getting to the FT line), and finished with a sparkling 12:0 A:TO ratio. It is good to see him get back to the way he was playing at the beginning of the year.

The Hornets got a lot of other nice contributions as well, notably from John Dickson (10/19 FG for 24 points), Joe Eberhard (15 & 8), and Josh McCarver, who had 12 points in 18 minutes. Ultimately, they just didn't get a solid performance from their defense per head coach Brian Katz.

“I don’t think I’ve ever coached a game where we could not get stops,” Katz said. “It was unbelievable.”

Sacramento State will open conference play with a trip to Northern Arizona on the 29th.

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