Top 20 Departing: Honorable Mention

I am counting down the top 20 players that are departing the Big Sky via graduation, transfer, or any other way.

Today, let's start by looking at the guys that just missed the cut on making the list of the top 20 players departing the Big Sky.

- Collin Chiverton - After last season, it seemed like Chiverton could be primed to lead the conference in scoring, but things just never developed in his senior year. After going through a lot off the court before the year, he struggled (understandably so) last season. He still took a lot of threes, but made only 33% of them, compared to 41% the year before. He did shoot better on two pointers, at 50.6%. However, his turnover rate almost doubled, and he continued to not get any assists or rebounds. He is talented, and I think everyone wishes the senior year would have played out a bit differently.

- Melvin Morgan - After shooting a solid 40% on threes his junior year, that dropped to a dismal 27% last year, but he still kept shooting them at the same rate (over 5 per game). The Bengals didn't always have a lot of offensive options (similar to Gabe Rogers and Northern Arizona), but this type of gunning hurt their offense. He has a decent assist rate, but didn't do a good enough job of taking care of the ball to make the top 20.

- Emmanuel Addo - Addo has transferred to Missouri State, where he will play his senior year. When things are going right, he can be impact player, with a nice outside shot (he was 32/75 career from downtown), and a variety of post moves. However, things didn't go right nearly enough last year, which is why he is moving on. His rebounding dropped to guard-like levels last year, and his offensive efficiency dropped as well. Hopefully he can get his confidence back for his senior year.

- Wade Collie - Collie was average seven points and over three rebounds per game last year for Southern Utah before he was arrested on drug charges and dismissed from the team. He had a ways to go to be an efficient player, but he did create some shot for them, and grabbed 15.2% of available defensive rebounds. He would have been a key contributor for them in his senior year.

Thoughts on any of these guys?

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Emmanuel Addo Goes to Missouri State

Former Northern Colorado forward Emmanuel Addo will be playing for Missouri State next season.

Missouri State got a commitment from Northern Colorado Senior PF transfer Emmanuel Addo late last night! #MSUBears

— MO State Bear Nation (@TheBearNation) April 25, 2013

Best of luck to him, hopefully he can have a nice senior year in the Missouri Valley!

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Paul Garnica and Emmanuel Addo Transferring From Northern Colorado

 

In Jeff Goodman's updated transfer list, there are some more high profile names transferring out of the Big Sky. Unfortunately for Northern Colorado, they are losing three players, including two that were major parts of their rotation last year.

Forward Emmanuel Addo, guard Paul Garnica, and forward Bryce Douvier will all be transferring. Per Goodman, Addo will be eligible to play immediately.

Addo's transfer is not all that surprising since he took a bit of a step back in his junior season. Here is how it looks by the numbers:

Sophomore year - 21.4 MPG, 9.6 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 54% twos, 56% threes
Junior year - 15.1 MPG, 4.9 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 47% twos, 36% threes

He looked for much of the year like he was playing a bit tentatively, and without full confidence. But, there has never been any denying his talent. He has a varied offensive skill set, with the ability to knock down threes or score in the post. If he finds the right situation, he can be a really good big man for a mid-major team. It looks like he will not be short for suitors.

Northern Colorado transfer Emmanuel Addo is currently on a 4 day stretch where he is visiting Miami of Ohio, Illinois St, and Missouri State
— Ryan James (@RyanJamesMN) April 21, 2013

He is a good kid, and I think he probably felt like if he hadn't reached his potential yet at Northern Colorado by now, it wasn't going to happen in his senior year. I hope he finds a lot of success at his next step. It hurts the Bears because he was their first big man off of the bench. With him gone, they have to hope and pray that either Brendan Keane takes a big step (not sure how likely) or that Cody McDavis makes a big leap between his first and second years.

Paul Garnica was a bit of an enigma. He has big-time talent, but I think the coaches seemed to be maddened by some inconsistency, and it showed in his minutes. He had a tendency to go for the flashy play rather than the solid play, and that happened on both ends of the court. Like Addo, he took a step back in minutes in his junior year, and probably saw that there was the chance his minutes could shrink more, with the addition of Jordan Wilson.

Garnica has a big high school resume, and is a very talented player, so I have to imagine he will catch on. He has deep range on his jump shot (two years ago he shot 48.5% from three, last year he was at 42.3%), and the ability to get out in transition. His loss means there will be no experienced alternative for Tevin Svihovec, and that is a bit scary for UNC fans.

Bryce Douvier was a rotational big man who I do not believe was on scholarship. He always gave them great effort, and could help out as needed. He played seven minutes per game last year, and made 20/31 shots, showing he didn't try to do too much. While it is not a huge loss on the court, it is a loss, especially with some depth issues in the frontcourt.

What does this do to Northern Colorado's chances next year? Thoughts?

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Northern Colorado Battles, But Loses 85-69 to Colorado State

Like Montana before them, Northern Colorado will be glad that there are no Colton Iverson's in the Big Sky.

Iverson had 18 points and 13 rebounds for Colorado State, as the Bears just simply didn't have an answer for him down low. Defensively, UNC was having trouble stopping anyone on the CSU squad. The Rams shot 54% from the field, and made 21/23 free throws, winning the game through offensive talent.

When Iverson got the ball down low, the Bears had nobody that could body him up, and he was able to get short jump hooks whenever he was single teamed, as he shot 7/8 from the floor. When the Bears brought a double team, he would kick it out, and UNC was having trouble in their rotations getting to the open shooter. This helped guys like Wes Eikmeier (17 points) and Dorian Green (19 points, 7 assists) have big nights.

In my keys for Northern Colorado, I said they would need to take care of the ball, rebound the ball, and hit their outside shots. They took care of the ball as well as they have all year (8 turnovers), and rebounded fairly well (it helped that Pierce Hornung missed the game, but they had been outrebounded just 16-14 at halftime, and 38-28 for the game). However, they couldn't get their shots to fall consistently, which had a lot to do with a very good Rams defense. The Bears finished 5/19 from downtown.

At times Northern Colorado struggled to be patient in their offense, with Tim Huskisson being a key offender, as he shot a couple of quick threes that drew the ire of head coach BJ Hill. Still, he is an impressive player and had an impressive game with ten points and seven rebounds. He had a nice bucket off the dribble, and an athletically impressive putback jump after a Tate Unruh miss. He also had a sweet block defensively. I have said for the past year he is such a key guy for the Bears, because physically he is capable of doing some things that nobody else on the team can do.

Derrick Barden, though, is another guy that adds that athleticism that was missing a bit last year. He had 13 points and three rebounds, and showed good quickness on both ends. I suspect his numbers will improve a lot during conference play, because small four men fare better there than against seven footers like Iverson. Barden had a steal up top and took it up for a dunk (he was fouled on the attempt), which is a play that maybe only a handful of guys in the conference can do, or even think about attempting.

One guy that I think has to be frustrating for the UNC coaching staff is Emmanuel Addo. When you watch him, there are times when you think he can be the best offensive post player in the conference, and potentially an all-conference player. He can step back and hit a three, has a solid midrange shot, a nice baby hook, and can even take you off the dribble. He should average 15 a night. At the same time, he can be a bit of a lazy defender and rebounder, and I am sure this cuts into his minutes. On one drive he failed to box out his man on a free throw attempt. Another team he didn't really seem to have the awareness to step in and help out when a Ram was driving to the hoop, and was far too late to provide any help at all. His potential is tantalizing though.

One guy that did impress me on the defensive end was guard James Davis, who is a really good on the ball defender. That was something they lacked last year after the departure of Elliott Lloyd, so he adds a nice element to the team.

One last player note... I liked what I saw out of Tate Unruh. He had 13 points on just 4/12 shooting, but he was very aggressive, and UNC ran plays designed to get him looks. He has a great stroke, and the Bears offense will be good if he can get 10 shots per game. Again, the 4/12 isn't as big of a concern because UNC will not play more frontlines like CSU's.

I came away impressed with Northern Colorado's fight in this game, as they often outhustled CSU, whose best attribute is possibly their tenacity. Coach Larry Eustachy of CSU also came away very impressed, saying he thought Northern Colorado was better than Montana, and that he could see them winning the Big Sky. It was a defeat for the Bears, but also gave them some good things to build on.

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Northern Colorado Comes Up Short Against Wyoming

During the first half and early parts of the second half, it looked like Northern Colorado might pull off an impressive home win against a good Wyoming club. The Wyoming went on a 23-5 run in the second half to take control of the lead, and didn't give it up down the stretch, winning 69-60.

Like has been the case a lot over the past couple of years, Northern Colorado was done in by their turnovers, as they looked sloppy at parts in the first and second halves, turning the ball over a total of 20 times. Point guard Tevin Svihovec seemed to struggle the most, as he had five turnovers himself, often getting the ball just stolen from him. I know taking care of the ball has been a point of emphasis for the Bears coaches, but it didn't get through in this game.

Paul Garnica led the team with 13 points, and he continues to be a guy that can play you into games or out of games. He takes quick shots at times, often before anyone else has even touched the ball. On the other hand, he is one of their best playmakers with the ball in his hands, and has an outside shot that has to be respected. He also had three assists and no turnovers.

Derrick Barden had nine points and seven rebounds, and scored in some different ways. He drained a three, and also showed some nice moves off the dribble. He is a player that needs to be more aggressive, and I think that will come with time.

Two other quick player notes... James Davis played what I would guess was a career high in minutes in the backcourt, and handled himself well. He looks like he is their best on the ball defender. Emmanuel Addo is a guy with a ton of talent, and they tried to go to him often, but he just wasn't effective in this game. He played just 10 minutes, but had four turnovers.

The Bears drop to 1-2, and will travel to take on Colorado State next Monday, where I hope to be in attendance to see them in person. If they play like they did tonight, particularly in the second half, it could be a long evening for them.

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Look Back At Last Year's Breakout Sophomores Predictions

Last August, I made five predictions on guys that would be breakout sophomores in the Big Sky. Because I am all about accountability here, let's take a look back and see how the predictions turned out.

Paul Garnica (Northern Colorado)
What I said: "Garnica is loaded with potential, as he does a lot of things very well. He posted one of the best steal rates in the BSC (4.3%), rebounded well from the guard position, and made some plays passing the ball (21.4% ARate). However, he needs to improve in 2 areas - taking care of the ball, and taking better shots."
How it turned out: Not a bad start. He showed a ton of improvement shooting the basketball, as he bumped his three-point shooting from 27% to 49%, and was a big part of the reason why UNC was the best three-point shooting team in the country last year. This bumped his EFG% way up. However, his turnover rate remained too high, especially if he is going to be a primary ballhandler. His steal rate also went down. He improved in some areas, but still has a lot of room for growth.

Emmanuel Addo (Northern Colorado)
What I said: "Addo will log a lot of minutes in the post, and he looks to be up to the challenge. He played 37% of the team's minutes last year, but was an excellent performer for his time on the court. He was a great offensive rebounder, with his 12.3% second on the team to Mike Proctor. He was also an efficient scorer, with a 53.5% from inside the 2-point arc while making a respectable 68% of his FTs (and he was solid at getting to the line)."
How it turned out: Addo played a little bit more (bumped his minutes from 15 per game to 21 per game), but remained mostly the same player. He averaged 9.6 ppg and 4.1 rpg last year, but in watching him you get the feeling that he has a lot more room to grow. He shot a similar percentage, and was a little bit better at getting to the line (and maybe  75% of his freebies, up from 68%). He was a better defensive rebounder, but pulled down a little less offensive rebounds. Talent wise, he can be one of the best big men in the conference, he has that much athletic ability. If he can develop from solid fringe starter and really consistently utilize all of his skills, UNC's frontcourt will be in good shape.

Kareem Jamar (Montana)
What I said: "Jamar is hampered a bit by the solid depth the Grizzlies have, but he had a very productive freshman season and has the talent to be even better as a sophomore. He was solid but not great offensively, shooting 48.5% from inside the arc and 38% beyond it. Both solid, but there could especially be improvement from 2 point range. Jamar is a solid rebounder for his size, and takes good care of the basketball for a guard."
How it turned out: This was my best call, as Jamar developed from a good player into one of the very best in the conference, and he should have a chance to be the Player of the Year this season. He bumped his scoring by 5.5 ppg, and he did it very efficiently (better three-point shooting, better free-throw shooting, and getting to the line more often). He improved his passing and is one of the very best in the Big Sky, averaging 3.7 assists per game out of the two guard spot. He continued to rebound at a great rate for a guard. Jamar is now a bona fide star in the Big Sky, and even bigger things should be on the horizon. A Jamar and Will Cherry backcourt will be worth the price of admission every night.

Byron Fulton (Weber State)
What I said: "One of the answers will likely be Fulton, who had a solid freshman year as a role player. At 6'7'' Fulton will be one of the big guys, but he does not have a traditional low post game. He is dangerous from outside the arc, shooting 24/50 from long range last year."
How it turned out: Fulton was mostly the same player in year two and in year one. He played similar minutes, and had similar stats across the board. He did not shoot as well as he did in his freshman year (though still a more than respectable 43% from downtown), but he improved as a rebounder. Fulton is a nice contributor for them... any team can use a big man that can step outside and hit shots, but can also defend and rebound down low. Fulton will be a key contributor once again for the Wildcats.


Jackson Carbajal (Sacramento State)
What I said: "Carbajal played solid minutes last year, and will be relied upon even more after the graduation of Sultan Toles-Bey. He has room to improve, as he was not that efficient last year. He took a lot more 3s than 2s, even though he was a 31% shooter from downtown and 57% shooter inside the arc. He should reverse that trend, and look to get inside more this season."
How it turned out: Carbajal had some injury issues (and was facing more competition for time on a more talented team), but he showed great improvement when he was on the court. He was a better outside shooter, improving from 31% from downtown to 36%, which was huge because he is not shy about taking that shot. He also did very well to cut down his turnovers, from a 23.6 TO Rate to 15.1 last season. Those two things made him a much better offensive player, and makes him a reliable scoring option for the Hornets at the two spot. If he can improve further, the Hornets starting five could be just about as good as anyone else's in the Big Sky.

How did I do?

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Northern Colorado Stays Alive

Yesterday was an absolute must-win game for Northern Colorado if they wanted to have a chance to make the conference tournament. Sitting at 4-8, 4-9 would not have been a hole they would have been able to come back from, looking at their schedule. However, for 25 minutes, it looked like that was where they were headed, as Montana State led by as many as 16 points early in the second half, before UNC pulled it out for a 77-64 win in OT.

Some thoughts from the game (I was in attendance) in bullet point fashion.

- The key spark for Northern Colorado was that they got into a full-court press (54 press, they called it) early in the second half. BJ Hill said in an interview after the game that it was a staff suggestion, while a member of the staff told me that it was all Hill, and he was just being modest. Whoever's idea it was, it was absolutely huge, and may helped turn this around. Montana State led by 7 at half, and UNC seemed to come out very flat to me in the second half.

So the press did two things - one, it gave the Bears more energy. Coach Hill said, "It gave us some confidence that we could make plays and get some defensive stops which allowed us to get back in there." Two, it took the Bobcats out of their rhythm, and made them take some quick shots at times or hurry more than they would have liked.

- One thing I noticed from MSU, and Bobcats fans have noticed too, after they got a nice lead, they changed from being the aggressor to being a bit more tentative. One reason Hill said they went to the press was that MSU started to take 30 seconds per possession. It seemed like they were content often to do a three-man weave 40 feet from the basket for 20 seconds of the shot clock, eventually leading to a jacked up three (where they finished 4/24). Don't know why they got so tentative.

- Tate Unruh finished with 20 points, including a particularly big three in OT that knocked MSU out. He is fun to watch shoot because his stroke is so pure. He is 34/35 from the FT line, which, needless to say, would put him #1 in America if he had enough attempts to qualify. If he gets an opening, the shot is likely to swish through so well it will barely touch net.

- Mike Proctor had a nice day with 8 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 assists, but it was something that won't appear in the box score that may have been his best attribute on the day. You can clearly hear him in the back of the defense, communicating and talking with his teammates, telling them where he was, or if he saw a specific play coming. That is the kind of thing that coaches love.

- Paul Garnica provided a nice spark for the Bears in the second half with a couple nice assists and a couple of nice threes, probably playing the best game he has played in a while. He has a tendency to go for the spectacular play rather than the smart and solid play, which usually doesn't go over so well with coaches. In this one he did much better at playing within himself.

- Emmanual Addo showed the whole variety of his offensive game, and why he has the chance to be such a big-time player. He hit two threes, but also showed good fluidity and moves near the basket, finishing with 13 points and 5 rebounds. He still will make a couple head-scratching plays per game, but he has the talent to be one of the best big men in the conference, without question.

- For the Bobcats, for long stretches it seemed like Shawn Reid was their only offensive weapon. It seemed like their best plan of attack was to give it to him to take a stepback jumper with a hand in his face, which can only work so many times (though it was impressive how many times he did make that shot). He led the team with 18 points. I was excited to watch Christian Moon play, but he had no impact. He scored 4 points and finished 0/5 from downtown. He seemed to sit for long stretches, which I am not sure if that was a result of him jacking up a couple threes early in shot clocks.

- Xavier Blount struggled as well, only finishing with 8 points. It is hard to imagine, but the game and the following thoughts on the game would have been a lot differentif Blount had made an extra free throw. With a little under a minute to play and UNC up 55-54, Blount was sent to the line. He made just 1 of 2, and it went to OT tied at 55..

- I know that MSU fans aren't very happy with Rod Singleton at PG, but there are not a lot of options right now. Michael Dison played 19 minutes but had no impact. Without Jamie Stewart, it is tough for them to find the depth to have Blount play the PG more often. It is clear they could have used Antonio Biglow this year.

- In the overtime, MSU never had a chance, as they came out lifeless. Northern Colorado scored 22 points in the five-minute period and put any doubt to rest quickly about who would win. For MSU fans, it is deja vu. Another promising start to the conference season has led to another second half collapse. They should make the conference tournament (since they play one more against NAU), but it is hard to see them making a run.  UNC still has a long way to go to make the conference tournament, but they can at least take some positives out of this one. It is tougher to find them for MSU.

Thoughts?

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Northern Colorado Outlasts Northern Arizona in Overtime

It wasn't always pretty, but UNC doesn't care about getting style points when it comes to road victories in the Big Sky Conference.

In a tight, back and forth game, Northern Colorado prevailed for a big win, beating Northern Arizona 64-62 in OT.

UNC led 54-45 with 3:49 to go, when the Lumberjacks went on an 11-0 run, taking the lead with 20ish seconds left. After a Stallon Saldivar missed FT, Tevin Svihovec went the length of the court to make one in the lane, tying it up. James Douglas committed and offensive foul, and Svihovec was blocked by Durrell Norman to send the game to an extra session.

This was the story at the end of overtime:

In overtime, the teams exchanged the lead five times before Svihovec put the Bears up by one with a layup. NAU had two chances to tie the game or win in the final 10 seconds. Saldivar missed a jumper in the lane with seven seconds left and UNC's Mike Proctor grabbed the rebound. Tim Huskisson hit the first free throw to extend the lead to two points but missed the second, giving NAU a final chance. James Douglas' jumper from the right side was off the mark as time expired.

A few takeaways from this game:

- About a month ago, it seemed like Tate Unruh and Paul Garnica were the underclassmen guards that were the future of UNC's backcourt. But suddenly, a new contender has emerged. Tevin Svihovec scored 30 against Idaho State, and had another important game for them. He only had 11 points on 5/13 shooting, but he made big shots for them. He made the running layup near the end of regulation to give send it to overtime, and he hit the go-ahead basket. He is an excellent outside shooter and crafty, efficient offensive player. His star is bright. I am hoping to write a bit more about him in the next couple weeks.

- Another guy that has gotten better and better is Emmanuel Addo. I called him one of the breakout sophomores of the conference before the year started, and he is fulfilling that promise. He scored 28 against ISU, and last night threw in 17 points and 5 rebounds, and doing it very efficiently. He is a guy that looks to score around the basket, and does it well. There are not a lot of big men athletes like Addo in the Big Sky, and UNC has to be very excited about his future.

- I would be remiss if I didn't mention Tate Unruh finding his stroke again, draining four threes.

- James Douglas showed why he has supplanted Gabe Rogers as the go-to guy in Flagstaff. He played all 40 minutes, and had 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. He showed some nice athleticism and the ability to get to the basket.

- With Northern Arizona trailing by 1 in overtime, they had the ball at midcourt with 25 seconds left. I thought they might give it to Stallon Saldivar, so he could create for somebody else (8 assists on the night). Instead, he took it himself, and missed a runner in the lane. Did not really like that call, because that is not his game. I would rather have seen the ball go to Douglas to see if he could create something.

What is everyone else's impressions of the game?

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Guest Post: Northern Colorado And The 'Disease of More'

We have another guest blog from poster MP, who last wrote about Northern Arizona. Today, he chimes in on the Bears loss to Westminster College.

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“Success is often the first step toward disaster.”

• Pat Riley, from his book, “Showtime”, talking about a phrase he coined, the “Disease of More”.

I am a University of Northern Colorado student. At 2:00 on Thursday afternoon, my roommates asked if we should go to the Bears game that night against an NAIA opponent, the Westminster College Griffins. After a few seconds of deliberation, we all unanimously decided against it. We believed that with the opposition being a school that we had never heard of until UNC’s schedule came out at the end of summer, mixed with final exams starting next week, our time could be better spent.

So I went to the library to study, keeping up with the score on my phone. I noticed at halftime, the Griffins held a 32-29 edge over the Bears. “The Bears just came out sloppy, they will take care of business in the second half,” I thought to myself. About 30 minutes later, I checked the score again, and saw Westminster had taken a 16-point lead with 4 minutes left.

A couple minutes after that, I looked at my phone again, only to see this:

Westminster (UT) 73 Northern Colorado 60 FINAL.

I left the library. I needed to clear my head.

You see, last year’s run of winning the conference and advancing to the NCAA Tournament was the stuff made of dreams. All of it still seems like a blur eight months later. When I decided to come to the University of Northern Colorado in 2008, the school was mired in the middle of their Division I transition. There wasn’t a lot of school spirit on campus, because it’s tough to get inspired over athletic teams that were being beaten handily by opponents that were bigger, faster, and stronger than us.

Flash forward to last season. Tad Boyle had done one of the most incredible coaching jobs in the nation to have Northern Colorado poised to make a big run for the conference title before he left to take the job at the University of Colorado. B.J. Hill, who had been Boyle’s right hand man through the climb from the bottom to the top, guided the Bears to that fairy tale journey that culminated on that Wednesday night in early March at Butler-Hancock, when UNC defeated Montana to take the conference crown, and go to The Dance.

Now, in present day, we are here. A night in which the Bears suffered their most discouraging, most embarrassing loss since the initial days of the Division I transition.

This is where Pat Riley’s “Disease of More” comes in. Life is filled with ups and downs, peaks and valleys. Sometimes those peaks come to us at an early time in our careers, when there is still work to be done in the future. Six players (Mike Proctor, Elliott Lloyd, Paul Garnica, Tate Unruh, Emmanuel Addo and Connor Osborne) all played valuable minutes in last year’s title team. No matter what, they will always have “Big Sky Champions” tied to their name. They could lose every game for the rest of their career, but they will still have that honor tied to them forever.

But, their jobs aren’t done, they still have eligibility remaining. The only thing more difficult in life than reaching success is duplicating that same success all over again.

The “Disease of More” is what keeps coaches awake at night. As Riley put it, after a championship of any sort; guys want more playing time, more shots, more respect. But in doing so, they forget the essence of what made the season prior so special and so successful. I’m not necessarily trying to diagnose this “disease” on this UNC team, but there appears to be early symptoms of it showing up in December.

The six aforementioned returning players can bask in that 2010-2011 season all they want when their careers are over. But for now, there is work to do. There are nine newcomers to this team who want to go through those same peaks that they didn’t get to experience first-hand a year ago, newcomers who are looking for that leadership to take them to the top. Three-and-a-half weeks into the regular season, it has yet to show up.

The veterans on this Northern Colorado team have to ask themselves, how will I be remembered here? As a player who was on that one NCAA Tournament team and settled after that? Or the player who made the University of Northern Colorado a successful, revered program year-in and year-out?

That’s what’s at stake here for these Bears. They will have a few weeks to shake free this debacle and gear up for the official start of conference play, and that is when everyone will find out who they really are. And maybe, just maybe, they can flip some words around in Pat Riley’s iconic phrase around to being:

“Disaster is the first step toward success.”


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Northern Colorado Comes Up Short Against Iowa State

Northern Colorado dropped to 0-4 last night, but they can't feel too bad about their performance against Big-12 squad Iowa State on the road, a game they lost 90-82.

The name of the game for the Bears was balance, as 5 guys scored between 13 and 16 points. Some of the excellent performances - Senior forward Mike Proctor had 14 points and 6 rebounds, Tate Unruh scored 13 points, including three from downtown, Emannuel Addo scored 15 points in 22 minutes off the bench, with an efficient 7/12 night, freshman Tim Huskission is showing the makings of a star, as he had 16 points and 5 rebounds in 19 minutes, and Paul Garnica had 15 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists. They shot 49% from the field.

Simply put, they were undone by their defense. You can't give up 90 points, especially on the road, and still win the game. They did a nice job of keeping Royce White in check (only had 10 points, though he did have 8 rebounds and 7 assists), but Iowa State had 6 guys in double figures. At the end of the day, UNC is 0-4, but if I were them I would feel better about myself than Montana State does today.

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Montana State looked like it had a lot of momentum after beating Utah, but then Seattle came to town and beat them soundly. Seattle shot 56% from the field, while the Bobcats shot just 37.5%.

There were a couple of bright spots for Brad Huse, but he must have left this game with a lot more questions than he had before it. Montana State was outclassed by a team that Portland State had just beaten, as the Redhawks were more physical, and simply better. For Coach Huse it is back to the drawing board before Montana State heads to Idaho to take on the Vandals.

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New Mexico State Too Athletic For Northern Colorado

I had the chance to attend the game between New Mexico State and Northern Colorado on Saturday, a fast paced game won by the Aggies 89-75. Some thoughts and observations from the game.

- Paul Garnica looked good, as he was 6/10 for 14 points. He drained a couple of 3s which was impressive... if he can knock those down consistently he will be the Bears best player. Garnica is also the best on the team at getting to the basket, he really had some nice drives. In addition, he has quick hands defensively, and wound up with 2 steals (though they were in part due to someone else deflecting the ball. I did think he struggled a bit with the press, as did the whole team.

- The biggest key to the game was the athleticism of New Mexico State. They are one of the top teams in the WAC, and they showed it. They put on a press all night, and forced UNC into 20 turnovers. Their athleticism also allowed them to be the aggressor, which is why they got 41 free throws compared to 15 for the Bears. They forced UNC to play too fast, and it caused them to take some quick shots. In the first half, Northern Colorado was lethal from downtown, and that kept them in it, but they cooled off a bit in the second half.

- Tate Unruh had an impressive game, finishing with 15 points, 3 assists, and 3 steals. He has a quick, pure release, and he will drain a lot of treys this year. He is also a good passer, and made some nice decisions passing the ball in this game. His handle is decent. He seemed to really favor going to the right, and will need to work on his left hand. Unruh and Garnica were the two Bears that most impressed me.

- I was a little surprised to see true freshman Tim Huskisson get the start, but he handled himself well. His stat line didn't stand out - 5 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, but his athleticism was apparent. On a team without a lot of great athletes, Huskisson will be a nice piece. Another recruit, Aaron Hawk-Harris, is a guy that they said brings intangibles and toughness, and I liked what I saw from him. He is a solid defender and does enough offensively that he is not a liability. Another guard Tevin Svihovec was solid but didn't stand out. He is a solid shooter and is fundamentally sound, but didn't really make a big impact.

- The frontcourt has some nice pieces, but nobody really stepped up in a big way. Connor Osborne looked the best to me, as he had 8 points and 7 rebounds in 23 minutes (and a couple thunderous dunks), but he still looks like he is getting into playing shape. I like his skillset a lot though. Mike Proctor played decent defensively and deflected a couple of balls, but tried to do a little too much with a couple things offensively. On the glass, he only had 3 rebounds in 24 minutes. Emmanual Addo is the most athletic of the big men, and you can see his talent as a sophomore. He had 6 points and 5 rebounds in 19 minutes, and showed some good footwork around the basket. I like his future. Brendan Keane got 11 minutes of action, but against an athletic Aggies frontline he looked a bit overmatched. He had 0 rebounds in his time, and you could tell it was his first collegiate game. I have no doubt he will be a fine player, but he did not add much in his first game.

- Once again, photo above taken by my beautiful wife!

Overall, Northern Colorado is definitely a talented team, and they are stocked with shooters. I like their backcourt, and I think their frontcourt will get there. However, after watching them Saturday night, I still like my original preseason analysis - they are a talented team, and they will beat some good teams in the Big Sky this year. But, I do think they are a year away from being true contenders in the Conference, and I see them settling in anywhere from 4th-6th in the Big Sky.

What is everyone else's thoughts? I'd particularly like to hear from the UNC fans that had a chance to watch the game, what did you see?

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Northern Colorado Takes Down Chadron State in Exhibition

Northern Colorado took on D2 Chadron State on Tuesday night, winning 89-65 through one good half and one bad half. The first half ended 44-19, while Chadron outscored UNC 46-45 in the second half. Chadron scored 34 of their 65 points from the FT line.

Mike Proctor was the best player for the Bears in this one, as he scored 14 points, had 6 rebounds, and blocked 2 shots in 21 minutes. He is the most experienced post man returning, and he will need to have a productive year for them. Another big man I am high on is Emmanuel Addo, who had 2 points and 4 rebounds, but finished 0/7 from the FT line. He was a 68% FT shooter last year, so I am not sure if this was just a fluky day.

One promising development has to be redshirt freshman Tevin Svihovec (get used to spelling his name), as he had 8 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists in 19 minutes. He was an efficient 3 of 4 from the field. I have been hearing good things about him, and judging from this game he will have a key role on this team. To update a couple other sophomore guards expected to have increased roles, Tate Unruh had 9 points (and hit a three-pointer), while Paul Garnica had 8 points, 3 assists, and 2 steals, but also turned it over 5 times and shot 3

Ultimately, there is probably not a ton to be gleaned from an exhibition game against a D2 opponent, but it is good to be looking at box scores again. The season is getting closer and closer!

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Breakout Sophomores in the Big Sky

After Luke Winn's article last week looking at potential breakout sophomores in the nation, I think it would be fun to look at similar players in the Big Sky. So here are (in my opinion) the best candidates to breakout next season in their sophomore campaign.

- Paul Garnica (Northern Colorado) - Garnica is loaded with potential, as he does a lot of things very well. He posted one of the best steal rates in the BSC (4.3%), rebounded well from the guard position, and made some plays passing the ball (21.4% ARate). However, he needs to improve in 2 areas - taking care of the ball, and taking better shots. He turned it over 28.3% of the time as a freshman, which is far too high. In comparison, BSC POY Devon Beitzel had a 15.8% TORate. That is a lot of wasted possessions. Garnica also had an EFG% of only 45.0%, thanks to going 15/56 from downtown. He would be wise to cut down on his attempts (unless he has been working on it all summer). If he can improve in those two areas, he has the all-around game to be an All-Conference player.

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- Emmanual Addo (Northern Colorado) - Another player from NoCo, which is not really a surprise - with the loss of 4 contributing seniors, the young guys will play a key role for BJ Hill. Addo will log a lot of minutes in the post, and he looks to be up to the challenge. He played 37% of the team's minutes last year, but was an excellent performer for his time on the court. He was a great offensive rebounder, with his 12.3% second on the team to Mike Proctor. He was also an efficient scorer, with a 53.5% from inside the 2-point arc while making a respectable 68% of his FTs (and he was solid at getting to the line). If he can make a natural progression from year 1 to year 2, Addo will be a pleasant surprise, and he will be a solid starter for the Bears.

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- Kareem Jamar (Montana) - Jamar is hampered a bit by the solid depth the Grizzlies have, but he had a very productive freshman season and has the talent to be even better as a sophomore. He was solid but not great offensively, shooting 48.5% from inside the arc and 38% beyond it. Both solid, but there could especially be improvement from 2 point range. Jamar is a solid rebounder for his size, and takes good care of the basketball for a guard. He is also a solid defender. Jamar is one of those guys that might not put a lot of points on the box score (8.1 PPG as a freshman), but he is an excellent contributor for the Griz and will be one of the most important players as they contend for the Big Sky championship. Cherry and Jamar is one of the best backcourts in the Big Sky.

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- Byron Fulton (Weber State) - Weber State is excellent in the backcourt, but there will be some question marks about the frontcourt heading into this season. One of the answers will likely be Fulton, who had a solid freshman year as a role player. At 6'7'' Fulton will be one of the big guys, but he does not have a traditional low post game. He is dangerous from outside the arc, shooting 24/50 from long range last year. He was the Conference Freshman of the Year, and his role could expand a bit more this year, especially if he can play well defensively. He posted a solid 16.0 DR%.

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- Jackson Carbajal (Sacramento State) - Carbajal played solid minutes last year, and will be relied upon even more after the graduation of Sultan Toles-Bey. He has room to improve, as he was not that efficient last year. He took a lot more 3s than 2s, even though he was a 31% shooter from downtown and 57% shooter inside the arc. He should reverse that trend, and look to get inside more this season. He also posted a backward Assist/TO ratio, turning the ball over almost 3 times as much as he got an assist. Still, Carbajal deserves a mention here because he will get plenty of opportunity to improve this year, and he should see a lot of playing time once again.

Honorable Mention - Tate Unruh (UNC), Andre Hatchett (ISU), Shawn Reid (MSU)

What do you think? Should I have included anyone else? Who will be the best sophomore in the Big Sky this season?