Early 2015-16 Big Sky Rankings

OK, so we don't yet know who might be leaving their current programs, and recruiting classes aren't fully finalized in some cases... but that doesn't mean it's too early for some Big Sky rankings for next season!

Let me state the obvious caveat - everything is conjecture at this point. I would love to hear the dissenting opinions, because next year should be a fun year in the Big Sky, as always. Please let me know where you think I am right or wrong... I don't really have anything to base this off of except my own thoughts and opinions, so I don't know if my views are common or not.

The Big Sky was very deep this season, though there was no dominant team. You could see this in the conference tournament, where even the number eight seed Weber State had a legit shot at the title. There was a lot of balance this year. Next season, there still doesn't seem to be a dominant team (more on that in the previews), but there also doesn't seem to be quite the depth that there was this season, at least at first glance.

To be honest, I had a really difficult time trying to rank teams from 6-11... I almost feel like you could draw them from a hat, and you could make a case that it is a reasonable ranking. To me, there doesn't seem to be a lot of separation between those teams. Each has a lot of flaws and question marks at this juncture, granting that there is a lot of time left to go before the start of next season.

Also, I have updated the recruiting tracker, so hopefully that looks a little more up to date...

1. Weber State
Losses: James Hajek, Chris Golden, Jaylen Johnson-Coston
It was a disappointing year for the Wildcats, as they were the preseason pick to win the league, and they wound up sneaking into the tournament as the eight seed. However, next season should be much better. For one, the losses should be minimal, as James Hajek is the only senior, and then they lose two transfers. However, they weren't super young either - most of their production came from sophomores and juniors - so they will be flush with upperclassmen as well. The biggest name is Joel Bolomboy, who might never be the offensive force we want him to be, but is still a darn good player that can be the best shot blocking/rebounding force in the conference. Jeremy Senglin is still one of the most talented guys in the Big Sky, and Kyndahl Hill and Richaud Gittens are as athletic as anyone. There will be no shortage of upperclassmen talent.

All of this isn't to say that there is a lack of young talent as well. Weber State has been excellent recruiting, and reinforcements should make next year's team very deep. Ryan Richardson will be a sophomore, and he showed flashes of being a major threat stretching the floor. Jeremiah Jefferson redshirted this season, and he will be another athletic presence in the backcourt as a guy who can light it up from outside, or get to the rim. It is really a beneficial thing that they were able to redshirt him, and he should be dynamic. Up front, Zach Braxton redshirted as well, and he is a guy that could have made an impact as a true freshman for a lot of programs. He is a true post that will add depth and talent to a frontcourt that at times lacked size. That is not even including any incoming players who could potentially contribute.

Weber State took a one year step back, but they are primed to be right back in the thick of the title race again next season. With the likely departure of Tyler Harvey to the NBA Draft, it's reasonable to crown them at least as co-favorites, along with Montana and Eastern Washington.

2. Montana
Losses: Jordan Gregory, Mike Weisner, Chris Kemp
The co-champions only lose one starter, but he is a guy that will be tough to replace. Among all of their perimeter players, Gregory was the shot maker, and the guy that got the ball in crunch time. Mario Dunn has the talent to potentially evolve into that role, but his offensive skillset is not there yet.

The best thing Montana has going for them is big man Martin Breunig, a unanimous first team guy who almost beat the Eagles by himself in the Big Sky title game. He is dynamic in all phases, with the ability to hit midrange shots, put the ball on the floor and finish, and be one of the best rebounders in the Big Sky. He's a star. The Robin to his Batman is Dunn, who should win a defensive POY award before his career is out, and made a lot of strides offensively. If he can cut down on turnovers and develop a consistent outside shot that teams have to be wary of, he is a first-team all-conference type of player. He spearheads a Grizzlies defense that was the best in the Big Sky this year.

The role players are there too, as they always are for the Grizzlies. Brandon Gfeller could be the best shooter in the Big Sky next year (he shot 197 threes this year compared to 19 two-point attempts). Fabijan Krslovic was very steady as a freshman, and guys like Riley Bradshaw and Jack Lopez should be solid role players. The key will be replacing that production from Gregory, which will have to be a group effort. If they can do that, and if Dunn develops as expected, the Grizzlies have the pieces in place (including a top notch defensive mindset) to make another run at the Big Sky title.

3. Eastern Washington
Losses: Drew Brandon, Parker Kelly, Garrett Moon, Tyler Harvey
Before the news broke that Tyler Harvey would be entering the draft, I speculated in this now-rewritten section that EWU would be a unanimous selection as the preseason number one team in the Big Sky. Now, they are certainly still in the conversation (and it wouldn't be a major surprise to see them number one), but I've dropped them down a couple spots.

The strength of the team will be up front. Everyone knows Venky Jois, who does a bit of everything on both ends for the Eagles. He shot over 60% on twos, rebounds on both ends as well as most guys in the Big Sky, and is one of the best shot blockers in the Big Sky. He has a good handle for a big man. Other than shooting free throws, there isn't much he can't do. You could argue he was even more valuable than Harvey for the Eagles last year.

Joining him up front is Bogdan Bliznyuk, who should be ready to absolutely take off as a sophomore. He is an extremely efficient scorer (he shot 58% on twos and 24/43 from three) who always seems to be under control. He is an excellent rebounder as well. With the ball in his hands a bit more this year, he could average something like 16 and 7. He will be fun to watch. Ognjen Miljkovic will be back up front, and though he was up and down at times, skilled big men who score 10 PPG, can shoot from three, and will bang with the big men down low defensively don't grow on trees. Felix Van Hofe will be a junior, and provides more shooting range for EWU.

The questions facing the Eagles come in the backcourt, after losing their top three guys there. Everyone knows about Harvey, but Drew Brandon did a bit of everything for them, and Parker Kelly was a dangerous shooter and steady player for them. It's going to be very tough to replace all of those guys. Sir Washington will likely start at one of the guard spots, after an impressive freshman year. He didn't play a lot as he missed time due to injury, but he was a high-energy, athletic player (he sparked them in the NCAA Tournament game). He will probably get all of the minutes he can handle.

Among newcomers, Will Ferris will be in the mix after redshirting last year. He projects to be able to play both guard positions, and would add another excellent shooter to the mix. A final candidate is incoming freshman Michael Wearne, who hails from Australia (where else?). Wearne is one of the top PG prospects from Australia, and put up some eye popping numbers over there. It's always difficult to predict freshmen production, but it wouldn't be the least bit surprising to see him starting at PG and excelling right away.

When you put it together, nobody will be able to match the size and talent that the Eagles will have in the frontcourt, with multiple all-conference candidates up there. The key for them will be growth of young guards. If those guys develop (and Hayford has usually been able to get guard production), then the Eagles can win the Big Sky title again, even with some big losses.

4. Northern Arizona
Losses: Quinton Upshur, Aaseem Dixon, Len Springs
There is a fair amount of speculation in putting NAU this high, because they are losing two of their top three scorers (and leading shot blocker, and a four year guy in Gaellen Bewernick who has started most of his career), but don't necessarily have guys currently on the roster to replace them. They lost one backup guard to transfer this year, and another to academic ineligibility (who may be able to return). They are not a super deep team this season, often playing only seven guys, so they are losing over half of their main rotation.

Still, I feel comfortable putting them this high for a couple reasons. One, they even with the losses, they return arguably their two most important players. The first is PG Kris Yanku, who grew into a Big Sky first-team guy as a sophomore, and always seems to be in control of the offense. He is not a great outside shooter, and may never be, but he has the ability to almost get into the lane whenever he wants, draw a ton of fouls (7th in the country in the rate he draws fouls), and find open teammates (his 38.2 Assist Rate ranks 10th in the country. If he is able to score more efficiently (he shot an ugly 35% on twos this season), he can be the Big Sky player of the year. Their defensive anchor is Jordyn Martin, who was the Defensive POY this year. Martin isn't a big shot-blocker, but he's always in the right spot. Offensively, he is an excellent rebounder, and efficient finisher, shooting 58% this year.

Those two are joined by Ako Kaluna, one of the most skilled big men in the Big Sky. He can handle the ball, bang down low, but also hit from the outside, as he shot 43% on threes this year. With guys like those three, and expected improvement of Zachary Reynolds and Tate de Laveaga, the returning talent isn't as bare as it might seem.

NAU will be able to supplement this talent with six freshmen, a class that has been lauded by those who know more than me when it comes to recruits. It's impossible to say which of these guys will contribute, but I feel confident saying that some will. NAU has made a lot of strides in the three years under Jack Murphy, and while next year's team may not be quite as good as last year, they should still be a talented team that could be a Big Sky favorite entering 2016.

5. Southern Utah
Losses: Cal Hanks, Tyler Rawson (to LDS Mission), Austin Waddoups
Not only were they a young team last year, but Nick Robinson gave everyone a ton of playing time. For a long time, their bench played more minutes than anyone else in the country... They finished the year playing 44.8% of the team's minutes, fourth most in the nation. The loss of Cal Hanks will not hurt, but Tyler Rawson gave them a lot of good minutes this year. They are bringing in three frontcourt guys, so they should be able to put enough bodies in there and see what sticks in the frontcourt.

They have a ton of potential guards, so you can see why they didn't go for any in recruiting. AJ Hess can play the two or three, and is probably their best offensive guy with his shooting and size. He just keeps getting better, and will be a senior. James McGee was spectacular as a freshman with his shooting range - he made over 50% of his threes, which is remarkable. Nobody is talking about him, but he was quietly outstanding.

Trey Kennedy and Juwan Major are two guys who have the physical skills to be really good, but they haven't separated themselves through two seasons. Kennedy shot just 40% on twos this year, and Major had a 28.7 TO Rate. They need one of these guys to take a leap. John Marshall and Race Parsons are two other guys who will be juniors and while they have some flaws, they can be rotation pieces.

The reason I don't think they are a top tier yet is because nobody really stands out as a star to me. When you look at teams above them, there are guys that are potentially all-conference players there (Harvey, Jois, Yanku, Breunig, Senglin, Bolomboy, etc), but when I look at this SUU roster, I'm not sure who that guy would be. You can win a conference title with a lot of good players, but it helps to have a great player or two thrown in. We'll see if one develops for the Thunderbirds over the next couple of seasons.

6. Northern Colorado
Losses: Tevin Svihovec, Tim Hukisson, Dominique Lee, Corey Spence
The past couple of seasons had to be frustrating for the UNC staff, as the team was good enough offensively to make serious waves, but never got it together defensively. For the second straight year, they lose some key pieces, including four of their top six in minutes played. Of course, the cupboard still isn't bare.

Their backcourt will still be very solid, as Cam Michael and Jordan Wilson enter their junior seasons. Michael was one of the best newcomers in the conference this season, a great shooter with a quick release and ability to create his own shot. He shot 39% from downtown this season, and will slide over to become more of a focal point in the offense. Wilson is probably the fastest player in the Big Sky, and he uses that quickness to get in the lane, and pressure opponents defensively all over the court. He may never be a true distributor, but he takes great care of the ball, and can hit from the outside. Anthony Johnson will also be in for an expanded role. He was very efficient scoring the ball, but it was in very limited minutes.

The frontcourt has some solid players, though nobody that really stands out as a star. Cody McDavis and Jeremy Verhagen are both big bodies that can score efficiently, but neither has stood out as an above average rebounder or rim protector. Spencer Mathis played sparingly as a freshman, and he could be a combo 3/4 guy depending on his development.

Of the newcomers that they have signed up so far, Jordan Davis looks like he could be a really good player. He originally committed to EWU, and is excellent ballhandling and attacking the rim. When Wilson entered the program as a freshman two years ago, he split time with Corey Spence, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see a similar arrangement, with Davis now splitting time with Jordan Wilson. They also will get transfer Dallas Anglin in from Southern Miss, who I assume will be eligible in the second semester, and he can fill some backcourt minutes as well.

All of this is to say that UNC will likely be able to score the ball next year, as they always do under BJ Hill. But, we'll have to see if they can build a championship contending defense out of the group. I'm not sure the pieces are there for that.

7. Portland State
Losses: Gary Winston, DaShaun Wiggins, Tim Douglas, Tiegbe Bamba, Brandon Cataldo
The six through eleven logjam is typified by Portland State. They are losing a lot of talented guys, and there aren't necessarily many obviously replacements on the roster. As a change from some previous years, they look to be strongest in the frontcourt, where Collin Spickerman and Braxton Tucker both return. Spickerman was an interesting player... He was not a great offensive force, but he was strong on the glass (especially offensively), and he was 12th in the country in his block rate. Tucker is a little more of an offensive presence, as he shot over 50%, and was really missed when he was hurt.

The backcourt will be more interesting, because there are a lot of unknowns. Zach Gengler played the most among returning guys, and he is a guy that shoots the ball well. He was also pretty good as a defensive rebounder for a guard. They will need him to play a bigger offensive role. Iziahiah Sweeney got some time as a freshman, and while he is raw, flashed some skills. He needs to improve his outside shots, and he wasn't much of a distributor, but they like him. Sebastian Suarez could also get some time as a senior... He was billed as a great shooter but hasn't seen a lot of playing time.

The Vikings will also get transfer guard Calaen Robinson eligible. He transferred from Arizona State, and sat out last season. While Robinson didn't do much for ASU, he was the 19th best PG recruit coming out of high school. You don't need to look any further than Montana this year to see the impact a major program transfer can have. Bryce White will also be back. He only played 13 games last year because of injury, but he averaged 9.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per game when he was playing. A core of Robinson-White-Spickerman-Tucker is pretty solid.

Part of the reason I have them as high as seven is because Tyler Geving is always very active on the juco market. While I worry about that strategy and how it works for overall team building, it should help to ensure they don't sink too low. We will see what kinds of players he is able to get from the junior college ranks.

8. North Dakota
Losses: Jaron Nash, Lenny Antwi, Chad Calcaterra, Ryan Salmonsen, Josiah Coleman, Kraig Shields
The sheer number of players leaving the program (either through graduation or transfer) is a bit exhausting, but it's not as bad as it looks. The biggest name is Jaron Nash, and though he was a very talented guy who could do a lot of things, at times he may have hurt the offense more than helped it. The other notable loss is Lenny Antwi, who followed up three OK years with a very solid senior season that saw him become a more consistent outside threat.

However, they still have some guys, especially in the backourt. Quinton Hooker took the big step forward that many people thought he would as a sophomore, becoming a steady PG with improved scoring punch. He will be an all-conference candidate type of player next year, and is easily their most important guy. He is joined in the backcourt by two transfers from last year who will be seniors - Estan Tyler and Terrell de Rouen. Tyler has the ability to be a very good scorer with a dangerous outside shot. De Rouen is the better defender of the two, but he shots a miserable 30% on over 100 threes last year - which quickly makes you a net negative offensively. Dustin Hobaugh is another guy that will get minutes, and can hit shots from anywhere on the court.

Up front is where there will be more question marks. The anchor will likely be Carson Shanks, who became eligible in the second semester last year, and flashed some skills. He was solid rebounding the ball, and showed some shot blocking chops. They are expecting growth from him. Bryce Cashman got some minutes as a freshman, and had an interesting time. He was 22/36 from the floor (great), but 8/24 from the free throw line (yeesh).

In the recruits that they have signed so far, it seems like there was an emphasis on wings, and they got some talented guys. I expect they will sign a JUCO big man or two to provide some depth and talent in the frontcourt, with immediate playing time being a lure for them.

After reaching the Big Sky title game two years, they predictably took a step back as guys graduated. However, they have more talent than you might think, and should compete in the middle of the Big Sky next season.

9. Sacramento State
Losses: Dylan Garrity, Mikh McKinney, Zach Mills, Alex Tiffin
This may be a little low after the best year in school history, but Garrity and McKinney did so much for the program, and they will be extremely difficult to replace. Also gone is Zach Mills, who was an underrated contributor in the frontcourt, and had the ability to play multiple positions.

The torch will have to be carried by Cody Demps, a do-it-all senior who has enjoyed a secondary role offensively the past couple of years. A three year starter, Demps really came into his own last season, shooting over 50% on twos, and making frequent trips to the foul line, where he shot 80%. He can also move the ball, and is their best defender. However, we have to see who will join him in the backcourt.

Dreon Bartlett played a secondary role last year, mostly as a catch and shoot guy. He was a 45% three-point shooter (though not on a ton of attempts), so there is certainly something there. Possibly the leading candidate to be the primary ballhandler is Marcus Graves. The 6'0'' guard was compared by Coach Katz to Dylan Garrity when he signed. Another guy is Jiday Ugbaja, who redshirted last season. The 5'10'' guard can be an athletic and dynamic scorer, with the ability to shoot and drive. Incoming freshman Jeff Wu could also be in the mix.

In the frontcourt, they have some guys, but not a lot who are proven. Eric Stuteville has been an important part of the team the last two years, as a guy who can score in a variety of ways in the post. He is not super quick, and has struggled rebounding the ball defensively, but he could be a main option offensively. His brother, Mason Stuteville, came in pretty highly touted, and wound up redshirting. He has the skillset to be more of a stretch four. Two other guys, James Herrick and Justin Strings, will get some time. Herrick is a bruising inside player who should split time with E Stuteville at the five. Strings played in 23 games last year, though he didn't play enough to draw any conclusions. He is a small power forward, the type that so often thrive in the Big Sky.

The Hornets will take a big step back next year, but they'll be a very young team that should have a bright future ahead of them.

10. Idaho
Losses: Sekou Wiggs, Connor Hill, Mike Scott, Bira Seck
It was a disappointing year for the Vandals. They were talented enough to beat anyone in the Big Sky, as they showed during the year. However, they snuck into the Big Sky tournament as a seven seed, falling to EWU in the first round. They lose four of their top five scorers, meaning next could be a bit of a rebuilding year in Moscow.

The best player returning is Arkadiy Mkrtychyan, who was a bit of a forgotten freshman this season. He was superbly efficient scoring the basketball, and rebounding well on both ends of the court. He is not bad at drawing fouls and getting to the line either. He will be an all-conference first-team player at some point in his career - he is that good. He is joined up front by guys like Ty Egbert and Jordan Scott, who both played well, but in limited minutes. Scott in particular could have a bright future.

 They will also get transfer Skyler White eligible, after he sat out last season. White played at George  Washington, where was active in 17 games but didn't accumulate much in the way of stats. With Paul Mpawe and Nahshon George also in the mix, they will have plenty of bodies up front, it's just a matter of some of them developing next to Ark up front.

In the backcourt, the main holdover is Perrion Callandret, who looked much improved as a sophomore, showing a solid three-point stroke to go along with vicious athleticism. He could be the best dunker in the conference. He didn't flash much in the way of creating for others, so it will be interesting to see if that is a role he has to fill. Victor Sanders is another guy that got a good amount of playing time, and was a good shot beyond the arc. He needs to be better inside the arc, but he could be a player. Another guy to watch is Jake Straughan, who redshirted last year after a high school career as the quintessential three-sport star. Tyler Brimhall could play as well.

All in all, the Vandals will be a young team, without a ton of proven guys. However, history also shows they will be a team that can score points under Don Verlin. We'll see if they can defend well enough to crawl into the middle of the pack/

11. Montana State
Losses: Blake Brumwell, Mike Dison, Eric Norman, Ryan Shannon, Joey Frenchwood, Terrell Brown, Bradley Fisher
I am not sure what to make of these guys heading into next season. I like Brian Fish, and I feel like he will build this into a winning program in time. However, next year looks like another year of growing pains with a young roster.

There will still be some pieces for a fast-paced team that can shoot from outside. Leading the way is Marcus Colbert, who was the sixth man of the year in the conference, but played more minutes than anyone else on the team. He was greatly improved as a distributor, while also displaying a dangerous outside shot. It is big to get him back. Stephan Holm is one guy that will join him in the backourt. Holm was a 33% three-point shooter on a lot of attempts, but the hope is that he will improve that and become a guy that can really stretch defenses. Zach Green will also return, and he got a lot of experience as a freshman.

In the frontcourt, Danny Robison had a nice impact as a junior, scoring efficiently inside the arc and becoming an outside threat. He is a guy where they at least have some certainty that he will be a productive player for them. Quinn Price is a guy with some talent, and should be better as a sophomore.

Beyond those guys, there are a lot of question marks. They have a big recruiting class, and they will need some of those guys to play right away. Fish's recruiting focus a lot of times has been clear to see - guys that can shoot the ball, handle it well, and are comfortable playing at a high tempo. Again, it will take some time for that plan to come to fruition, and there will likely be another year like last season, but things should slowly come more and more into focus.

12. Idaho State
Losses: Chris Hansen, Jeffrey Solarin, Evann Hall, Nnamdi Ezenwa, Ajak Magot
I like Bill Evans, and I think he is a great basketball mind. However, next year could be a long one for the Bengals, a program that has averaged just eight wins per season since he took over three years ago (in fairness, the cupboard was extremely bare when he took over).

Unlike other teams at the bottom of the Big Sky, the Bengals were an experienced team - by some measures the seventh most experienced team in college basketball, as measured by the class of the guys who played the most minutes. They lose arguably their three best guys. The most experienced returner is guard Ben Wilson, who started at PG and played 87% of the team's minutes. He is not a natural PG, but did have a solid 21.1 Assist Rate. He is not a huge offensive threat, but his experience will be nice to have around.

In terms of underclassmen, Geno Luzcando played a good chunk of minutes as a true freshman, though he may not have been quite ready. He struggled taking care of the basketball, and with shot selection... Still, he is a talented guy that will likely be given some opportunities next year. Big man Andre Slavik is a guy that Bengals fans like, though he didn't play enough to get a great read on him. The sophomore was just 10/14 from the field, but did not rebound very well and turned the ball over frequently.

The Bengals are bringing in some JUCO guards to hopefully provide some experience and a quicker injection of talent than a freshman might, and hopefully those guys will be ready to go right away. I am just speculating here, but I imagine that with another poor year, Evans could start to feel some job pressure, if he is not already. If you ever listen to him, you know he is one of the most likeable and quotable coaches in the Big Sky, so I am rooting for some Bengals success next year. As of today, however, they look to be on the bottom rung of the conference for next season.

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Big Sky Awards Announced

As you know by now, Montana and Eastern Washington are the co-champions in the Big Sky, with Montana earning the right to host thanks to a tiebreaker victories. Sac State's hearts were broken by a Kris Yanku runner, ending their dreams of hosting the tournament.

At the back end of the bracket, Weber State and Idaho did what they could to lose their spots by losing on Saturday, but got bailed out when Portland State went on the road and beat Southern Utah, saving a spot for both the Wildcats and Thunderbirds. It was a great Saturday of basketball!

The first-round matchups are:

(1) Montana vs (8) Weber State
(2) Eastern Washington vs (7) Idaho
(3) Sacramento State vs (6) Portland State
(4) Northern Arizona vs (5) Northern Colorado

That is a great slate of matchups! I will have much more to come this week in terms of previews and predictions, I am just getting back into the swing of things after being out of town all weekend.

The other news was the release of the awards!

Here is the first-team Big Sky:

- Mikh McKinney of Sacramento State
- Tyler Harvey of Eastern Washington
- Martin Breunig of Montana
- Venky Jois of Eastern Washington
- Kris Yanku of Northern Arizona
- Jordan Gregory of Montana

McKinney was the Player of the Year, in a mild surprise (I thought it may be Breunig because of Montana's spot in the standings). On first thought, without digging into things too much, I can't disagree with any of the choices, including the pick of McKinney as POY. That is very well deserved! I will give more thoughts and awards and all-conference teams next week once the conference tourney talk dies down.

The second-team Big Sky:
- Connor Hill of Idaho
- Mike Scott of Idaho
- Joel Bolomboy of Weber State
- Dylan Garrity of Sacramento State
- Quinton Upshur of Northern Arizona

Honorable-Mention Big Sky:
- Jeffrey Solarin of Idaho State
- Drew Brandon of Eastern Washington
- Chris Hansen of Idaho State
- Mario Dunn of Montana
- Aaseem Dixon of Northern Arizona
- Tevin Svihovec of Northern Colorado
- DaShaun Wiggins of Portland State
- Jeremy Senglin of Weber State

In the other awards, Bogdan Blizynuk was the Freshman of the Year, which was an easy choice. Jordyn Martin was the Defensive POY, which was a little surprise because he doesn't block shots (and numbers usually win awards), but it was a very good choice, as he anchors their D. Marcus Colbert was the Top Reserve, another good choice.

Jim Hayford and Brian Katz shared Coach of the Year honors. I can't argue with those guys, and I couldn't have argued if Travis DeCuire or Nick Robinson had won the award either, as all of those guys were worthy.

Any thoughts?

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Thursday Predictions

Four Big Sky games on the docket... none of them involve two teams that are outside of the tournament picture, so that should make for a fun night of games! Let's run through them.

Sacramento State @ Southern Utah
We already know the stakes of the game. Sac State hosts the Big Sky tournament if they win, and SUU could be eliminated from the tournament if they lose (coupled with a Weber State loss). While SUU is at home, they are just 3-4 in Cedar City in Big Sky play this year, so it's not like they're invincible there. I think the Hornets can taste that conference title, and that will be all the motivation they need to go out and get it. Sacramento State 77, Southern Utah 71

Eastern Washington @ Idaho State
The Bengals are in the middle of a lost season - at 3-13 they are just trying to get out of the cellar. On the flip side, EWU still has a shot for the title. The Bengals zone has a tendency to give teams good looks from the outside, and that plays right into the Eagles hands. It was a fairly close game when these teams played in Cheney, and should be close again, as ISU will look to slow things way down. However, they won't have enough offensive firepower to win this game. Eastern Washington 71, Idaho State 61

Idaho @ Weber State
Idaho is technically not in yet, so they are trying to clinch a berth in the Big Sky tournament. Weber State got great play last week from Chris Golden, who was one of the co-players of the week in the conference. He averaged 21 points, and shot the ball well. That is production they desperately need, since leading guard Jeremy Senglin is still out with a broken jaw. With the way Idaho has played this year, you never know what to expect from half to half, and with Weber playing for their tournament lives, I expect them to come out a little stronger. Weber State 69, Idaho 67

Portland State @ Northern Arizona
Like Idaho, PSU needs a win to completely clinch a tourney spot, though they are in better shape due to holding a tiebreaker over Southern Utah and Weber State (in fact, I'm not sure how they could fall out of the tournament, but I'm trying to confirm if they've clinched or not). However, I just think NAU is the better team here, and playing at home, they should win this game. NAU should be able to create second chances, and get some good looks from three-point range. In a weird way, it might be advantageous for NAU to lose this and give PSU a better chance of moving to the 5 seed (rather than UNC or Idaho), but obviously they won't be thinking like that. Northern Arizona 76, Portland State 70

Thoughts?

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Race For Final Tournament Spot

We already know that the battle for the top seed in the Big Sky tournament could be relatively simple, tiebreaker wise - if Sac State wins one more game, they are the host. The race for the eighth seed is about just as simple.

Montana State, North Dakota, and Idaho State are all out. It will take at least 7 wins to make the tournament, and none of them can get more than five.

Idaho (8 wins) and Portland State (8 wins) could miss the tournament, but it doesn't seem likely, since it would require losing both games, SUU winning both games, Weber State winning at least one game, and the tiebreakers going against them. It's certainly plausible, but not the most likely scenario.

The most likely scenario is that either Weber State or Southern Utah will hold the eighth seed when the Big Sky tournament begins. The tiebreaker is very straight foward... SUU swept the season series, so if the teams have the same record, they are in.

Right now, Weber State is 7-9, and they end the year by hosting Idaho, and then hosting Eastern Washington. Southern Utah is 6-10, and they end the year by hosting Sacramento State, and then Portland State. Both are very tough.

KenPom forecasts that Weber has a 54% chance to beat Idaho, and a 37% chance to beat EWU. SUU, meanwhile, has a 40% chance of beating Sac State, and a 55% chance of beating PSU. Take those numbers for what their worth, but it gives you a general idea of how they stack up.

The upshot is this - With Sac State having a ton to play for, and Idaho's sporadic play, it wouldn't be a huge shock if this race is decided by the end of Thursday night, and there is no drama for the final spot. However, if the two teams are still separated by one game, we will have a fun Saturday.

The most likely scenario is that we'll see Weber State take on Sacramento State in the opening round of the Big Sky tournament, but it wouldn't take much to turn that prediction on its head.

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All Home Teams Win on Saturday Night

Now that we are down to the final few weeks of the season, every game seems to have big implications on the Big Sky. There is the race for the top seed (which we'll look at in more depth later this week), and there is also an interesting race brewing for the final tournament spot. On Saturday, there were six games, and the home team won them all. Here are the scores:

Northern Arizona 73, Eastern Washington 69
Montana 74, Weber State 63
Sacramento State 74, North Dakota 66
Portland State 91, Northern Colorado 75
Southern Utah 79, Idaho 77 (OT)
Montana State 67, Idaho State 53

Some notes and observations:

- Idaho is an interesting team, because they have shown they can beat anyone in the Big Sky, but they can also look so flat at times. They led Southern Utah by 10 midway through the first half, and led by three at the break. Then they came out lifeless in the second half, and trailed by 10 with about five minutes to go. They turned it on at that point, eventually sending the game to OT, but the Thunderbirds recovered for the key win. It's hard to know what team to expect.

- Southern Utah still has a chance to make the final tournament spot (they are 5-9, while Weber State is 6-9 in eighth place), but either way, they are an interesting team. They play so many guys, and their youth was evident at times (especially down the stretch), but they always play hard, and they are certainly getting better. James McGee is a real keeper at guard, and guys like Trey Kennedy, Juwan Major, John Marshall, and Race Parsons all made key plays. I still don't love their chances to go to the Big Sky tourney this year, but pencil them in for next year.

- Montana doesn't do anything flashy, but they continue to pile up wins, now five in a row. They got off to a slow start, but controlled the game from late in the first half on. They are playing a shell of the Weber State team we thought we'd see, but they have a lot of balance. One key for them is that Mike Weisner has struggled a bit in his senior year, but he is showing good signs the last couple of games. Earlier this month I wrote that the Grizzlies are a contender, and it is more true than I even expected. They finish up with three road games (including at Idaho and EWU), but they've been playing better than anyone lately. KenPom now has Martin Breunig rated as the best player in the Big Sky so far this season.

- Sac State didn't get any style points for their win over UND, but at this point in the year, it's all about winning. Cody Demps seems to get better every game - after putting up a stat line of 8 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists, he threw up a 9:0 assist to turnover ratio on Saturday. Mikh McKinney and Dylan Garrity get a ton of credit, and rightfully so, but Demps is one of the most improved guys in the Big Sky. He is a great glue guy.

- The loss dropped North Dakota to 4-11. Two of their final three games are at home, but it's probably safe to count them out. Ditto for Idaho State, who dropped to 3-12 with a loss to Montana State. Speaking of the Bobcats, it's almost definitely too little too late, but they have won three of four, and are showing some fight. Their schedule is brutal down the stretch (and they would have to run the table), but they are showing the potential of what they can be under Brian Fish.

- Tyler Harvey has had a nightmare three games since returning from his thigh injury, adding a 6/19 stat line on Saturday. I have nothing to suggest it's anything but a standard shooting slump (he played all 40 on Saturday, so I don't think health is an issue), but hopefully he gets back on track. The Eagles need him.

- I wrote about NAU in December and how they are a good team, and they have done a good job of making me look somewhat prescient lately, At 10-4, they have won 7 of 8, and they are still in the race for the title. We know about their defense (they are second in the Big Sky behind Montana), but the offense has come alive a bit more during their hot stretch. On Saturday, they beat EWU even though Quinton Upshur was held to four points. Their big men have been playing well lately, Aaseem Dixon is shooting the ball well, and Kris Yanku is doing a bit of everything for them. They are a very solid team.

- Last, Portland State ran all over Northern Colorado, and now own the fifth seed. They won 91-75, thanks to 51 second half points. Plus, they did it without Braxton Tucker, who left the game early with an injury. Everything that you can possibly do well offensively, they did - from shooting the ball well, getting good shots (sometimes it looked like a layup line), rebounding, and taking care of the ball. It was an all-around offensive effort.

- Northern Colorado is in freefall mode with now, as they've lost four straight games, and now rank 348 out of 351 teams in KenPom's adjusted defensive ratings. It is somewhat mirroring last year, where a solid start was undone when they stopped playing any semblance of defense midway through the year. They have three home games left, and the talent to be a threat to good teams in the Big Sky tournament, but at this point, it's not clear if they care enough on the defensive end to get it done.

Any other thoughts from Saturday or on the Big Sky in general?

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Thursday Recap - Two Things We Learned

We had six games last night, and there were not a lot of surprises. Unlike the craziness of last week's games, all of the higher ranked teams won, creating a little more clarity in the Big Sky picture. Here are the two things it seems we can be more certain of as we approach the stretch run.

1) The top four seeds identities are more or less set
Now, we don't know the order that they will be in, but I think we can be pretty confident in surmising that the current four teams at the top of the Big Sky, will be the four teams in the top at the end of the year. Here are the standings as of today:

Eastern Washington 11-2
Sacramento State 11-3
Montana 11-3
Northern Arizona 9-4

With the way that EWU has been playing lately, it's safe to say that the race for the top seed is wide open (though they are still the favorite for now). Lately, Montana has been playing every bit as good as the Eagles, and the Hornets always loom with their elite guard play. The race should be very good down the stretch.

Behind these four, it's conceivable that any of Idaho, Northern Colorado, or Portland State could jump in the fray... but with each having at least seven losses, it's unlikely.

2) Weber State has come close to locking down a tournament spot
Heading into last night, things were wide open. If Montana State had beaten Weber State, and North Dakota and Southern Utah won their games, there would have been three teams with five losses, and then the Bobcats right behind at four wins. (ISU could have joined the conversation too if they had beaten Montana).

Instead, everything that could have gone right for Weber State. They held on to beat MSU. Then, EWU held off SUU. PSU controlled the game to take down North Dakota. Montana took down Idaho State.

In all, Weber State is now in eighth at 6-8, while the Thunderbirds fall to 4-9. North Dakota has 4 wins, but at 10 losses and a tough schedule, their hopes appear bleak. Southern Utah has the best chance to catch the Wildcats, but they are now two wins behind. It was a good night for Weber State.

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Big Sky's Best Newcomers

As is often the case, a list of the best newcomers in the Big Sky is riddled with transfers and junior college guys rather than freshman, and that is the case (for the most part) here. While a couple of the freshmen deserve inclusion here (and if you want more talk about the freshmen, check here), a lot of this list will be guys that came into the Big Sky with some experience already.

By my count, there are four guys that really deserve consideration to be the Newcomer of the Year. In no particular order, here they are:

- Martin Breunig (Montana) - Before the year, I was told Breunig would be the best big man in the conference, and with Joel Bolomboy's numbers down a bit, and Venky Jois battling injury problems, that has proven prophetic. Breunig has been a scorer in the post, shooting nearly 60% on two-pointers, on a lot of attempts. He has also been beastly on the boards, with a 9.9 OR% and 19.9 DR%, both top 7 numbers in the Big Sky. The only thing that has held him back is a propensity to get into foul trouble. However, when he's on the court, he's outstanding. At this point, he is certainly the frontrunner for the award.

- Cameron Michael (Northern Colorado) - UNC coaches told me how excited they were when Michael decided to transfer, and he has been everything they could have hoped for in his first year in Greeley. He has been a great shooter, at over 41% from downtown. He is not just a shooter though, as he takes almost five shots a game inside the arc, where he is also efficient. He takes care of the ball as well. He is just a really good player for them.

- Tiegbe Bamba (Portland State) - His long awaited debut for the Vikings was worth the weight, as he has been a steady frontcourt presence for them this season. On two-pointers, he is shooting almost 63% (he has taken 27 threes, but at least made 9 of them), and he's been a solid rebounder on both ends of the court. He turns it over a little more than you'd like for a big man, but he has helped bring stability to the frontcourt which the Viks didn't have last year.

- Braxton Tucker (Portland State) - The other new equation in the PSU front line is Tucker, who has been very solid as well. Like Bamba, he is an efficient scorer, who has been better at creating his own shot than Bamba has. He is very solid on the offensive glass, sporting a top 10 offensive rebound rate in the conference.

Honorable Mention:
- Ben Wilson (Idaho State) - Wilson is getting a lot of minutes for the Bengals, and can do some nice things. At 6'6'', he has the length to be disruptive in the zone defense, especially up top. He has also been a relatively solid playmaker, with an Assist Rate over 21%. He's not really a scorer, and he's not a natural PG, but has played there most of the year out of necessity.
- Estan Tyler (North Dakota) - Tyler is talented, and his role seems to have grown as the year has gone on. Still, he's been a little inefficient shooting the ball, and turns it over more than you'd like. He's a good shooter, and his numbers are probably hampered a little bit by a lack of a lot of other offensive options for defenses to focus on.
- Bogdan Bliznyuk (Eastern Washington) - Bliznyuk has slowed a little the past week, but he is still a diverse scorer that will be a big factor in EWU's tournament run. The Eagles have a future offensive star on their hands, and a guy that could win a scoring title in the conference at some point.
- Arkadiy Mkrtchyan (Idaho) - You don't always hear a lot about Ark, but he's a really good player for them that does a lot of little things. He doesn't shoot a lot, but he's efficient when he does. He's also a really good rebounder on both ends, and above average at drawing fouls. He could be a future star for the Vandals.

Thoughts? Anyone I missed? Who is the best among the group?

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Big Sky Weekend Storylines

Saturday night was another wild night in the Big Sky, so let's get to the storylines.

Eastern Washington and Sacramento State Lose
On Thursday, all of the bottom three teams won their games, so the only logical way to follow that up was to have the league's top two teams lose!

Sacramento State's loss to Idaho was fairly predictable, given that the game was in Moscow, and Idaho almost beat the Hornets earlier this year, and almost beat EWU twice. The Hornets actually led the game by three with 8:28 left, but the Vandals outsocred them 21-7 the rest of the way. Sac State never got on track offensively, shooting just 5/23 from downtown and attempting only 8 free throws. Meanwhile, Idaho was a scorching 23/34 on two-pointers, making up for the fact that they didn't hit from deep and struggled at the foul line. The loss moves the Hornets into a tie with Montana at 10-3, while Idaho is 6-6 and back to looking like a team that is a tournament darkhorse.

Eastern Washington's loss to Portland State was a little more confounding, even accounting for the fact that Venky Jois missed the game. The Eagles got off to a hot start, leading 24-12 over midway through the first half, but a big run early in the second half for PSU gave them the lead and eventually the win. The Eagles can be so reliant on the three-point shot (especially when Jois isn't playing), and that did them in here, as they were 7/25 from deep (Tyler Harvey was just 2/12). The Vikings got big performances by guys like Braxton Tucker and DaShaun Wiggins, moving the Vikings to 6-7, and a spot where they should probably feel comfortable in the Big Sky race. EWU got a reprieve due to the Sac State loss, but a 2-game cushion would have been awfully nice for a team that has struggled with depth and injuries.

The Second Tier is Solidified
For a while, Northern Colorado looked like they could crash the party of the top four teams, but that seems unlikely today. They lost a heartbreaker in triple OT to Montana, though there was a little bit of controversy with the final call of the game. The Bears never led in regulation (and trailed by as many as 15), but then led by 3 with 12 seconds left in double OT, before Montana got three attempts to tie it, as Brandon Gfeller hit the game-tying shot at the buzzer to send it to triple OT.

It's a tough homestand for the Bears, who came into it at 7-4 with an eye on third place, and leave at 7-6. Against Montana, they did some things well though, battling back from a big deficit, and holding the Grizzlies to 1.08 PPP. The Grizzlies will surely take it as well - Greeley is always a tough place to go into and get a win, and their win coupled with Sac State's loss puts them back into the Big Sky picture at 10-3.

Northern Arizona struggled in a loss to Idaho State Thursday, but they bounced back and added to Weber State's misery, handing the Wildcats another home loss. It was not a very pretty game - NAU led 24-15 at the half, but the Jacks will take a big road win. Kris Yanku and Quinton Upshur led the way 37 points in the 61-54 win, which moves the Jacks to 8-4 in the Big Sky.With four home games left, a run for a top 3 spot is certainly not out of the question.

Weber State and Southern Utah Will Battle For Final Tourney Spot
We can almost stick a fork in North Dakota, after a 80-78 home loss to Montana State drops them to 4-9 in the Big Sky. With their remaining schedule, their tourney hopes appear to be slim. (Meanwhile, let's sit back and gives congrats to the Bobcats... who entered a roadtrip at 1-10 and played just as hard as if they were competing for a conference title, winning both games. Great job by them,)

We talked briefly about 5-8 Weber State, but not the worst part - starting guard Jeremy Senglin has a broken jaw and will miss four weeks. They struggled to generate offense even with him, and they showed how big of a struggle things will be when they scored just 0.84 PPP on Saturday. Joel Bolomboy was a star (23 and 15), but the Wildcats need Richaud Gittens to step up, and he struggled badly on Saturday night. We might see Hayden Hunter in the lineup at some point, as the freshman has showed some ability to create shots for others, but it's not clear he's ready to contribute in that big of a role.

For the first time, their spot in the tournament appears tenuous in part because Southern Utah was able to go and get another road win, beating Idaho State 71-67 to move to 4-9. The TBirds were 13/23 from downtown, and their shooting continues to put them in ballgames even when they struggle in other areas. They are a game behind Weber State, but they hold the tiebreaker since they beat them twice. They have four home games left (two road), but those four are against EWU, Idaho, Sac State, and Portland State... not exactly an easy slate.

SOMEONE will have to claim the final tournament spot, but at this point, it's hard to say who. We have to give Weber State the edge, simply because they have 5 wins, but they look capable of losing to anyone. SUU and North Dakota are right behind at 4 wins, but they don't have particularly easy schedules or trustworthy resumes. At this point, it looks like 7 wins will probably get you into the tournament, and you may even have a chance with 6. It's pretty ugly at the bottom.

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A Wonky Big Sky Thursday Night

First, the good news... my rec league basketball team took home the title last night! Haha. With that out of the way, let's take a look at the Big Sky.

First, just a quick note on the two games that went more or less according to what would be expected. Connor Hill went 8/9 from downtown as Idaho overwhelmed Portland State for the 87-76 home win. The Vandals are now 5-6 and in good shape.

The other was Montana getting a tight road win over North Dakota. It's always tough to win in Grand Forks, and so Montana having to grind out a close win is not a surprise. The Grizzlies are solidly in third at 9-3, while UND is 4-8, but only a game out of the conference tournament final spot.

The rest of the games featured Eastern Washington beating Sacramento State in a bit of a different style of game than expected, and then the bottom three teams all winning!

We expected a high scoring game between the Eagles and Hornets, but that's not what happened. The first surprise was that Tyler Harvey was unable to play, as he was reported to be "probable" earlier in the day. Without him, the Eagles led a defensive battle, eventually going up 58-42 with 7:01 to play, with the game looking well in hand. The Hornets have trailed late several times this year (as I've documented in the past), but this time, they weren't quite able to overcome. They went on a 19-6 run over those last seven minutes, but the Eagles were able to hang on for dear life, and move to 10-1 and take the Big Sky lead.

In the first meeting, the Hornets got everything inside the paint, shooting 24/36 there. This time, they were just 14/36 from two-point range, and the Eagles blocked 13 shots, including 5 from reserve forward Garrett Moon. The Eagles didn't play particularly well offensively - they turned it over an uncharacteristic 17 times, and couldn't get anything inside - but were saved by shooting 12/23 from downtown. Still, without their best player, the Eagles will take it.

[Sidenote: Here is the comment that Jim Hayford had about Harvey after the game, and it seems like the right strategy]

“He probably could have gone tonight, but when you are in the Big Sky you need to be your best in the Big Sky Tournament. I don’t want this injury to get aggravated, so it is something he has taken with him the whole month. He is like, ‘hey coach I am playing Saturday’. So we will see how he responds after yesterday’s practice, but I am going to err on the side of patience with such a special player. When we really need him is if we are fortunate enough to play those three games in March.”

Hopefully he will be back soon, especially because Sir Washington is done for the year after suffering a knee injury. We wish him a speedy and full recovery.

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One of the shockers was seeing Southern Utah go into Ogden and beat Weber State, a sentence that would have been unthinkable before the season. The Wildcats were ice cold offensively, as the TBirds held them to 0.82 PPP. The Wildcats were 11/32 inside the arc, and 5/26 behind it. Joel Bolomboy was held to just two points. They played more than well enough defensively to win, but the answers on offense are few and far between.

Southern Utah's win at least keeps their hopes alive for the Big Sky tournament... At 3-8, they are 1.5 games out of the final spot. At the very least, it's another positive experience for a young team - their first road Big Sky conference win in over two calendar years. The odds are still long for this year, but they are building a team that will be deep and experienced next season.

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The other shocker in terms of a team going on the road and winning was Montana State going into Greeley and beating Northern Colorado, 90-87. The Bears are always tough to beat at home, and this year, the Bobcats have had trouble beating anyone, anywhere. The MSU got off to a great start, and led by as many as 19 (37-18) late in the first half. UNC crawled back to cut the lead to 40-34 at the break, but the Bobcats just never let their foot off the gas pedal.

Mike Dison led the way with 23 points (on 10/15 FG), while Stephen Holm had 18, and Marcus Colbert had 13. Five other guys had at least six points. As a team, the Bobcats were 22/38 inside the arc, shot 24 free throws, and dominated the offensive glass (in fairness, UNC grabbed plenty of offensive boards themselves).

It's a missed opportunity for the Bears... anytime you score 87 points on 1.24 PPP at home, you should win that game. The fact that it came against the last place Bobcats will make it even harder to swallow. In the big picture, it doesn't really change anything... We already knew MSU was a tough team to play because they play hard, and have nothing to lose. The Bears are still 7-5, and I don't think they'll be in danger of missing the Big Sky tournament. But if they drop a couple more games like this, it could have implications later on.

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Last, Idaho State let out all of their offensive frustrations on Northern Arizona, getting an 80-66 home win over the third place Jacks. ISU was led by Chris Hansen, who was 2/10 on two point shots, and still somehow finished with 24 points. As a team, the Bengals took smart shots, took care of the basketball, and made the looks they did get.

The Lumberjacks were just 8/29 from downtown, as Aaseem Dixon and Quinton Upshur combined to shoot 5/19 from deep. Kris Yanku had 7 turnovers. They usually need two of those three guys to be on their game (when all three are, they can beat anyone), and in this one, they all struggled a bit. NAU is still solidly in fourth at 7-4, but it's still a tough game to drop.

However, we have to be happy for the Bengals and Bill Evans, who get some good feelings after what has been a long season.

Anything else I missed?

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Big Sky Power Rankings 2/9/15

Let's take a quick snapshot of the Big Sky as of today... where things are sure to change in an instant, as always!

1. Eastern Washington (9-1) - Beating Montana on the road without Tyler Harvey earns them the top spot for me this week, as they led the Grizzlies by as many as nine late, winning 75-69. Montana's D has been solid, but the Eagles scored 1.21 PPP against them, thanks to a great day from Drew Brandon (27 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists). Saturday's tilt against MSU was a little more nerve-wracking, as they trailed the Bobcats by eight early in the second half, but they managed to come back and win by 10. They host Sac State on Thursday in the biggest Big Sky game of the year (I'll be previewing it in depth more as the week goes on), and they really need Harvey back.

2. Sacramento State (10-1) - If they beat EWU this Thursday, I promise you Hornets fans that they will be #1 next week. Their win Saturday night against PSU was a little closer than many would have expected, especially when the Hornets were up 9 at the half. PSU cut the lead to as little as two, and Sac State eventually won by 4. The Hornets are now 6-0 in Big Sky games decided by five points or less. This week will show a lot about them - a roadtrip to take on EWU and then Idaho is arguably the toughest in the Big Sky. If they can at least get a split, that'd probably be a good result.

3. Montana (8-3) - Montana got their chance to show they'll be a contender for the regular season title, and fell flat losing a home game to EWU. They responded well, however, holding Idaho to 0.90 PPP, forcing 17 turnovers in the process. Montana continues to hound teams defensively, and have long since showed that their solid defensive performances once Big Sky play started were not a fluke. They're the best defensive team in the conference, which is the biggest reason they're a legit tournament threat..

4. Northern Arizona (7-3) - I had been concerned earlier in the year about their offense, but those concerns have been assuaged somewhat. as they continue to put together impressive performances. While the biggest factor in that is probably due to Quinton Upshur looking like himself against over the past give games, I wanted to write a few words on Kris Yanku. He has been outstanding in all phases recently, really taking over the team. During their four game win streak, he's putting up 16 PPG, 7 APG, 6.5 RPG, and has only turned it over four times. You might not know it yet, but he's a star in the Big Sky, and seems to be getting better and better.

5. Northern Colorado (7-4) - The Bears did what they needed to do, getting a split on their last roadtrip. Now they sit at 7-4 with 5 home games left, so they're in a great spot. Though they have a balanced team, they seem to go as the backcourt duo of Cam Michael and Tevin Svihovec go. They complement each other well, as Michael is an excellent outside shooter, while Svihovec does his best work slashing and getting to the line. They will be a tough out because those two guys are tough to guard.

6. Weber State (5-6) - You can put 6-7-8 in any order, and I wouldn't argue. The Wildcats won their long game last week, beating ISU on the road by seven. While Jeremy Senglin can be inconsistent at times, his ceiling is high, as shown by his scoring 30 points on just eight field goal attempts on Saturday (he was 14/15 from the line).He gives them that elite guard talent that can sometimes be a wildcard come tournament time.

7. Portland State (5-6) - They almost got the big upset win over the Hornets, but couldn't quite get over the top in the second half. One subplot has been the minutes of Tim Douglas... A year ago, he led the team in minutes. This year, his play on the court (taken as a whole) has been fairly similar to last year - he is a an average outside shooter, poor inside, pokes away a few steals, and doesn't turn it over a ton. But he played 15 minutes Saturday, and has played less than 20 in 5 of the last 6. Gobbling up his minutes is freshman Iziahiah Sweeney. Something to watch for the Vikings going forward.

8. Idaho (4-6) - All things considered, it wasn't a real impressive week for the Vandals. They trailed MSU by 11 early in the second half (before winning by 9), and lost by 14 to Montana. It's clear their ceiling is higher than many other teams (they lost their three games against EWU and Sac State by 9 points total), but their floor is a lot lower than the mid-tier teams as well. This week's home games against PSU and Sac State will tell us a lot... they have the talent to win both and be a solid 6-6, or lose both and be sweating things at 4-8. I'm curious to see which Idaho team shows up, and I'm sure their fans are as well.

9. North Dakota (4-7) - Their road win over SUU Thursday was big, as it at least keeps them alive and in the discussion. This week they host the Montana schools, and it's not out of the realm of possibility that they'll be 6-7 heading into the final few weeks. Estan Tyler has become their workhorse - as long as he can stay out of foul trouble. Another name to watch is Carson Shanks, a guy who has really been coming. They are absolutely still in the race for a tournament spot, but they don't have a ton of margin for error.

10. Southern Utah (2-8) - When SUU won two straight Big Sky games to go to 2-3, they could at least dream of a conference tournament spot. Five losses later (the last three at home), and it appears it was just that - a dream. They are a year away, but certainly there is hope for the future. Their bench still plays more minutes than anyone else's in the country, and they are still very inexperienced, with no seniors being a really key part of the core. It would be nice to get a few more wins to end the year to give them some momentum into the offseason, but the schedule won't be easy - arguably they will be the underdog in all of their remaining games.

11. Idaho State (2-9) - It doesn't look like the Bengals year. At 2-9, they are all but eliminated from conference tournament contention. The seven guys playing the most minutes for them are upperclassmen (five seniors, two juniors), which doesn't leave a ton of hope that next year will be better. I like Bill Evans as a coach, and feel he is very solid in terms of game-planning, but they just haven't had the talent to compete.

12. Montana State (1-10) - They have to feel like they let some games slip through the cracks... They led Idaho by 11 early in the second half Thursday, and then EWU by 8 in the second half Saturday, but lost both games by a combined 19 points. They at least showed they are a feisty club that won't lie down for any games. They hit you with a barrage of threes - they attempted 37 against Idaho, and 29 against EWU. Wins will be hard to come by, but they're starting to form an identity for the future.

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Schedules the Rest of the Way

So far this year in conference play, Big Sky teams are 36-18 at home, the 7th highest winning percentage of any conference. It also seems to be true that it would be a good thing to play as few games against Eastern Washington, Sacramento State, and Montana as possible, since those teams look like the three best at the moment.

So with that said, let's take a look at each team's remaining schedule, with how many home/away games they have left, and how many games against those three teams remain:

- Eastern Washington (7-1) - 4 H/6A - @ UM, Sac State, UM
- Idaho (3-5) - 4H/6A - @ UM, Sac State, UM
- Idaho State (2-8) - 5H/3A - @ UM, EWU
- Montana (7-2) - 4H/5A - EWU, @ EWU
- Montana State (1-8) - 5H/4A - EWU, UM, @ EWU
- North Dakota (3-6) - 5H/5A - UM, @ Sac State
- Northern Arizona (5-3) - 6H/4A - EWU, Sac State
- Northern Colorado (6-3) - 5H/4A - UM, @ Sac State
- Portland State (5-5) - 3H/5A - @ Sac State, @ EWU, Sac State
- Sacramento State (9-1) - 3 H/5 A - @ EWU
- Southern Utah (2-6) - 6H/4A - EWU, Sac State
- Weber State (4-6) - 5H/3A - @ UM, EWU

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Podcast with EWU Eagle Eye

If you are interested in some Big Sky audio, Brian Blessing from EWU Eagle Eye talk about the Big Sky. He also has an interview up with Coach Jim Hayford, who is always a very interesting guy to hear!

Check it all out here if you're so inclined.

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Big Sky Thursday Night

We've got a relatively light four games on tap Thursday night, so let's take a look at each with a short preview and prediction, like we do for all of the Thursday games.

Montana State @ Sacramento State
We know that teams can score on the Hornets, and MSU can have a chance to keep things interesting if they can hit shots from the outside as they have several capable shooters. However, it's hard to see them slowing Sac State down enough on the road to get a win. The Hornets have been eviscerating teams in conference play to the point of 1.22 PPP, and we all know about Mikh McKinney and Dylan Garrity. The Bobcats just don't have the difference makers right now to win a road game like this. Sacramento State 75, Montana State 61

Montana @ Portland State
During conference play, Montana has been stifling teams defensively, and relying a lot on Martin Breunig to provide balance for their offense. PSU should have the bodies up front to at least slow Breunig a bit, with Braxton Tucker and Tiegbe Bamba looking more and more comfortable each game. The other reason I like PSU here is that Montana's biggest strength defensively has been forcing turnovers - they lead the Big Sky in that category. However, the Vikings are fifth in the country in turnover percentage as an offense, and they have multiple ballhandlers capable of taking care of things. These teams always seem to play close, hard-fought games, and this will be no different. Portland State 74, Montana 71

Idaho State @ Northern Colorado
We all know that ISU likes to slow these types of games down with their zone defense, forcing the defense to work the ball around. Good shots will prevent themselves, but teams have to be patient enough to wait for them. That is the key for the Bears... they have plenty of shooters and ballhandlers, and they should be able to put up good offensive numbers, it's just a matter of picking their spots. On the other end, I think Jeffrey Solarin will get a double-double and get some putbacks, but the Bengals will struggle to score enough against an offense as explosive enough as UNC. In Greeley, I like the Bears to hold home-court. Northern Colorado 69, Idaho State 63

Weber State @ North Dakota
Before the year, you would have thought this a foregone conclusion as a Weber win, but right now it looks pretty even on paper. The Wildcats have lost three straight, while UND split a tough roadtrip against Idaho and EWU (leading EWU at the half). Somewhat surprisingly due to the presence of Joel Bolomboy, the Wildcats have been susceptible to teams that score inside, and UND is first in conference play in two-point shooting percentage. That is something to watch. Still, possibly due to the fact that I can't get rid of my preconceived notions, I just can't see Weber State dropping four straight conference games and falling to 3-6. Somehow, someway, I just trust them a little bit more than I trust UND at this point. We'll see if UND proves me wrong again. Weber State 68, North Dakota 64

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Billings Among Seven Bids For Big Sky Tournament

From the Billings Gazette this past weekend, Billings has reportedly made an "aggressive" offer to secure the rights to the Big Sky tournament.

As the Big Sky looks to potentially move its tournament to a neutral site which is fixed, the next question is the location. That is where Billings and other cities come in.

MetraPark marketing director Ray Massie said the city has made “an aggressive bid” to the Big Sky for hosting rights. The three-year proposal was submitted to the conference Wednesday by Visit Billings, the tourism arm of the city's Chamber of Commerce.

The cities are either bidding on the men's tournament, women's tournament, or both:

Billings is one of seven locations that have made binding proposals to host either the men’s tournament, the women’s tournament, or both. The city is competing for the men’s tournament with Missoula (in conjunction with the University of Montana), Ogden, Utah (Weber State), Flagstaff, Ariz. (Northern Arizona), Spokane/Cheney, Wash. (Eastern Washington), Greeley/Loveland, Colo. (Northern Colorado), and another neutral site, Reno, Nev.

The bids from Spokane/Cheney, Greeley/Loveland and Reno seek to host combined men’s and women’s tournaments. Spokane/Cheney and Greeley/Loveland have each put in a bid for only the women’s tournament, too.

Missoula has also bid on the women’s tournament, but does not have an interest in being a dual-tournament host.

Of the options, Billings and Reno certainly seem to make the most sense in the fact that they are neutral sites. Of the two, Reno would be "more neutral" given its location, which I would guess would be a big factor.

Another tidbit from the article is that a decision is expected in early March, and that future conference tournaments are expected to include all 12 teams, rather than the eight that will make it this year.

From a basketball standpoint, the current format makes a lot of sense. For conferences like the Big Sky, you want to do everything possible to make sure your best team makes the NCAA Tournament, because a win there will do more for exposure than anything else. That is why I like having a smaller tournament which includes a bye for the top seed, and having it at the location of the top seed.

From a practicality standpoint, a neutral site certainly makes a ton of sense. Not knowing where you are going until the final week can be a big logistical and financial challenge for schools, who likely have fairly limited athletic budgets. Having a predetermined site such as Reno would make that a lot easier.

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Thursday Recap: Expect the Unexpected

My picks for the Big Sky games on Thursday night were not my finest. I got 3 out of 6 wrong, and almost picked another game wrong! The good thing is, that means there was a lot of unexpected things happening, which is always exciting! Let's take a look at some of the happenings.

What I expected:
- Montana grinded out a win over Northern Arizona - NAU had a halftime lead (and led by as many as 11 in the first half), but the Grizzlies were able to get the win, thanks in large part to seven threes (and 31 points) from guard Jordan Gregory. The biggest story might be that Montana continued their excellent defensive ways, allowing just 0.89 PPP as NAU was 19/55 from the floor and turned it over 14 times. The Grizzlies haven't played some of the more high octane offenses of the Big Sky yet, but they've been absolutely dominating defensively against who they have played. They now sit at 5-1 in Big Sky play.

- Eastern Washington had their way offensively with Northern Colorado - Don't let the final margin of 10 points deceive you... this was a blowout. EWU led by as many as 31 early in the second half, and seemingly got every shot they wanted, even without Venky Jois. Tyler Harvey had 35 points, including shooting 5/9 from downtown and 12/14 from the foul line, as four other Eagles joined him in double figures. UNC scored 41 points in the final ten minutes, which showcases their offensive firepower (even though the game was well out of hand), but this game was in hand for EWU by halftime.

What I didn't expect:
- Sacramento State just barely eeked by Idaho State - The Bengals led by 1 with 30 seconds left, but the Hornets were able to get fouled and hit free throws to go up 1, and ISU was unable to score on the next possession. It's just a reminder that every road game in the Big Sky is a grind and potential trap, even as the Hornets were in first and ISU was badly struggling. The Bengals were able to slow the game way down, and not allow Sac State many good looks from downtown (3/11). Winning formula for the Bengals to pull the upset, but they just couldn't finish the job. Tough loss for them, nice road win for the Hornets in a game where they didn't play their best.

- Portland State went on the road to beat Weber State - The lesson, as always, it's tough to know what to expect from PSU. Their frontcourt keeps looking better and better, as Tiegbe Bamba and Braxton Tucker are emerging as one of the better front lines in the conference. Last night, it was Tucker who had 21 and 6, while Bamba had 10 and 11, all the while making Joel Bolomboy a relative non-factor. Jeremy Senglin was excellent for the Wildcats, but everybody else struggled. Now, PSU is sitting well at 4-3, while Weber State is 3-4 and still trying to find their identity.

- North Dakota went on the road to beat Idaho - I thought the Vandals were going to run away with this game at home. They led by as many as 15 in the first half, and appeared to be in control. Then, at the end of the first half and into the second half, North Dakota went on a 27-5 run to give them a lead they wouldn't relinquish, though Idaho never went away. UND won this game with great defensive effort, holding the Vandals to just 0.85 PPP - an impressive mark against any team, let alone one as explosive as the Vandals. Idaho also did themselves in by shooting just 15/28 from the charity stripe. There's a lot of season to go, but Idaho could be really kicking themselves later on for losing what should have been a winnable home game.

- Montana State used a great second half to get their first Big Sky win - I liked SUU's chances to get a road win and move to .500 in Big Sky play, and for a while, it looked like that was going to happen. The TBirds led 47-40 early in the second half, but then two MSU runs put the game away. First, a 16-2 run put the Bobcats up 60-51, and then a 13-2 run later put the game away. It is Brian Fish's first Big Sky win, and you get the feeling there will be many more in the years to come. MSU was 12/23 from behind the arc (and if you count everyone other than Eric Norman, they were 11/16), and were led by 19 from Stephen Holm. It's good to see everyone has at least one Big Sky win well before February.

Anything else that I missed from last night?

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Big Sky Thursday Night Preview

After having just four Big Sky games on Thursday night the past couple of weeks, we are back to six this Thursday night! Let's take a quick look at all the games, with a little prediction for each.

Sacramento State @ Idaho State
This one will be closer than you'd think for the first place team playing the 11th place team, though I still like the Hornets to win. Sac State doesn't play at too fast of a pace, and ISU's zone causes the pace of the game to slow down (though they do look to push it offensively), which could lead to a relatively low scoring game. The difference will be the Hornets ability to hit from outside, as opponents get off tons of three-point looks against the Bengals. Look for a bounce-back day from Dylan Garrity who has had a couple slow games. Sacramento State 68, Idaho State 62

Northern Colorado @ Eastern Washington
This should be the most "fun" game of the night, as both teams have explosive offenses and struggling defenses. Tyler Harvey leads the nation at 23.2 PPG, and it's hard to see how the Bears will slow him down. If Venky Jois doesn't play (I haven't heard one way or the other, though my guess is that he will play), that would give the Bears a much better shot, but I just think the Eagles are going to score too much for the Bears to keep up, especially in Cheney. Eastern Washington 85, Northern Colorado 77

Northern Arizona @ Montana
Unlike the previous matchup, this one will be a defensive battle, as Montana is first in the Big Sky in defensive during conference play, while NAU is third. The Jacks have the bodies down low to slow down Martin Breunig, which helps their chances. NAU is one of the better offensive rebounding teams in the Big Sky, but Montana is the best at defensive rebounding. In Missoula, I like the Grizzlies to find a way to win. Montana 68, Northern Arizona 64

Portland State @ Weber State
The Wildcats are reeling a bit after losing to Southern Utah, but get to come back to the Dee for a date against PSU. While the Wildcats defense hasn't been up to his past couple years level, it is still better than PSU's - a defense that can be a bit of a slump buster. Opponents have been able to score in the lane or outside against the Vikings, and I like Jeremy Senglin to have a nice day in this game. Look for Weber State to get back on track. Weber State 75, Portland State 66

Southern Utah @ Montana State
After winning two straight, SUU is suddenly full of confidence as they try and get to .500 in conference play. Meanwhile, MSU had to have figured a week ago that this game could be their best chance for a conference victory. While momentum may or may not exist, I think a certain level of confidence has come over the Thunderbirds, which will help them here. They have been playing well offensively, and I'm not sure the Bobcats have the offense weaponry to take advantage of SUU's deficiences on that end. Southern Utah 74, Montana State 69

North Dakota @ Idaho
The Vandals dropped two straight road games last weekend, but return home to take on a UND team that has lost four straight. The Vandals should light up UND's defense - they have been great from behind the arc, and Sekou Wiggs should live in the lane. If any game is going to be a blowout on Thursday night, this looks like the one to me. Idaho 85, North Dakota 69

Thoughts?

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Big Sky Power Rankings

Now that we are three weeks into the Big Sky season, let's take a look at some power rankings to see if we can get a general feel for how teams are sitting right now. As always, this is very unscientific, and I won't be going just based on the records. So again, take no offense if "_____" team is behind "_____" team... I promise you it is nothing personal!

1. Eastern Washington (4-1) - Yes, they just lost to Sac State, but that was on the road without Venky Jois - at full strength and on a neutral court, I'd still take EWU right now over anyone else. However, a big worry could be cropping up in that during conference play, opponents are scoring 1.16 PPP against them... worst in the Big Sky (of course, Sac State is second to worst). Offensively, they are explosive and can hurt you in many ways, but they need to find a way to get stops when they need. So far, that's a legitimate worry.

2. Sacramento State (5-1) - Similar to EWU, their offense is excellent but they've struggled badly defensively. In Big Sky play, they are averaging 1.21 PPP... to put that into perspective, if they averaged that all year it would rank #2 in the country. One of the most promising things for them has been the development of Cody Demps, who has been excellent since conference play began. He is an efficient scorer (54% on twos, and 48/55 FT) who helps on the glass as well, and has flashed some playmaking skills. His emergence helps take some of the pressure off McKinney and Garrity.

3. Montana (4-1) - This has been partially aided by schedule (they have played UND, ISU, and MSU already), but so far during conference play they've been the best defensive team in the Big Sky by a country mile. It's not enough to say they've been winning the game they're supposed to... they've been dominating those games. Martin Breunig has been everything expected and then some, which has helped Jordan Gregory and Mario Dunn. The Grizzlies are flying under the radar, but they have the impact talent to make some noise throughout the Big Sky season.

4. Idaho (2-3) - This might seem high for them, and I get that... but it's been a tough schedule for them that has contributed to the 2-3 start. They beat Weber State at home... then lost tight road games against EWU and Sac State before struggling on the road at PSU. I'm inclined to think most of the teams in this conference would be 2-3 with their schedule. Their offense is better than I expected it would be, and even as Mike Scott has slowed a bit from his hot start, Sekou Wiggs and Connor Hill have been there to pick up any slack. I like this team, and I wouldn't be shocked if they were the second best team in the Big Sky by the end of the year.

5. Northern Colorado (4-1) - Like Montana, they have been buoyed by a relatively light schedule, but overall they have looked impressive. They are a balanced and experienced team, which helps avoid offensive slumps because so many guys can score. They are going to struggle with interior defense at times this year, but they should have the offense to stay in the hunt. Senior forward Tim Huskisson is shooting an other-worldy 35/48 on two-pointers against DI teams this year, along with rebounding 9.6 percent of his team's misses. And he comes off the bench. They have a high ceiling, potentially.

6. Weber State (3-3) - The game against SUU on Saturday perhaps tempers some expectations for the year - they aren't as good defensively as past year, and they don't have the offensive weapons that other top teams have. In a way, they seem to go as guard Jeremy Senglin goes, and he is experiencing some ups and downs of running a team. Against NAU on Thursday, he had 25 points, and 5 assists against 1 turnover in a win. He followed that with 14 points to go with 2 assists against 5 turnovers in a loss. A couple of their JUCO guys - Chris Golden and Jaelyn Johnson-Coston - have mostly struggled to make an impact in their debut seasons. Weber is still going to make the Big Sky tournament, but it appears more likely they will blend in with the middle tier than pose any serious challenge to win their second straight regular season conference title.

7. Northern Arizona (3-2) - They are effectively playing a seven man rotation right now, which you have to figure will come back to hurt them eventually as they wear down. The biggest issue is that they have struggled at times to score the ball, with Qunton Upshur still looking to really find his groove from the field. He can't seem to convert from inside the arc, shooting just 41% on those shots after being at 52% last year. They need his dynamic scoring. The Jacks rebound well, and they can still play as well defensively as anyone in the Big Sky, but they need to find a way to create easy baskets. Kris Yanku is a playmaker for them, but nobody else is really adept at getting easy shots for others.

8. Portland State (3-3) - It's hard to know what to expect from the Vikings on any given night. Two weeks ago they fell to NAU by 13 at home... and then Saturday they beat Idaho by 12. There just doesn't always seem to be any rhyme or reason to whether or not they are going to play well. One thing is for sure - Braxton Tucker and Tiegbe Bamba have provided nice upgrades up front, as both guys are playing well in their first years for PSU. With almost every team, you can say they are capable of beating anyone or losing to anyone on a given night, but I feel like that is more true with the Vikings than anyone else.

9. Southern Utah (2-3) - Before last Thursday, SUU had gone 1-27 in their previous 28 Big Sky games, so to turn around and win two straight is big. We've said all year that their offense has looked much improved, but they were also solid defensively the past couple games, especially against Weber. We will have to see if that continues. They have been getting good production out of junior forward Casey Oliverson, who was 8/9 from the field in each of the last two games. With their fast pace, deep bench (their bench plays a higher percentage of minutes than anyone in the country), and balanced approach, they can at least dream of a trip back to the Big Sky tournament quicker than anybody expected.

10. North Dakota (1-4) - UND has lost four straight, including three at home (all to good opponents), which could put their chances at making the Big Sky tournament pretty low. They hoped Jaron Nash's extra year of eligibility would be big, but he has most struggled offensively (though he's been excellent on the glass). Newcomers Estan Tyler and Terrel de Rouen have provided occasional spurts of excellent offense, but not consistently. Added all up, and I don't think UND can score enough to win too many games they won't be favored in. It was expected to be a rebuilding year, and that seems to be exactly what is happening.

11. Idaho State (1-5) - After losing by 4 points and 3 points last week, they now sit at 1-5 with little to no margin for error if they want to be playing meaningful basketball by the middle of February on. The problem, still, is that they can't score. Chris Hansen has been playing good basketball, and Jeffrey Solarin can always be counted on for some putbacks and easy buckets, but beyond that, there are just question marks. Nominal PG Ben Wilson is shooting 37%, Nnamdi Ezenwa has cooled off a bit, and Ajak Magot is more of a defensive specialist. There aren't many answers.

12. Montana State (0-5) - Marcus Colbert is a good player, and Michael Dison has improved a bit, but overall, it's not exactly a pretty picture in Bozeman for now. The Bobcats will get a couple Big Sky wins, but they will have to scratch and claw (no pun intended) for everything they do get. One positive is that they have shown some good things on the defensive side of the floor - rebounding well and showing some resistance at the rim. I know they want to play fast eventually under Brian Fish, but their best hope this year is just to try and grind things out.

Your thoughts?

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Big Sky Saturday Roundup

It was a fascinating day in the Big Sky on Saturday, with six games and more than one surprise. Let's take a quick look with some news and notes from around the league.

- Sacramento State took back first place in the Big Sky with a 90-77 win over Eastern Washington, as they are now the lone 5-1 team in the Big Sky (EWU, Montana, and Northern Colorado are all 4-1).

Eagles star forward Venky Jois missed this game after suffering an ankle injury on Thursday night, and the Hornets took advantage of it. Jois is the best interior defender and rim protector, and so the Hornets were able to get almost anything they wanted in the paint. Sac State shot a blistering 24/36 from two-point range, and got to the free throw line 26 times. Mikh McKinney was great again, with 14 points to go with 12 assists and 6 steals (he's 7th in the country in steal percentage), but the Hornets have to be even more encouraged by some role players stepping up. Cody Demps was stellar with 22 efficient points along with 4 rebounds and 5 assists, and reserve guard Dreon Bartlett his four threes. The Eagles slowed down Dylan Garrity (just 7 points on 5 shots), and Sac State still scored 1.29 PPP.

- For the Eagles, obviously they aren't going to panic at their first loss, on the road against a top team, without one of their top two guys. They still scored the ball well enough to win (and Bogdan Bliznyuk is slowly turning into a star), but this showcased Jois' importance for them defensively. They will be fine, as long as Jois is fine.

- The surprise of the night belonged to Southern Utah, who held home court and upset Weber State 70-60, a thought that would have been shocking before the year began. We probably shouldn't be too stunned that SUU won, but it's a surprise that win expectancy shows it was their game for the last 12 minutes, thanks to a big run that put them up 60-46.

The real surprise might be that they won it with defense, which has been a much maligned unit of the team! Weber scored just 0.94 PPP, and had six assists versus ten turnovers. Richaud Gittens had 18 points on seven FG attempts, and Kyndahl Hill did some nice things, but the TBirds were able to completely stifle Jeremy Senglin and Joel Bolomboy.

As usually happens with them, SUU spread the wealth in terms of playing time and scoring, as 12 guys saw action in this game, with ten of them scoring. Casey Oliverson had 16 (his second straight good day), and freshman Tyler Rawson scored 16 as well. Rawson was great early in the year, but had seen his minutes get reduced a bit lately... that is likely to turn around, as he was fantastic in this one. Overall, it's the best weekend for SUU basketball in a while.

- One takeaway highlight of the SUU game was this dunk by sophomore Juwan Major. The TBirds are growing up before our eyes.

- Montana is 4-1 and has looked great, but it's been hard to get much of a read because they've had probably the easiest schedule in the conference so far. On Saturday, they beat Montana State at home, 63-48, as Martin Breunig had 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Mario Dunn had an all-around great line of 17 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals. All that said, Montana only scored 0.91 PPP, which is not very good, though they did have the game in hand much of the way.

Also, it was another dominating defensive performance from the Grizzlies, as Montana State shot 8/30 inside the arc, and 7/28 behind it, mustering just 0.70 PPP. In short, the Grizzlies' sloppiness on offense (14 turnovers) was the only thing that kept this game to a 15 point margin.

- Northern Colorado is in a similar spot in that they are 4-1, but that is partially aided by a schedule that hasn't been all that tough. On Saturday, they did go on the road and take down North Dakota in OT, 88-78. UND almost got the win in regulation thanks to a truly awful final 10 seconds for UNC (including a strange foul on Tim Huskisson), but it was all Bears in OT, as they outscored UND 19-9 in the extra session.

Cameron Michael continues to strengthen his case as possible Newcomer of the Year (though Martin Breunig may have him beat) with another excellent day with 24 points, and he is an offensive weapon. Tevin Svihovec was even better, with 24 points of his own rounded out with 9 rebounds and 7 assists. The Bears can score with anyone, but they can also let anyone score with them. One thing is for sure, their games will be a lot of fun.

- Northern Arizona got a badly needed home win, holding on for a 72-69 win over Idaho State. ISU led this game by 7 at the half, but NAU slowly chipped away, outscoring the Bengals 22-14 in the final ten minutes. Still, the Jacks have to be a little worried about their ceiling, as they just don't seem capable of mustering very good offense consistently, especially when they are shooting 5/22 from downtown like they did in this game. They are 3-2, but lack of depth is going to hurt them.

- Finally, Portland State played well to get a home win over Idaho, 85-73. Four PSU players were in double figures, led by 19 from Braxton Tucker and DaShaun Wiggins. Also, the 73 points that Idaho scored kind of mask the fact that the Vikings did well defensively, allowing just 0.96 PPP to an excellent Idaho team in what was a fast paced game.

The Vikings are now 3-3. Idaho is 2-3, but it's been a tough schedule for them early on... a homestand against North Dakota and Northern Colorado should treat them better, but it's tough to not get a split on a roadtrip.

Anything else I missed from Saturday?

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