How Eastern Washington Can Beat Georgetown

As I wrote on Monday, beating Georgetown is not going to be easy. While a lot of pundits are picking the Eagles for the upset, there is a reason that the Hoyas are favored by something like 8.5 points. There are some real concerns - namely, how is Eastern Washington going to stop the Hoyas?

However, it's definitely still possible for the Eagles to make good on this Jim Hayford promise:

This is so awesome. EWU coach goes on @jimrome show and guarantees a W over G’town. Audio: http://t.co/kf3PvkgidL
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) March 18, 2015

Let's look at some of the keys for the Eagles if they want to win this game and move on to the Round of 32.

- Hit threes - This one may seem obvious, but it doesn't make it any less true - the Eagles have to be hitting from the outside. Defensively, Georgetown is very difficult to score against in the paint. Their defense is anchored by Mikael Hopkins, and he erases shots down low. Opponents shoot just 42.7% on two-pointers against the Hoyas, the 21st lowest mark in the country.

On the other hand, they are susceptible to getting beat from deep. 35.1% of opponents shots come from three-point range, which makes GTown below average in stopping those attempts. For what it's worth (some question whether defenses really have control over this stat), teams have shot 35.9% on threes against the Hoyas, a bottom 100 mark in the NCAA.

That should suit EWU just fine... 37.7% of their shots are from three (16th highest rate in the NCAA), and they are in the top 15 nationally percentage-wise. So the Eagles certainly have the personnel to get this done, but the shots still need to fall.

- Avoid foul trouble for the big men - Georgetown center Joshua Smith is very tough to handle, because he's bigger than just about anyone in college basketball, but he's nimble, and has great touch around the basket. This is him on defense, but watch his ability to move with some quickness in a short area:

Venky Jois and Ognen Miljkovic (and Bogdan Bliznyuk) all struggled with foul trouble in the Big Sky championship game, but they need to do better in this one. It won't be easy - Smith draws as many fouls as just about anyone in all of college basketball.

- A secondary player needs to have a big game - It's going to take a lot of points to win this game, possibly as many as 80. Tyler Harvey should get his, and Venky Jois usually does too, but the Eagles could use a big game from someone else. Felix Van Hofe was that guy in the Big Sky semis, when he was 7/8 from downtown. In this game, the two most likely guys are Bogdan Bliznyuk and Drew Brandon. Bliznyuk showed in the Big Sky tournament that he is not intimidated by the big stage, even as a freshman, and he has the most diverse offensive skillset outside of Harvey. Brandon, meanwhile, seems to get a lot of good shots, because teams don't respect his range as much as some of the other guys. The Eagles could use one of those guys to go for 20+ in this one.

- Find a way to slow D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera - DSR averaged more than 16 PPG, and has a diverse offensive skill set. He is a very good shooter from the outside, and also has the handles to get inside and either finish or dish. If the Eagles play man defense, Drew Brandon will likely get the assignment, and that will be huge for the Eagles. They need to do what they can to limit him, because he can really make the Hoyas offense go.

- Push the pace - Georgetown is not necessarily a slow team, but the Eagles played at a much faster pace throughout the season. It's hard to say if it will matter, but the game is starting at about 7:47 pm mountain time (and likely a little bit later than that), which would be about 10pm in local Georgetown time, as the game will be played on the west coast. If there is any type of tiredness on the Hoyas part, it could be an advantage EWU can exploit by pushing the pace and speeding the game up.

Eastern Washington will have a chance in this game, especially if these things happen. I think the Eagles will be able to score even on a good Georgetown defense, because they'll push the pace and get some looks from downtown. The key will be how EWU handles the Hoyas on the other end of the court, because Georgetown is absolutely capable of putting up a big number of points themselves.

What are your thoughts on the Eagles chances?

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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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The Rest of Friday Night's Big Sky Action

While I was at the Northern Colorado vs Colorado State game, four other Big Sky games were happening. Let's take a quick rundown at what else happened in the Big Sky on Friday night.

Eastern Washington 80, Boston University 68
If you are not familiar with the Boston program - they are solid. The Terriers are a legit America East contender this year, so for the Eagles to go win by 12 on a neutral court is an impressive feat. There are no shortage of eye-popping numbers for the Eagles:

- As a team, they shot 21-39 on twos, and 10/18 from three-point range. They turned it over 16 times, but that will get corrected. They can score the ball in bunches.
- Drew Brandon's stat line - 15 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists. He is averaging over ten rebounds per game.. Oh yeah, he is their starting PG!
- Tyler Harvey drained five more threes tonight, giving him 20 makes through four games. He is a budding star in the Big Sky.
- Venky Jois is already a star for EWU, and he had 20 points and eight rebounds. After not making any threes last year, he had one in this game - adding that to his arsenal makes him that much more dangerous.
- Freshman Ognjen Miljkovic had 14 points and 6 rebounds in 26 minutes. It's an embarrassment of riches in terms of young talent for Jim Hayford right now.

EWU should be a scary team for the rest of the Big Sky to think about because they are so talented, but still so young. They are going to keep getting better and better, and they're already pretty darn good.

Montana State 59, Central Michigan 54
Road wins are never easy, and this one has to feel very good for the Bobcats. They clawed their way (no pun intended) to a victory in a defensive battle, winning despire shooting 21/54from the field and turning it over 12 times.  They won it with defense, which has been a struggle for them. They also won it thanks to the contributions of Terrell Brown off the bench. Brown had 23 points, hitting from the outside (3/7 3PA) and getting to the line (6/8). They will need those types of performances from different guys this year, as they don't have anyone they can count on to consistently carry the load.

The Bobcats were great on the defensive glass, especially Paul Egwuonwu (11 defensive rebounds). They held Central Michigan to just two offensive rebounds. That is getting things done.

Portland State 67, Loyola 63
The Vikings trailed by 14 points in the second half before coming back for a nice early-season win. They were sparked by 14 second half points each for Dre Winston and Aaron Moore, and another solid defensive effort. Moore finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 9/14 from the floor. Winston was 5/7 from the floor and 6/7 from the stripe, scoring a hyper-efficient 16 points.

Last note... I mentioned earlier this week that Tim Douglas was playing it well but turning it over a bit too much. He turned that around quickly, with seven assists to one turnover. Very nice game for him.

San Francisco 75, Montana 74
I'm not sure anyone would have predicted this chain of events - Idaho State goes on the road to beat San Francisco, and days later, the Dons come into Missoula and take down Montana. Basketball is a funny game. While Jordan Gregory did play (and pretty well), the Grizzlies somehow allowed USF to shoot 30/55 from the field, AND grab 14 offensive rebounds. Put another way, the Dons grabbed 45% of available offensive rebounds in this game, which is bad for Montana. Kareem Jamar did everything he could - 25 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 steals - but it wasn't enough. The Grizzlies offense looks ok right now (1.12 PPP, though ISU had 1.15 against the Dons), but their ceiling remains limited right now until they can get some type of production down low.

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College Hoops Daily Interviews Big Sky Coaches

Within the last site, the website College Hoops Daily had a couple of interviews with head coaches in the Big Sky. One was with Eastern Washington coach Jim Hayford, and the other was with Southern Utah coach Nick Robinson. Here is a snippet from each:

Hayford:

Over half of your 13-man roster hails from foreign countries (Australia/Germany/Serbia), how have you been able to bring in so many players from overseas? I looked at some models of success at the mid-major level, and I saw how Coach Randy Bennett was able to rebuild the St. Mary’s program by recruiting Australian players. Coaching here in Spokane has allowed me to meet some coaches from Germany who had players end up attending Gonzaga.

Robinson:

Your non-conference schedule includes games against Cal, UNLV, and San Diego State, which of these three games do you feel will present your biggest test? I think each of our games will be a test in its own way. Cal and San Diego State are road games, but all three of the teams you mentioned have top-25 potential so they will all be a challenge. One of the things we struggled with last year is winning on the road so we want to be challenged early and often.

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Jim Hayford's Quotes on EWU Players

On Eastern Washington's website, one of my favorite things is that on each player's page, there is a quote from head coach Jim Hayford. It's usually a one or two sentence blurb on the player, and can give a good indication of how the coaching staff views them or what their role might be this season. I thought it might be interesting to post those quotes here, along with a few takeaways.

F Ognjen Miljkovic (Fr) - “Ognjen joins us after two years at one of the top high school programs in California at Bishop Montgomery High School. It is the same program from where we recruited Tyler Harvey from. We feel he is the type of player that will fit very well in our system. He is a big man who can shoot the three-point shot, but he has multiple offensive skills. Ognjen had a number of options of schools he could have chosen from, and we are excited he selected Eastern Washington.”

G Tyler Harvey (So) - “Tyler Harvey was the surprise of last year’s team. Now he will come in as a redshirt sophomore with three years of experience in the program and needs to validate the end of his freshman season. Tyler can shoot the ball from outside, he can score off the drive, and he is very respected by all his teammates. He is an outstanding young man that we are building our basketball program on.”

G Daniel Hill (So) - “Daniel Hill gives us depth in the backcourt, and he is an outstanding teammate. We look for Daniel to be a point guard in our system who gives us great shots and is able to lead our team while he is on the floor.”

F Danny Powell (Fr) - “Danny Powell redshirted last year as a freshman in our system. He is extremely talented and is capable of scoring inside and outside, off the dribble, facing the basket and with his back to the basket. I think he will bring us versatility in three positions. We are looking forward to Danny having an outstanding freshman season.”

G Parker Kelly (Jr) - “Parker is a team captain and he has the most experience of all of the players in the program. Both seasons Parker has been able to shoot over 40 percent from three-point-range. He had some very strong games at the conclusion of the conference season where he was scoring over 20 points. We need Parker to rebound more this year, and as his all-around game develops, he should have an outstanding junior year.”

G Sir Washington (Fr) - “Sir is a quality young man and a dynamic player. Sir will fit in well with our other young players to give us a foundation of five-year players in our program. This year he will concentrate on academic success and building physical strength.”

F Martin Seiferth (Jr) - “Martin returns as the leading field goal percentage shooter in the Big Sky, a top shot blocker and a top rebounder. As he is able to do those things consistently, he will prove to be a top big man in the Big Sky Conference. We are looking for Martin to have a consistent season as a frontcourt player for the Eagles.”

F Thomas Reuter (So) - “Thomas gained great experience last year. He had quality playing time as a freshman, and he had some standout games. The key for Thomas this year is to develop consistency. He can shoot the ball from the outside better than he did a year ago, and he will rebound better at his position. He has acclimated to a new country and to the U.S. college game. I expect him to have a much improved sophomore season.”

F Frederick Jorg (So) - “This year we will redshirt Fredrick Jörg. Fred has outstanding potential, and is committed to being the very best he can be. By redshirting him, it adds a year between Martin and him. That will be very helpful to our program, and to Fred his junior and senior years in terms of playing opportunity.”

G Drew Brandon (Jr) - “Drew comes to Eastern as one of the top junior college point guards on the West Coast. He came from a very successful program at Sierra College with an outstanding coach. What impresses us the most is that Drew is a three-dimensional player, meaning he can shoot the ball, he can drive the ball and he can pass the ball. Drew gives us great size at the point guard position.”

F Garrett Moon (Jr) - “Garrett redshirted last year in our program. He gives us great versatility and athleticism off the bench. Garrett is a defensive stopper, and he is a very capable rebounder. Garrett is well-liked by his teammates, and is respected for the hard work he brings every day.”

F Felix Von Hofe (Fr) - “Felix is a great shooter and solid all-around player. He has competed at the highest level for his country and is the most acclaimed international recruit we have signed. He is an excellent student and will be a great addition to our campus community.”

F Venky Jois (So) - “Venky returns as the Big Sky freshman of the year, a top rebounder in the conference, and an overall average of double digit scoring as a freshman. Venky taking the next step as a player is one of the key ingredients for us to take that next step as a team. He is a man of outstanding character. He is a team captain as a sophomore. I expect him to lead us to the next level of success in our program.”

Some thoughts:
- It should jump out at you how young the Eagles are. They have no seniors on the roster and only four juniors. They should be improved from last year, but still expect some growing pains. I expect that we will see them grow a lot as the year goes on, and be seen as a top four team heading into next season, similar to Northern Colorado this year.

- When Daniel Hill arrived, I thought he would be the PG of the future for the Eagles. However, he didn't really separate himself last year when he got the chance, and I suspect Drew Brandon will be the Eagles PG. In Hayford's system, the PG always has the chance to put up big numbers, so look for Brandon to do some nice things this season.

- Last year, Frederick Jorg was raw. He is big and fairly mobile for someone his size, but he needed to improve his skills. Unfortunately, there weren't many extra minutes to go around. That makes the decision to redshirt him a good one.

- There will be some strong shot blockers in the Big Sky this year, with two of the better ones residing in Cheney. Venky Jois (66 blocks) and Martin Seiferth (68 blocks) are both solid. After averaging 12 and 9 last year as a freshman, it will be very interesting to see what Jois can do for an encore.

- With guys like Danny Powell, Felix Von Hofe, and Ognjen Miljkovic, there will be no shortage of guys that can play the three or four spots alongside Jois and Seiferth. None of these guys are household names yet, but they will all make an impact by the team they are done. Any team in the conference would be thrilled with a stable of young, athletic forwards like the Eagles have, not even counting in the fact that all are freshman (Powell with a redshirt).

- I worry about their backcourt depth. Parker Kelly is a nice player, but he might be a little too one-dimensional to be a good starter on a really good team. He is a great shooter, but might be more suited for a role off the bench. That puts a lot of pressure on Tyler Harvey, though if Harvey can continue and build on what he did at the end of last season, he will be a really good player.

Any thoughts on EWU? Where do you peg them this season?

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Eastern Washington Preview Article

There is a nice article on Eastern Washington's website with a preview for the season. It's Jim Hayford's second year at the helm, and they should be one of the most entertaining and interesting teams to watch all season.

“Our system is predicated on three things,” he explained. “First, we want to push the ball and be a transition team. Two, we want to really take care of the ball and be a low turnover team. And three, we want to shoot the ball well from deep – we are going to recruit players who can shoot it and stretch the defense. When you shoot well from the outside it opens up good things on the inside. When we are playing well offensively, we are doing those things.”

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Eastern Washington Basketball Now Has A Blog

If you are looking to get deeper into Eastern Washington basketball, they have started a blog that is actually pretty solid and in depth.

The blog can be found here.

They've got player facts such as this one, which made me laugh:

Jaylen Henry is related to one of the lead singers of the Temptations, David Ruffin. Unfortunately, Jaylen didn't receive the vocal genes.

They also have a lot of information from their Canada trip, with pictures, and videos with Coach Hayford talking about the games.

In a conference where it seems that doesn't have a lot of teams really utilizing the internet to do much marketing, Eastern Washington's blogging efforts are one of a kind in the Big Sky for now.

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Eastern Washington Gets Ready For Canada Trip

 

Eastern Washington is off this week for a trip to Canada, where they will play seven games in six days. Head Coach Jim Hayford said, "The level of competition isn't the equivalent of Division I, but it's solid."

The trip comes at a good time for the Eagles, because they will be breaking in a ton of new guys. There are six newcomers - five freshman and one newcomers - as well as three guys who redshirted last year. The trip should be a good opportunity to gain some experience, as well as a chance for Hayford to begin fleshing out the makeup of the roster. With all of the newcomers, they are as tough to predict as any team in the Big Sky, and I suspect that even the coaching staff is waiting to see how a rotation plays out.

If I had to guess as of today, I think things would look something like thi:

Starting Lineup
G Justin Crogsile
G Jeffrey Forbes
F Collin Chiverton
F Venky Jois
C Martin Seiferth

Really, the only thing we know for sure is that Collin Chiverton will be in the starting lineup. He could lead the league in scoring, and Coach Hayford said he is fully recovered from a foot injury that bothered him all of last season. Jeffrey Forbes started last year which makes him a good bet to start again, but they have a lot of depth there. Justin Crogsile played a lot of minutes for St. Joseph's in his first two years, and my guess is he would have the inside track on the point guard spot, though that could depend on how ready Forbes is to be able to handle the primary ballhandler responsibilities.

Of course, they could start three guards and go with a small ball lineup, though I'm not sure how likely that is. Parker Kelly was a big-time player for them last year, and provides a bunch of range. Kevin Winford had a little bit of a disappointing year last year, but he can put up points in a hurry. Freshman Daniel Hill comes to the program with a lot of high praise, but it will be tough for him to secure a ton of time in a crowded, veteran backcourt. Ivan Dorsey went to junior college with Collin Chiverton, so obviously that familiarity will help him. There are a lot of good options back there.

In the frontcourt, things are a bit more unsettled thanks to a lot of graduations. Jordan Hickert has the most experience at EWU, but I'm not sure he brings enough to the table to play more than 15 minutes per night, as he is a three-point specialist but only an average rebounder. Martin Seiferth has drawn praise, and should be in the mix after sitting out a year after a transfer from Oregon. Venky Jois is just a hunch, as he appears to be an athletic big man that should be ready to play.

Another option is Danny Powell, who put up big time numbers in high school. He can score inside and outside, and he shot 46% from downtown as a junior. It wouldn't be a shock to see him get a lot of minutes. Jaylen Henry played a bit last year, but I am not sure he is a great fit in Hayford's offense. Frederick Jorg (Germany) and Thomas Reuter (Germany) are tough to project also, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see at least one of those guys redshirted.

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Top Departing #6: Cliff Colimon

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

After the 2011 season, it seemed like there would be a few candidates to be the PG for Eastern Washington last season. However, Cliff Colimon quickly grabbed the starting spot during the summer, and proved to be one of the most reliable players in the Big Sky.

He was a solid creator offensively, notching a 31.0 ARate, while posting a pretty good 20.0 TO Rate. He had five assists per game, one of the best marks in the Big Sky. EWU was a team that was generally good at taking care of the basketball, and Colimon was a big part of that.

He averaged 16.5 PPG last season, also one of the top marks in the conference. He was good at getting to the stripe, and took almost five freebies per game, making 81% of them. He shot a stellar 36% from three-point range... enough to make defenses have to guard him, because he made two of them per game. Despite being small, he helped on the glass, and grabbed almost four boards per game.

A senior PG is a great luxury, and one that Jim Hayford enjoyed in his first season with Eastern Washington. Colimon was one of the best in the Big Sky, and it will be a challenge for EWU to find anyone that can bring his consistent performance.

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Eastern Washington Signs Ivan Dorsey

Eastern Washington has added a sixth member to its recruiting class with the signing of guard Ivan Dorsey from the City College of San Francisco. That junior college immediately stuck out to me, because it was the same one where Collin Chiverton played at before signing with EWU.

Dorsey is a six foot guard who averaged 12.9 PPG last year, and he showed himself to be efficient offensive player. He had shooting percentages of 51% / 46% / 83% last season, which are certainly very solid numbers and make him the prototypical Jim Hayford player.

“We need winning players, great shooters and quickness. Ivan brings all three on the court,” said Hayford. “Off the court he is a solid person and dedicated student. I look forward to coaching Ivan the next two years.”

Coach Jim Hayford has established a nice pipeline to the City College of San Francisco, which is never a bad thing since they are so successful (27-3 last season). At one point they were the top ranked JUCO team in California, and won 23 straight games. The season before (with both Dorsey and Chiverton), they ended their season by winning 27 straight games.

Dorsey adds to an already deep recruiting class for the Eagles.

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Foundation at Eastern Washington

Nice article from the Spokesman-Review on Jim Hayford, and the foundation he has started to build at Eastern Washington.

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Eagles POV Look at Jim Hayford

An excellent Eastern Washington site takes a look at the first season for Jim Hayford.

To me, the goods have more than counterbalanced the bads, and I am excited for what next season could be, with Weber State and Montana once again projected to be the favorites, but Eastern with a shot to mess up both of their dance plans.

I tend to agree. Not all was rosy, as there were constant problems that he was unable to solve this year, but I thought on the whole it was a successful season. More than anything, I think he has a good plan in place for a bright future. He is solid on the recruiting trail, solid coach, and has brought in a good staff.

I think it will still take him a couple years to get the program into the consistent top 4 range (as he will have a lot of new guys next year), this is a program that I think is trending to be one of the best in the Big Sky.

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Idaho State @ Eastern Washington Quarterfinal Preview and Prediction

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

EDGE: Eastern Washington has the decided frontcourt edge.

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

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

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

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

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

EASTERN WASHINGTON 76, IDAHO STATE 67

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Jim Hayford Reads KenPom

Just thought this would be interesting to note!

In talking to Eastern Washington Coach Jim Hayford on Saturday after the UNC/EWU game, he let out that he is a reader of Ken Pomeroy's site. As readers of this site hopefully know, I am a big fan of Pomeroy, and think his site is a must-read and must-subscribe for all college basketball fans.

I love hearing about coaches using sites like this, because it means they are open to using all the resources available to them. The most famous is perhaps Brad Stevens, who has used all of the resources available to him to go to two straight national championship games. If Hayford (and other coaches) are open minded about using all data points to make their team better, good things should follow.

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Northern Colorado Tops Eastern Washington In A Thriller

Note: I had the chance to go to this game, and it was definitely a thriller. Thanks to Northern Colorado staff and especially Scott Ward for setting it up for.

This was certainly a strange way to win a ballgame, but Northern Colorado will take it.

With about 10 seconds left, Eastern Washington was up 70-69, with Northern Colorado taking it up the court. UNC head coach BJ Hill was trying to get a timeout, but couldn't get one in time. Tevin Svihovec lost the ball, and Collin Chiverton of Eastern Washington dove on the ball and called timeout.

The only problem was that EWU was out of timeouts.

A technical was called, and Tate Unruh converted a pair of free throws to go ahead 71-70. EWU was unable to score on their last possession, and the Bears got the huge victory.

Reading that, it would seem like Collin Chiverton should be getting a lot of blame for this game, but in truth, it was his offense that really kept them in the game. Despite only playing 18 minutes because of an injured foot, he scored 21 points and hit the go-ahead leaner with 18 seconds left. Coach Jim Hayford made offense/defense subs all second half, which really showed how he was having trouble with his foot. His jumper was on all game long, and that kept this thing close.

The key to the game was the matchup between Cliff Colimon and Elliott Lloyd. Colimon was held to just 3 points on 1/10 shooting. When I asked Hill about that after the game, he said that was the work of Elliott Lloyd, who "took on a challenge and did a tremendous job." He won't get as much credit as some other guys when you look at the box score, but he was integral in this win. The casual fan might not note his role, but I am sure the coaches are well aware of what he did.

The other key was free throws. I have been saying for awhile that EWU's Achilles heel is that they send opponents to the stripe too much, and UNC took 40 attempts from there last night. While they struggled early, they hit them late, and that was enormous down the stretch. They finished 25/40 from the line.

The win moves UNC to 3-2 in the Big Sky, while EWU falls to 3-3. I will have more notes on this game in the coming days, but wanted to get this article up. It was a great game that was tight the whole way, and really a game that both teams can build on.

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Collin Chiverton Playing With Two Fractures In His Foot

I spoke with Coach Jim Hayford of Eastern Washington tonight, and he confirmed to me that Collin Chiverton is currently playing with two fractures in his foot.

This summer, Chiverton had a break in his foot, and he had surgery to insert a screw. He was not cleared to practice until November 1st, and Hayford said that if Chiverton had not used his redshirt year (which he used his freshman year at St. Mary's), they likely would have redshirted him this season.

Then, sometime between Christmas and New Year's, he got another small hairline fracture in his foot. The doctors did clear him to play, but he is definitely playing hurt. Coach Hayford says Chiverton is giving it everything he has every day, but it is clearly having a dramatic effect on how he plays. As long as the doctors continue to say that it is safe for him to play, he will continue playing. Doctors are checking the foot every 2-3 days.

According to Coach Hayford, they are doing all they can to give him as much rest as possible, but "Every day, whether practice of game, is a day-to-day decision on whether he can play."

Chiverton told me about a week ago that he hasn't been playing 100% all year long, but his injury was not confirmed until now.

One thing is for sure, there is no questioning Chiverton's toughness after this.

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Eastern Washington Scores Road Win Over Montana State

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Twists And Turns Of The Craig Ehlo Story

Yesterday, I posted a link to an article about Eastern Washington Assistant Craig Ehlo and how he had moved on to take an assistant coaching job with the Cleveland Cavaliers. I didn't expect it to get a lot of attention, but it turned into the most spirited debate (in the comments section) that this blog has ever seen.

It seemed like a straightforward story, with a guy leaving to go to another job. However, things have gotten complicated. A report came out earlier today that Ehlo actually did not get the job, and he would not be leaving Eastern Washington.

Ehlo, a former Cleveland Cavalier, took an assistant coach position with the Eagles during the offseason – his first college coaching job. He interviewed for the job in Cleveland, and several sources believed over the weekend he would be offered the job.

That turned out not to be the case.

There were some rumors around that there was some confusion on whether he would return to staff or not.

However, I talked to Coach Hayford this evening and was told this was the story:

- Before he interviewed for the job, Craig Ehlo asked Coach Hayford for his permission to interview, and it was granted.
- Ehlo thought that he had the job, and was told today that he did not get it.
- Coach Hayford told me that Ehlo would remain on staff, for all the reasons that he was hired in the first place.

Many thanks to Coach Hayford for his clarification.

As to my post yesterday, a couple quick comments:
- I still maintain that it would have been a bush league move IF Ehlo had not gotten permission to interview for the job.
- Since he did get permission, I owe Ehlo an apology, as I jumped the gun in my statement. It seems like Ehlo went about everything the right way, and the job just fell through.

In the end, it is much ado about nothing. Ehlo will remain on staff, and it should be business as usual for Eastern Washington.

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Craig Ehlo Leaves Eastern Washington Coaching Staff

Craig Ehlo was an assistant coach for Eastern Washington, but he has left the program to take a job as Assistant Coach with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

A source close to the Eastern Washington University men’s basketball program confirmed Saturday morning an earlier rumor that Eagles assistant Craig Ehlo has accepted a coaching job with the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers.

It's definitely a big blow for Coach Hayford, who talked before the year about how nice it was to have three assistants. It is a bush league move by Ehlo, though you can understand the allure of the NBA.

Here's hoping Coach Hayford doesn't miss a beat.

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Greg Crawford's Debut at CSNNW

West Coast basketball writer Greg Crawford began his gig at CSNNW, and had a couple of Big Sky related things to say.

Jim Hayford-- Hayford moved from D-3 Whitworth to D-1 Eastern Washington this year as head coach. A rare jump in college basketball, but a great hire for Eastern Washington. A winner is a winner and do not be surprised if it does not take him long to make the Eagles into a basketball power in Cheney. This guy "gets it" and his progress at Eastern will be fun to watch.

He also had a blurb in there about Portland State head man Tyler Geving.

We wish him the best of luck with his new writing endeavor!

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