Top Departing #2: Scott Bamforth

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

This past season, one Big Sky head coach told me (when discussing the development ability of the Weber State staff) that when Scott Bamforth came to the Wildcats as a junior, he was mostly a three-point specialist, and by the time he left Weber State, he was a complete player, including a solid defender. I truly think he was one of the more underrated players in the country, and a guy that the Wildcats will miss.

If all Bamforth had done in his career was be a three-point specialist, he still would have been a heck of a player. He was consistently one of the best shooters in the country over his three seasons.

2011 - 48.7% 3s / 86% FTs / 65.5 TS% (17th in the country)
2012 - 40.1% 3s / 87.5% FTs / 62.1 TS% (75th in the country)
2013 - 45.6% 3s / 86.3% FTs / 67.1 TS% (9th in the country)

Interestingly enough, Bamforth seemed to play better when he was not flanked by Damian Lillard. Even though he was not a guy that was great at creating his own shot, he was a good ballhandler, and I think having the ball kept him more in the flow of the offense (when Lillard was healthy, he was the main component of their offense, for obvious reasons). He was a good and willing passer that also took good care of the ball.

By the end of his career, he was a good defender on and off the ball. He never got many steals, but played great defense within the team concept and knew where to be at all times. But, make no mistake, his biggest weapon was his shooting. He had a quick release which helped him get get looks even though everyone in the gym knew about his ability. He attempted over six threes per game, which is highly advantageous for an offense when you shoot the percentage that he did.

It was a tough call not to put Bamforth #1 on my list, and his contributions will be missed. He was one of the better shooters and offensive players in the conference, and a guy that got better and added more facets to his game as his career went on. He was fun to watch.

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Weber State Loses CIT Title Game on Buzzer Beater

Weber State got a home game for the CIT Finals, but it wasn't enough for them to bring home the championship. In a wild game, East Carolina got a buzzer beating three pointer from Akeem Richmond to snatch the 77-74 victory.

Weber State trailed by seven at halftime, but they had a lot of chances down the stretch. The Wildcats had a 71-65 with 2:30 left to play, but struggled to put the game away at the line. They finished just 9/19 from the charity stripe, including six free throws in the final three minutes. Davion Berry (76% FT shooter) was 4/6, Kyle Tresnak (72%) was 2/7, and even Scott Bamforth (87%) missed a free throw down the stretch.

Weber State finishes the season 30-7, the most wins in school history. It was a great season for them, and they have a lot to be proud about. They had a nice postseason run, and that should pay dividends for a lot of their young guys.

Seniors Frank Otis and Bamforth ended their careers with outstanding games. Otis was 8/12 for 16 points and 8 rebounds, while Bamforth had 19 points, including four more three-pointers. They had great senior years, and they will be missed next year.

With the end of this game, it means that the offseason is officially upon us for all Big Sky teams.

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Weber State Beats Oral Roberts to Advance to CIT Semifinals

For the second time this season, Weber State has beaten Oral Roberts. The first time, it was during Bracket Busters. This time, it was to advance to the semifinals of the CIT. Weber State led the whole way, but it was close throughout, as the Wildcats won it by a final score of 83-74.

Weber State was led by a huge performance from Davion Berry, who finished with 27 points, 10 assists, and 7 rebounds. He had some help also from Kyle Tresnak (19 points, 8 rebounds) and Scott Bamforth (18 points). Those three guys have been playing at a high level lately, and Tresnak is showing more consistency as the excellent big man that his talent suggests he can be.

“I couldn’t be more proud of how our team fought and played together against a really good team,” said WSU head coach Randy Rahe. “The whole team really stepped up and we had lots of guys contribute. We came out with really good energy in the second half.”

Weber State moves to 29-6 on the year, which is pretty remarkable! They will try to reach the 30 win mark on Friday, as they head to take on Northern Iowa on the road in the CIT semifinals. If they win, they would play the winner of East Carolina and Evansville.


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Weber State Advances in the CIT

Weber State got another home game on Saturday night, as Air Force came into Ogden. Air Force was playing without Michael Lyons, its leading scorer at 17.7 points per game. Weber State took advantage, never trailing in the game. They led by 6 at the break before jumping out to an 11-2 run to kick off the second half, eventually winning 78-57 to advance in the CIT. They will play in Ogden again, facing the winner of the UC Irvine and Oral Roberts game on Wednesday night.

A couple of records were broken in this game as well:

The win breaks the WSU school record of 27 wins set by Phil Johnson’s squad in 1968-69 and is also a new Big Sky Conference record for wins in a season.

“Reaching that record is terrific for our program and I’m really happy for our players,” Rahe added. “I think it really speaks volumes for our players and how tough they have worked. It’s a great accomplishment and it’s something they will never forget.”

WSU also had another school record broken Saturday night. WSU senior Scott Bamforth knocked down five three-pointers and became the Weber State career leader with 247 three-pointers, breaking Damian Lillard’s previous record of 246. Bamforth is now tied for fifth in Big Sky history in career three-pointers.

Scott Bamforth finished the day with 21 points, and kudos to him for breaking that record (which Lillard held for one year). Bamforth came into the conference as just a great shooter, and he will leave it as an all-around great Big Sky player.

Kyle Tresnak also had 21 points (on 9/10 shooting) and finished with five rebounds.

No matter who they take on Saturday, it will be a rematch for Weber State. They beat UC Irvine 65-51 earlier this year (in Ogden) and beat Oral Roberts 70-66 in  Bracket Busters as well (that was in Tulsa).

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Weber State Wins in the Best Big Sky Game of the Year

Our dream Big Sky finals matchup awaits us: Montana vs Weber State, part 3. How did they get there? On Friday night, the road wasn't as easy as some might have expected, especially for Weber State.

In one of the most exciting games of the Big Sky season, Weber State clawed back from a 12 point second half deficit to beat North Dakota 76-74 and clinch their spot in the Big Sky championship. It was everything you would want in a game of this magnitute. North Dakota played their best game of the year, but just couldn't pull it out, thanks to Weber State making a ton of plays down the stretch, as you would expect them to do.

UND pulled up 52-40 at the 17 minute mark, though you need the Wildcats would not go away. That they did not was in large part due to the play of Davion Berry and freshman Joel Bolomboy. To me, Bolomboy was the player of the game. He had 13 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 blocks, continually making an impact on both ends of the court. He showed more post moves than he has all season, and showed more of the potential that he has hinted at this year. He was outstanding.

Berry paced the Wildcats with 25 points, though he was just 7/19 from the floor. He attacked relentlessly, earning himself 12 trips to the free throw line. He also pulled down six rebounds.

In the last minute and a half, though, it was neither of those guys making the big plays for Weber State. Scott Bamforth had a quiet 10 points before hitting a corner three to tie the game late. That was just a senior making a huge shot when his team needed it the most. Then, on the Wildcats last possession, with the game tied at 74, they went inside to Kyle Tresnak, who had a nice baby hook for what wound up being the game-winner. Tresnak played 18 minutes because of foul trouble, but he was the man that Randy Rahe trusted with the final shot, and he delivered.

North Dakota certainly has nothing to hang their heads about, as they gave a really good team everything they could handle and then some. Troy Huff led the way with 22 points and 8 rebounds, getting a head start on his 2014 Big Sky POY campaign. He was seemingly everywhere. Guys like Aaron Anderson, Brandon Brekke, Mitch Willmer, and Jamal Webb also had solid games, but UND just wasn't able to finish it out. They turned it over just five times in the game, but struggled to get good looks at times in the second half, with a lot of credit for that going to WSU.

North Dakota finishes the year at 16-16, though there is a chance they could make it into a small tournament. Weber State moves to 26-5 as they prepare for the Big Sky title bout.

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Weber State Cruises to 85-64 Victory

Northern Colorado scored the first basket of the game, but Weber State was in control the rest of the way. At the half, Weber State led 45-25, shooting 62.1% from the floor (while holding UNC to 32.3%), prompting Bears coach BJ Hill to bring out his second unit to start the second half. However, there was no tactic that was going to work for UNC in this game - Weber State was just dominant on both ends of the floor.

On offense, the Wildcats were a model of efficiency in this game. They shot 60.8% from the floor for the game, including 8/17 from downtown and 15/18 from the stripe. They are unselfish with the ball, and can hurt you in so many ways. Five guys were in double figures tonight. Among the ways they hurt you:

- Scott Bamforth is so good. He is one of the top two shooters in the Big Sky (if not the best), but he is also really good handling the ball and always in control. If he gets a split second (and they are good at getting him that time), look out.
- Davion Berry is so smooth. He has a beautiful jumper, and is a good passer as well. He doesn't force things, but seems to be able to get a good look whenever he wants to. Very versatile offensive player.
- Frank Otis, a guy that really impressed tonight. He was 6/6 from the field, and is now shooting 68.1% from the floor over the season (72% in Big Sky games). He is another guy that doesn't force things, and he even had a sweet spin move tonight. He's a senior who has seen a lot of things in his college career, and it shows.
- The two-headed PG monster of Jordan Richardson and Gelaun Wheelwright is really good, and combined for 17 in this game. Richardson  does everything well, while Wheelwright is a little more up and down, but more prone to make a spectacular play. In this one, it was a sick stepback three that nobody could have guarded.
- Finally, there is Kyle Tresnak in the post. When matched up against UNC's second line, he simply had his way down low.
- Also, Joel Bolomboy is not a dangerous weapon offensively per se, but he is very good at getting second chances for the team, and had a monster putback jam in this game. There are not a lot of guys more fun to watch than him.

Defensively, Weber State is really tough. First, they are the best team in the country at not allowing their opponents to shoot threes. This is a very real and very important skill. When opponents do get off three-point attempts, they aren't that good, which is why opponents shoot less than 28% against them. If you try to go down low, guys like Tresnak and Joel Bolomboy are there to block you. They have made huge strides on the defensive end of the floor.

Here is the difference between Weber State and most other teams in the Big Sky (and this was evident tonight). When the game speeds up and intensity rises, most other teams in the conference get out of control, and look a bit out of sorts, making bad decisions. These Wildcats stay within themselves and more often than not, make the right play.

A couple positives for UNC... Emmanuel Addo looked solid. He was aggressive, finishing with 11 points. This is big for UNC, because Addo and Paul Garnica are the only consistent scorers on the second unit. Greg Tucker continues to come along as well. He made some freshman mistakes early, but overall was a nice contributor for the Bears.

Here is my takeaway from the game... I understand that Montana is a lot better now even than they were three weeks ago when I saw them in Greeley. But so far this year, Weber State is the best Big Sky team I have seen. The Grizzlies have the two best players in the conference... but Weber State is the deepest team. We have at least one more game between these two teams coming up, and I am hoping for two more.

* Photos courtesy of my lovely wife!

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Weber State Improves to 6-0 in Big Sky Play

Idaho State kept things tight for a half, but eventually Weber State's powerful and varied offensive personnel was too much for the Bengals. WSU erupted for 42 second half points, shooting 60% from downtown in the second half, to win 70-54 and move to 6-0 in Big Sky play.

Things did not start out pretty for the Wildcats. They had 10 turnovers in the first half, and struggled with Idaho State's zone. The Bengals were controlling the tempo, and WSU seemed a bit lost, and there was a lot of cross court lobs coming from them. They simply didn't look comfortable against the zone, and that is something they will have to fix.

However, they got a big boost in the second half from senior Scott Bamforth, who scored all 17 of his points in the second frame. Davion Berry also finished in double figures with 16 on the night, and he was big in the first half. Also key in the first half was Royce Williams, who had 9 points on 4/4 shooting in 9 minutes. Williams is a guy that plays 12 minutes a night for the Wildcats... and I am convinced he could start at least five Big Sky teams. That is how deep Weber State is right now.

The Bengals drop to 2-4 in Big Sky play, and there is no magic similar to last year - when they knocked off then undefeated Weber State on a last second three ball. ISU got a nice night from Chris Hansen, who finished with 15 points and showed some nice offensive versatility in the first half, but it wasn't enough. Melvin Morgan was 2/10 from the field for eight points, and when he has those types of games, it's very difficult for ISU to win. That is especially true when ISU is playing without Tomas Sanchez (out due to injury), who is their best player right now.

Highlights of the game can be found here.

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Weber State and Montana Still Atop Big Sky Pecking Order

Like last year, there is one thing we know in the Big Sky - it's Montana and Weber State up top, and then everyone else below. We already knew this, but it was reinforced on Thursday night.

Weber State got the biggest win of the night, as Northern Colorado came to the Dee Events Center and got blown out by the Wildcats, 79-54. The Wildcats never trailed in the game, jumping out to an early 7-0 lead and never looking back.

The charge was led by Scott Bamforth, the senior guard who is really rounding into form. He scored 22 points in 22 minutes on 8/14 shooting, and is now looking like the guy that most projected to be an all-conference player. Beyond him, as is their key, there was a ton of balance. Eight other players scored, and they had 17 assists on 30 buckets. They have so many guys that can hurt you in so many ways, they must be extremely difficult to gameplan for.

Northern Colorado was hoping to be competitive in this game, but they came out like they were still thinking about how they lost at the end to Southern Utah. UNC turned it over 21 times and couldn't get stops, as Weber State shot 57% in the first half. They are a year older, but are plagued by the same issues that derailed last season.

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On the other side, Eastern Washington made things interesting for awhile, but Montana pulled away in the second half for an 81-66 win.

Showing that the Grizzlies have some depth of their own, they were led in scoring by Jordan Gregory and Spencer Coleman. Gregory had 17 points on 6/7 shooting, while Coleman had 15 points and 5 rebounds. Those two guys are huge for them, so if they can get consistent production from both, the Big Sky race will be very fun to watch.

Will Cherry struggled shooting the ball, but found other ways to contribute. He had nine assists, and sparked a defense that allowed EWU to shoot just 4/16 from beyond the arc.

“A big part of our focus was to take that away from them, their attempts and their makes,” Tinkle said. “I wish we would have shored it up on the inside a little bit because they kind of did whatever they wanted in there in the second half. A big key for us was to hold them under five or six threes and we did that.”

Eastern Washington was playing with starting PG Justin Crogsile, who is no longer part of the team. From Jim Hayford, via Bob Meseroll:

“Justin is not a part of our team but it’s too early for me to make any additional comment,” EWU coach Jim Hayford said of the transfer from St. Joe’s.

I will try to find out more, but safe to say that the loss of Crogsile is a big blow on the court. It must be a big blow off the court as well, as he sat out last year as a redshirt and is apparently off the team now as conference play is just beginning.

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Weber State With Impressive Win Over Dayton

Early in the season, the Big Sky has struggled to get victories that would garner a lot of respect around the country. That was helped on Wednesday night, as Weber State went to Dayton and got a big, 62-61 road victory.

"I can't tell you how proud I am of our team and how they fought tonight," said WSU head coach Randy Rahe. "We stayed together and played really tough throughout and had so many players step up and contribute. It's a huge win for us and our program in a very tough environment and it really gives our team a lot of confidence."

It was an ugly first half for the Wildcats, and it didn't look like there would be a happy ending. The Flyers led 25-20 at the break, and WSU turned it over 12 times before the intermission. However, the Wildcats looked like a different team in the second half.

It started as they went on a quick 13-0 run early in the second half, and made their first six field goals (including 3 threes). They shot 62% in the second half and turned the ball over six times. In short, they looked like the team that could win the Big Sky.

 I talked earlier in the week about how Weber State needed a go-to scorer, and how their stars Scott Bamforth and Kyle Tresnak had struggled early in the year. That changed against Dayton.

Tresnak led the team with 16 points and 7 rebounds (in 22 minutes), shooting 6/10 from the field, even throwing in a big dunk. He has the ability to be a very good low post scorer, and he showed it in this one. Bamforth had 15 points, and hit perhaps the biggest shot of the game for the Wildcats. With the game knotted at 57, Bamforth hit a three with 1:26 to play to push the lead to 60-57. Then Bamforth hit two free throws with 8 seconds left to help seal the win.

Weber State improves to 2-2 on the year, while Dayton falls to 4-2. Post Damian Lillard, this is a big win to show that WSU is still an extremely talented team. Plus, they at least went a little way toward getting the Big Sky a little bit of respect.

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Soctt Bamforth, Tate Unruh Among Top Shooters in NCAA

Every year, Jeff Goodman of CBS Sports lists the top 50 shooters in America, and this year it features two Big Sky players.

Number six on the list is Scott Bamforth of Weber State:

Damian Lillard may not have been the best shooter on his team the last couple of years. Bamforth made 48.8 percent of his 3's as a sophomore despite battling a shoulder injury and last year proved it was no fluke by making 77-of-192 (40 percent) from deep. Bamforth was also among the nation's leaders from the line last season at 87.5 percent.

Number 23 is Tate Unruh of Northern Colorado:

The Bears were the nation's top 3-point shooting team in the nation last season and Unruh is the best shooter on team. He made 46 percent (60-of-130) and shot 42 percent from deep two years ago.

Congrats to both of those guys, who both have beautiful strokes. Hopefully they make good on the preseason publicity!

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Reranking the 2010 Recruiting Class

It takes (at least) two years to properly evaluate a recruiting class*, which is why I thought it might be fun to take a look back at 2010, and rank the recruiting classes from 1-9. Based on my research, this is who was in each team's class (unfortunately there was no Big Sky basketball blog to lay it all out!)... let me know if I have missed anyone.

I tried to balance quality/quantity... for example, Northern Colorado hit on 2/2 recruits, where Idaho State was more like 4/8... ISU scored more rotational players, but I ranked UNC ahead based on their hit rate (and the quality of guys they got). Anyway, feel free to debate.

1. Montana
Recruits: Kareem Jamar, Vaughn Autry, Billy Reader, Michael Weisner, Art Steward, Jordan Wood
Analysis: Looking at this listing of recruits, it is no surprise that Montana won the Big Sky last season with one of their best seasons in school history. Kareem Jamar is the headliner, as he is a potential Big Sky POY player. Art Steward was a two year starter, and added good defense and toughness to the team that was critical last year. Mike Weisner gave them some solid minutes last year as a redshirt freshman, and should have a solid career. Jordan Wood was a contributor, and was never expected to have a big role. Of the misses, Vaughn Autry transferred after one year, and Billy Reader transferred this past season after struggling academically (though he looked like he would have made an impact on the court). That's a good ratio, especially when Jamar is in the class.

2. Weber State
Recruits: Scott Bamforth, Kyle Tresnak, Jordan Richardson, James Hajek
Analysis: The Wildcats were 4/4 and arguably have a claim to the top spot on the list. Scott Bamforth was an all-conference player his first year, and should be a huge part of the offense as a senior, as well as being the best shooter in the Big Sky. Kyle Tresnak is developing, but already he may be the best low-post offensive player in the Big Sky. Jordan Richardson is a good rotation guard who may have a chance to start, and James Hajek is a tough big man, though he will be battling back from injury. It's no surprise that WSU and Montana are the two best teams in the conference.

3. Portland State
Recruits: Chehales Tapscott, Charles Odum, Brandon Cataldo, Terry Coleman
Analysis: Can't really argue with this class. Chehales Tapscott and Charles Odum gave the Vikings two stellar seasons, and they are two of the top three players leaving the Big Sky this year. Brandon Cataldo has battled injuries throughout his career, but he has a chance to be a solid contributor for them. All in all though, any class with Odum and Tapscott in it gets praise here, as they helped make PSU a league contender again.

4. Northern Colorado
Recruits: Paul Garnica, Tevin Svihovec
Analysis: This class is light on quantity, but scored two quality players for the Bears. Tevin Svihovec was one of the top three freshman in the conference last year (after a redshirt year), and has become the go-to guy on the roster for UNC. Look for him to potentially be an all-conference performer this season. Paul Garnica has been a bit of an up-and-down player during his career, but he is a playmaker offensively who had a much improved jumpshot as a sophomore. If he can get a little stronger defensively, he can be a good starter.

5. Idaho State
Recruits: Chase Grabau, Kenny McGowen, Brandon Glanz, Andre Hatchett, Justin Brunswick, Nick Mason, Kami Gawrzydek, Abner Moreira
Analysis: They hit on a bunch of guys, and this class might be judged a little higher if other classes around it were better, as these guys made up the bulk of ISU's production last year. Chase Grabau was a stud for them last season, and had a nice two-year career. Kenny McGowen hit tons of big shots for them last year, but was a bit of a gunner last season. Abner Moreira was a solid rebounder for them. Andre Hatchett played a ton of minutes for them last year, but that might say more about the ISU talent level than his talent level, though he will still be a big part of the program with two years of eligibility left.  Beyond that, with the transfer of Brandon Glanz, Nick Mason is the only other member of the class still around, but he doesn't really project to have much of an impact. This class had some solid performers, but had a poor overall record thanks in part to poor recruiting in classes around it.

6. Sacramento State
Recruits: Jackson Carbajal, Kendall Groom, Heath Hoffman, Josh McCarver, Zach Nelson, Antoine Proctor, Konner Veteto
Analysis: Konner Veteto is the cream of the crop here, after turning in a solid junior season for the Hornets. He has some room to improve, but is making strides to be one of the best bigs in the conference. Heath Hoffman was a solid role player for the them last year, and will have to be replaced. Jackson Carbajal made a nice leap from his freshman to sophomore year, and could be a solid scorer for them (though his 48% FT shooting is a bit puzzling). Kendell Groom had a promising freshman year, but did not seem to progress a ton in his second season, and I am not sure where he fits in the backcourt rotation. Nelson, and Proctor went the way of so many other Brian Katz recruits over the last few years - out of the program.

EDIT: In my original post, I wrote that Josh McCarver left the program similar to Nelson and Proctor. I am not really sure why I had that in my brain because he was a solid rotational big man for them last year, starting 16 games. My mistake, and my apologies to Mr. McCarver and Sac State for the error!

7. Montana State
Recruits: Tre Johnson, Shawn Reid, Jordan Salley, Chris McCall, Casey Trujeque, Blake Brumwell, Jordain Allou, Rod Singleton
Analysis: Like ISU, this class had some impact players, but also a lot of misses. Rod Singleton was a two-year starter, though maligned at times by the fans. Still, two years of starting is good to get from a recruit. Jordain Allou was a nice rotational big man for them, and has to be considered a success. Shawn Reid was developing into a good player, but unfortunately his best years will be played somewhere else. Tre Johnson was solid last year and would have likely been a starter for them, but of course he was kicked off the team. Blake Brumwell is still on the roster, but gets limited run. Chris McCall and Casey Trujeque transferred before last year, while Jordan Salley never made it to MSU, and is part of Sacramento State's recruiting class this year. Overall, not the impact you want to see from an eight man recruiting class.

8. Northern Arizona
Recruits: Gaellen Bewernick, Rafail Tsourakis, Danny Redmon
Analysis: Gaellen Bewernick is the jewel of the class... after a good redshirt freshman season last year, he should be a solid player for them. He started 16 games and had 5.1 rebounds per game, posting very nice rebounding rates for a 6'6'' frosh. He is also efficient offensively, and should be a building block for new coach Jack Murphy. The other two guys are no longer with the program.

9. Eastern Washington
Recruits: Jaylen Henry, Geoffrey Allen, Carter Warnock, Rakim Brown
Analysis:

(UPDATE: I made a large error on Eastern Washington's class, as I omitted four players - Cliff Colimon, Cliff Ederaine, Willie Hankins, and Rashano McRae. An explanation for this can be found here.

Obviously this would make a huge difference in where EWU would be ranked, as I would likely put them at least third or fourth. Cliff Colimon was one of the best PGs in the conference last year, and Cliff Ederaine was one of the best multi-dimensional forwards. You can read more of my thoughts on Colimon here, and my thoughts on Ederaine here. Hankins is also a very talented player with a bright future, but it unfortunately will not be with the Eagles, as he has transferred out. It seems possible (if not likely) that he would have stayed with the program had there not been a coaching change, but alas, his impact at EWU was minimal.

I regret the mistake, which was a large one.)

Editor's Note: I corrected a misstatement, when I said that Kendell Groom had transferred away from Sacramento State. I have fixed the error now. Much thanks to SD Hornet for catching that.

*This fact likely won't stop me from trying to rank this year's classes at some point of this offseason

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Weber State Wins CIT Opener

It wasn't easy, but Weber State emerged from their opening round CIT game with a 72-69 victory over Utah Valley.

The game was tied at halftime, but Weber got off to a great start in the second half, and led by as many as 13 points. But Utah Valley kept chipping away, eventually tying the game at 66 with under two minutes to play. Damian Lillard hit a three, but Utah Valley responded with a three to tie it at 69 with 1:14 to play. Down the stretch, WSU hit free throws, while UVU couldn't hit anything, and that was the difference.

Damian Lillard led the charge with 21 points and five assists. That put him over 1,900 points for his career, second best in school history. Scott Bamforth added 16 in the win.

Weber State moves to 25-6 on the year, but are unsure on the next matchup. It will be decided after the first round is over, where they are regionally matched up. Best guess would be that they will get a rematch with Utah State if they win.

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Weber State vs Montana Round III Preview

Well, this is the matchup that we have all been waiting for in the Big Sky. Weber State and Montana were one and two in the Big Sky before the season began, have held those two spots all year long, and so it is only fitting that they will meet on Wednesday night to decide the Big Sky champion. They split their regular season meetings, and so this will be a true rubber match for all the marbles. It should be fantastic. Let's preview it.

HOW THEY GOT HERE
Montana won the Big Sky regular season title, and as a result the deciding game will be in Missoula. They finished 15-1 in the regular season in conference, and 24-6 overall, winners of 13 straight and 19 of 20. Not many teams are hotter than them in the country. Weber State finished 14-2 in the Big Sky, becoming the first team in conference history to have only two losses and not win the conference outright. They are 24-5, and have merely won 18 of 20. As they say, it's on.

In the semifinals, Weber State was trailing for 35 minutes, as Portland State gave them all they could handle before winning 69-63. For Montana, they bested them again... Eastern Washington was controlling the game for 38 minutes before they pulled away for the 74-66 win. Neither team had the chance to rest easy before this one.

WHAT WEBER STATE DOES WELL
Obviously they are led by Damian Lillard, one of the best players in the country. He sets the tone for them. They shoot the ball very well normally, as they were almost 38% from downtown this year. They led the country in FT percentage, so you certainly do not want to be trailing them late. Also led by Lillard is the fact that they do not turn the ball over often... just a 15.9 TO Rate, sixth best in the country.

Over the course of the year they have gotten some solid depth. Freshman Gelaun Wheelwright has become a playmaker off the bench, and that was never more evident than in the semifinals against Portland State, where he had 15 points. Byron Fulton is a diversified offensive player, who can take you down on the block, but also shoots 44% from downtown. They will have the edge on depth over the Grizzlies.

WHAT MONTANA DOES WELL
As always under Wayne Tinkle, they are a very good defensive ballclub. Their DRtg is 92.3, which is 29th in the nation even though the Big Sky was a pretty efficient offensive league. They are led here by Will Cherry, the best defensive player in the conference and one of the best perimeter defenders in America. He can get a steal at anytime and convert it to an easy two points. Art Steward is a guy at the 3 spot that is tough as nails - it will be fun watching him match up with Kyle Bullinger.

Offensively, the Grizzlies are very balanced. Five guys score at least 8.8 PPG (and Derek Selvig is the guy that scores that much... he averaged double figures last year). Will Cherry averages 16.1, but Kareem Jamar is also very dynamic in the backcourt. Cherry, Jamar, and Selvig are all above average passers, meaning you always have to account for your man when you are guarding the Grizzlies. This is one of Tinkle's best offensive teams.

WHAT WEBER STATE DOESN'T DO WELL
They have shown themselves to be surprisingly susceptible to zone defenses, as they really struggled in the last meeting with Montana, and saw a lot of it against Portland State as well. They are sometimes content to just jack up threes rather than taking the ball aggressively to the basket, and this can cause their offense to lack flow. You can bet that they will see a lot of zone defense on Wednesday night.

Another thing is that they are not susceptible to being outrebounded. Chehales Tapscott had a big day on the offensive glass against them, and that will happen. Their best big man (Kyle Tresnak) is a very average rebounder, so it's important that guys like Lillard hit the glass hard. Kyle Bullinger is a very good rebounder out of the SF spot, but they have been going small and putting in Wheelwright for him at times. Bullinger had a nasty elbow injury early in the season, and doesn't seem to quite be the same player that he was before the injury.

WHAT MONTANA DOESN'T DO WELL
They don't have a lot of depth. After their starting five, things get spotty.  Shawn Stockton is their first backcourt sub, but he is very limited. Mike Weisner is probably their first frontcourt sub, but he is a freshman that has not gotten a lot of minutes this year. As The Upset Blog noted on Twitter tonight, their starters played a lot of minutes Tuesday night. Cherry played 40, Selvig 37, Jamar and Ward with 35, and Steward with 31. Jamar was battling leg cramps for much of the night, and Cherry took a very hard spill late in the game. They will be a bit beat up heading into the championship.

Another thing is that even though their offense is good, they are not necessarily explosive. They rely on their defense a lot of times for offensive runs, which might not work as well against a team that doesn't turn it over a lot. They shoot the three ball well, but they don't shoot a lot of them. They are solid at getting to the line, but not outstanding. Their offense is just very good... but it has not often been called great this year.

WHO WINS
In the first meeting between these teams, Weber State won by 16 at home, really taking it to Montana. In the last meeting, the Grizzlies won by 15, thanks to a great defensive effort by them and a passive offensive effort by Weber State. This game will take place in Missoula, which is one factor counting in Montana's favor.

However, I just have a feeling that Damian Lillard and Weber State are going to pull something off. Both WSU and Montana looked sluggish early in their semifinal games, but both began to play well late in the game, so rust will not be a factor. Weber State will be helped by that extra depth, which is a big factor when playing your second game in as many nights.

In their last meeting, Montana controlled the game from the middle of the first half on, and you got the sense watching the game that Weber State couldn't play much worse. Still, they only trailed by five late in the second half, and it was a competitive game for most of it. Montana won because Weber State couldn't do much against the press and zone, but I think they started to figure that out by the end of the PSU game.

Finally, Weber State still has a bad taste in their mouth from a couple of years ago. You remember the game. Big Sky tournament final in Ogden, UT. Weber State led Montana by 20 at halftime, and looked to be cruising to the NCAA tournament. Then Anthony Johnson happened. He scored 34 in the second half (40 for the game), as Montana came back for a surreal 66-65 victory. Damian Lillard was the leading scorer for the Wildcats that game, and the Big Sky MVP that season. Kyle Bullinger was in the starting lineup. Those guys remember that game, and the feeling it left them with. I don't think they will let another opportunity slip through their fingers.

WEBER STATE 71, MONTANA 69

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Montana is Your Big Sky Regular Season Champion

You won't find a lot of people surprised that Montana beat Weber State on Tuesday night, but I bet it is harder to find people who thought the win would be so convincing. Montana topped Weber State 66-51, sealing the regular season title and ensuring that the conference tournament will be going through Missoula.

There were a lot of reasons for Montana's win, but two things stick out the most.

One, Montana's defense harrassed Weber State all night long, and Weber State did not get many open looks. Even when they did, they didn't convert them. Weber State shot an 30.2% from the field, and an astounding 3/26 from downtown. Damian Lillard and Scott Bamforth combined to shoot 2/19 from beyond the arc, which is, frankly, shocking. I thought Montana would have to force some turnovers from their 1-2-2 press, but WSU only gave it away 11 times. But the press did take them out of their rhythm. At times, it looked like Weber State had never seen a zone defense before. It was a flawless defensive effort from Montana.

The other key was that Will Cherry simply outplayed Damian Lillard. Plain and simple, he was the better player tonight. He was much more aggressive offensively, got his teammates involved better, and was better on the defensive end. The elephant in the room for the Wildcats is this - as awesome as Lillard has been this year (and make no mistake, he has simply been excellent), he has struggled in their biggest games.

With Montana clinging to a 50-45 lead late in the game, it was Cherry that stepped up and made the plays. First, he had a sweet step-back jumper over Lillard to move the game to 52-45. It was a big-time play by a big-time player, right when his team needed it the most, because WSU was getting some momentum. The next possession, he got the ball but was outnumbered, and looked like he was going to pull it out. As the WSU defense relaxed, he quickly reversed, and got right to the rim for a layup. It was a smart, athletic, game-ending move that put the Grizzlies up 9, and Weber State didn't get closer the rest of the way. In short, those are the plays we thought Lillard would be making, but it was Cherry making the plays at the end of the game.

Cherry finished with 23 points, 4 assists, and was the point man in the zone all game long. He controlled the Grizzlies offense. There is no praise to high for how he stepped up in the biggest game of the season.

I have a lot more thoughts on the game, but wanted to end with one other key. Early in the first half, Derek Selvig picked up his second foul, and Kyle Tresnak began going to work. He was unguardable one on one early in the game, and had six quick points. Then, he picked up his second foul, and to me, that was the turning point of the game. Momentum changed, and it opened the door for the Grizzlies to bring in Mike Weisner (rather than sticking with Eric Hutchison), who provided a huge spark in the first half. Improbably, this was huge.

Montana ends the year at 15-1 in the Big Sky, and they have now won 12 straight games, and 18 of 19. They become the favorite now in the Big Sky (taking away that which has belonged to Weber State all year), and they will host the tournament next week. Weber State drops to 14-2, and you can bet they will take an "us-against-the-world" mentality into the conference tournament.

It is going to be a really fun conference tournament.

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The Return of the Damian Lillard Show

For the last few games, Damian Lillard had merely been very good, as opposed to the All-American level he played at earlier in the year. On Thursday night, he returned to that All-American level.

Lillard finished with 40 points in Weber State's 92-79 win over Portland State, and it seemed like he was simply not going to allow them to lose. He was 13/18 from the field (and that was AFTER he missed his final three shots), 6/8 from downtown, and 8/10 from the FT line. He also finished with five assists against two turnovers.

It was about as efficient of a performance as you can get. In two games against the Vikings this year, Lillard is averaging 39 PPG. It is safe to say that he owns them. As PSU writer Mike Lund put it, the Viks will not be sad to see him go if he leaves for the NBA Draft. Lillard is first NCAA player this season to score 40+ points in two games this year.

The game wasn't all about Lillard though, as Scott Bamforth also chipped in 16 points, including some big early threes. Seven other guys scored between 3 and 8 points, showing they are getting some contributions from everyone. It really showcased how deep they can be.

For Portland State, Charles Odum continued his stellar and efficient season, scoring 26 points on 9/12 shooting. From the guard spot he excels at getting into the lane for easy baskets. Chehales Tapscott had 15 and 8, and kept them in it early. Gary Winston had 14 to chip in.

With the win, Weber State improves to 9-1 in the Big Sky, a half game ahead of Montana. Portland State drops to 4-6, and is now tied with Northern Colorado for that all-important sixth spot. The Wildcats also re-established themselves as the team most dangerous from the Big Sky if they make it in the tournament, thanks to the presence of one Damian Lillard.

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Thursday Night Big Sky Preview (Part 2)

Earlier we started our Big Sky preview for the four games on Thursday night, and now let's take a look at the last two.

Montana State @ Portland State
How MSU can win: They are a very balanced team, as noted by Gidal Kaiser, and that is key to their success. They don't have a star (though Xavier Blount can play like one at times), and so having multiple guys step up is critical to their success. Another key is to keep PSU out of the lane. They are efficient at getting easy shots, so they need to force PSU into jumpshots.
How PSU can win: Guard the three. MSU does not have a lot of consistent inside scorers, and they rely on the outside shot and their guard play to score points. If PSU can take that away, they have a great chance. MSU made 13 threes last week against Northern Colorado, so stopping that should be high on their priority list. The other thing is to be aggressive and get to the line. That has been key to PSU's offensive success this year - they get to the line a lot and they are good foul shooters when they get there.
Who will win: Montana State won the first meeting between these teams, but PSU is a better team at home than they are on the road (not a surprise). In Portland, I think they are the better team. MSU will have trouble slowing them down, particularly with the roll that Charles Odum is on. PORTLAND STATE 81, MONTANA STATE 74

Weber State @ Sacramento State
How WSU can win: Simply put, avoid making big mistakes, and just play their game. Weber State is clearly the better and more talented team, and as long as they can avoid turning the ball over often and making boneheaded plays, they will win this game.
How Sac State can win: They have not been great about making threes this year, but that can be a big equalizer in games like this. They need to hit some outside shots to keep pace with WSU. If they can force some turnovers, that will be key as well. The other thing is to slow the game down. WSU is great at forcing turnovers and getting easy baskets, and that is something that the Hornets cannot allow. Weber State's offense is potent enough, any easy baskets you give them, and it is going to make it very tough to pull the upset.
Who will win: Sacramento State has shown they can stay in some games against better competition, but I don't believe they have the firepower or the confidence to win this game. Damian Lillard should have a field day, and he has been getting a lot of help lately from Scott Bamforth and Kyle Tresnak. It will be too much for Sac State to contend with. WEBER STATE 82, SACRAMENTO STATE 61

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Weekend Recap: Weber State Rules the Big Sky

As mentioned, I had a friend visiting which is why there was a huge lack of posts this weekend. However, I did enjoy a great Colorado weekend! Here is a quick look at what I missed in the Big Sky.

The big game of the weekend, biggest game of the Big Sky season so far and one of the bigger mid-major matchups so far, was obviously the matchup between Montana and Weber State. It is not a shock that Weber State won, as they were favored and were at home. However, it was certainly a surprise that they won so handily, with the final of 80-64.

Also surprising was that Weber State put up 49 first half points against the best defense in the Big Sky, and that they did it on a night when Damian Lillard was just 4/15 from the field. Now, Lillard certainly contributed with 11/12 FTs, five rebounds, and four assists, but the big story was that a lot of other guys stepped up for the Wildcats.

Scott Bamforth had 15 points and knocked down three treys. Kyle Tresnak had five. Five other guys scored between five and eight points, and that's not even counting leader Kyle Bullinger, who is just returning from injury. Weber State has been winning games with guys hurt and without a ton of guys stepping up to help Lillard... now that they are getting guys healthy and they are getting everyone involved, they are going to be extremely difficult to beat.

Montana obviously struggled defensively, but they also were not able to get in a real good offensive flow. They shot 38.5% from the field, and only two guys (Will Cherry and Kareem Jamar) were in double figures. For a team that had to be going into this game thinking it was one they could go in and steal, it had to be a very disappointing effort.

The two teams will meet again on February 28th in Missoula in their final conference games of the year. It would be great theater if they can go into the game gunning for the Big Sky regular season title (which matters a heck of a lot in this conference), but as it stands right now Weber State is the clear favorite.

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Another big game on Saturday night was played between Montana State and Northern Arizona, with the Bobcats needing to go on the road and get another road win. It wasn't easy, but they did just that, beating the Lumberjacks 74-72 in Flagstaff. Northern Arizona trailed by 14 with 11:02 left, but battled back to take a 72-70 lead with 2:23 left, but MSU held them scoreless the rest of the way. Xavier Blount made lots of big plays all day and especially down the stretch, showcasing his superb talent.

Montana State has an excellent trio of wings, and they showed it in this game. Blount led the way with 21 points (on 11 shots), Christian Moon had 12 points, and Shawn Reid finished with 16. They are three solid players that need to play big for MSU, and they did on the road here.

NAU rebounded well and got to the line often, but they just didn't hit enough shots to win this game. They were 3/15 from downtown, and shot 40.7% overall.

MSU improves to 3-2 in the Big Sky, while Northern Arizona falls to 1-5. The Bobcats have a nice win over Portland State (and road wins over Idaho State and Northern Arizona), but I don't see them as a top 4 team in the Big Sky at this moment, despite their solid record. Time will tell. Three conference wins at this stage is huge.

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I did write about this game this weekend, but in case you missed it, Northern Colorado won a thriller over Eastern Washington Saturday night in Greeley. It was a back and forth game that was a blast to be at, and could probably be called the best conference game in the Big Sky so far this season. Both teams went back and forth all day and made plays.

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In the final game of the day, Sacramento State found a shocking way to lose, as Idaho State incredibly came back to win in Sacramento, 68-67.

The Hornets led by 22(!) points with 11:21 to go, and ISU had amassed 32 points in the first 28 minutes, 39 seconds. In the last 11:21, they scored 36 points. I will admit, I was following the game online a bit, and I turned the computer off and assumed that Sacramento State got the win. To call the comeback shocking does not do it justice.

Check out Ken Pomeroy's win probability chart for this game. You won't find a lot of games like that. Sacramento State led by 22 with 11:21 left, 10 with 1:58 left, and 3 with 12 seconds left. Then Kenny McGowen went to work.

The Idaho State men's basketball team rallied from 22 points down in the second half to beat Sacramento State 68-67 at the Hornets Nets in Sacramento, Calif. Idaho State trailed 67-64 with 12 seconds remaining when Kenny McGowen hit a 3-pointer and was fouled with eight seconds left. McGowen connected on the free throw and the Hornets last second 3-pointer was blocked by Sherrod Baldwin to give the Bengals the victory.

Congrats to the Bengals for an incredible comeback win to improve to 2-3. Sacramento State falls to 0-5 in the Big Sky, and their deep hole is a little bit deeper, especially after a game that has to be more than a little bit of a confidence killer.

What did I miss from the weekend?

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Weber State and Montana Collision Course To Meet

From the start of the year, it looked like Weber State and Montana were the two best teams in the Big Sky. On Saturday, they will meet for Round 1 this year (Round 2 to follow, and I have a sneaking suspicion Round 3 will follow after that).

The circumstances around the game make it the Big Sky game of the year so far, as both teams are undefeated in the Big Sky (everyone else has at least 2 losses.

Weber State improved to 5-0 in the conference after a 63-49 slugfest over Montana State. The game was tied at the half, but Weber exerted their will in the second half, outscoring the Bobcats 36-22. Damian Lillard was solid with 17 points and 6 rebounds (though he struggled from the field), but it was Scott Bamforth who led the way with 20 points. It was the Wildcats seventh straight victory.

Kyle Bullinger played as well, his first action since December 3. He was scoreless in 10 minutes, but it had to be a great boost for them to get him back playing.  There was hope that Frank Otis would be able to play as well, but he did not get in the game.

For the Bobcats, they simply didn't get anything going offensively. They shot 34% from the floor, and only got to the line 6 times (and made 2 of them). They had a great defensive effort, but leading scorer Xavier Blount was 1/8. When he struggles like that offensively, they simply do not have the firepower to beat the top tier of teams in the Big Sky.

For Montana, there were no struggles on Thursday night. They jumped out to a big lead over Northern Arizona, and they never relinquished it. They made 13 of their first 19 shots, and were up by 16 at the break. The second half was more of the same, as the Grizzlies simply overwhelmed the Lumberjacks in all facets of the game.

Montana shot 59% from the field, while NAU was held to 31%. Montana got the bench involved early, which got the freshmen some good playing time. The more minutes that Keron DeShields, Kevin Henderson, and Jordan Gregory get, the better for the long-term future of the program, so games like this are very nice for Montana.

It is my opinion that one-bid leagues are better off with 2-3 teams clearly above the rest of the conference, and right now that is what seems to be settling out with Weber State and Montana right now. Nationally, it is tough to get people to pay attention to a low major unless there is a good race, so hopefully these teams can remain strong and neck and neck throughout the year. So far, so good.

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Damian Lillard The Star As Weber State Beats Eastern Washington

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

Damian Lillard.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Weber State Improves to 2-0 in Big Sky

As expected, Weber State took care of Sacramento State on New Year's Eve afternoon, beating the Hornets 74-63 in Ogden.

Weber State jumped out to fast start, and though Sacramento State was able to keep it within the 10-15 range for most of the day, they were never really able to threaten.

Damian Lillard again led the Wildcats with 22 points, 19 of which came in the second half. He also had 8 rebounds. He did not shoot overly well, but he got to the line often, making 10 of 11 free throws. Scott Bamforth threw in 19 points (though he also struggled with his shot), and Kyle Tresnak had 20 (on 9/12 shooting) for Weber State.

For Sacramento State, they did some things well, but could not force any turnovers and just couldn't hit enough shots. John Dickson led them in scoring with 20 points, but it took him 19 shots to get there. Joe Eberhard also continued his solid season with 15 and 7, but nobody was really able to get it going for the Hornets.

At the end of the day, Weber State improves to 2-0 in the Big Sky, a mark matched by Montana (and Northern Arizona could match as well with a victory tonight), while Sacramento State joins Portland State at 0-2. Weber State will travel to take on Eastern Washington in what should be an excellent game Thursday night, while Sacramento State will host Northern Colorado Thursday.

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