North Dakota Advances to Big Sky Title Game

In their second year in the Big Sky, and second year of full DI eligibility, North Dakota will be playing for a spot in the Big Dance. In the first semifinal, they beat Portland State 79-63, jumping out to an early lead and never looking back.

UND jumped out of the gates by pounding the ball inside with great efficiency, and hitting the glass whenever they missed. They couldn't hit outside shots all game (1/9 from three), but they still scored 79 by getting it down low, and grabbing 18 offensive rebounds. Early, it was Jaron Nash (13 points, 6 rebounds and Alonzo Traylor (8 points - all early) that led the way, getting UND a big start.

As the game wore on, PSU had a tough time containing Aaron Anderson, who was brilliant once again. He had 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists, constantly getting to the bucket with his quick acceleration. Troy Huff struggled from the floor again (3/14 FG), but his aggressive attacking at the basket led to a 12/15 night from the charity stripe.

All night, North Dakota never let up offensively. Though their field goal percentage doesn't look great, their offensive rebounding and free throw totals tell the story. They were constantly attacking the basket and getting it inside, and PSU just couldn't find ways to slow them down with their four-guard lineups.

It's a tough end to the season for Portland State, thought there are still many reasons to be proud. When they were sitting at 6-8 in the conference with a tough schedule down the stretch, I'm not sure anyone expected that their season would end in the Big Sky semifinals. Though they need to find some frontcourt players, they will still return a lot of talent next season.

But this was North Dakota's day. They played without key reserve Josh Schuler (out after McKinney's foul last night), but it didn't matter. On Saturday night, they play for their first ever trip to the NCAA Tournament.

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A Great Sequence From Troy Huff

This is a fun video... in North Dakota's win over Idaho State on Thursday, UND led 47-43 about midway through the second half. And then Troy Huff got a steal and a dunk, then an acrobatic fast break layup, and then finishes off an alley oop with a lay-in. Less than a minute later, UND was up 53-43.

As the announcer said, "My goodness that was interesting!" Watch for yourself:



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Northern Colorado Makes Big Statement in Victory Over North Dakota

Northern Colorado has had an impressive season so far, knocking off Kansas State on the road, and giving New Mexico State and Colorado State all they could handle on the road. But their most impressive game of the season came on Sunday in the Big Sky opener, as they took down North Dakota 84-66.

It was an impressive effort that saw UNC take care of business in all facets of the game. They shot 60% from the floor while holding UND to 39% shooting. They outrebounded UND by 16. At one point in the first half, they turned an 11-7 deficit into a 32-11 lead thanks to a 25-0 run. Their gameplan was sound, and they executed it perfectly.

North Dakota came into the game allowing opponents to shoot 57% on two-pointers, and they showed today that was not a fluke. They constantly took chances defensively (and to their credit, they did force 20 turnovers), but when they didn't cause a steal, it would often result in open lanes for the Bears, who got a ton of easy looks. At times, North Dakota looked hopeless on help defense, and guys would drive from the three-point line all the way in for an open layup, which simply shouldn't happen. The Bears shot 22/36 inside the arc.

On the contrary, Northern Colorado played excellent defense all day, holding the powerful duo of Aaron Anderson and Troy Huff to 20 points on 5/21 FG. They switched all ball screens, which is a luxury BJ Hill has with big men as agile as Derrick Barden and Dominique Lee, who were both outstanding. North Dakota got some open looks outside, but they are at their best when they are able to attack the rim and score in transition, and the Bears packed things in so that UND wasn't able to get to the rim often. It was a great defensive performance, and at times UND simply had no answers in the half-court offense.

Another nice thing that UNC showed was a three-quarter court trapping press, similar to one that Montana uses. While they didn't really force a lot of turnovers, it really slowed North Dakota down and made them take a lot of time to get into their sets.

Derrick Barden was the star of the day, with 18 points and 14 rebounds, five of them offensive. He made great decisions all day, and was just relentless on the glass, as always. A guy his size should not be able to rebound the way that he does, but he is a special player at the Big Sky level.

One bright spot for North Dakota was the play of Jaron Nash, who consistently finished well at the rim, as he was able to create angles using his athleticism. He finished with 22 points on 10/14 shooting.

North Dakota will have better days than this for sure, but for one day at the start of the conference season, Northern Colorado looked every bit the conference title contender that the non-conference season showed that they could be. It's back to the drawing board for UND, especially defensively, but for now, Northern Colorado will wake up on Monday morning as the Big Sky leaders.

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North Dakota Takes Down Rival NDSU

Every North Dakota fan or alum will tell you that there is nothing better than beating NDSU. Though we all know that the University of North Dakota has the superior athletic program(!), NDSU fans like to claim that their football success and NCAA Tournament appearance makes it more of a discussion. So, it always feels good to beat NDSU. In this case, it felt especially good to beat a good NDSU team by 18 points, scoring a blistering 1.25 PPP.

UND won this game by simply being excellent offensively. They made 24/39 shots from two-point range, and got to the line an astounding 41 times (making 33 of them, which is no small thing for a team that has struggled at the line the past couple of seasons). (It should also be noted that NDSU made 36 trips to the free throw line themselves).

The star was Troy Huff, who was fantastic again. He followed up his 39 points, 9 rebound performance against Wisconsin with 32 points and 10 rebounds in this game. He was 8/12 from the floor and 13/17 from the foul line. He had three steals. He led the team in scoring and rebounding, and was efficient from downtown (3/6). So far, has looks like every bit the Big Sky POY contender that everyone thought he would be, and then some.

Aaron Anderson once again was his efficient self, scoring 18 points despite taking four field goal attempts. (He was 10/12 from the FT line). Jaron Nash scored 12 points, Chad Calcaterra had 11 off the bench, and Jamal Webb was creating plays for other guys. They got production from their bench, which is another thing that hasn't always been there for UND.

Defensively, UND shut down guys who weren't named Taylor Braun (the NDSU star scored 34 points). All other Bison players were 17/43 from the floor, and 8/14 from the stripe.

UND moves to 2-1 on the year, but this is a win they will feel good about it, especially since NDSU beat them by 20 in Fargo last season. This game, along with the play of Northern Colorado and Eastern Washington, has shown us that the Big Sky is going to be very competitive at the top. North Dakota finished last season strong, and they appear to have picked up right where they left off.

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Comparing the Three POY Favorites

Going into the season, three guys seem to be the forerunners in the early race for the favorite to be Player of the Year in the Big Sky Conference. There is the reigning champion, Kareem Jamar of Montana. There is the best player on the best team, Davion Berry of Weber State. And there is the most explosive player, Troy Huff of North Dakota.

You could pretty easily make an argument that any of these guys should be the favorite going into the season, and you wouldn't necessarily be wrong. So, let's take a look at these guys' case.

Kareem Jamar
Argument for: He does more things well than anyone else in the conference. This season, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Jamar lead the Grizzlies in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. He has always been a good three-point shooter in his career, and he supplements that by being a very good post player. He is one of the best passers in the conference, and had a 26.1 Assist Rate last season. He is a solid rebounder who had a 16.3 DR%. He is an efficient scorer that takes good shots, and had a 58.8 True Shooting percentage last season.

Argument against: He can sometimes be so unselfish that he can blend in a bit. Last year when Will Cherry was out to start the year, they arguably needed Jamar to score more, but his game stayed the same and he was not more assertive offensively. I'm not sure yet how he will do as the main focal point of the offense without guys like Will Cherry or Mathias Ward around him. His TO Rate last year was 20.9, which is a little bit high for an elite guy.

Davion Berry
Argument for: Like Jamar, Berry excels in many areas. He shot 52% on twos and 41% on threes last year, while also getting to the line a ton, making him one of the best and more complete scorers in the conference. He has an excellent midrange game. He posted a 23.1 Assist Rate last year, and his 15.7 TO Rate was solid. He is a solid defender. With the talent around him, he seems to have a good knack for knowing when to get his own shot and when to find a teammate. He is the best player on the most talented team in the conference.

Argument against: He is the worst rebounder of the three (1.7 OR%, 13.1 DR%), though he is the only one that has someone like Joel Bolomboy snatching up all available rebounds. He struggled against Montana in the Big Sky title game, shooting 4/10 from the floor and 3/6 from the line while turning it over five times, which some voters might remember (it's worth noting he had some excellent games in the postseason after that Montana game). With the talent around him, he doesn't have to do as much, which could be a reason his efficiency numbers are as good as they are.

Troy Huff
Argument for: He might be the most athletic player in the conference (just watch this), and can do things that Berry and Jamar cannot do. He bumped up his three-point shooting percentage from 20% to 36%, and another bump would make him extremely difficult to guard offensively. He excels in transition. He may be the best rebounder of the three, or at least on par with Jamar. His TO Rate of 13.2 is excellent, meaning he takes care of the ball very well. His steal percentage of 4.4% led the conference, and he could be a defensive POY candidate.

Argument against: Even though he scored more points per game than the other guys, that was more a product of volume than efficiency. His true shooting percentage of 52.6% was far lower than Jamar and Berry, as he only shot 66% from the free throw line. He is also not nearly the passer that the other two are, with a 10.1 Assist Rate (note: it was 16.3 his sophomore year).

If I had to rank them, I would probably go:
1. Kareem Jamar
2. Davion Berry
3. Troy Huff

However, as you can see, a reasonable argument could certainly be made for any of these guys. How do you see them?

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Troy Huff Named to Lou Henson All-American Team

Each year, the Lou Henson Award recognizes standout players at the mid-major level. This year, Troy Huff was one of 25 players mentioned to this year's preseason All-American team.

I'm sure he'll like it even more if he gets postseason honors, but a pre-season award is always a nice vindication of the things you have done.

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Two Named to Mid-Major All-America Team

I missed this when it came out about a week ago, but two Big Sky players have been named to the Lou Henson All-America team, which is one squad of the 25 best mid-major players.

Will Cherry for Montana and Troy Huff of North Dakota made the team. It was the second straight year that Cherry got the honor.

Cherry averaged 13.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game. He was also the Big Sky defensive player of the year, and one of the best perimeter defenders in the country.

In his first year in the league, Troy Huff put up 19.2 points per game along with 6.9 rebounds and 2.4 steals. He will enter the 2013-14 season as one of the favorites for Big Sky POY.

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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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Dissecting the Big Sky's Top Scorers

Before the year started, I thought Collin Chiverton would be the leading scorer in the Big Sky, for a variety of reasons. Things obviously haven't quite worked out that, but there is a good race going on for the scoring title. There are three realistic contenders for the scoring title during conference games, but let's take a look at the top six right now, and go through a quick dissection of where they are at their best.


1. Jackson Stevenett (Southern Utah) - 19.9 PPG
Stevenett has been his normal self, as this is right in line with what he has done throughout his career. This is his highest scoring output, but that is only because he is a bigger part of the offense than ever - he has remained his efficient self. He shoots over 50% on his twos, and has a three-point shot that at least has to be respected (20/61 on the year). He is also good at getting to the line, and has shot a remarkable 120/135 (88.9%) from the line this year. For as much as he does for them, his efficiency and ability to pick his spots is fun to watch. He should get consideration to the conference POY.

2. Gabe Rogers (Northern Arizona) - 19.5 PPG
Rogers fires up eight threes per game - 215 total on the year - which, shockingly, isn't even in the top ten in attempts. He shoots 34.4%, which is not great, but not bad at all. Rogers is in a spot where sometimes he is forced to take a lot of shots, because (other than himself and DeWayne Russell), NAU guys struggles to create their own shots at times. He is 13th in the country in % of his team's shots he takes while he's out there, at 33.8%. He doesn't have a great game going to the hoop and scoring inside (41.7% inside the arc, which remarkably is a huge improvement on last year's 31.1%), and doesn't draw a lot of trips to the line.

3. Troy Huff (North Dakota) - 19.3 PPG
Huff is fifth in the country in % shots taken, at 35.8%. He might be the most athletic player in the conference, and is the most likely (along with Joel Bolomboy of Weber State) to throw down a highlight reel dunk, which he has done on multiple occasions this season. He has been amazingly consistent on his two-point percentage in his career - 48.6% (2011), 48.6% (2012), and 48.4% (2013). He is not a great outside shooter, though much better than last season. He doesn't get to the stripe a lot, and only shoots 68% when he gets there. If he can work on his three-point shot and/or free throw shooting this offseason, he can be a major force next year.

4. Damon Heuir (Southern Utah) - 17.3 PPG
Unlike his teammate Stevenett, Heuir is a little bit more of a gunner than an efficient offensive machine. He shoots the same percentage as Stevenett from three, but he has taken more than twice as many, hoisting up six per game. Inside the arc he is only at 41.2%, which is not great. He is solid at getting to the FT line, where he shoots a solid 78%. I think all of his shooting is at least partially due to the fact that SUU is not teeming with a lot of guys that can create their own shot, which can force Heuir to try to make something out of nothing. There is no denying that even though his percentages aren't great, he is a key cog in their offense this year.

5. Davion Berry (Weber State) - 15.2 PPG
Berry has matched the hype, becoming the top scoring option for a deep Weber State team. He doesn't force thing, and will pass the ball if someone else has a better look or if he is just having an off day (22.5 ARate). He has shot 53.5% from inside the arc, and 43.5% outside it, both of which are excellent marks. He has been good but not great at getting to the line, but is only shooting 71% from there. Room for improvement. He has been everything Randy Rahe could have asked for, and more.

6. Aaron Anderson (North Dakota) - 15.2 PPG
Anderson has been asked to do more than ever this year, and while his shooting percentage from three has dropped (48.1% down to 41.1%), he has made it up it with a better assist rate and lower turnover rate. But alas, this is about his scoring ability. Even though the three point shooting it down a little, 41.1% is still really solid. He has really improved in his ability to get to the line, which is especially important since he shoots 85% from the stripe. Before the year, I thought Anderson's ceiling might be a good role player. I was wrong. He has shown he can be a really good #2 scoring option. He might be the most improved player in the Big Sky.

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North Dakota Gets Thrilling Win Over Northern Colorado

In Wednesday's night tilt between North Dakota and Northern Colorado, there was about 37 minutes of tight defense and inconsistent offensive play. UND took a lead into halftime, UNC came out in the second half and led by as much as 11, and the rest of the game was a tight, back and forth affair.

After a flurry of buckets back and forth, Northern Colorado led 61-60 with the ball late. Tevin Svihovec made only one of two, giving UND the ball down 62-60 with 18 seconds to play. After working the ball around, it made its way to Aaron Anderson, and the junior guard delivered. He buried a back breaking three. On the ensuing possession, Tate Unruh tried to make something happen, but got the ball stolen. After making 1 of 2, the Bears needed to go the length of the court in 1.8 seconds.

Remarkably, they got off a great shot. The ball got tipped to Tim Huskisson, who had what seemed to be a wide open layup (would like to see a replay), but he missed it as the buzzer went off. It looked like he was a bit surprised to actually get the ball right there, in that spot. With the miss, UND won the game 64-62.

Two things that add injury to insult for the Bears in this game:
1) North Dakota was shorthanded, as Brandon Brekke and Josh Schuler did not make the trip because of injuries. If you're keeping track at home, that's their fourth and fifth leading scorers.
2) It was a game that North Dakota wanted to win, obviously, but a game that Northern Colorado NEEDED to win. The loss drops them to 7-10 in the Big Sky. That means they almost certainly will need to split their road games next week (at Eastern Washington and Portland State), and then beat Southern Utah at home.

Some other thoughts from the game:
- Troy Huff was not at his best (19 points on 6/18 FG, two rebounds), but he stayed aggressive down the stretch and made some nice plays. Plus, his drive and two-handed slam was perhaps the most athletic play in the Big Sky this year. That or this allep oop slam he had earlier in the year.
- Apart from the last three, Anderson was solid. He was money down the stretch from the line, finishing 7/7 from the stripe. Even though he was only 1/5 from deep. He had 21 points, six rebounds, and five assists. He is a really good all-around player.
- Connor Osborne had his best game of the season, finishing with 19 points and 6 rebounds, including some huge plays down the stretch. Derrick Barden didn't really stand out, and finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds. That is a compliment. Makes tons of plays every night, and it has become commonplace.
- Tevin Svihovec was very shaky down the stretch. He got swiped by Jamal Webb, almost got swiped by Troy Huff, and badly missed a FT in the final 20 seconds. If UNC will take the next step, Svihovec has to take the next step. No other way to say it.
- Tate Unruh is a fine player, but this had to be one of the worst games of his life. He was 2/11 from the floor, and 0/5 from downtown. If you are BJ Hill, you want him to keep shooting... they just weren't falling tonight. It was shocking to see because he is such a great shooter.

Anything other thoughts on this game?

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Northern Colorado and North Dakota Get Key Wins

It was a game that Northern Colorado had to have, and they responded with a solid all-around effort in a 76-68 victory over Northern Arizona, who was right above them in the Big Sky standings heading into the day. They did it even though they didn't necessarily play their best.

"I think we took another step tonight and did what good teams, maturing teams, growing teams do, which is find a way to win when you play bad, when you play ugly. When you give up 56 percent, you turn it over 18 times and you get outrebounded, you shouldn't win. But these guys withstood a heck of a run in the second half, fought back and made free throws down the stretch and found a way to get it done. That's what growing teams do. That's what good teams do."

The key was this... at the half, UNC led 35-26. Within the first two minutes of the second half, NAU went on a 9-0 run to tie the game. It was gut check time for the Bears, and they responded, scoring a quick eight straight points to get the lead back, and they never gave it away after that. They were led by three guys offensively in this game. Tevin Svihovec (24 points, 4 assists), Derrick Barden (21 points, 6 rebounds), and Tate Unruh (17 points, 5 steals) were all huge, which I imagine is about what BJ Hill expected for this season.

The Lumberjacks got DeWayne Russell contributing again, scoring an efficient 15 points and looking like the guy that was so good early in the season. Gabe Rogers also had a big day, leading the team with 23 points. But nobody else was over seven points, and that lack of diversity offensively hurt them.

Both teams are now tied for seventh in the Big Sky at 6-9. The Bears will have another chance to take a big step forward on Saturday night, when they host Sacramento State.

-----

Sacramento State will want to forget Thursday, a night where they lost 49-48 to North Dakota in a game that they had chances to win. The Hornets shot 33% from the floor, and seemed to miss a ton of easy shots in this game. It is their fourth one-point conference loss of the season, which is remarkable to think about.

Down the stretch, both teams gave a how-to on what not to do at the end of games. With UND clinging to a three point lead, they missed the front end of a 1-and-1. Hornets got the ball, and scored. UND inbounded with about 18 seconds left... and Aaron Anderson dribbled the ball a bit before throwing it away. Fortunately for UND, the Hornets then dribbled the ball away, having to foul Lenny Antwi, whose ensuing miss dropped him to 5/12 on the year from the line. The Hornets got the ball back, and while they didn't have a lot of time, Dylan Garrity gave a late pass to John Dickson, whose desperation 30 footer missed the mark. Even though there isn't a lot of time, Garrity has to take the ball strong to the basket in that situation.

Troy Huff led the way again for North Dakota, with 13 points and 10 rebounds. It was not a pretty game by any means (UND didn't get a field goal in the last ten minutes), but sometimes that happens. Brian Jones will take the ugly game if it means a victory any day.

UND is now 8-7 and tied for third, while Sac State is 7-8, tied for fifth, and all of a sudden they are not too far off from the cut line between making and missing the tournament.

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North Dakota Gets Big Road Win Over Montana State

It seemed like not that long ago that North Dakota was the team that couldn't win a road game. Well, they have put that idea to bed.

Despite trailing by double digits early in the second half, UND stormed back to beat Montana State 82-73 in Bozeman on Thursday night. Simply put, UND looked like the more athletic team in this game, constantly attacking the basket late in the second half to put the Bobcats away.

To nobody's surprise, Troy Huff led the way with a game high 25 points. He also chipped in five rebounds, four steals, and three assists in this game. If you want to argue that nobody in the conference is playing as well as Huff is right now, I will not disagree. He has been utterly fantastic.

He had help in this game. Aaron Anderson finished with 17 points, including a nail-in-the-coffin and-one late in the game. Shane Benton had a surprising 13 points off the bench, and Jamal Webb chipped in 12 points, six assists, three steals, and only two turnovers. 

The key for Montana State was their turnovers, as they had 17 of them. Avoiding turnovers is vital to their success, and they have a tough time winning when they are this sloppy with the ball. Xavier Blount led them with 19 and 7, while Blake Brumwell had a career day with 14 points and give rebounds.

North Dakota is now 3-3 on the road in conference play, and moves to 7-6 overall. Montana State drops to 7-6, and they are currently tied for fourth in the Big Sky.

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Troy Huff's Alley Oop Slam

Not much needs to be said... just watch and enjoy:



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Troy Huff and Tate Unruh Share POW Honors

Northern Colorado's Tate Unruh and North Dakota's Troy Huff were named co-players of the week, as they both played well and helped their teams win a pair of home games.

Huff, a 6-5 junior guard from Milwaukee, Wis., averaged 21.5 points, 8.5 rebound and 3.5 steals per game as North Dakota earned home wins over Portland State and Eastern Washington. He also became the 32nd player in school history to score 1,000 career points.

Unruh, a 6-4 junior guard from Branson, Mo., averaged 20 points per game, shot .667 percent from 3-point range and .577 from the field as the Bears notched home wins over Portland State and Eastern Washington.

Well deserved for both guys. Both are juniors, and we could be hearing from them in the all-conference honors at least once over the next two seasons.

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Troy Huff is Big Sky POW

After helping North Dakota beat Bowling Green, Troy Huff was named the Big Sky Player of the Week.

Huff, a 6-foot-5 junior guard from Milwaukee, Wis., posted a double-double off the bench in his second game back from a broken jaw to lead North Dakota to a 56-53 win over Bowling Green in Grand Forks, N.D., on Dec. 28. Huff scored 14 points with a season-high 12 rebounds to record his fifth career double-double. Huff made 4-of-9 shots from the floor, was 1-of-3 from 3-point range, and was 5-of-7 from the free-throw line.

Needless to say, Huff is the first North Dakota player to ever be the men's basketball Player of the Week in the Big Sky.

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Southern Utah Beats North Dakota in Battle of Newcomers

It was the first Big Sky game for both Southern Utah and North Dakota, with the Thunderbirds starting off conference play on the right foot. SUU rode 12 blocks on their way to a 79-67 over North Dakota on Monday night.

The Thunderbirds led early and never gave it up, though North Dakota did have the deficit as low as 62-59 late in the second half. However, SUU just wouldn't let them get easy shots, and they hit just enough big ones themselves to get the victory. 

Jackson Stevenett led the way with 21 points in 37 minutes, shooting 9/19 from the floor. He also had 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals, showing that he is one of the best and most complete players in the conference when he is on his game. Wade Collie had a career high 18 as well, and showcased a pretty good offensive game.

The Thunderbirds have been average blocking shots all year, but 12 of them in this game was obviously huge. Big man Jayson Cheesman could be in the running for defensive player of the year in the conference... he came into the game with a 14.0 Block Rate (12th in the country), and had three more tonight. He is a stout defender and rebounder (22.7 DR%), and he really was a great recruiting get for head coach Nick Robinson.

For North Dakota, they simply weren't getting many looks. The guard play was supposed to be the strength of the team, but they miss Troy Huff a lot. In particular, Jamal Webb continues to give them poor play. He was 2/9 from the court, finishing with four points and five turnovers. His ORtg was already a dismal 74.1, and it could go down after this game. He has been a turnover machine, which I don't have to tell you is not a great trait for your starting PG.

Southern Utah is 1-0 in conference play, while North Dakota is 0-1. UND is now 2-20 on the road over the past two years.

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Learning About North Dakota: Troy Huff

Among the many changes in the Big Sky Conference are the addition of North Dakota and Southern Utah. Many followers of the Big Sky don't know much about the teams, so I thought it would be good to start to get to know them. Let's start with each team's best player (who, by the way, is eligible for the Big Sky Newcomer of the Year Award). Today, we will focus on Troy Huff of North Dakota.

Troy Huff (North Dakota)
He will be a junior this year, and will enter the season with 872 career points. He has been the man on UND since the time he started playing, and will be the key determinant in whether UND can seriously challenge for the Big Sky title in their first year.

After his freshman year, Huff looked bound for stardom and a chance at a Big Sky POY award in his first year, but he regressed a bit in his sophomore campaign. While his scoring dropped only from 13.3 ppg to 13.1 ppg, he became a lot less efficient in the way he scored. Here is a little chart that breaks down the key numbers:

Of course, the rough numbers in his sophomore year are mostly driven by that really bad three-point shooting percentage, because he took a lot of threes. He took 118 treys, but made just 19 of them, for a measly 19.5%. Since he shot 33.3% as a freshman, it seems unlikely he will make only 19.5% of them, but it would be prudent for him to live inside the arc a little more.

Not everything was worse about his sophomore year, as he made other improvements across the board. He became a better rebounder, and snagged 5.9 per game with a 17.2 DR%. Of course, some of this was partly due to the lack of size on UND's frontcourt, and they should be improved in this area, which means he hopefully won't have to rebound as much. He improved his assist rate, to a respectable 16.3%. Even though he controlled the ball a little more, his turnover rate went down a bit, and it wasn't that high to start. He got to the line more (though he needs to improve that percentage, as he shot just 62% from the stripe). He became more opportunistic defensively, and had an impressive 1.6 steals per game.

The bottom line is this... he has the talent to be an all-conference talent, and perhaps even a conference player of the year at some point during his final two years. He is that good. But, he needs to improve his shot selection (or get back to his freshman year percentages, and he needs to become a better free throw shooter. For comparison sake, if he shot 33% from downtown, and 70% from the free throw line (a reasonable jump), here is his stat line compared to Kareem Jamar, who is without argument one of the best players in the conference.

Jamar is still the better player, but they are not that far off.

If Huff improves in those areas, UND is a potential top 4 team in their first season in the Big Sky. If he doesn't, it will be a battle for them to make the conference tournament. He is their best and most important player.


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North Dakota Stays Alive in the Great West

Last season, North Dakota won the Great West title game in double overtime over South Dakota, propelling them to a birth in the CBI Tournament. This year, it looked like UND's goal of winning the tournament for the second straight year was going to be in serious jeopardy.

After taking a 23-17 over Texas-Pan American in the first half, UTPA went on a 20-0 run going into the half, leading 37-23. Their lead swelled to as much as 16 points, but that is when North Dakota made their move. They went on a 25-5 run over a 12 minute span, which sparked them onto victory, 63-59.

UND was led by Jamal Webb with 19 points and six rebounds. Troy Huff (17) and Aaron Anderson (12) were also in double figures.

North Dakota will take on New Jersey Institute of Technology today in the Great West title game, looking to capture their second straight conference title. They split the regular season series with them. It would again be a good momentum builder heading into next season, when they will enter the Big Sky.

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North Dakota Falls To Bradley

Future Big Sky member North Dakota fell on the road against MVC member Bradley on Saturday night, losing 70-61. Troy Huff led the team with 22 points and 12 rebounds.

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Future Big Sky Member Beats Current Big Sky Member

Idaho State traveled to Grand Forks to take on the University of North Dakota on Tuesday night, and the future Big Sky member had their way with the current Big Sky member. The Fighting Sioux won 63-47 in a defensive battle.

Aaron Anderson led the Sioux with 17 points, including getting to the line for 9 FT attempts. Jamal Webb, a guy I believe has the potential to be one of the best mid-major PGs in America, contribued 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists. It was a night when UND's most talented player, Troy Huff, contributed just 8 points, but the rest of the team was more than able to pick up the slack.

For the Bengals, it was an ugly performance. They shot 36% from the field, 14/27 from the foul line, and made just three 3-pointers. For the second straight game Melvin Morgan did not play well, this time going scoreless in 11 minutes. Jakub Kusmieruk was their best player when he was on the floor (as he should have been - UND does not have a strong or deep front line), but he only played 23 minutes.

For Joe O'Brien and the Bengals, the near upset of Oklahoma suddenly seems very far away.

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