Rivals Previews The Big Sky

I have already linked to my preview of the Big Sky over at RTC, and now it is time for another preview, this time from Rivals.

Certainly it is easy to tell it is a national site that probably pays attention to the Big Sky a couple times a year, as information is not extremely thorough. But always nice to see national coverage of the Big Sky.

PROJECTED ORDER OF FINISH
1. Weber State
2. Montana
3. Northern Arizona
4. Eastern Washington
5. Portland State
6. Montana State
7. Northern Colorado
8. Sacramento State
9. Idaho State

Last, Gidal from Blue & Gold has told me his conference preview comes October 25th... I am looking forward to that, he is a great source of information on the Big Sky, and especially Montana sTATE.

On The Loss of Gabe Rogers

In case you missed it, Northern Arizona Guard Gabe Rogers will miss at least the first couple months of the season, and maybe more, as he has a torn labrum.

Junior guard Gabe Rogers, who averaged 13.1 points per game last season, had surgery Monday to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder.

"You never know when life's going to deal you a crooked hand and you're going to have to figure something out," NAU coach Mike Adras said. "It's unfortunate, but it'll make Gabe better. ... We're going to have to figure out what to do now, that's just the reality of where we're at -- somebody else will have to figure it out now and grow up a little quicker than expected."

Rogers is one of the best shooters in the Conference and in America, and I thought he could be a first team All Big Sky performer. He was going to be a huge part of what the Lumberjacks did, as he was the leading returning scorer after the graduation of Cameron Jones.

So, how does Mike Adras replace Rogers until he returns? (Rogers is shooting for a return at the beginning of the conference slate). Here are a few key things to watch for:

- James Douglas and Danny Cheek will have to grow up fast. I thought Cheek could get a lot of time and Douglas would play a more limited role as a freshman, but both could see a lot of minutes early. James Douglas has reportedly looked excellent so far this year, and Danny Cheek was very highly touted. If those two can gain valuable experience, NAU will be that much more explosive when Rogers returns.

- Stallon Saldivar could lead the Big Sky in assists. He posted one of the highest ARates in the country last year, and should handle the ball even more without Jones or Rogers to control the offense. He won't score much, but he creates a lot of opportunities for other guys..

- It will be a balanced attack. Northern Arizona's roster consists of 10 guards and 5 forwards, so they will be a run and gun attack one would assume. With no stars, a lot of guys should see time, and they will need different guys to step up and put points on the board.

Mike Adras is one of the best coaches in the Conference at plugging guys in, and he will need to do some masterful work early this season without Gabe Rogers. If he can weather the storm and get the young guys to grow up quickly, NAU will be dangerous down the stretch. At the very least, with their roster configuration, they should be a lot of fun to watch!

Damian Lillard's Rehab From A Foot Injury

If you are curious to see some of the drills a guy would go through rehabbing a foot injury, be curious no more. Weber State has posted a video of some of the rehab of Damian Lillard, and he definitely looks strong.



I haven't heard one negative story about Lillard's recovery, and that is scary news for the Big Sky. Weber State could have three players on the first team Big Sky, and they will be the favorites to win the Conference.

A Quick Rundown Of The Last Week

I am sure to miss some things... but here is a quick rundown of the biggest news of the past week while I was out on vacation. Please let me know if there is anything else that I missed, any comments or links are greatly appreciated!

Eastern Washington
- Don't remember if I posted this link or not... but another article on Eastern Washington recruit Danny Powell. Powell is a JUCO forward who it seems Jim Hayford and the staff are very excited about.
- Should have more to write about this in the near future, but a good article on the upcoming season off of the Eastern Washington website.
- It appears that EWU has picked up a big man near the end of summer, Justin Omugun. This is the first I have heard of him, so I will do my best to find out more.

Idaho State
- Bengals fans are already talking about possible head coaching candidates... Joe O'Brien's future does not look bright in Pocatello.
- Some videos from Idaho State Media Day.
- Many thanks to a commenter for pointing out this link, but a nice writeup by the Idaho State Journal Sports Blog on the beginning of practice for the Bengals.

Montana
- The Missoulian had a nice question and answer with G Keron DeShields. He is an 18 year old freshman but a very impressive young man. Give the article a read and you will come out with respect for DeShields.
- Montana's official website has a nice little preview on the upcoming season.
- Word is that Montana has signed 7-footer Andy Martin. Big men are always at a premium in the Big Sky, so have to like that.
- At least one projection likes Montana to win the Big Sky.

Montana State
- G Marcus Colbert verbally committed to the Bobcats. He visited a couple weekends ago, and committed after his visit. Last year the PG averaged about 16 PPG, 5 RPG, and 5 APG.

Northern Arizona
- This is a big deal... Gabe Rogers will miss at least the first two months of the season with a torn labrum. He was their leading returning scorer and could be a first teamer in the Big Sky. I'll definitely have more to say about how NAU replaces him. It won't be easy.
- Forwards Austin Smith and Ryan Schaefer are no longer listed on the NAU roster. No word yet on why but I will try to find out. That leaves them very guard heavy, and very inexperienced. It will be an interesting year in Flagstaff.
- The team opened practice on Friday.

Northern Colorado
- UNC is picked 3rd in one preseason magazine and sixth in another. Just one sign of all of the parity in the middle of the Big Sky this season.
- A picture of their championship ring from last season. Very cool and something they should rightfully be very proud of!
- Northern Colorado will appear three times in the Big Sky Game of the Week on Altitude TV.

Portland State
- I posted right before leaving about the Vikings signing big man Lamont Prosser. Here is another article on him as well.
- Very good preview article from the Vikings website.

Sacramento State
- Nice interview with Brian Katz.
- As with other teams, the team website has a nice preview article at the start of the season.

Weber State
- Luke Winn of SI has praise for Scott Bamforth, calling him one of the best shooters in America.
- The Standard has a few notes on Kyndahl Hill, a new recruit for next year.
- Both Lindy and Athlon have Weber State ranked 1 in the preseason poll. I voted in the media poll for the Big Sky and have the Wildcats ranked likewise. Wouldn't be a surprise to see them as the consensus #1 heading into the season.

Let me know what I have missed!! You can tell practices are starting and the season is getting closer, there is more and more news out there. It is a beautiful thing, the season is near.

My Big Sky Preview

In case you missed it... last week sometime I wrote up a preview for Rush The Court on the Big Sky.... check it out here!

Will post much of this eventually here, and expand on a lot of it as well, as I was constrained by space so some degree there, but have no such constraints in my own domain!

Back From Honeymoon!

Well, I up and got married and went on a honeymoon, and it was all glorious.

Will have more obviously this week on the Big Sky as I get caught up on what happened while I was gone, but safe to say that Maine and Acadia National Park in the fall is something that I would highly recommend!

So what did I miss while I was gone?

Some Thoughts on Lamont Prosser

Portland State recently got a commitment from Lamont Prosser, a 6'8'', 275 pound JUCO forward. He plays at Sheridan College in Sheridan, WY.

Last year as a freshman he averaged about 12 PPG and 7 RPG, shooting a solid 54% for the year. Solid numbers for a freshman anywhere, even a junior college in Wyoming.

He also put up good numbers at prep school, with about 17 PPG, 12 RPG, and over 2 blocks per game. As important, he appears to be a solid guy whose character has drawn the praise of his coaches.

From all accounts he has good footwork around the basket and soft hands, which (along with his strength) allows him to be an effective inside scorer. His height and weight suggest that he can take up some space down low, which is an effective asset as long as he stays in shape.

A Twitter profile called RecruitDirt had this to say about Prosser:

Lamont Prosser from Sheridan JC commits to Portland St 2 days ago...did anybody relay this to the world???...kid is a Top 5 juco player!...

All in all, Prosser seems to be a nice signing for the Vikings. He is a little bit under the radar, but space eaters down low that can score around the basket and rebound their share are quality assets in the Big Sky. With Chehales Tapscott exhausting his eligibility after this season, it was important for Coach Geving to get a big man, and Prosser appears likely to be able to step in and play right away.

Welcome To Rush The Court Readers

Sometime Thursday by Big Sky Primer will be posted over at Rush The Court, which will hopefully bring some new and exciting people to the site. If you are just visiting (or even if you come here often), here are a few things to help you find items that may interest you.

Posts relating to each team:
- Eastern Washington Posts
- Idaho State Posts
- Montana Posts
- Montana State Posts
- North Dakota Posts
- Northern Arizona Posts
- Northern Colorado Posts
- Portland State Posts
- Sacramento State Posts
- Southern Utah Posts
- Weber State Posts

A few other notable posts:
- Does the Big Sky have an attendance problem?
- A look at the coaches of the Big Sky
- A look at Big Sky efficiency numbers over the past few seasons
- Potential breakout sophomores in the Big Sky
- Who is the third best team in the Big Sky?

Please shoot me an email with any thoughts at all, bigskybball AT gmail dot com

Also please follow me on twitter @bigskybball

Hope that you like what you see!! Let me know of any thoughts or comments in the comments or in email. All thoughts are greatly appreciated.

Also, I am getting married on Saturday (wooo!) and taking a honeymoon the week after... meaning this site will not really see updates for a week or so! Just an fyi for everyone that comes to the site and then thinks I never update it :)

Montana State Shows Interest in G Tyler Ptacek

Via Michael Duncan:

6'3 2013 sharp shooter Tyler Ptacek Parma (Padua) OH, is receiving interest from A10 Duquesne, Montana St n Lehigh !

In Honor Of Steve Jobs

Should be required listening for everyone, one of the best speeches I have ever listened to.



‎"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart." -- Steve Jobs, June 12th, 2005

Montana and Montana State Visitors Last Weekend

From the Twitter feed of mslacat:

Visitors this past weekend: @msubobcats MBB 5-11 Marcus Colbert (ID) & 6-8 Ty Egbert (WA) @UMGRIZZLIES_BB 7-0 Andy Martin (WY)

It was previously reported that Montana State has offered Colbert a scholarship. The Egbert visited was initially reported by Sea Town Sports a couple weeks ago.

Former Weber State Player Brad Barton Dead

From the Standard-Examiner:

PRICE -- Former Weber State basketball player Brad Barton was found dead in Price on Tuesday. The cause of death is still undetermined.

Barton, 31, who became the head basketball coach at USU Eastern (formerly the College of Eastern Utah) in June.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Barton and his loved ones.

Southern Utah Will Also Participate in Bracket Busters

We already know that all of the Big Sky teams will be taking part in Bracket busters this year, and we know also that future Big Sky team Southern Utah will be a part of the event with a road game.

Along with the Coyotes, UMKC, North Dakota State, Oral Roberts and South Dakota State all received home games for this year. IPFW, IUPUI, Oakland, Southern Utah and Western Illinois all are on the road.

It should be very fun as always, with teams taking on other teams that they might not normally play.

MEAC Conference Primer

Over at Rush The Court.

Not Big Sky related at all except to say that you can see a Big Sky primer from this guy coming up sometime this month.

A Few Thoughts on Danny Powell

I said a few days ago that F Danny Powell committed to Eastern Washington, but let's take a little bit of a closer look at him.

He is a 6'6'' forward out of Arizona, and averaged a stellar 22 PPG and 10 RPG last season as a junior. His high school coach thinks Powell could have gone to bigger schools, but believe Eastern Washington was the right choice because of the fervor of the coaches recruitment.

"(Eastern Washington coaches) were amazed he's not going to a bigger school," Williams said. "I told him I wouldn't go to Butler or any of those schools. Go where you're really wanted."

Powellwanted to play early, and could definitely have a chance to do that in Cheney, as the Eagles on long on guard and short on big men (and yes, I phrased it that way just to confuse you. The best scouting report on him comes from Rivals:

Powell had a major impact as a freshman and sophomore at the varsity level, and has a bright future ahead of him. He has tremendous size for his young age, resembling that of former Mesa Mountain View HS standout Harper Kamp. What makes Powell so impressive though is that rather than just be a bigger post player that roams around the painted area, Powell is highly skilled and likes to create scoring opportunities for himself and others off the dribble - a very impressive skill for a player his size, and at such a young age. While it is still unclear as to just how much Powell will continue to grow, he is very well developed now. Powell's mother stands 5-foot-8 in heigth, while his father is 6-foot-5, so the bloodlines are definitely there. Powell is a gym rat, a highly desired trait sought after by most college programs today. Already a very good ballhandler for his size, he is also a very good shooter with nice range on his shot. He is also a very good finisher to the basket when attacking off the dribble, where he often draws fouls and gets himself to the charity stripe. Powell also has an intangible with him that is most important of all - toughness. He is a gritty performer that takes challenges and loves to compete.

It sounds like Powell is a guy that Jim Hayford went after hard... From the reports, it seems as though Powell has a chance to be a very nice contributor at the Big Sky level.

Lamont Prosser Commits to Portland State

According to Oregon Preps.

Should have more on Prosser in the next couple days.

A Couple Big Sky Targets Take Their Talents Elsewhere

With the fall recruiting season in full gear, a couple of target for Big Sky schools are instead heading to UC Santa Barbara.

One of them is Mitch Brewe, a 6'10'' big man committed, according to Sea Town Sports. Montana was also recruiting him and had shown strong interest.

The other guy was guard Dalante Dunklin out of California, who was being pursued by Portland State and even made an official visit. He announced he would attend UCSB via Twitter:

I have committed to ucsb. I want to thank my mom, my siblings, dad, close friends, play moms and everybody that helped me n this journey!

Best of luck to both players, as they both have a chance to be solid players for the Gauchos.

40 Days To The Start Of The Season

The regular season for most Big Sky schools start on November 11th... which means (by my count), that we are exactly 40 days from the beginning of real basketball.

Got to love it!

All Big Sky Teams Will Be Involved in Bracket Busters

A confirmation from the Big Sky that all 9 teams will be involved in Bracket Busters this year.

This marks the second straight season that all nine Big Sky teams are in the pool. Montana, Northern Arizona, Northern Colorado, Sacramento State and Weber State will play home games, while Eastern Washington, Idaho State, Montana State and Portland State will play road games.

In case you are not familiar with Bracket Busters, it is essentially a matchup of mid-major teams, with 13 of the games being televised on the ESPN family of networks. It is a nice way for these teams to potentially get some TV time (and maybe even a quality win) late in the season when they otherwise might be forgotten about by mainstream America.

It is nice that all 9 teams will be involved, as it is a good way to get a solid game against a D1 opponent out of the conference.

The Hilltop Challenge Features Northern Arizona

Sun Belt Basketball has a fantastic writeup on The Hilltop Challenge, a November tournament that features Big Sky Member Northern Arizona.

THE SKINNY

Sun Belt Participant: Louisiana

Date/Time: Nov. 11-13

Location: War Memorial Gym (University of San Francisco)

The Field: Louisiana, North Dakota State, Northern Arizona, San Francisco

Check out the article for a look at NAU and the rest of the teams in the Tournament. NAU could have a chance to steal a couple of solid non-conference victories.