Damian Lillard Chosen for Adidas Nations Camp

This is a pretty cool honor for Lillard:

Lillard is one of 29 college players chosen to participate in the prestigious Adidas Nations showcase camp in Los Angeles, along with stars like Ohio State's Jared Sullinger, Thomas Robinson of Kansas and Mason Plumlee of Duke.

This is Lillard's second invite to the camp, where he will serve as a counselor for top high school and international prospects as well participate in drills and games with other NCAA standouts.

Lillard is definitely getting the most publicity of any single player in the Big Sky Conference, which makes sense. He was the POY in 2009-10 in the Conference, and was the Preseason POY last year before getting injured. It is likely between him and Will Cherry of Montana to be the Preseason POY this season.

This honor is great for WSU basketball as well:

"This is a high-level deal," Duft said. "It's outstanding for our program, because it shows that we're able to attract quality high school players in recruiting and once they're here, they're able to develop and get that game exposure right away that Damian wanted. As a freshman, he was counted on to be such a big part of our team, so he was able to develop his game quicker than maybe going to a really big school and having to come off the bench. He was able to jump in the mix and expand his game."

Any chance to play against the best competition in college hoops is always good, so an experience like this should only benefit Lillard.

Weber State Offers Scholarship to Eric Mika

From the Salt Lake Tribune:

Guards Nick Emery and T.J. Haws are obviously the prized recruits coming out of Quincy Lewis's Knights program, but junior transfer center Eric Mika isn't too far off. Mika, who played his first two years at Waterford, played with the Knights throughout the summer.

Weber State and Utah State recently became the first two schools to offer the 6-foot-8 center.

Looks like Mika averaged a cool 17 and 12 as a sophomore last year, so he is obviously very talented. He would be a very nice get for the Wildcats.

Another Reason Why Mid-Major Basketball Is Great

You will get less of players and parents like this as you move on down to lower levels of college basketball, where the recruiting is more about fit and guys that are overlooked, and less about hype and rankings.

Initially he tried to avoid the appearance of favoritism by opting not to rank Jerron's age group, but he said he soon changed his mind. Clark Francis, the editor and publisher of The Hoop Scoop, a scouting service that offers annual subscriptions for $499, dropped Jerron in his national rankings, from 10th to 50th. This infuriated Love. In response, he posted his own set of rankings, with Jerron perched atop the list. Love also fired away at Francis on Middle School Elite, describing him as "notorious" and as someone who makes a "mockery of the game."

Which reminds me - if you haven't read "Play Their Hearts Out: A Coach, His Star Recruit, and the Youth Basketball Machine" by George Dohrmann, run (don't walk) and go get it. Especially if you don't know much about AAU basketball, it will shock you.

Big Sky Coaching Primer

Here is a quick 1-2 paragraph rundown of the head coaches in the Big Sky, ranked in the order that I would want them coaching my favorite team. Would love to hear your thoughts on the rankings, and more specifically, why I am wrong!

9. Joe O'Brien (Idaho St)
It has been a tough 5 seasons for O'Brien as head coach of the Bengals, as he currently sports a career record of 54-97. He has a solid head coaching track record at lower levels, but simply hasn't been able to recruit enough to have a successful D-1 team. Word is that he is still recruiting guys to play this season. In the final year of his contract, it seems unlikely O'Brien will be back next season barring a miracle turnaround. Fan support is on life support, as attendance dropped last season, and seems unlikely to improve much this year.

8. Brian Katz (Sacramento St)
This will be Katz 4th year in Sacramento, and he has a record there of 18-69. To be fair, he inherited a program that was in a mess, and has built them back to semi-respectability. Like O'Brien, he has a strong history in the junior college ranks, but has yet to see that pay off for his alma mater. His teams have consistently been near the bottom of the NCAA in terms of offensive and defensive efficiency. He will be given a couple more seasons at least (I think) since the program he inherited was in rough shape, but it would be a good start to reach the double digit win mark.

7. Brad Huse (Montana St)
Here is where the rankings get tough. Huse coached previously at Jamestown College (ND), and as an assistant with Montana St and Montana, but has struggled to consistently find success in Bozeman. Despite the presence of two All-Conference performers in Bobby Howard and Erik Rush for much of his tenure, Huse has a career Bobcat record of 69-83 in 5 seasons, taking over a program that was a game over .500 in the 3 seasons before his arrival. Huse has put together a couple of solid offensive teams, but Montana St has consistently been poor defensively since his arrival. He has a lot of new recruits this year, so it will be interesting to see if they can turn the program around. If not, Huse might start to feel the heat.

6. Tyler Geving (Portland St)
This will be an important year for Geving. His first two seasons have not gone very well, but he was handed a program that lost a lot of players and was under some NCAA sanctions after the departure of Ken Bone. While his teams have been some of the worst defensively the NCAA has seen, he has still managed to get them towards the middle of the Big Sky. He has also had some success recruiting (especially in JUCO and with transfers), that could pay dividends this year as Portland St looks to get back towards the top of the Big Sky. It will take a little more time, but I suspect if I redo this list in a year we might Geving a little higher up.

5. Jim Hayford (Eastern Washington)
Hayford obviously has not coached a game for the Eagles, so this is based on how I think he will do. At Division III Whitworth, he compiled a .792 winning percentage in 10 seasons, which tells me he can coach basketball and get his players to respond to him. I don't care what level of basketball it is, that is an impressive coaching record. He has also been able to get and retain solid recruits, as shown with his pickup of Collin Chiverton. At only 43, he could have a bright future ahead of him.

4. Mike Adras (Northern Arizona)
Adras has been at the helm for the Lumberjacks for 11 years, an impressive run no matter the program. While NAU has had a couple of down years in his tenure, they have experienced more solid seasons since he became the head coach, including back-to-back Big Sky Conference regular season titles in the middle of the 2000's. Earlier in his career, his teams got the ball up and down the court quickly, but for the past few years he has slowed the tempo down a bit. His teams are better offensively than defensively, and he seems to make it a priority to recruit solid outside shooters, though his teams don't shoot a ton of 3s.

3. BJ Hill (Northern Colorado)
He has had only one season as head coach of the Bears, making it tough to evaluate him, but it's tough to argue with the success of making the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. Hill had spent all of his career as an assistant coach, and at age 38 has a reputation of being a solid recruiter (his first full class looks to be good, with 5 members led by Brandon Keane). The worst case scenario for them is probably similar to NDSU, where Saul Phillips took over for head coach Tim Miles and led a team built by Miles to the NCAA Tournament, but has struggled since. I think Hill has a little better pedigree and should see more success. It will be interesting to see how the Bears fare this year after facing a lot of roster turnover.

2. Wayne Tinkle (Montana)
Tinkle has a career record of 91-64 (51-29 in the Big Sky), and briefly flirted with the Fresno St. job this offseason. Tinkle is a former Grizzlies player and Montana alum, so they are all hoping he will stick around for a while (and not follow in the footsteps of Larry Krystowiak). His teams have a reputation for hard-nosed defense, as they were easily the best defensive team in the BSC last year (with thanks due to Brian Qvale). He has also put together some solid offensive teams, but it is hard to notice because his teams play a slow, grinding pace. But if he keeps winning like he has to start his career, it doesn't matter what pace his teams play, just that it continues to work.

1. Randy Rahe (Weber St)
It was tough to choose between Rahe and Tinkle, but I think Rahe has been a little more successful than Tinkle and has done a little better recruiting. His career record is 95-61 (60-20 in conference play). He has been named the Coach of the Year in the BSC 3 times, and 3 times he has had the Conference POY. Almost as importantly, he has gotten the fan base fired up about the Wildcats, as attendance has increased during his tenure, and Weber State leads the Big Sky in attendance. Like Tinkle, he has flirted with other jobs as well, and WSU fans are always a little nervous that he could leave. One thing is for sure, as long as Rahe is around, it seems the Wildcats will be contenders, and they are one of the favorites again this season.

I would love to hear thoughts on this. How does this list look, and what would you change around?

Troy Huff

Sioux Blog's look at Troy Huff and what next season could have in store for him.

What to expect this year: I expect him to lead the team in scoring again and just as a byproduct of getting stronger and getting some more experience I think he’ll score much more efficiently. A run at conference POY isn’t out of the question, and my lone regret is that I’ll be home for Christmas break when the Sioux head down to Allen Fieldhouse to take on Kansas, as I would love to see him in person.

One of my assessments of Huff can be found here.

Huff will be heavily relied on next season, that is for sure. His development will go a long way in determining the future of UND basketball.

Checking in on Coach Mick Durham

A nice article on former Montana St. head man Mick Durham, who is the new head coach of the Alaska-Fairbanks Nanooks. Kinda cool to read about his comparison of the rivalry between Alaska-Fairbanks and Alaska-Anchorange compared with Montana/Montana St.

Q. Do you have any sense how the Nanooks-Seawolves (Alaska-Anchorage) rivalry stacks up against Cat-Griz?

A. In the interview, they told me that if I can beat Anchorage, I can basically own the town. I visualized back and I told them, ‘My first two years coaching at Montana State, Montana won back-to-back Big Sky championships for like the first time in 15 years.' That was Stew Morrill and Blaine Taylor and it happened to be my first two years. I started 0-4. I told them I came from a state that has a rivalry. The only difference with Fairbanks and Anchorage is that they're Division II. They're the only two schools in the state. I really talked a lot about my Montana experience and getting Montana kids there and getting Alaska kids here.

Durham coached the Bobcats from 1990-2006, winning 123 Big Sky games and 246 games overall. We wish him the best of luck up in the Great North.

The Importance of Non-Conference Scheduling

If you look at some of the non-conference schedules for Big Sky teams, it is no surprise that it is tough to schedule in the Big Sky, and especially difficult to get a quality non-conference opponent to visit at your home arena.

This is a problem, as a blog post from ESPN makes it clear that non-conference SOS is a key criterion for selecting NCAA teams.

Memphis coach Josh Pastner went straight to the source to get his information, picking the brain of Division I men's basketball committee chair Jeff Hathaway [the embattled UConn athletic director] and to gain the knowledge he needed to possibly put the Tigers in a better position to make the tournament.

"I talked to him about what is the committee going to look at as you go into next year for the '11-'12 year, and he talked about non-conference strength of schedule -- who you play, where you play and how you did," a smiling Pastner told the team's website.

Now, you may be asking what this has to do with the Big Sky, since we have never received a second bid to the NCAA Tournament, and it is unlikely that this is the year a team will be selected as an at-large. That is missing the point.

If non-conference scheduling is key for getting selected, it stands to reason that it is a key factor in determining where a team that gets in the Tournament gets seeded. Non-conference scheduling could be the difference between the Big Sky winner getting a 15 seed or getting a 13-14 seed, and obviously that plays a huge role in their chances to win in round 1 (ahem, round 2). This is why it is vital for Big Sky teams to schedule as many games against good opponents as they can, and hopefully win a couple of them.

And who knows, maybe someday we will see 2 Big Sky teams in the NCAA Tournament.

Weber State's Stable of Shooters

Last year, Weber State was the preseason pick by both the coaches and media to win the Big Sky Conference, in part thanks to preseason BSC POY Damian Lillard. For awhile, things were mostly going to play, as WSU was off to a 5-3 start with losses only to major conference opponents.

We know what happens next. Lillard injured his foot in the second half of the ninth game of the year against Tulsa (and was granted a medical redshirt), and he may have taken Weber State's conference title hopes with him.

But that is not quite the rest of the story. While they initially went into a slump when Lillard got hurt (going 4-6 in their next 10, including the Tulsa game), they rebounded to win 6 in a row and 8 of the next 9, including wins over Northern Colorado, Montana, and Northern Arizona. How did they do that without their best player? One reason is they were one of the best shooting teams in America last year, shooting 40.4% from beyond the arc, fifth in the country. Who are these guys?

The best shooter of the bunch is Scott Bamforth, who had an excellent season as a sophomore after spending one year in the JUCO ranks. He shot 78/160 from behind the arc, a cool 48.8%, best in the Big Sky and 4th in the NCAA (over the regular season, where he shot 50%). For his marksmanship he was named First Team All Big Sky and the Newcomer of the Year in the Conference. His True Shooting % ranked in the top 20 in America (he is also a great FT shooter), and he should have a great chance for postseason awards once again. Plus, Weber State fans might have a soft spot in their heart for him thanks to a particular memorable shot.

Kyle Bullinger is another star for the Wildcats, as he joined Bamforth on the first team All-Conference. He shot an excellent 43% from downtown on 126 attempts, which is made all the more impressive by the fact that he is the team's leading rebounder. He is poised for another great year as a senior, and should be one of the best players in the Conference.

There is Lillard himself, who does pretty well outside the arc. He got 34.5% in his time last season after shooting 39.3% his sophomore year and 37% his freshman year. Teams have to respect his outside shot, which makes him all the more dangerous (because if you guard him too close, he will beat you off the dribble). Lillard has a full offensive repertoire, which makes him a potential favorite for the preseason POY award.

Byron Fulton was the Conference Freshman of the Year, and his outside shooting was a big reason why. He was 24/50 from 3-point land, good for 48%, and could see an even bigger role this year with the graduation of big man Trevor Morris. He is another guy that keeps defenses honest, because he will hit shots if you give him a good look.

Jordan Richardson is a guy that didn't have a huge role last year, but he did shoot 33.3% from outside as a freshman. He will likely be fighting with incoming freshmen Gelaun Wheelwright, Shai Fields, and Michael Brown for playing time.

Now that is a good crop of shooters Weber State has coming back, all of which will be made even more dangerous by the attention that Damian Lillard will receive this year. It is tough to say that Weber St will shoot as well this year (over 40% from outside), but I think it's safe to say they are the best shooting team in the Big Sky Conference.

(Image from Freddie Lacey at weberstatesports.com)

North Dakota's Five Member Class of 2014

In the Mid-2000's, then North Dakota State University coach Tim Miles (current Colorado St. coach) recruited a class that included Ben Woodside (who would go on to become the school's all-time leading scorer and score 60 points in a game during his collegiate career), Mike Nelson, Lucas Moorman, and Brett Winkleman. All 4 players redshirted their freshman year, meaning they would be eligible to make the NCAA Tournament their freshman year (NDSU was transitioning from D2 to D1). All the hopes of the program rested on that class, and they delivered with a NCAA Tourney berth their senior year, the first year they were eligible.

Though the circumstances aren't exactly the same, North Dakota's class of 2014 (they were freshman last year - 2 of them redshirts) feels similar in that everyone in counting on this class of five to be the one that leads them to an NCAA Tournament when they are eligible, starting next season in the Big Sky. This excitement only increased when they finished strong last season, surging to win the Great West Tournament before bowing out to Air Force in the CBI. Of the 10 youngest teams in America last year, UND was one of two (along with Memphis) to have a winning record.

All of which begs the question - who are these guys and are they really that good?

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The best of the bunch (after one season of work) is Troy Huff, who at 6'4'' is the most athletic member of the team, and probably the best player in the fledgling Great West Conference. He led the team in scoring at 13.1 PPG, but he came on especially strong at the end of the year, scoring in double figures in the last 14 games of the season (including 20 against Air Force). In his second career game he scored 21 points against Wisconsin, so clearly he has the talent to contribute and be the star for UND.

He is a solid rebounder (which is nice for a team without a lot of size) as he snagged 13.2% of defensive rebounds and 7.5% of offensive rebounds. He needs to improve his shot selection a bit and his FT shooting (your star guard has to shoot more than 62% from the line), but he has the talent to be one of the best players in the Big Sky when he joins the conference.

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Jamal Webb played the most minutes on the team, and it is right to be excited about his potential as a 6'1'' PG. He shot a respectable 48% from 2PT and a solid 40% from beyond the arc, giving him a solid EFG%. He also had an excellent 29.7 Assist rate, one of the 100 best in the country (and would have been top 5 in the Big Sky). Also, for his size he was an excellent rebounder - pulling down 5.4 RPG including 16.6 DR%. He combined all of this with the best steal rate on the team, giving him a poor man's Jason Kidd-like line: 9.3 PPG / 5.4 RPG / 4.0 APG / 1.6 SPG. That is making a lot of things happen as a freshman.

However, there are two things he will need to improve to take the next step. First is FT shooting... like Troy Huff, he was mediocre there, shooting 44/80 from the line (55%). He needs to get to the line more and needs to shoot a better percentage, and he could become a dangerous scorer at around 12-15 PPG. He also needs to cut down on his turnovers, where he had a 30.0 TORate, worst on the team. He coughed it up 3.4 times per game, which is tough to handle for a team when that is your primary ballhandler. He needs to work on that.

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Aaron Anderson is the smallest member of the class at 5'9'', but he does a lot of things very well. He was great at getting to the free throw line, as he drew 5.8 fouls ever 40 minutes, giving him 145 attempts for the year, most on the team (impressive given his smaller usage rate compared to other guys). And unlike Huff and Webb, he was diligent on those attempts, making 80% of them. He is also a solid passer and defender for his size.

Like everyone else, there are some areas to work on. He turns it over more than he gets assists, which is always a problem for a PG (only one person on the team posted a better assist rate than TO rate, and we will get to him in a second). Also, Anderson needs to improve shot selection, or shot efficiency. He shot an ugly 36.8% from inside the arc last year (compared to 35% from beyond the arc)... A lot of that was offset by the fact that he is such a good FT shooter and so adept at getting to the line, but if he had shot 45% he is that much better and really would become an extremely dangerous offensive weapon as the 6th man.

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Josh Schuler was a little under the radar when compared to guys like Huff and Webb, but he is a huge part of the future for UND. At 6'2'' he was the team's 4th leading scorer, but one of the team's most efficient players. He shot just 43% inside the arc, but 35& outside of it, as well 78% free throws. He also took care of the ball, as he was the only member of the team to post a higher assist rate (15.4%) than TO rate (13.2%), which is huge to maximize scoring opportunities.

As always, his game is not perfect. On a team that lacks ideal size, everyone needs to chip in and rebound, and Schuler was the worst rebounder on the team. He needs to get in there and get better (and granted, he is the third smallest guy on the team). He also could definitely become a more efficient scorer, as 43% shooting on 2s is not a very good mark still, would like to see that closer to 50%.

(Photo from Kody Wallen of FightingSioux.com)

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Last is Brandon Brekke, who is the closest thing to a post presence the Sioux have in this class, though he is just 6'6''. He had a fine freshman season, though he played only 15.8 minutes per game, that was one of the most for post players in UND's guard heavy lineup. He was a very efficient scorer, shooting over 61% from the field (for 5.8 PPG). He was one of the best rebounders on the team (and the best offensive rebounders - with a very solid 11.2% OR rate). Again, he is only 6'6'' so he could struggle against big low post scorers, but those are the players he will be called on to defend. The Sioux had no regular over 6'7'' last season, and that fact probably won't change much this season.

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All in all, UND was one of the better stories of the season, being so young and so reliant on freshman, and they really put things together after a 5-9 start to the year, finishing with 19 wins. Brian Jones will be looking to take the next step this year, winning over 20 games and the Great West Conference again in their final season before moving to the Big Sky. It is all about getting ready to be a competitor in the Big Sky, and they should have the talent to do that.

What do you think of these five and about North Dakota as a whole? How will they stack up against the rest of the Big Sky? With games at least against Montana, Sacramento St, and Idaho St. this year (they haven't released their full schedule), they will get a little taste of how things will go and how hard they are going to have to work.

Cool Story on Former Grizzly Anthony Johnson

There is a nice story on former Montana Grizzly Anthony Johnson and his wife, Shaunte.

“We want the message to be just the idea that you really can go out and make something from nothing even if it takes years to do it you really can be successful,” Anthony says with pride. “The idea that you can be in love and still go after all of your dreams is the one I really want to convey to the audience the most because a lot of people go off into marriages, a lot of women especially, and they get buried in their relationship. By that I mean the relationship discourages the woman from actually going out and making something of herself because she kind of plays the mommy role and the wife role and forgets about her career. So I really want this show to encourage women and encourage people to really go out there and make something of yourself and if you find someone along the way you two can accomplish your dreams together.”

Definitely worth a read.

Jamie Stewart (Montana St Recruit) Highlights

The video is from his high school days, so a couple of years old, but gives a good look into his talent level and overall athletic ability.

While it is tough to say how all of the roles for the new MSU players will fall, it seems fair to say that Stewart will be needed to have a solid season in Bozeman for the Bobcats to compete.

An Early Look at Idaho State's Schedule

The schedule for the Bengals was released a couple of weeks ago, so let's take a look and see what lies ahead for them this season.

I think Coach O'Brien and the Idaho St athletic department has done really well putting things together, creating a nice mix of home and away games.

“Our nonconference schedule is one that will test us and help us prepare for what will be a very competitive schedule Big Sky Conference,” O'Brien said. “Our staff is excited to get the team back on campus this fall to begin preparation for the upcoming year.”

Key home games include: Loyola Marymount (who could be solid in the WCC), Utah St. (a tournament participant year in and year out), North Dakota (a future Big Sky competitor), and Wyoming (a team in the area from a solid conference).

That is not a ton of marquee games, but it looks better than the home non-conference slate for Montana St. and Eastern Washington. The bad thing is that I am not sure Idaho St. will actually be favored in any of those 4 games, but they should certainly have a puncher's chance.

On the road, they have some challenges as well.

They will travel to Oklahoma, North Dakota, New Mexico, Boise St., Wyoming, Loyola Marymount, and Utah. They will also have an away Bracket Buster game. Certainly they are not afraid to challenge themselves in the non-conference, which Coach O'Brien should be commended for, especially in a season where he is possibly fighting to save his job.

Last year Idaho St. went 5-8 out of conference, but their wins were against Troy, Great Falls, Montana Tech, UMKC, and Cal-State Fullerton. It seems as if things will be significantly harder this time around, and 3-4 wins out of conference is a more reasonable goal.

What does everyone else think of their schedule? Like it, hate it? What is a reasonable number of games that the Bengals will win before Big Sky Conference play begins?

Recruiting of Aamahd Walker

From ESPN:

Aamahd Walker (Culver City, Calif./Culver City)
2012, SG/WF, 6-3, 190 pounds
Each and every year there are a couple of rising seniors who emerge during the summer evaluation period and Walker is one of those examples. He has a strong-looking frame with very good length and he is a legitimate Division I jump shooter. He can knock down shots at a consistent rate and his lift and release are outstanding. His offer list consists of Texas State and Eastern Washington, however that will change considerably as UC Santa Barbara and San Diego State appeared to be very intrigued.

Way too early to tell where a guy like this might end up, but always good to keep an eye on things.

One Site's Preseason POY Predictions

This is a little bit old, but Bleacher Report had their Preseason Player of the Year in every conference. Two of note:

First, obviously is the Big Sky, where they selected Will Cherry of Montana. Their summaries are the essence of non-descript, but still interesting to see an outsiders view of the conference:

The Grizzlies are going to really rely on this versatile backcourt leader.

Cherry can do it all and will have a break-out season as a junior.

It will certainly be interesting to see who the coaches and/or media select at the Preseason Player of the Year... I am thinking it will certainly be either Cherry or Damian Lillard of Weber State. That will be a litmus test to see how well followers of the League think Lillard's recovery is going.

Also of the note is the Great West, and they have future Big Sky performer Troy Huff of North Dakota as their preseason pick for Player of the Year.

Troy Huff is already considered one of the best players in Fighting Sioux history and he's just getting started.

The long, skilled combo guard finished up his freshman year by scoring in double figures in 16 of his last 18 games.

Weber State Eyes Jordan Loveridge

Solid article about a rising recruit, Jordan Loveridge, who is from West Jordan High School in Utah.

The inside-outside threat put up 29 points earlier in the day against Arizona commitment Gabe York and the Compton Magic, and had a 27-point effort in the first round against Florida Rams Black, the winners of the adidas Invitational earlier this month in Indianapolis.

"Anywhere you put me, I can do what you need me to do," Loveridge said. "I'll score from the perimeter, I'll score from the inside. It just depends on the matchup that night. I can be a four or a three, wherever you need me."

Loveridge has offers in hand from Brigham Young, Colorado State, Hawaii, Utah, Utah State and Weber State. Arizona and Nebraska are among the schools showing interest along with several other Pac-12 programs.

He would certainly be a great addition if Weber State can land his commitment.

Damian Lillard Does A Good Deed

Always want to point out when our athletes do good work in the community...

On his 21st birthday, Lillard spent some time at the Boys & Girls Club, talking about the importance of education:

"I think it is such a selfless thing to do," said Rachal Edstrom, a WSU student who coordinated the event. "I'm sure he had better things to do on his special day, but he still took the time to talk and hang out with the kids. He provides a good example of how to overcome life's challenges."

It's always a good sign when arguably the best player in the conference is making headlines not for breaking rules, or accepting money, or anything like that, but for teaching kids about the importance of education.

Ain't the Big Sky great?

Fighting Sioux Controversy Still At Forefront

Interesting article Sunday about the Fighting Sioux logo/nickname controversy at North Dakota, which could potentially threaten their inclusion in the Big Sky.

Potentially more damaging, the Big Sky Conference, which UND hopes to join next year, has said the issue will complicate the school's conference membership and some schools may refuse to schedule games with North Dakota. Some believe that would lead to a broad decline in athletics.

I have written about the Sioux nickname controversy in the past. I think it is past time for UND to change the nickname and logo. As much pride as UND alumni have in the logo, the risks and damages from keeping it outweigh any potential benefits.

How Will Montana St. Replace Bobby Howard and Erik Rush?

Midway through last season, Montana St was sitting at 11-7 and 5-1 in the conference, and thinks were looking up. They had already beaten the favorites (Weber St 75-72 at home), another team projected to be in the top 3 (Northern Arizona), and were coming off a 12 point win against Eastern Washington. They had a big game against rival Montana coming up, but overall they looked like legit contenders in the Big Sky.

Then they lost 9 straight games (7 of them in conference), and staggered their way to a 13-18 finish, going 7-9 in conference play before losing in the Big Sky opening round against Northern Arizona. However, there were a couple bright spots on the Bobcats.

The first was Bobby Howard, who was a 2nd Team Big Sky performer and finished with a almost 15 PPG and 7.2 RPG, posting an excellent DR%. Erik Rush was another guy that excelled for them, as he was the team's leading scorer at 15.1 PPG, and he also had 1.4 steals per contest and almost 3 assists a game, making him perhaps their best all-around talent. For this he earned Honorable Mention All-Big Sky.

But how will Montana St. replace these guys? Probably the first guy that will get a crack is Shawn Reid, who showed good potential as a freshman and "has the look of an explosive scorer." He was a solid outside shooter, but was not very efficient inside the arc, and didn't create a lot of offense for others. But he will be counted on in his sophomore year.

At 6'7'' Tre Johnson is another sophomore-to-be who could play a lot of minutes, though his game is different that Reid's. He is a solid rebounder and plays more of an inside game (47% from 2PT). All of those same things could be said of Jordan Alou, though he will be a senior. He showed a solid ability to pull down offensive rebounds.

After these guys, there are unknowns. Coach Brad Huse has brought in a lot of JUCO players, so it will be interesting to see who emerges from that group and how quickly everyone can gel. One of the transfers is Xavier Johnson-Blount, who averaged 22 points and 5 RPG last year at 6'4''. He is a good athlete and should be in the mix for minutes at the 2 guard spot. From mslacat:

Johnson-Blount is a scorer. He is a good athlete, has a strong frame, and can create his own shot. He is deadly from 3 point range but can also post up and take the ball inside. He should be a great compliment to Huse’s other All American Jamie Stewart who Huse signed last fall. Stewart, an uber-athlete, is more of a slasher and explosive player. Johnson Blount is physically stronger, but more of a pure shooter. Both are scorers and can play both the 2 and three.

Another JUCO guard is Christian Moon. He is only 6'2'', but plays shooting guard. He averaged 14 PPG and 5 RPG, and was excellent scorer, so he figures to be involved heavily in their plans next season.

Another JUCO player that should get a chance to break the lineup is Jamie Stewart, and he might be the most versatile of the bunch, as he can play the 1, 2, or 3 (though at 6'4"" he is more of a natural 2 or 3). Last year as a JUCO AA he averaged 17 PPG and 8 RPG, and showcased himself as an excellent athlete and very good all-around scorer. He should be one of the most talented players on the roster next season.

Who do you guys think will get the most playing time out of this group? Are you hearing anything about all of the JUCO guys, and who is looking good?

It will be an interesting season in Bozeman... they will be working a lot of new faces into the lineup after the loss of Howard and Rush (who scored 45% of the team's points last year), but they will be bringing in some solid talent.

Danny Cheek of Northern Arizona Highlight Video

Danny Cheek is one of the top incoming recruits in the Big Sky, and could be a very solid player as early as this season. Great job by NAU as they managed hosting him at the school. From his ESPN profile:

Cheek is an explosive athlete with a tremendous competitive nature. He is a physically imposing scoring guard that attacks the rim in transition with some ferocity. Defensively, he has the length, lateral quickness, and attitude to guard all three perimeter positions at the next level.

With the loss of Cameron Jones, NAU fans could be seeing a lot of this guy on the court.

If You Had Tarleton State...

In your "Where Will Zach Nelson from Sacramento State transfer to?" Pool, then you win.

For those wondering (AKA everyone who is not an alumni of Tarleton State), the school is located in Stephensville, TX.