Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Why is basketball fun?

This is why ...
There was also a great call on the radio from ISU's Mark Liptak. Check it out below.

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Robinson fired, Evans named Big Sky Coach of the Year

Southern Utah announced Wednesday that fourth-year head coach Nick Robinson was fired.

And on the same day, the most successful coach in Southern Utah men's basketball history, Bill Evans, was named the Big Sky Coach of the Year after guiding Idaho State to the postseason tournament's No. 4 seed.




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Previewing Thursday's Big Sky quarterfinals

GAME 5

NO. 1 WEBER STATE VS NO. 8 PORTLAND STATE, 1:05 p.m. MST
BETTING LINE: Weber -7.5
KENPOM GIVES Weber State a 76 percent chance to win

WINNER GETS Idaho State/North Dakota in the semifinals

DURING THE REGULAR SEASON: Weber won the series 2-0

Weber State 73, Portland State 58 in Portland

Stars of the game
WSU - Joel Bolomboy … 22 points, 13 rebounds
WSU - Jeremy Senglin … 21 points, 5 rebounds, 5 of 10 from 3
PSU - Cameron Forte … 18 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists in 27 minutes coming off the bench 

Weber State 87, Portland State 78 in Ogden

Stars of the game
WSU - Jeremy Senglin … 24 points, 6 rebounds, 7 of 8 from 3
PSU - Cameron Forte … 17 points, 7 rebounds, 7-of-15 shooting 

TRENDS/WHAT TO KEEP AN EYE ON: Both games played out exactly like Weber State would have wanted. Senior Wildcats forward Joel Bolomboy put up two double-doubles, and his teammates, particularly junior guard Jeremy Senglin, were efficient shooting from the arc. In a combined 80 minutes of action, WSU led for 73 minutes and 52 seconds.

But their last game was Feb. 13. The Vikings have gone 4-2 since then and Cameron Forte, who had 26 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and four turnovers against UNCo in their opening game of the tournament, has continued to emerge as one of the league’s best players. He’s a difficult matchup because of his height (6-7), athleticism and ability to handle the ball. When PSU can speed up the game, it allows their athletes to finish at the rim and draw fouls.

And in regard to PSU’s speed, this game comes down to tempo. Portland State plays faster than anyone else in the league, and Weber State ranks 10th in terms of tempo.

The Vikings are only only pulling off an upset by forcing the Wildcats into a frantic, full-court game.
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GAME 6

NO. 4 IDAHO STATE vs NO. 5 NORTH DAKOTA, 3:35 MST
BETTING LINE: North Dakota -2.5
KENPOM GIVES North Dakota a 60 percent chance to win

WINNER GETS Weber/PSU in the semifinals

DURING THE REGULAR SEASON: UND won the series 2-0

North Dakota 84, Idaho State 76 in Pocatello

Stars of the game
UND - Quinton Hooker … 24 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals … 7-of-11 shooting
UND - Corey Baldwin … 22 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 5 of 11 from 3
ISU - Ethan Telfair … 37 points, 2 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 turnovers, 2 steals, 12-of-21 shooting, 6 of 8 from 3 

North Dakota 76, Idaho State 60

Stars of the game
UND - Adam McDermott … 28 points in 30 minutes off the bench, 8 of 14 from 3
UND - Quinton Hooker … 13 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists
ISU - None. This was a miserable game for the Bengals 

TRENDS/WHAT TO KEEP AN EYE ON: North Dakota matches up well with Idaho State. The Hawks have a good inside presence with Drink Bernstine and Carson Shanks, and they’ve got guys who can line it up and hit it from 3 — essential against Idaho State’s zone.

And from a coaching matchup, North Dakota’s Brian Jones has owned Idaho State’s Bill Evans. UND is 7-0 versus ISU since the 2012-13 season (Evans’ first in Pocatello).

But here’s the thing … Evans isn’t going to shy away from mentioning to his players how poorly they’ve performed going against North Dakota. He won’t hesitate to point out little things like how two Big Sky media members picked UND to beat ISU before the tournament. He won’t mind telling them how, even as the higher seed, they’re not favored to win this game.

This all just comes down to the Bengals’ mental approach. They’ve got the edge. But will that help ISU actually win the game? It’s not like Quinton Hooker, who went off for 24 points in one game against the Bengals and a triple-double in the other, is going to shrink away from the pressure of the moment.

And North Dakota has some real roster advantages in this matchup. The Hawks can choose to play small with the Bengals or stick with their bigs and try to beat up ISU on the boards.

This is going to be a fun game. Someone who was at the North Dakota-Southern Utah game told me that Telfair (ISU’s players and coaches were, of course, at the game watching) was openly rooting for Southern Utah. These teams aren’t “rivals,” but there’s no love between the two.
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GAME 7

NO. 2 MONTANA vs NO. 10 SACRAMENTO STATE, 6:35 p.m. MST
BETTING LINE: Montana -7
KENPOM GIVES Montana a 75 percent chance to win

WINNER GETS Idaho/EWU in the semis

DURING THE REGULAR SEASON: They split two games

Montana 77, Sac State 58 in Missoula

Stars of the game
UM - Jack Lopez … 21 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 of 8 from 3
UM - Walter Wright … 16 points, 4 rebounds, 12 assists
Sac - Jeff Wu … 13 points in 18 minutes off the bench

Sac State 83, Montana 79 in Sacramento

Stars of the game
UM - Brandon Gfeller … 21 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 6 of 8 from 3
Sac - Jiday Ugbaja …  18 points, 5 rebounds, 5-of-8 shooting

TRENDS/WHAT TO KEEP AN EYE ON: Sacramento State is coming off its biggest win of the season, and Montana has been stewing since Saturday when it blew a shot to win a share of the regular-season title.

Throw in the fact that the Hornets have won three in a row for the first time since November and suddenly Brian Katz’s team, even with its offensive flaws, is a seemingly dangerous foe for the Grizzlies.

Sac’s chances of pulling off an upset come to one thing: Can sophomore Justin Strings and senior Cody Demps, who missed both games with UM during the season, manufacture enough offense to win?

The Hornets scored .987 points per possession in conference play, the 11th-worst mark in the league. But they were much better against Montana State on Tuesday, putting up 1.14 points per possession.

After the game, Katz wanted to credit his defense for the win as much as anything. MSU shot 21.4 percent (6 for 28) from the 3-point arc.

Without question Sacramento deserves a heaping chunk of credit for that defensive performance, but Montana’s offense is a different kind of animal to contain. The Grizzlies, during the conference season, led the Big Sky in 3-point shooting percentage, and with Martin Breunig’s presence down low, Sac’s defense will be stretched thin trying to cover the entire court.
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GAME 8

NO. 3 IDAHO vs NO. 6 EASTERN WASHINGTON, 9:05 p.m. MST
BETTING LINE: Eastern -1.5
KENPOM GIVES Eastern a 53 percent chance to win

WINNER GETS UM/Sac in the semis

DURING THE REGULAR SEASON: They split two games

Eastern Washington 74, Idaho 60

Stars of the game
U of I - Victor Sanders … 18 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 7-of-18 shooting
EWU - Austin McBroom … 26 points, 2 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 turnovers, 6 of 10 from 3 

Idaho 66, Eastern Washington 62

Stars of the game
U of I - Victor Sanders … 16 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals
U of I - Nate Sherwood … 11 points, 2 rebounds, 5-of-8 shooting off the bench
EWU - Venky Jois … 16 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 7-of-10 shooting 

TRENDS/WHAT TO KEEP AN EYE ON: Tempo, tempo, tempo and the 3-point line. That’s what you need to keep an eye on. That’s it. Tempo, tempo, tempo and the 3-point line.

When Eastern beat Idaho at home Jan. 9, the Eagles, in a terrific performance, drained 15 of 29 3-point attempts and scored 1.17 points per possession. Austin McBroom, Julian Harrell and Felix Von Hofe combined to go 9 of 14 from deep.

When Idaho beat Eastern at home Feb. 27, the Vandals, in an outstanding defensive performance, held the Eagles to nine 3-point makes, and EWU went 3 for 13 from the arc in the second half. McBroom needed 15 shots to pour in 11 points, and his team scored .95 points per possession.

This game is similar to WSU-PSU in that one team (EWU) is better off if it’s a fast-paced battle, and the other (Idaho) is in a better position to win if it can create a grind-it-out slugfest.

Whoever controls the pace of the action wins.

And maybe tempo won’t matter a bit, because Eastern will heat up* and bury Idaho in an avalanche of 3-pointers.
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— Kyle Franko

*had to reword this sentence, because it made no sense before. Thanks spartypants.
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Big Sky morning links -- March 9

Portland State 74, Northern Colorado 67

From Portland State athletics ... Forte, Parsons Carry Vikings To Opening Win In Big Sky Tournament



From Skyline Sports ... Forte, Parsons lead Portland State past UNC

North Dakota 85, Southern Utah 80

From Skyline Sports ... Hooker takes over, leads UND into quarterfinals

 From the Grand Forks Herald ... UND rallies, survives, advances

From The Spectrum ... T-Birds' upset bid falls short against North Dakota

Sacramento State 79, Montana State 75

From the Sacramento Bee ... Sacramento State men beat Montana State in Big Sky first round

From the Billings Gazette ... Bobcats eliminated from Big Sky tournament

From the Bozeman Daily Chronicle ... Bobcats men go cold from deep, bow out of Big Sky tournament

Also from the Billings Gazette ... Rachac column: MSU should make contract extension for Fish a priority

From Skyline Sports ... Bobcats go cold, fall victim to Sac upset in Reno

Eastern Washington 74, Northern Arizona 52

From Skyline Sports ... Eagles shake off slow start, cruise past NAU

From the Spokesman Review ... Eagles dispatch Lumberjacks with strong second half



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Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Big Sky morning links -- March 8

GAME 1
NO. 8 PORTLAND STATE vs NO. 9 NORTHERN COLORADO, 1:05 p.m. MST

From the Greeley Tribune ... UNC men's basketball starts Big Sky tournament play Tuesday

Northern Colorado notes

Portland State notes

From Portland State's athletic department ...
GAME 2
NO. 5 NORTH DAKOTA vs NO. 12 SOUTHERN UTAH, 3:35 p.m. MST

From The Spectrum ... T-Bird men set for Big Sky tourney

From the Grand Forks Herald ... Ready for Reno

Hawks junior guard Quinton Hooker told the Herald: "At this time of the year, it's all about who can finish strong. We've had a great offseason and a great season; we just can't let youth and fatigue hold us down. It's all about finishing and giving it everything you've got."

GAME 3
NO. 7 MONTANA STATE vs NO. 10 SACRAMENTO STATE, 6:35 p.m. MST

From Skyline Sports ... Changes ensured all teams walked Road to Reno

From Skyline Sports ... First-year players have immediate impact on Big Sky

From the Bozeman Daily Chronicle ... Hall and Colbert win awards, lead MSU into Big Sky tournament

From the Billings Gazette ... Hall named top freshman as Bobcats prepare for Sacramento State

From the Billings Gazette ... Big Sky men's basketball tournament primer

Sacramento State notes

GAME 4
NO. 6 EASTERN WASHINGTON vs NO. 11 NORTHERN ARIZONA, 9:05 p.m. MST

From the Spokesman Review ... Jim Hayford built Eagles around Venky Jois’ character

Northern Arizona notes
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5 Big Sky tournament storylines

1) What’s the atmosphere of Reno going to be like?

If not for the Big Sky Conference’s decision to change its postseason format, the tournament would be in Ogden, Utah, this week where Weber State averaged a league-high 6,943 fans for home conference games.

Instead, everybody is in Reno, Nevada, an eight-hour drive from Weber State, 13 hours from the University of Montana and 25 hours from Grand Forks, North Dakota.

How many fans will travel for the games? Tuesday’s first round could be lifeless, but will they start to filter in for the quarterfinals and semifinals Thursday and Friday?

The league’s hierarchy has said they understand fan turnout may be mediocre this year. But the goal is to put on a great event, and ensure that those who do visit Reno go home and convince more folks to attend in the future.



2) The top-four seeds and their big-time advantage.

Weber State, Montana, Idaho and Idaho State worked their butts off to finish in the top four. Yes, it means those teams skate through automatically to the quarterfinals, but the biggest advantage lies one step further.

For any of the 5-12 seeds to win a Big Sky title, they’ll have to win games Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Keep in mind, that’s after playing twice last week.

So they’re actually playing Thursday, Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. That’s a possible six games in 10 days. It’s the stuff of legends if anyone pulls it off.

3) North Dakota is the most likely team of the 5-12 seeds that could make a run to the championship game.

I like North Dakota’s draw. The Fighting Hawks can’t sleepwalk past Southern Utah, but they’re a seven-point favorite and should move on to play Idaho State — a team UND has tormented in recent history.

Win those two games and North Dakota is suddenly in the semifinals. That’s when I’d expect the fatigue to start kicking in, but UND does regularly go eight deep into its rotation. Assuming junior Quinton Hooker, the team’s top scorer, can fend off exhaustion, they’re the best bet of the 5-12 seeds to contend for a championship. 

4) Can we finally see Bolomboy vs Breunig?

Weber State’s Joel Bolomboy missed Martin Breunig and Montana when the Grizzlies traveled to Ogden during the regular season.

Bolomboy’s Wildcats pulled out the win without him, but it’d be fun to see the league’s best two forwards clash if they meet in Saturday’s championship tilt.

Bolomboy and Breunig took the top two spots on Ken Pomeroy’s all-kenpom.com team thanks to fantastic senior seasons for each. Bolomboy is fifth in the country in defensive rebounding percentage and 65th in effective field goal percentage. Breunig doesn’t get after it on the boards like Bolomboy, but he’s a more refined product on offense where he’s 19th in the country in effective field goal percentage and boosts a 120.1 offensive rating to Bolomboy’s 115.9 (both are very good).

Listen, that essentially a bunch of mumbo jumbo. Getting down to it, it’d just be fun to see UM-Weber, Breunig-Bolomboy go at it underneath.

5) The two big men at UM and WSU are the league’s best players, but the Big Sky is all about the guards.

The top players in the Big Sky Conference are two forwards in Ogden and Missoula, but the league, as usual, is dominated by its guard play. And the 2015-16 season has its share of quality small guys skirting around the perimeter.

ISU junior Ethan Telfair has single-handedly changed the Bengals’ fortunes with his combination of competitiveness, unmatched speed and ability to rise to the moment in the closing minutes of games.

North Dakota junior Quinton Hooker had a fine start to his career in Grand Forks as a freshman and sophomore, starting 44 games, but he’s taken a monumental step forward this year.

Eastern’s Austin McBroom has drained 106 3-pointers this season and needs three more to tie former Eagle Tyler Harvey for third all time in the conference for a single season.

Idaho’s starting trio of Victor Sanders, Perrion Callandret and Chris Sarbaugh may be the most unappreciated set of guards in the league.

Weber State’s Jeremy Senglin is terrific. Montana State’s Marcus Colbert can be a load, especially if his 3s are falling. Northern Colorado’s Anthony Johnson can drop 30 if he heats up. Montana has a healthy dose of talented, versatile guards.

The list doesn’t seem to stop. We’ve gone this far and not even mentioned NAU’s Kris Yanku, a first-team all-Big Sky selection a year ago.
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Monday, March 7, 2016

2015-16 Big Sky Conference men's all-conference team

Check out the Big Sky's full release here.

FIRST TEAM 
PlayerYearPos.School (Hometown)
*Joel Bolomboy (MVP)Sr.FWeber State, (Fort Worth, Texas)
*Ethan TelfairJr.GIdaho State (Coney Island, N.Y.)
#Venky JoisSr.FEastern Washington (Boronia, Australia) 
#Martin BreunigSr.FMontana, (Leverkusen, Germany)
Quinton HookerJr.GNorth Dakota (Brooklyn Park, Minn.)
Jeremy SenglinJr.GWeber State (Arlington, Texas)
*Unanimous selection
#Two-time first-team selection 
SECOND TEAM 
PlayerYearPos.School (Hometown)
Cameron ForteGr.-Sr.FPortland State (Tempe. Ariz.)
Victor SandersSo.GIdaho (Portland, Ore.)
Austin McBroomGr.-Sr.GEastern Washington (Los Angeles, Calif)
Marcus ColberSr.GMontana State (Post Falls, Idaho)
Tyler HallFr.GMontana State (Rock Island, Ill,)
HONORABLE MENTION
PlayerYearPos.School (Hometown)
Anthony JohsonJr.G.Northern Colorado (Indianapolis, Ind.)
Geno LuzcandoSo.GIdaho State (Estacion Central, Chile)
Walter WrightJr.GMontana, (Waterbury, Conn.)
Justin StringsSo.FSacramento State (Carson, Calif.)
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Sunday, March 6, 2016

Previewing the first round of the Big Sky tournament

Things get underway starting Tuesday. Before then, here are a couple different places to find printable brackets. ... The Big Sky Conference has one. ... The Standard-Examiner has one.

Big Sky bball dot com also has a quick glance at the entire tournament field and game times.

GAME 1

NO. 8 PORTLAND STATE vs NO. 9 NORTHERN COLORADO, 1:05 p.m. MST
Betting line: Portland State -4
KenPom gives Portland State a 63 percent chance to win

Winner gets No. 1 Weber State, Thursday, 1:05 p.m.

During the regular season: PSU won the series 1-0

PSU 89, UNCo 86 in Greeley

Stars of the game
PSU - Cameron Forte … 17 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 turnovers, 1 block, 1 steal
PSU - Calaen Robinson … 14 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists in 26 minutes … game-winning 3-pointer
UNCo - Anthony Johnson … 30 points on 10-of-16 shooting

Trends/what to keep in mind: Led by the brilliance of forward Cameron Forte and bolstered by a soft schedule down the home stretch, Portland State has won three in a row and four of its last five.

Northern Colorado was in a downward spiral the last month, dropping six of the seven games it played in February. But when UNCo traveled to Montana last Saturday and played the Grizzlies as they contending for a regular-season title, the Bears erased the frustrations of February and pulled off one of the bigger upsets of the season, knocking off UM 78-72.

That brings us to Tuesday. When PSU and UNCo last played Feb. 27 in Greeley, Colorado, the Vikings ripped off 1.22 points per possession and the Bears rattled off 1.18 points per possession.

Expect more of the same in the rematch. Neither team is good defensively. Can Forte, who is averaging 23.6 points, 9.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists while shooting 60 percent from the floor in his last five games, carry PSU to a first-round victory? Or will the Bears’ guard-heavy lineup be productive enough on offense to overcome their deficiencies on defense?
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GAME 2

NO. 5 NORTH DAKOTA vs NO. 12 SOUTHERN UTAH, 3:35 p.m. MST
Betting line: North Dakota -7
KenPom gives North Dakota an 82 percent chance to win

Winner gets No. 4 Idaho State, Thursday, 3:05 p.m.

During the regular season: North Dakota won the series 1-0

UND 88, SUU 72 in Cedar City

Stars of the game
UND - Quinton Hooker … 28 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 turnovers, 4 steals, 8-of-12 shooting, 11 for 11 from the free-throw line
SUU - Trey Kennedy … 17 points, 3 rebounds, 3 steals

Trends/what to keep an eye on: Rebounds are a funky stat and aren’t always reflective of who is playing well and who isn’t. But the boards are something to watch with the Fighting Hawks. North Dakota is 12-1 when it wins the rebounding battle and 3-13 when it’s out-rebounded.

When UND rolled past SUU back in January, the Hawks held the Thunderbirds to 42 percent shooting and, you guessed it, won the battle for rebounds 38-27.

This game, more than any other in the first round, looks like a complete mismatch. North Dakota is one of the top-four defenses in the league, holding teams to .994 points per possession, and Southern Utah is 10th in the Big Sky scoring .997 points per possession (those are conference-only stats).
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GAME 3

NO. 7 MONTANA STATE vs NO. 10 SACRAMENTO STATE, 6:35 p.m. MST
Betting line: Montana State -1.5
KenPom gives Montana State a 58 percent chance to win

Winner gets No. 2 Montana, Thursday, 6:35 p.m.

During the regular season: MSU won the series 2-0

MSU 71, Sac State 64 in Bozeman

Stars of the game
MSU - Marcus Colbert … 21 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals
MSU - Sarp Gobeloglu … off the bench, 20 points, 5 rebounds in 25 minutes, 5 of 7 from 3
Sac - Jeff Wu … off the bench, 11 points in 22 minutes, 3 of 4 from 3

MSU 79, Sac State 76 in Sacramento

Stars of the game
MSU - Tyler Hall … 25 points, 5 rebounds … 8-of-18 shooting, 5 of 10 from 3
Sac - Justin Strings … 23 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks

Trends/what to keep an eye on: Justin Strings, who leads the Hornets in conference play with 16.4 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, had a miserable night at Montana State, scoring 11 points on 13 shots while playing a team-high 36 minutes.

But Strings recovered at home, bullying his way inside the paint to have one of his better games this season. He’ll need another effort like that for the Hornets to pull off the upset against the Bobcats. Sacramento State (.987 points per possession) is one of the worst offensive teams in the league, and that’s where Montana State, especially if the 3s are falling, excels.

One thing for MSU fans to keep in mind, senior Cody Demps (12.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 43.5 FG%) missed both games against Montana State.
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GAME 4

NO. 6 EASTERN WASHINGTON vs NO. 11 NORTHERN ARIZONA, 9:05 p.m. MST
Betting line: Eastern -13
KenPom gives Eastern a 84 percent chance to win

Winner gets No. 3 Idaho, Thursday, 9:05 p.m.

During the regular season: EWU won the series 2-0

EWU 96, NAU 73 in Cheney

Stars of the game
EWU - Venky Jois … 21 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 steals, 10-of-12 shooting
NAU - Ako Kaluna … 18 points, 4 rebounds, 8-of-19 shooting

EWU 84, NAU 73 in Flagstaff

Stars of the game
EWU - Austin McBroom … 28 points, 6 assists, 3 steals, 4 turnovers, 10 of 12 from the free-throw line
EWU - Bogdan Bliznyuk … 22 points, 10 rebounds, 6 of 10 from 3
NAU - Mike Green … 20 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 8-of-19 shooting

Trends/what to keep an eye on: The defending champs faded late in the season, losing four straight games — two of those at home where Eastern Washington started 10-0.

There are two ways to think about the Eagles’ four-game skid. One, they’re falling apart because they’re tired. EWU isn’t a deep team, and head coach Jim Hayford has leaned on his stars to eat up big minutes.

No team in the Big Sky Conference relies more on the 3-pointer and tired legs affect jump shooting. In their last four losses, the Eagles are shooting 34.3 percent from beyond the arc* — which stands in stark contrast to their 38.9 percent shooting clip for the season.

And the second way to look at the Eagles’ late-season slide … they simply slogged through a difficult schedule. Eastern lost at Portland State back when the Vikings were desperate for a win. Then they played Idaho, Idaho State and Weber State back to back to back, losing those three games by a total 10 points.

When it comes to Tuesday’s matchup for Eastern against NAU, the Eagles are the most highly favorited team in the opening round of games. It’s hard to conjure a scenario where the ’Jacks, who allow 1.129 points per possession in league play, are good enough to stymie Eastern’s high-powered attack (1.169 ppp). And NAU certainly can’t outscore EWU if the game is fast paced.

But there a couple nuggets that make this game interesting. One is the duel between NAU point guard Kris Yanku and EWU point guard Austin McBroom. Yanku has had a disappointing junior campaign, but he’s a gamer. The second is that Lumberjacks coach Jack Murphy is going to get his guys to play hard. Murphy can sell his team on the fact they’re heavy underdogs and the pressure is on Eastern. Plus, the winner plays Idaho in quarterfinals and one of NAU’s three league victories was against the Vandals.
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*It should be noted Eastern played very well offensively Saturday against Weber State, hitting 10 of 20 3-pointers. What killed the Eagles were 10 missed free throws.
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Saturday, March 5, 2016

Big Sky morning links -- March 6

The field for next week's postseason tournament is set. Find out the seeds and when everybody plays by clicking here.

 NORTHERN COLORADO 78, MONTANA 72

From the Missoulian ... Bears run down Griz on Big Sky's final day ... one of the more surprising scores of the season. UNCo had nothing to play for (from a seeding perspective).

Here's a recap from Northern Colorado's athletic department

Here's what UNCo coach B.J. Hill had to say about next week (the ninth-seeded Bears open up the first round versus No. 8 Portland State on Tuesday) ...

"Now it's just one on one, team on team, neutral court — hey let's go," Hill said in a UNCo release. "Hopefully this gives our guys some confidence on how to win games under tough circumstances and I'm just so, so proud of them and the way they finished out this game."

MONTANA STATE 89, NORTH DAKOTA 82

From Skyline Sports ... Colbert leads Bobcats to win in final home game

Also from Skyline Sports ... Skyline Sports Men’s basketball All-Big Sky honors

From the Billings Gazette ... Bobcats beat UND, finish regular season with a flourish

And from the Bozeman Daily Chronicle ... Colbert shines in home finale, MSU tops North Dakota

From the Grand Forks Herald ... Hawks slip to No. 5 seed

WEBER STATE 79, EASTERN WASHINGTON 77

From the Standard-Examiner ... Weber State beats EWU, wins regular season title on Joel Bolomboy heroics

Also from the Standard-Examiner ... Big Sky Tournament 2016: Men's basketball printable bracket, schedule

PORTLAND STATE 88, SOUTHERN UTAH 86

From Portland State's athletic department ... Vikings Win Third Straight, Head To Big Sky Tourney On A Roll

SACRAMENTO STATE 64, NORTHERN ARIZONA 51

No story available from this one right now, but, hey, here's a box score.

IDAHO 82, IDAHO STATE 68

From ISU's athletic department ... ISU Falls at Idaho; Gets No. 4 Seed in Big Sky Tournament

And it's early to get a story from Idaho's perspective. I'll update this post later. Until then, enjoy this box score.
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Tournament field set for #RoadtoReno

After Idaho beat Idaho State 82-68, the Big Sky's tournament field fell into place. The seeds are ...

1. Weber State (23-8, 15-3)
2. Montana (19-10, 14-4)
3. Idaho (20-11, 12-6)
4. Idaho State (16-14, 11-7)
5. North Dakota (15-14, 10-8)
6. Eastern Washington (16-14, 10-8)
7. Montana State (14-16, 9-9)
8. Portland State (12-17, 8-10)
9. Northern Colorado (10-20, 7-11)
10. Sacramento State (13-16, 6-12)
11. Northern Arizona (5-24, 3-15)
12. Southern Utah (5-22, 3-15)

The games and the times (PST) are below. You can also check out a printable bracket at the Standard-Examiner.

(And please note that I had NAU as the No. 12 seed earlier ... that's wrong.)

On TUESDAY, then, this is who is playing ...

Game 1: No. 8 Portland State vs No. 9 Northern Colorado, 12:05 p.m.
Game 2: No. 5 North Dakota vs No. 12 Southern Utah, 2:35 p.m.
Game 3: No. 7 Montana State vs No. 10 Sacramento State, 5:35 p.m.
Game 4: No. 6 Eastern Washington vs No. 11 Northern Arizona, 8:05 p.m.

On THURSDAY ...

Game 5: No. 1 Weber State vs Game 1 winner, 12:05 p.m.
Game 6: No. 4 Idaho State vs Game 2 winner, 2:35 p.m.
Game 7: No. 2 Montana vs Game 3 winner, 5:35 p.m.
Game 8: No. 3 Idaho vs Game 4 winner, 8:05 p.m.

On FRIDAY ...

Game 9: Game 5 winner vs Game 6 winner, 5:35 p.m.
Game 10: Winner game 7 vs Winner game 8, 8:05 p.m.

On SATURDAY ..

Game 11: Championship game, 5:45 p.m. — ESPNU
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Big Sky morning links -- March 5

It's a big day in the Big Sky Conference. Make sure to check out game-by-game previews here.

 NORTHERN COLORADO AT MONTANA, 2 p.m. MST

From the Missoulian ... Once lost in Seattle, Breunig finds himself in Montana ... one of my favorite stories I've read this year in Big Sky basketball.

Northern Colorado notes

NORTH DAKOTA AT MONTANA STATE, 2:05 p.m. MST

Skyline Sports Men’s basketball All-Big Sky honors

Also from Skyline Sports ... SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: Colbert’s toughness key element of memorable Bobcat career

From the Bozeman Daily Chronicle ... Friendship powers seniors Colbert, Robison

WEBER STATE AT EASTERN WASHINGTON, 3:05 p.m. MST

Eastern Washington notes

Weber State notes

SOUTHERN UTAH AT PORTLAND STATE, 8:05 p.m. MST

Portland State notes

NORTHERN ARIZONA AT SACRAMENTO STATE, 8:05 p.m. MST

Sacramento State notes

From the Arizona Daily Sun ... Johnson's improvement evident for Northern Arizona

On Lumberjacks freshman Torry Johnson, who is averaging 9.4 points per game, NAU coach Jack Murphy told Cody Bashore of the AZDS: “He’s one of those guys that plays better when he has more and more confidence. I think his confidence has grown after all of his hard work.”

IDAHO STATE AT IDAHO, 8 p.m. MST

From the Idaho State Journal ... ISU would be 3rd seed in tourney with win over UI

From the Moscow-Pullman Daily News ... Sarbaugh the glue holding Vandals together 

University of Idaho notes
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Friday, March 4, 2016

Previewing Saturday’s Big Sky games


NORTHERN COLORADO AT MONTANA, 2 p.m. MST
Betting line: Montana -16.5
KenPom gives Montana a 93 percent chance to win
Last time: Montana 73, Northern Colorado 66. In a game with 69 combined free-throw attempts, the Grizzlies pulled out a win behind Martin Breunig’s 22 points, eight rebounds and three blocks.

What’s at stake: For Northern Colorado, nothing is at stake. Montana needs to win to have a shot at the regular season championship and the Big Sky tournament’s No. 1 seed.* Not sure Vegas shouldn’t have favored the Griz by more.
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NORTH DAKOTA AT MONTANA STATE, 2:05 p.m. MST
Betting line: Montana State -1.5
KenPom gives Montana State a 57 percent chance to win
Last time: North Dakota 85, Montana State 68. The Fighting Hawks were dominant at home. They led by as many as 25 points in the second half and four players scored in double figures. MSU senior point guard Marcus Colbert had one of his worst games, committing six turnovers and scoring six points on 13 field goal attempts.

What’s at stake: After the Bobcats knocked off Northern Colorado on Thursday, the talk from the ’Cats postgame was about building momentum for Reno.*

I’m sure North Dakota is feeling the same way, too, because the Hawks are coming off a miserable night at Montana. UND’s starting five combined to shoot 7 for 32 from the field. Yikes.

But you’re only as good as your last game, right? And the Hawks would feel a lot better about life with a win in Bozeman. More importantly, UND still has a shot at the fourth seed if Idaho State loses at Idaho. Montana State, meanwhile, needs to win to avoid dropping from seventh to eighth in the standings (assuming Portland State wins Saturday).
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WEBER STATE AT EASTERN WASHINGTON, 3:05 p.m. MST
Betting line: PK
KenPom gives Eastern a 50 percent chance to win
Last time: First meeting this season

What’s at stake: Weber State needs to win or have Montana lose to clinch its 22nd regular season championship. Eastern Washington is going to be either the fifth or sixth seed in Reno* next week. So from a competitive standpoint this game doesn’t mean much for the Eagles.

Yet … I can’t help but think EWU needs this game more than Weber. I know it’s important for WSU to win the regular season crown, and the ’Cats would hate to drop two straight. But Eastern is in a funk. The Eagles have lost three in a row and guard Austin McBroom, who was scorching hot a couple weeks back, has posted back-to-back sub-par games. He was a combined 8 for 28 against Idaho and Idaho State and had five assists compared to nine turnovers.

Eastern coach Jim Hayford had an interesting quote in an EWU athletics release. He said, "Our team believes that they can beat anybody, but they also know they can lose to anybody. Because we have some players who have been there, I believe we are going to find another gear when we get to Reno. That's what we're going to bank on. They know what it's about and they've had success in that tournament. I'm going to put my eggs in that basket."

That sounds like a coach who is waiting for his team to flip a switch, and he hopes the pressure of the Big Sky tournament will do the trick.
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SOUTHERN UTAH AT PORTLAND STATE, 8:05 p.m. MST
Betting line: Portland State -12
KenPom gives Portland State an 87 percent chance to win
Last time: First meeting this season

What’s at stake: Portland State could jump from eighth to seventh with a win and a Montana State loss.

The most interesting thing I’m keeping an eye on, however, is whether PSU forward Cameron Forte can keep pushing for all-Big Sky recognition. Forte was the first Viking to ever (ever) post a triple-double when he had 20 points, 15 boards and 10 assists Thursday against Northern Arizona.

In conference play, Forte is putting up 19.8 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists a night. Oh, and he’s shooting 61.1 percent from the field.

I bring all of this up because despite averaging a double-double and putting together a great individual season, Forte is (most likely) not even going to be a first-team selection when the Big Sky releases its all-conference teams next week.

When the coaches get together, they have to honor guys from winning teams … Weber State’s Joel Bolomboy, Montana’s Martin Breunig, Idaho State’s Ethan Telfair, North Dakota’s Quinton Hooker, Eastern Washington’s Venky Jois … who on that list can Forte dislodge? A monster effort Saturday might give him a slight, very slight chance.
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NORTHERN ARIZONA AT SACRAMENTO STATE, 8:05 p.m. MST
Betting line: Sac State -9.5
KenPom gives Sac State an 82 percent chance to win
Last time: First meeting this season

What’s at stake: Practically nothing from a seeding standpoint. The Hornets have sewn up the 10th seed* for Reno, and the Lumberjacks are going to be either No. 11 or No. 12.

This is a matchup of the two worst offenses in the Big Sky … but, oddly, I find myself not giving up on either team. Both could present some issues for whoever they play in Reno.

Justin Strings (16.6 ppg, 7.9 rpg) is going to be a problem for any Hornets opponent. And NAU point guard Kris Yanku is back in the NAU starting lineup and had his best individual performance of the season versus PSU, ripping off 32 points, four rebounds, five assists and five steals.
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IDAHO STATE AT IDAHO, 8 p.m. MST
Betting line: Idaho -6.5
KenPom gives Idaho a 74 percent chance to win
Last time: First meeting this season

What’s at stake: Game of the day in the Big Sky. The winner takes the No. 3 seed in Reno.* 

By the time this game tips, everybody will know what’s at stake. It’s possible the Bengals could lose and fall out of the top four (saying goodbye to a first-round bye) if North Dakota beats Montana State earlier in the day.

As far as this specific matchup — it’s a battle of contrasts. Idaho is 300th in the country in adjusted tempo, while ISU is 84th. The Bengals are putting up 76 points a game in Big Sky play, and the Vandals have held teams under 76 points in 15 out of 17 league contests.

A key defensively for Idaho is keeping Telfair out of the lane. The “6-0” junior is averaging 30.75 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.25 assists in his last four games. When he’s not on the floor, the Bengals look lost offensively. Everything they’re doing is predicated on his ability to penetrate and create for himself and his teammates.

On the other end of the floor, Idaho State has to rebound defensively. U of I is the best offensive rebounding team in the conference. And can the Vandals hit some 3s to loosen up the Bengals’ defense?
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*obligatory #RoadtoReno
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— Kyle Franko
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Big Sky morning links -- March 4

With six more games left in the regular season here are the seeds for the postseason tournament* that are set in stone.

1. Montana/Weber State
2. Montana/Weber State
3. Idaho/Idaho State
4. Idaho/Idaho State/North Dakota
5. Idaho State/North Dakota/Eastern Washington
6. Eastern Washington/North Dakota/Idaho State
7. Montana State/Portland State
8. Montana State/Portland State
9. Northern Colorado
10. Sacramento State
11. Northern Arizona/Southern Utah
12. Northern/Arizona/Southern Utah

— A few additional notes ... Idaho is guaranteed a top-four spot. Idaho State can take the No. 3 seed with a win at Idaho on Saturday. Eastern Washington can't finish higher than fifth or lower than sixth.

— Weber State wins the regular season if it beats Eastern Washington or Montana loses at home to Northern Colorado. Montana wins the regular season if it beats UNCO and EWU knocks off Weber.

— The Big Sky Conference has released a statement saying Northern Arizona has clinched the 11 seed because of a tie-breaking scenario with Southern Utah. But I don't see why SUU can't take the No. 11 spot if the T-birds win Saturday and the Lumberjacks lose ...

NORTHERN COLORADO AT MONTANA STATE

From the Bozeman Daily Chronicle ... Bobcats end skid with defensive gem against Bears

From the Billings Gazette ... Bobcats snap skid with win over UNC

From Skyline Sports ... Guards pace Bobcats past Northern Colorado

NORTH DAKOTA AT MONTANA

From the Missoulian ... Griz shut down UND, back in first place

IDAHO STATE AT EASTERN WASHINGTON

From the Spokesman Review ... Jois breaks career record, but Eagles stumble to fifth place

From ISU's athletic department ... Bengals Hand Eastern Washington First Home Loss

WEBER STATE AT IDAHO

From the Moscow-Pullman Daily News ... Vandals down 'Cats to clinch first-round bye

From the Spokesman Review ... Victor Sanders’ clutch 3 gives Vandals upset over Weber State

SOUTHERN UTAH AT SACRAMENTO STATE

From The Sacramento Bee ... Hornsby leads Sacramento St. over S. Utah 69-63 in OT

NORTHERN ARIZONA AT PORTLAND STATE


From the Oregonian ... Cameron Forte's triple-double powers Portland State past Northern Arizona

*obligatory #RoadtoReno
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Thursday, March 3, 2016

Big Sky morning links -- March 3

NORTHERN COLORADO AT MONTANA STATE

From the Bozeman Daily Chronicle ... MSU men relying on freshman Hall in crunch time ... Parker Gabriel writes about the continued evolution of Tyler Hall.

From the Billings Gazette ... Bobcats look to turn tide before Big Sky tournament

Northern Colorado game notes

NORTH DAKOTA AT MONTANA

From the Missoulian in case you missed it ... Big Sky: No punishment after Weber State, Montana scuffle

From the Missoulian ... Griz haven't given up on regular season title

Grizzlies guard Mario Dunn on the team's attitude: "We're still playing for a championship. We've got two tough games here at home and Weber, who's in first right now, has two tough games on the road. So after these two games we'll see how everything works out. Hopefully it will work out for us."

North Dakota game notes

IDAHO STATE AT EASTERN WASHINGTON

From the Spokesman Review ... EWU’s Bogdan Bliznyuk attained success because of his family

From the Idaho State Journal ... ISU could finish as high as 3rd, as low as 6th in league

Also from the Idaho State Journal ... Tenacious — Ethan Telfair's historic season at ISU

“He’s certainly one of the best point guards I’ve ever coached,” ISU head coach Bill Evans told the Journal of Telfair. “I can say that without reservation.”

WEBER STATE AT IDAHO

From the Spokesman Review ...  Four corners: UI Vandals

From the Standard-Examiner ... Weber State looking to clinch No. 1 seed at Idaho, Bolomboy still uncertain

Weber State coach Randy Rahe told the Examiner this is his team's toughest road trip of the season: “They’re two of the best teams in our league and they’re playing well. It’s going to be a challenge, but at least we played without Joel (Bolomboy) and we’ve understood that we’ve got to have success now.”

Another thing to note in Brandon Garside's article linked above, Rahe said the Wildcats will try to play Bolomboy this week. They don't want his first game back to be their opening game of the Big Sky Conference tournament.*

SOUTHERN UTAH AT SACRAMENTO STATE

The Sacramento Bee briefly touches on the Sac-SUU matchup ...

Sacramento State notes

From The Spectrum ... SUU basketball: Race Parsons inspires from the sideline

NORTHERN ARIZONA AT PORTLAND STATE

From the Arizona Daily Sun ... NAU men's basketball team looks to right itself in final week

Portland State notes

And from Portland State athletics ...



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Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Previewing Thursday’s Big Sky games


NORTHERN COLORADO AT MONTANA STATE, 7:05 p.m. MST
Betting line: Montana State -7
KenPom gives Montana State an 80 percent chance to win
Last time: Northern Colorado 78, Montana State 76. UNCO center Jeremy Verhagen knocked down two free throws with 26 seconds left to push the Bears past the ’Cats on a night when MSU made 11 3-pointers but shot 43.5 percent from inside the arc.

What’s at stake: Portland State, which trails Montana State by a game for seventh place, is playing the conference’s two worst teams at home. Chances are, the Vikings finish the season with eight conference victories, and PSU is 2-0 vs MSU (key in any tie-breaking scenarios).

So Montana State has to go 2-0 at home this week to cinch up its spot at seven. A No. 7 seed most likely means you’re playing Sacramento State in the first round of the Big Sky tournament. Falling to No. 8 and MSU would instead (again, most likely) play Northern Colorado.
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NORTH DAKOTA AT MONTANA, 7:05 p.m. MST
Betting line: Montana -7.5
KenPom gives Montana a 76 percent chance to win
Last time: Montana 65, North Dakota 61. The Fighting Hawks held a 61-58 lead with 3:08 left in the game, but the Grizzlies finished on a 7-0 run as UND went 0 for 5 from the field and committed two turnovers. UM’s Martin Breunig had one of the best nights of his season, scoring 27 points (12-of-16 shooting).

What’s at stake: Montana can still win the regular-season championship if Weber State goes 0-2 this weekend. North Dakota is gunning for a top-four postseason seed.*
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IDAHO STATE AT EASTERN WASHINGTON, 7:05 p.m. MST
Betting line: Eastern Washington -10.5
KenPom gives Eastern Washington a 79 percent chance to win
Last time: First meeting this season.

What’s at stake: Idaho State is 7-2 at home in Big Sky play but 3-4 on the road, and winning at Eastern, where the Eagles are a clean 10-0, won’t be easy. EWU is the kind of offense that seems to give ISU’s zone trouble. Venky Jois is a threat to score inside, but if the zone crashes Eastern’s deadeye shooters can rain fire from deep — and no team attempts or makes more 3s than EWU.

At the same time, can Eastern handle ISU point guard Ethan Telfair? I’m not sure there’s a defender on EWU’s roster who will be able to slow him down.
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WEBER STATE AT IDAHO, 8 p.m. MST
Betting line: Weber State -2
KenPom gives Weber State a 54 percent chance to win
Last time: First meeting this season.

What’s at stake: The Standard-Examiner’s Brandon Garside Tweeted that Joel Bolomboy is practicing again, but I get the sense the senior forward won’t play this week.

But when it comes to Weber-Idaho, no matter. This is still an enticing matchup to see how two of the better defensive and rebounding teams match up (the Wildcats lead the conference in defensive rebounding percentage, and the Vandals are the league’s top offensive rebounding team).

And the stakes are high, too. Idaho is after a first-round bye* and Weber wants a regular-season title.
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SOUTHERN UTAH AT SACRAMENTO STATE, 8:05 p.m. MST
Betting line: Sac State -10.5
KenPom gives Sac State a 84 percent chance to win
Last time: First meeting this season.

What’s at stake: Not much is at stake from a seeding perspective. Yes, SUU could theoretically leapfrog up the standings from 11th or 12th to 10th with a couple wins … but those possibilities seem trivial in the face of the bigger picture. This is about two programs looking for solid footing, a late-season victory to start building for the future.
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NORTHERN ARIZONA AT PORTLAND STATE, 8:05 p.m. MST
Betting line: Portland State -11.5
KenPom gives Portland State a 87 percent chance to win
Last time: First meeting this season.

What’s at stake: Watch out for the Vikings. String together a couple wins this week, head south to Reno* on a three-game winning streak and suddenly this is starting to feel like a dangerous team, someone no one will want to play in the tournament.
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