SB Nation - Idaho St. Bengals

Utah Looks To Aviod Another Letdown vs. Idaho State

Michael Rueckert — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 20:03:11 -0000

Next Game

Saturday, Dec 5, 2009, 6:00 PM PST
Jon M. Huntsman Center

The Utes have had a big problem with dropping games to teams that they should easily beat. They have already lost to Idaho, Seattle and Weber State. This team has shown that it can be a good team though, when they came from behind to beat a ranked Illinois team and defeated the WAC power Utah State.

I honestly don't know what to expect in this one. Utah should crush the (2-5) Bengals but you never know what is going to happen with Utah basketball teams as of lately. Utah is (21-4) all time against ISU and has never lost to them at home, but anything can happen. They are only a 9 point favorite over the struggling Division II team at home.

Last season Utah had won five games in a row and was sitting at (5-1) when they faced the lowly (1-5) Idaho State Bengals. The Utes were embarrassed losing 72-68. This game will be at home, but the Utes have lost easy games at home over the past few seasons. The Utes are (2-2) at home this season.

Obviously the Runnin' Utes must avoid overlooking Idaho State. Coming off a loss to Weber State I really have a hard time seeing them doing that.

Utah head coach Jim Boylen has said that this team is a "work in progress." They have the athleticism needed to win games, but do have a very young basketball team. Sophomore David Foster showed potential in last games loss, blocking a school record 10 shots in the loss against the Wildcats. The addition of Jay Watkins has been nice with his assist in their win over Illinois. The team does have the potential to make a MWC run, but really needs to pull things together.

Despite the poor record, Idaho State has played teams tough. They lost by only 5 to Bradley, and are coming off a 10 point loss to Notre Dame. They did lose by 33 to Utah State, a team Utah beat by 1.

This is "Utah Uth Night" at the Huntsman Center, meaning any child under the age of 12 can get in free.

The Utes must not overlook another poor team to avoid a letdown. The game is at 7:00 PM at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The game will not be on TV, but will be on 700 AM radio in Utah.

RPI WATCH: 11/23/09

BracketCat — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 01:00:13 -0000

Well, it's officially basketball season here at BOTC, so I'm going to try and get some basketball-related stuff on here on a more consistent basis. Big 12 Outlook will return after New Year's, but in the meantime, I need to resume the Big 12 previews and shift them into overdrive a little in order to make up for lost time.

The other thing I want to do is update you on all of our opponents on a daily basis. I'll look at how they performed in yesterday's games and maybe track the RPIs a little, too. The idea is to get a general picture, on a day-to-day basis, of how strong our non-conference schedule is, because I've seen some concern from various corners of late.

For a more detailed discussion, hit the jump. But here's a short preview: We did ourselves a lot of good in Puerto Rico.

Here's how our opponents have performed to date, in order to provide a baseline comparison and bring everyone up to speed. (After all, not everyone has been paying attention to hoops like I have, given our North-contending football team and what have you.)

Kansas State RPI = 28

Great Wins (RPI 1-50) = Dayton

Good Wins (RPI 51-100) = Loyola

Bad Losses (RPI 100 or greater) = none

Loyola (2-1) | RPI = 64: Loss at Kansas State (92-54), Win over Canisius (89-69), Win at Holy Cross (76-73)
Western Illinois (2-2) | RPI = 112: Loss at Arizona State (87-35), Loss at Kansas State (82-50), Win over Truman State (71-59), Win at Central Arkansas (56-46)
Boston (1-4) | RPI = 141: Loss at Iona (82-73), Loss to George Washington (69-59), Loss to Kansas State (80-70), Win over Indiana (71-67), Loss to No. 21 Georgia Tech (85-67)
Ole Miss (4-1) | RPI = 76: Win over UALR (92-64), Win over Alabama State (90-53), Win over Indiana (89-71), Win over Kansas State (86-74), Loss to No. 5 Villanova (79-67)
No. 18 Dayton (2-2) | RPI = 32: Win over Creighton (90-80), Win over No. 21 Georgia Tech (63-59), Loss to No. 5 Villanova (71-65), Loss to Kansas State (83-75)
IUPUI (4-1) | RPI = 75: Win at Drake (88-82), Win at Eastern Illinois (69-66), Win over Austin Peay (77-63), Loss at Auburn (80-65), Win over Georgia State (67-56)
Fort Hays State (2-0) | RPI = N/A (D-II): Win over Friends (82-46), Win over Central Christian College (85-66)
Washington State (3-0) | RPI = 140: Win over MVSU (94-66), Win over Eastern Washington (67-61), Win over IPFW (89-70)
Xavier (3-0) | RPI = 79: Win over Youngstown State (83-57), Win over Bowling Green (101-57), Win over Sacred Heart (105-65)
UNLV (3-0) | RPI = 1: Win over Pittsburg State (91-52), Win over Nevada (88-75), Win over Southern Illinois (78-69)
Alabama (2-1) | RPI = 186: Loss to Cornell (71-67), Win over Jackson State (86-69), Win over Providence (84-75)
UAPB (0-3) | RPI = 166: Loss at Colorado (88-72), Loss at Denver (75-56), Loss at UTEP (70-52)
Cleveland State (3-1) | RPI = 260: Loss at St. Bonaventure (72-62), Win over Wilmington (99-74), Win over Florida A&M (78-64), Win over Sam Houston State (80-65)
South Dakota (2-2) | RPI = N/A (D-I transition): Loss at Texas Tech (88-49), Loss to Oregon State (62-47), Win over TAMUCC (76-73), Win over Mayville State (99-67)
Missouri (2-0) | RPI = 280: Win over UT Martin (83-68), Win over UTPA (100-64)
Texas A&M (3-0) | RPI = 135: Win over Angelo State (88-69), Win at SMU (80-68), Win over Samford (68-49)
Colorado (3-0) | RPI = 128: Win over UAPB (88-72), Win over Coppin State (82-58), Win over Texas Southern (88-77)
No. 3 Texas (2-0) | RPI = 17: Win over UC Irvine (89-42), Win over Western Carolina (73-41)
Oklahoma State (3-0) | RPI = 21: Win over Seattle (86-64), Win over Southern (93-61), Win over North Texas (82-68)
Baylor (4-0) | RPI = 60: Win over Norfolk State (86-58), Win over Hartford (71-69), Win over Southern (61-45), Win over Hardin-Simmons (106-45)
No. 1 Kansas (3-0) | RPI = 46: Win over Hofstra (101-65), Win over Memphis (57-55), Win over Central Arkansas (94-44)
Nebraska (2-1) | RPI = 134: Win over SCUU (76-49), Loss at Saint Louis (69-55), Win over TCU (90-77)
Iowa State (4-0) | RPI = 188: Win over Idaho State (88-68), Win over Chicago State (72-50), Win at Drake (90-70), Win over MVSU (96-55)
No. 17 Oklahoma (2-1) | RPI = 65: Win over Mount St. Mary's (95-71), Win over UL Monroe (72-61), Loss at VCU (82-69)
Texas Tech (5-0) | RPI = 86: Win over South Dakota (88-49), Win over TAMUCC (66-59), Win over Oregon State (64-60), Win over Northwestern State (94-75), Win over Lamar (77-54)

My plan is to update this daily with the games are played the previous day, and I'll probably start looking at RPIs some time after Thanksgiving (they're pretty meaningless before that point due to the disparity in scheduling).

Update: Got bored and added the RPIs around midnight. I'll save the analysis for tomorrow's edition.

Hoops Triple Header Tonight: TCU, New Mexico, and BYU All in Action

Jeremy Mauss — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:17:11 -0000

Next Game

TCU Horned Frogs
@ Arizona St. Sun Devils

Tuesday, Nov 17, 2009, 8:30 PM PST
NIT Season Tip-Off Tournament - Wells Fargo Arena - Tempe, AZ

TV: ESPN2

Complete Coverage >

The Horned Frogs are 2-0 and taking on the Arizona State Sun Devils who also are 2-0 on the year. This is a late tip as it is in Temp, AZ and if I am correct the last game of ESPNs 24 hoops marathon. Arizona State is a potential bracket this year -- according to Joe Lunradri -- while TCU is near the bottom of the Mountain West.

TCU's two wins have been impressive with blow outs over Cal-State Northridge, but then a close win over non-DI MId-America Christian. While ASU has large wins over Western Illinois and Texas State -- nothing impressive.

Players to watch ASU: Guard Derek Glasser who is averaging 15 points per game and center Eric Boateng who is going for 11.5 points and 9 boards per game.

Players to watch TCU: Ronnie Moss is their man and has 21.5 points per game in the first two games, but their secondary player is Zvonko Bulian who is a beast with 18 points and 16.5 boards so far on the year.

Next Game

New Mexico Lobos
@ New Mexico St. Aggies

Tuesday, Nov 17, 2009, 6:00 PM PST
Pan American Center

TV: ESPN 360

Complete Coverage >

This is a heated rival game between the Lobos and the Aggies, but the better team is New Mexico and has been for the past few years. New Mexico is 1-0 while the Ags are oh-fer on the year in their only game, the Aggies lost was a beat down 100-68 by Saint Mary's College. New Mexico has three big stars with Roman Martinez, Darington Hobson, and AJ Hardeman combined for 48 in that first game.

The Aggies have three scorers as well that combined for nearly all their points in their opener with Hamidu Rahman, Jahmar Young, and Jonathan Gibson. Each team have scorers, but expect the Lobos to take care of this game.

Next Game

Idaho St. Bengals
@ BYU Cougars

Tuesday, Nov 17, 2009, 6:30 PM PST
Marriott Center

TV: None

Radio: 1160 KSL

Complete Coverage >

Idaho State will try to get their second MWC win in two years, as last year they beat Utah in the non-conference season. BYU is at home and do not lose at home this game will get ugly with Jimmer Ferdette and Jonathan Tavernari who will light up the gym. This game should not be too close because Bradley lost to BYU but Bradley in return defeated Idaho State.

MBB '09-'10 Game #1: Cyclones 88, Bengals 68

Mark Kieffer — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 04:27:00 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Neibergall - AP

LaRon Dendy showing the Bengals what time it is!

Browse more photos »

Just got back from the first real game of the season! I was curious how the fans and how the team would come out of the gates. I wasn't really sure if the team had any thoughts about the Harrison Barnes decision, or if they are pretty isolated from that.

Either way, they came out pretty flat, and the fans were pretty flat to begin with as well. The team was only up 18-12 with about 9 minutes to go in the first half. We were playing that mid-major style ball and it wasn't working out too well.

What's mid-major style ball? It's the style in which we go down the court slowly, all hoover around the perimeter, and just jack up some threes, with no good chance in getting an offensive rebound.

As the first half went on, we were able to get out in transition and go on a 23-10 run over the last 8 minutes of the first half. Getting into the break with a 44-24 lead really put this game out of reach for the Bengals.

I thought LaRon Dendy did a great job off the bench tonight, and he's my MVP of the game. I love the way that he plays. He's able to move up and down the court, and also play off the dribble. He had two big dunks off of fast breaks in the first half as well. One of which where Lucca no-look tip passed it to Dendy coming down the middle for the big jam in which Hilton actually got rocking! Dendy finished with 16 points, 7 rebounds, 1 block, 2 steals, on 8 of 12 shooting in only 15 minutes!

I also liked what I saw from Scott Christopherson. He has the ability to knock down the open three, but also to pump fake it, and drive. Some of the other guys like to stay outside and can't do much when defended. I like that extra dimension that Christopherson brings.

With each passing event, both of these guys are making the case to get more and more playing time. They are going to be effective players for us, as they have multiple dimensions to their game.

Regarding the team as a whole, I would say that these are the areas in which I think the team needs to improve on:

Taking care of the ball. 17 turnovers is a little high in my opinon, especially when a good portion of them are simply careless passes. As the team gels, I'm hoping this goes down.
Penetration in the paint. Right now we've got some guys that seem more comfortable playing outside. Unlike past years, we actually have some guys play off the dribble. Still, it was difficult at times for Brackins, Dendy, and others to establish position in the post in our half court offense.
Handling the press. Our guards got owned a little when Idaho State busted out the half-court trap. This isn't that new, as we were generally owned against the press last year. When Idaho State executed it, we had to call a timeout. Hell, we almost had a 10 second violation as we had trouble advancing the ball. I'm actually surprised Idaho State didn't continue doing this, but perhaps they do not have the depth to run that kind of defense throughout the game.
Half court offense. At times there isn't a lot of movement without the ball. You still see a lot of standing around, and guys playing 1-on-1 style of basketball. This team is better in transition that in the half court sets.
Starting the halves flat. In the 1st half, we only scored 12 points the first 8 minutes of the game. In the 2nd half, we only scored 8 points in the first 4 minutes. I liked the way we closed out the first half, and I think it's important to close out the periods strong. I'd also like to see us get off to a quicker start.

Some of the above comments may seem like nit-picking. I mean we did win by 20 points. At the same time, the quality of our opponents is going to step up big time. It's early, and the team has a lot of room for improvement. It's still hard to get a good read on how our team stacks up. I can't wait until we have a game against a big-time opponent.

Up next for these guys is Chicago State on Sunday night at Hilton at 7pm. Looking forward to it!

MBB: '09-'10 Game #1 Preview: Idaho State

Mark Kieffer — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:40:00 -0000

Or better yet, the battle of ISUs. Idaho State goes by "ISU" as well, and their website is even www.isu.edu. Whomever wins this, can have pride in knowing that they are the superior ISU team (spoiler alert: it's us.... if not, then we're in for a LONG season).

It's hard to believe that Men's Basketball is here already. Over the past few years, it has seemed like it couldn't come sooner. Football was brutal to watch, and by mid-October I was ready for some basketball. While I'm excited about this 2009-2010 season, I'm not going to lie in that most of my attention is still around the football team as they try to become bowl eligible.

That said, who's ready for some Idaho State tomorrow night??

Time and Location: 7pm, Hilton Coliseum
TV: Mediacom Connections (locally), ESPN Full Court, and ESPN360.com.

The Idaho State Bengals play in the Big Sky Conference. While they are not a powerhouse, I think they are a respectable opponent, especially for a first game. They have 8 Seniors on their roster, including returning top scorer, #1 Amorrow Morgan (SG, 13.5ppg), so he's a player to watch for along with JUCO-Transfer #2 Broderick Gilchrest. There's something to be said about teams that have an experienced roster, in that you know they are going to be ready and play hard.

Other interesting things about this team is that they're located in Pocatello, Idaho, with a student body about half the size of Iowa State... They haven't reached the NCAA tournament since 1987, but probably their biggest moment in their history was beating UCLA in the Sweet Sixteen in 1977.

Turning the attention to Iowa State, I would expect to see DG, Lucca, Gilstrap, Brackins, and Hamilton starting, with Dendy likely coming off the bench, but getting more minutes than Hamilton. Based on how the playing time went during the exhibitions, I would expect to see a lot of Christopherson, and Colvin as well.

What I'm most interested in seeing is what the rotation looks like in a "real" game. I think McDermott may have commented that he's comfortable playing 10-11 guys right now. It will be interesting to see if he tries to keep the rotation that deep, or if guys emerge and get more PT. Personally, I'm up for whatever means more Ws at this point.

With the lack of Idaho State knowledge out there, combined with this ISU team having more than a handful of newcomers into the fold, it's hard to go in depth as far as what to expect and how things would go. Exhibition games are evaulation periods for coaches, while I really don't want to rehash 2008-2009 as a part of this preview.

I'm looking forward to the game tomorrow, and getting Hilton going! This should be a fun season, and I have high hopes for this team. It all starts tomorrow! Can't believe it's already here!

Go Cyclones!

BtB 2009-10 Big Sky Conference Preview

Chris Dobbertean — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:00:29 -0000

With their second consecutive Big Sky crown last year, Portland State joined Weber State (2 titles) and Montana (3 titles) as the only teams to win multiple conference titles in the first decade of the 21st century. Northern Arizona in 2000, former league member Cal State-Northridge in 2001, and Eastern Washington in 2004 were the only squads able to break that triumvirate during the decade.

Given that the Vikings and Wildcats will be strong again this season and the Grizzlies are resurgent, the odds are against another team crashing the party this time around. However, that's not going to stop last season's surprise Big Sky finalist, Montana State, a team that returns four starters from the team that claimed road wins over Montana and regular season champ Weber before falling to Portland State in the final. Eastern Washington and Idaho State, two squads that feature three returning starters bolstered by junior college transfers, also bear watching as the league race unfolds.

More on these teams, along with the Big Sky squads who are in a rebuilding mode, after the jump.

Let's start with a look at the final Big Sky standings for 2008-09.

Big Sky Conference Standings

(updated 3.20.2009 at 11:52 PM EDT)

	Conf		Overall
	W	L	W	L
Weber St. Wildcats	15	1	21	10
Portland St. Vikings	11	5	23	10
Montana Grizzlies	11	5	17	12
Idaho St. Bengals	9	7	13	19
Northern Colorado Bears	8	8	14	18
Montana St. Bobcats	6	10	14	17
Eastern Washington Eagles	6	10	12	18
Northern Arizona Lumberjacks	5	11	8	19
Sacramento St. Hornets	1	15	2	27

Now here are my picks for the 2009-10 season, presented in reverse order.

Sacramento State (last NCAA: None) Since the 2004-05 season, when the Hornets finished with an 8-6 Big Sky mark, the conference win totals have consistently shrunk, even dropping from 2 league wins to 1 in Brian Katz's first season. Things may not improve that much thanks to the departure of leading scorer Loren Heath, a 6-2 guard who averaged nearly 16 points a game. 6-8 center Justin Eller (10 ppg, 6.7 rpg) is back, giving Katz a force in the middle, but a flood of JC transfers will have to gel for the Hornets to avoid the wooden spoon. Sacramento State will travel to Houston to take on host Rice, South Alabama, and Houston Baptist in a round-robin. The game against the Huskies is a chance for a rare Hornets' win.

Northern Arizona (last NCAA: 2000) The Lumberjacks will struggle to improve on last year's eighth place finish, thanks to the departure of three starters, all of whom averaged more than 9 points per contest. But Mike Adras does have two players back who can provide offense--6-4 junior guard Cameron Jones (12.7 ppg) and 6-7 forward Shane Johannsen, a junior who averaged nearly 10 points a game while shooting almost 73 percent from the floor, all while grabbing over 5 boards a game. 6-10 C Joshua Lapley was also a key frontcourt contributor as a reserve, and he should improve on his 5.9 points and 3 rebounds a game with more minutes this year. The arrival of 6-5 DeAngelo Jones, a JC transfer who started at New Mexico State, means NAU should have another frontcourt weapon. Point guard is a major question mark after the graduation of Josh Wilson, but 5-9 Julian Olubuyi, another JC transfer, may be called on to fill that role. The Lumberjacks will participate in the first ever West Coast Classic, a unique round-robin event in which NAU will host Fresno State and Pacific and visit Santa Clara and San Diego State.

Northern Colorado (last NCAA: None) The strength of the Bears will be backcourt, as both senior PG Will Figures (12.1 ppg, 2.3 apg) and junior SG Devon Beitzel (11.8 ppg, 2.5 rpg) return. The frontcourt could be an issue, despite all of the returning personnel head coach Ted Boyle has at his disposal. The problem is that none of the returnees, led by 6-7 junior Taylor Montgomery (3.2 ppg, 2.5 rpg), has been able to show they can consistently match the performances put up by the departed Jabril Banks (12.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg). The Bears will open their season with back-to-back tournaments, heading to Hawai'i to take on the Warriors, McNeese State, and Southern Utah in the scaled-down Rainbow Classic, then returning to the mainland to play Texas Southern and either Air Force or Dickinson State in the Reggie Minton Classic.

Eastern Washington (last NCAA: 2004) Kirk Earlywine returns three senior starters from a team that won only 12 games last season. The Eagles' key man is in the backcourt, as 5-7 PG Benny Valentine averaged 15+ points alongside 3 assists per contest. The frontcourt features EWU's only other returning double-digit scorer, 6-9 Brandon Moore (11.2 ppg, 6.8 rpg) and 6-8 Mark Dunn (5.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg). The Eagles should get a lot of help from four transfers-6-6 F P.J. Bolte (Rice), 6-3 Alden Gibbs, 6-8 Laron Griffin, and 6-7 Morgan Hislop (all JC). The Eagles will participate in the low/mid-major bracket of the Las Vegas Classic after they visit Nevada and BYU in the same event.

Idaho State (last NCAA: 1987) The Bengals take on a difficult non-conference schedule, featuring road contests at Bradley, BYU, Iowa State, Notre Dame, Oregon, Utah, and Utah State, and a home game with in-state rivals Boise State. Like EWU, Idaho State also returns three senior starters, led by leading scorer Amorrow Morgan (13.6 ppg, 3.7 apg), a 6-5 senior PG who is one of five players on the roster who's from Memphis. That number includes 6-0 JC transfer Broderick Gilchrist, who could replace the team's second leading scorer from last season, Matt Stucki (12 ppg), who graduated. Expect to see 6-8 Demetrius Monroe, who averaged 6.5 points and over 5 boards a game off the bench, get more playing time this year.

Montana State (last NCAA: 1996) Brad Huse's Bobcats hope to build on the end of last season, when they claimed road wins over third-seeded Montana and top-seeded Weber State to make the Big Sky final, where they fell two points short of claiming a surprise NCAA bid. Montana State returns the bulk of that team, except for C Divaldo Mbunga (10.4 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 1.8 bpg), leaving a huge void in the middle that Huse hopes a combination of 7-foot French C Michel Swita and 6-9 F Brandon Johnson (6 ppg, 3.5 rpg) can fill. If they can, the frontcourt could be among the best in the league, as 6-7 junior Bobby Howard (10.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg) and 6-6 Danny Piepoli (7.5 ppg, 2.2 rpg) are already key contributors. The backcourt is also loaded, thanks to the presence of shooting guards Will Bynum (10.7 ppg, 3.6 rpg) and Erik Rush (9.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg) and senior PG Marquis Navarre (5.7 ppg, 2.8 apg). To prepare for a conference run, the Bobcats will travel to Boise State, Memphis, Nevada, and Oregon during the early part of the season.

Portland State (last NCAA: 2009) The Vikings will try to reach the NCAAs for the third straight seaon, but they'll have to do it without two of the men most responsible for their recent success. Former head coach Ken Bone has moved onto the BCS level and Washington State, while 5-6 guard Jeremiah Dominguez (12.9 ppg) graduated. Bone's former assistant Tyler Geving will try to keep things going with a team that returns three starters: 6-1 senior G Dominic Waters (11.4 ppg, 2.5 rpg), and 6-7 Fs Phil Nelson (10.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg) and Jamie Jones (9.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg). 6-5 F Julius Thomas, who averaged almost 7 points and over 5 boards a game coming off the bench last season is due for a bigger role, while two JC transfers will see significant time. 6-8 F Phillip Thomas, who started during his time at Idaho, is another body for an undersized frontcourt, while 5-10 guard Melvin Jones will be called on to replace Dominguez. Portland State will open their season in a tournament in Seattle, where they'll take on hosts Washington, Belmont, and Wright State. They'll also face their former coach's team in a neutral site game in Kennewick, Washington.

Montana (last NCAA: 2006) Fresh off finishing in a second-place tie, the Grizzlies should contend again, especially as last season's Big Sky Newcomer of the Year, point guard Anthony Johnson (17.6 ppg, 3 apg), should be even better as a sophomore. He'll be joined in the backcourt by Ryan Staudacher, who shot over 45 percent from three-point land while averaging nearly 8 points a game. Head coach Wayne Tinkle does have a major hole to fill in the frontcourt, thanks to the graduation of 6-9 Jordan Hasquet (11 ppg, 6 rpg). The Griz will need 6-11 junior C Brian Qvale to improve upon his 5.6 points and 5 boards a game to make up for his production. Positively, Qvale was a defensive force last season, averaging nearly 2 blocks per contest. Montana heads to Oregon and Washington during their non-conference season, while Boise State visits Missoula this season.

Weber State (last NCAA: 2007) The Wildcats stormed to a 15-1 league mark, which ultimately resulted in an NIT bid (and first round loss to San Diego State) thanks to their Big Sky semifinal loss to Cinderella Montana State. The frontcourt should be a strength for the Wildcats, thanks to the return of starters Steve Panos, a 6-8 C who averaged 9.4 points and 4.4 boards a game, and Kyle Bullinger, a 6-6 sophomore who added almost 9 points and 4.4 rebounds a contest himself, and key reserve Trevor Morris, a 6-9 junior C who scored almost 5 and grabbed nearly 4 boards a game off the bench. He may have to increase his production thanks to the departure of Davlin Davis, who scored almost 10 a game for Weber State last season. Sophomore Damian Lillard (11.5 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.9 apg) will run the offense, and 6-4 senior Nick Hansen who averaged nearly 9 points a game in a reserve role last year, should slide into the 2 guard spot after the graduation of leading scorer Kellen McCoy (14.1 ppg). Three JC transfers, swingmen Josh Noble and Franklin Session and guard Lindsey Hughey, should see significant minutes for Randy Rahe's team. Weber hosts Utah and visits UNLV and BYU. They also face Utah State in a home-and-home. The trip to Logan will be one of the Wildcats' three games at a pre-Christmas round-robin event that also features Cal State-Fullerton and Morehead State.

Weber State is my pick to claim the Big Sky's auto bid for this season. They'll appear in my 2009-10 Final Preseason Bracket, which I will release on November 9.

To wrap up this preview, here is my preseason All-Big Sky team, featuring the best returning players from last season.

Preseason All-Big Sky Team

Player of the Year: Anthony Johnson, 6-3 G, Sr. (Montana)

Remainder of the Team
Bobby Howard, 6-7 F, Jr. (Montana State)
Damian Lillard, 6-2 G, So. (Weber State)
Brandon Moore, 6-9 C, Sr. (Eastern Washington)
Benny Valentine, 5-7 G, Sr. (Eastern Washington)

Poll

Who is your pick to win the Big Sky this season?

Eastern Washington

0 votes

Idaho State

2 votes

Montana

3 votes

Montana State

3 votes

Northern Arizona

0 votes

Northern Colorado

0 votes

Portland State

1 votes

Sacramento State

1 votes

Weber State

3 votes

13 votes | Poll has closed

#17 ASU 90 - Idaho State 55: ASU now 10-1

ASUBoyd — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 00:10:04 -0000

Not a very interesting game, ASU simply manhandled ISU.

The defense looked great, the zone was in full force. Driving lanes were non-existent and ISU took 48% of their shots from three point land - hitting only 29% (7-24).

Saw pretty much everything I wanted to. McMillan got the most minutes he has had all season, putting up a line of 6 points, 4 assits, 2 rebounds. Glasser contributed finally, with 11 points 9 assists and only 1 turnover.

Abbott made some shots, with 14 points, 4 steals and 4-6 from three. Kuksiks hit 5 threes for 15 points and had 4 boards.

Pendergraph had a solid game, and Harden had 18.

Every starter scored at least 11 points, and the bench actually got to see some court time.

All in all, an expected, but nice blow out. Oh yeah, we also hit 17 threes at 53% shooting - a scool record.

"I've been coaching 30 years," Idaho State coach Joe O'Brien said, "and I don't know that I've been involved in a game where the opponent shot the ball that well that long. ... They shot the ball well from start to finish, everybody that played."

Next game is the 29th against Central Connecticut State University - CCSU. They're 5-5 and have a stud sophomore forward named Ken Horton who is averaging 20.6 points per... oh, who am I kidding? It should be another blow out.

Return of the Cougs

Grady. — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 05:45:43 -0000

Washington State 60, Idaho State 41

Stats by StatSheet.com

For the majority of the game against Pittsburgh, the Cougs just didn't look like themselves. Defensive lapses, turnovers on offense, and a total lack of ability to get to the foul line.

Tonight, the Cougs we know and love, or at least the Cougs from the first four games, returned.

How'd they do it? By dominating every aspect of the game against Idaho State. Some of it was the opposition, but a lot of it was the Cougars getting their groove back.

They outrebounded the Bengals 32-23. They not only got to the line, but made the most of it with a 13 for 17 evening at the charity stripe. Aron Baynes only had four shooting attempts, but still managed to control the paint with 11 points, 3 blocks and 8 rebounds of his own.

This game was not as close as the final score indicates. After a slow start and a scoreboard frozen at 16-9, the Cougars closed the first half on a 14-6 run. Then kept the momentum flowing right on through to the second half, where WSU played superb defense and solid offense throughout.

The only letdown for WSU in this one was at the end where the reserves matched up evenly with the Idaho State squad. We got our first look at Fabian Boeke, who spent a lot of time in the post but missed his two shots, including a shot for three. He looks a little unrefined out there, but he's only a sophomore and still has a lot of potential. Remember too that he's still coming back from injury.

Mike Harthun also came back, from his three-game suspension, to play nine minutes. Tony showed a lot of faith in him tonight - let's hope Harthun makes the most of it, and is ready to play hard on the court. Because if he does, at least in my opinion, he has the chance to improve more than anyone else on the floor this year. There's tremendous talent here, he just needs to be disciplined and let the game come to him.

Taylor Rochestie is back as well - 5 assists, 1 turnover and 9 points. And to think he actually had us worried for a second.

Player of the Game - Klay Thompson. Game-high 14 points on 5 of 8 shooting (2 of 4 from three), with 2 rebounds, 2 assists and zero turnovers. Klay played one of the best games of his young career - efficient on offense, and playing great defense on Amorrow Morgan, ISU's leading scorer coming in (Morgan finished 3 for 10 from the floor).

Play of the Game - Charlie Enquist's turnaround jumper that banked in off the glass, drawing a foul in the process. Don't sleep on Enquist. There's a Robbie Cowgill/Caleb Forrest-type quality to him that the coaches, and now the fans, are really starting to appreciate. He finished with six points on 3 for 3 shooting. Two offensive boards as well. How about we find this kid some more minutes?

A quick look at Idaho State

Grady. — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 05:05:24 -0000

Or, more accurately, the Bad Luck Bengals. Three of their four losses were in overtime or double overtime. To teams that aren't necessarily pushovers: Hawai'i, Boise State and Dan Monson's Long Beach State.

More recently, they were beat by BYU 85-65. Their only win was a five point victory over Eastern Oregon. Yes, people actually live and work on the East half of Oregon.

Their leading scorer is Amorrow Morgan.at 19.2 points per game.

This is the third leg of a home-away-home series for the Cougars. Last year the Cougars went to Pocatello and defeated ISU 75-45, holding Morgan to eight points. Considering we were ranked, it had to be the biggest home game for the Bengals in quite some time.

Wazzu is favored by 20 at the moment. Vegas likes ISU a little more than some of our previous out-of-conference opponents, but not by much.