Jason Spencer is the RTC correspondent for the Big Sky. In addition to his tireless contributions for RTC, Jason is a screenwriter whose pursuits can be followed at the home of Blindly Driven Entertainment.  [ed. note: this post was written prior to the Nov. 26-28 games]

A Look Back

• This just in, Damian Lillard is a “BEAST!”  Of course, if you follow the conference, you knew that already.  Lillard has shown thus far in this young season that the MVP award is his to lose.  In the first four games he is averaging 23 points per game.  We will just let that sink in for all upcoming Weber State opponents.
• Are they for real?  Montana State has rattled off five straight wins, but the question remains, is it a fluke?  Well, they will get their chance to prove it right away.  They have upcoming games against Iowa State, Illinois State, UCLA, and they kick off the conference season vs. Weber State.  By Christmas we will know whether Bobcat fans are getting something nice or coal in their stockings.
• Defense wins championships.  If that saying holds true, then Montana should feel good about their team.  On 11/22 the Grizzlies held Idaho to 12% shooting.  Yes that’s right; the Vandals shot 6-50 from the field.  Somewhere, coach Wayne Tinkle is smiling.

Power Rankings

1. Weber State: (2-2)

Recent Games:  77-65 Loss at Utah State 11/13, 97-72 Win vs. Colorado Christian 11/16, 90-75 Loss at Utah 11/20, 86-54 Win at Alaska Anchorage 11/25

Upcoming Games:  Great Alaska Shootout second and third rounds 11/26 and 11/27, vs. Seattle 12/4

The Wildcats debut at the top spot despite going 2-2 in their first four games.  It’s hard to argue with having the two-time defending regular season champs and a team returning the reigning league MVP as the top team here.  Last week they kept it respectable on the road against Utah and really should have beaten Utah State on the road.  But down the stretch the crazy Aggie fans got the best of their in-state rival.  Damian Lillard picked up where he left off last year averaging 23 points per game through the first four games.  NBA scouts have already started to salivate at the thought of Lillard in an NBA uniform.  NBADraft.net has him as a late first round pick in the 2012 Draft.  Look for Lillard and the Wildcats to make some noise in the Great Alaska Shootout on Thanksgiving weekend.

2. Northern Arizona: (3-2)

Recent Games:  78-64 Loss at Iowa State 11/12, 74-70 Loss at Creighton 11/14, 74-46 Win vs. Alabama State 11/16, 97-47 vs. Southwestern Arizona 11/19, 74-66 Win at Kennesaw State 11/22

Upcoming Games:  at Pepperdine 11/28, at Cal State Bakersfield 11/30, vs. Bethany 12/4, vs. Texas-Pan American 12/8

If there was a 1a and a 1b in the Power Rankings then the Lumberjacks would be that 1b.  This team is loaded with experience.  Head coach Mike Adras brings back four starters from last year’s 14-14 squad.  They nearly took down Creighton on the road, which is no easy feat by the way.  Then they took care of business their last three, topped off with a big road win at Kennesaw State.  With all the returning experience and the past coaching success of coach Adras, the Lumberjacks will be nipping at Weber State’s heels all year long.

3. Northern Colorado: (2-2)

Recent Games:  93-52 Wins vs. Tabor 11/12, 67-53 Win vs. Wyoming 11/16, 93-70 Loss at Arizona 11/21, 87-84 Loss at Santa Clara 11/23

Upcoming Games:  Las Vegas Invitational 11/26 and 11/27, vs. Black Hills State 12/4

With the best season in school history in the rearview mirror, the Bears are looking to capitalize on their program’s momentum.  First-year coach B.J. Hill takes over for the departed Tad Boyle who left for Colorado.  Don’t look for this team to miss a beat since Hill served for four years under Boyle before taking over this year.  However this team lives and dies by Devin Beitzel.  He had a solid 20 points in a close loss at Santa Clara but overall is shooting 20.8% from three point range.  For the Bears to challenge for a conference title, Beitzel has got to find his stroke.

4. Montana State: (5-1)

Recent Games:  77-59 Loss at Hawaii 11/13, 65-58 Win vs. Central Michigan 11/14, 80-76 Win vs. Cal State Fullerton 11/15, 92-67 Win vs. Minot State 11/19, 73-57 Win vs. Cal Poly 11/21, 76-59 Win vs. San Francisco 11/24

Upcoming Games:  at Iowa State 11/27, at Seattle 11/29, at Illinois State 12/4, vs. Johnson and Wales 12/10

If coach Brad Huse is reading these Power Rankings, feel free to use it as bulletin board material.  The “no respect” card should be played after the Bobcats rattled off five wins in a row.  Yet this team is still ranked fourth.  For them to climb up the rankings they must show they are for real.  Beating Big 12 member Iowa State on 11/27 would be a start.  The one-two punch of Bobby Howard and Erik Rush is going to be something the rest of the league better take notice of come conference play.

5. Montana: (2-2)

Recent Games:  81-66 Loss at Nevada 11/13, 80-71 Loss at Utah 11/17, 78-51 Win vs. Montana Tech 11/19, 75-33 Win vs. Idaho 11/22

Upcoming Games:  vs. Cal State Fullerton 11/30, vs. Portland 12/3, at UCLA 12/5, vs. Great Falls 12/9

The Grizzlies are trying to capitalize on their amazing run through the Big Sky Conference Tournament last year.  They of course are also trying to replace Anthony Johnson, the catalyst of their past success.  So far, center Brian Qvale has been everything they thought he would be as a senior.  With Will Cherry showing his freshman campaign was no fluke, this team will once again have something to say come conference tournament time.

6. Portland State: (3-1)

Recent Games:  83-81 Win vs. Pepperdine 11/12, 69-53 Loss at SMU 11/19, 102-98 Win vs. Lamar 11/20, 69-58 Win vs. UC Riverside 11/21

Upcoming Games:  vs. Seattle 12/1, at Oregon 12/5, vs. George Fox 12/9

Don’t tell these guys that they got nothing to play for.  Head coach Tyler Geving has his team playing with a chip on their shoulder this year.  The Vikings are not eligible for the postseason, including the Big Sky Conference Tournament.  This year they will have to play the role as spoiler, and it’s beginning to look like that might happen more often than others want.  The Vikings have a balanced attack with four players averaging in double figures with a fifth close to ten points per game.  The trouble for upcoming opponents will be who do they guard?

7. Eastern Washington: (1-3)

Recent Games:  67-60 Loss vs. San Jose State 11/12, 98-72 Loss at Washington 11/16, 96-87 Win vs. Northwest Washington 11/18, 83-54 Loss at Boise State 11/24

Upcoming Games:  vs. Idaho 11/27, at Gonzaga 11/30, vs. New Hope Christian 12/4

Head coach Kirk Earlywine has the youngest team in the conference this year.  Not one senior is on this year’s roster.  This has not stopped the young Eagles from showing lots of promise.  The question is will this be the year that the youngsters grow up?  Big Sky Conference Freshman of the Year Glen Dean has been sidelined thus far with a stress fracture and remains day-to-day.  Having Dean back in the lineup is most certainly the key to the Eagles season.

8. Idaho State: (1-3)

Recent Games:  88-80 Loss at Colorado 11/12, 90-42 Loss at Arizona 11/14, 78-68 Win vs. Great Falls 11/19, 79-47 Loss at South Dakota State 11/23

Upcoming Games:  vs. Montana Tech 11/29, at Iowa 12/4, at Cal State Bakersfield 12/7

The first question that comes to mind if you are an opposing coach of Idaho State would be where is Broderick Gilchrest?  The man went unconscious at Colorado for a career high 39 points.  The following game he was held to four points on one-of-nine shooting from the field at Arizona.  As the conference season gets underway, coach Joe O’Brien will have to find a way to get Gilchrest open looks.  As for the schedule, it doesn’t get any easier.  Six of their next eight games are on the road.

9. Sacramento State: (1-3)

Recent Games:  80-78 Loss vs. Cal State Bakersfield 11/14, 84-55 Win vs. Bethany 11/16, 64-60 Loss at North Dakota 11/19, 61-54 Loss vs. UC Davis 11/23

Upcoming Games:  vs. Cal Poly 11/27, at Washington State 11/30, at Utah Valley 12/4, at Loyola Marymount 12/7, vs. William Jessup 12/10

This has to be the most encouraging last place conference team in the nation.  Brian Katz knew what he was getting into when he took over the Hornets coaching job.  In the last three seasons this team has won a total of fifteen games, with last year contributing nine of those.  Katz has only three players returning from last year that contributed.  But as with any rebuilding project, to get over the hump, you’ve got to learn how to win close games.  In their three losses, they have lost by a total of thirteen points.  Once this team learns how to win the close ones, they could surprise some people.

A Look Ahead

• Northern Colorado is going to Vegas, baby!  The Las Vegas Invitational to be exact.  The Bears will take on Valparaiso on 11/26 and either Bethune-Cookman or Texas A&M Corpus Christi on 11/27.  This tournament includes such national powers such as Kansas and Arizona.  It should be a great experience and atmosphere for B.J. Hill’s club.
• Expansion talk!  The Big Sky is not waiting on the big boys to make a move.  Being proactive, earlier this month the league added North Dakota and Southern Utah as full members.  The move puts the league at eleven teams in basketball.  Who will be the twelfth?  Rumor has it South Dakota is interested.
• BracketBusters will feature all nine members of the Big Sky Conference.  Fans can watch their favorite Big Sky team on one of the ESPN family of networks 2/18-2/20.  This is the first time that all members of the conference will participate in a given year.

The “Human Highlight Film” Award

Is there anyone else in the league that we should give this to?  We didn’t think so either.  Damian Lillard, let the love fest begin!  A man among boys, this 6’2 junior guard from Oakland, California has started off the season with a flurry.  The reigning Big Sky Conference MVP is up to his old tricks again averaging 23 points per game through four.  If it pleases the court, I would like to enter into evidence “Exhibit A” (below). After a heavy helping of threes to the face, Damian decides to take it to the hoop “nasty style” at the 1:28 mark.  Is there any doubt why he wears number 1?

Rush The Court is seeking a Big Sky Conference correspondent. If you are interested in covering this league, email us for more information at rushthecourt@yahoo.com.

Predicted Order of Finish

1. Weber State (14-2)
2. Montana (12-4)
3. Northern Colorado (11-5)
4. Northern Arizona (11-5)
5. Montana State (10-6)
6. Eastern Washington (8-8)
7. Portland State (6-10)
8. Sacramento State (5-11)
9. Idaho State (3-13)

All-Conference Team (key stats from last season in parenthesis)

• Damian Lillard (G) – Weber State (19.9 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.1 SPG, 85.3% FT)
• Cameron Jones (G) – Northern Arizona (19.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 50.2% FG)
• Devon Beitzel (G) – Northern Colorado (14.3 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.0 SPG)
• Brian Qvale (C) – Montana (10.2 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 2.0 BPG, 61.5% FG)
• Bobby Howard (F) – Montana State (14.3 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 51.8% FG)

Sixth Man

• Broderick Gilchrest (G) – Idaho State (15.5 PPG, 3.2 APG, 2.0 SPG)

Top Newcomer

• Vaughn Autry, Montana

What You Need To Know

• In the mood to watch some Big Sky hoops? You’re in luck. The only thing standing between you and it is either a road trip to a game, or a visit to www.bigskytv.org, where the conference will live-stream every game played at any Big Sky gym — and it’s free!
• The Big Sky Tournament is one seriously exclusive gathering, probably second only to that in the Garden of Eden. Only six teams get into the conference’s post-season bash — the bottom three regular season finishers can start studying for finals early.
• It might be a small conference, but they don’t exactly grow ’em small in Big Sky country. Montana will boast nice length along their front line, starting 6’11 Brian Qvale and 7’0 Derek Selvig (6.0 PPG, 5.1 RPG last year in 20.8 MPG). They’ll get their shots at the big time when they travel to Nevada, Utah, and UCLA early in the season and host Oregon State on December 15.

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Glenn Junkert of Grizzly Journal is the RTC correspondent for the Big Sky Conference.

BIG SKY CONFERENCE (Records are CONF/ALL/STREAK):

1. Weber State (9-2/15-8/W1) Wildcats have clinched a playoff berth and — with three of their last five games at home — are in the catbird’s seat.
2. Northern Colorado (8-3/19-5/W2) Bears match up well with Weber State, and, with Saturday’s clash against the Cats at Ogden, can move into a tie for first.
3. Montana (8-4/17-7/W4) Led by senior MVP candidate Anthony Johnson, Montana is getting balanced scoring AND solid play from five underclass subs on the deepest bench in the conference.
4. Montana State (7-5/12-11/L1) Home-court loss to Weber State last week hurt Bobcats’ hopes of earning post-season tourney bye.
5. Portland State (5-5/10-13/L1) The Vikings lost Phil Nelson — the fourth-best three-point shooter in the Big Sky — to a broken foot at the end of a three-game slide. Expect the Vikes, who play four of their final six at home, to move up in the standings…and to play the spoiler in the fight for tourney seeding.
6. Northern Arizona (5-6/11-11/L2) Lumberjacks look to avenge season-worst 25-point home-court loss to Weber State Friday. Junior Cameron Jones is Jacks’ all-everything MVP-contender.
7. Idaho State (3-8/6-17/L3) Home court loss to Sacramento State and ankle injury to scoring leader Amorrow Morgan deals Bengals’ post-conference hopes a blow.
8. Sacramento State (3-9/9-16/W1) Hornets snap four-year, 27-game Big Sky losing streak with 72-55 win at ISU.
9. Eastern Washington (2-8/6-18/L7) Eagles play four of final six games at home in battle to qualify for conference playoffs.

RPI BOOSTERS — Despite a home-court loss to Montana, Northern Colorado maintained its lock on second place in the Big Sky with the league’s best overall record (19-5), good enough for a 10th place rank (441 points) in the College Insider’s Mid Major Poll. League leader Weber State broke into the top 25 (at 25th) with 120 points, while Montana’s 11 points equals a rank of 34th. USA Today’s Sagarin Rankings have the three teams bunched at 98 (Montana), 99 (Northern Colorado), and 100 (Weber State).

MVPs — Montana’s senior guard Anthony Johnson and Weber State’s sophomore guard Damian Lilliard have emerged as leading candidates for Big Sky MVP. Lilliard, twice recognized for POTW recognition, leads the conference in scoring (20.2 PPG) as league leader Weber State’s anchor.  Johnson — who has been named POTW eight times in two years (four this season, most recently on Feb. 7), has been the keystone of Montana’s resurgence after freshman Will Cherry stepped up as Griz point guard…freeing Johnson to play the open-court, ball-possession offense he does best.

HOT & NOT

HOT — After starting Big Sky play at 0-3, Montana has won 7-of-8 games, including a sweep at the two Northerns (Arizona & Colorado). Included in the run were convincing victories over league leader Weber State (75-61) and Idaho State (91-68), good enough for third place. The deep Grizzlies — shooting 60% from the field and 58% from three point range over the past four games —  can brand themselves as legit contenders with road wins at Portland State and Eastern Washington this weekend.

NOT — After a clutch win at Montana State — and being touted here as a potential Big Sky Spoiler — the Eastern Washington Eagles lost seven straight games. EWU finishes its season with 4-of-6 in Cheney. They’ll probably have to win all four if they hope to qualify for post-season Big Sky tourney seeding.

STAT CHECK:

• Scoring: Damian Lilliard (WSU) 20.2 PPG; Cameron Jones (NAU) 18.5; Dominic Waters (PSU) 18.1; Anthony Johnson (UM) 17.9; Amorrow Morgan (ISU) 17.5.
• Rebounding: Jamie Jones (PSU) 7.5 RPG; Brandon Moore (EWU) 7.4; Demetrius Monroe (ISU) 7.0; Brian Qvale (UM) 6.7.
• Steals: Will Bynum  (MSU) 2.1 SPG; Devon Beitzel (UNC) 2.0; Broderick Gilchrest (ISU) 2.0.
• Blocked shots: Jamie Jones (PSU) 2.2 BPG; Brian Qvale (UM) 1.9.
• Assists: Dominic Waters (PSU) 4.7 APG; Julian Olubuyi (NAU) 4.0; Glen Dean (EWU) 4.3.

Glenn Junkert of GrizzlyJournal.com is the RTC correspondent for the Big Sky Conference.

BIG SKY CONFERENCE

(Records are ALL/CONF/STREAK)

1. Northern Colorado (10-3/1-1/W1)  Bears are for real, and will head into conference play as odds-on favorites.
2. Montana (10-4/1-1/W4)  Frosh guard Will Cherry giving Griz a quickness charge at both ends of court.
3. Montana State (7-5/2-0/L1)   Balanced scoring from four starters gives senior point guard Will Bynum offensive options.
4. Weber State (7-6/1-0/L1)  Super soph Damian Lillard (19.1 PPG) has led Wildcats in scoring in nine of 13 games.
5. Sacramento State (6-7/1-1/W2)  Hornets equal ’09 conference win total in first conference match, a 64-63 victory over Idaho State.
6. Portland State (5-7/1-0/L3)  High octane Vikings scoring at 79-point per game clip… but giving up 81.7 PPG.
7. Northern Arizona (4-7/0-2/L1)  Forget the record.  Coach Mike Adras appears to have Jacks ready for January conference play.
8. Eastern Washington (4-9/0-1/L4)  In search starting-quint chemistry, coach Earlywine distributes ample playing time to 10 players.
9. Idaho State (2-10/0-1/L6)  JC newcomer 6’0 Broderick Gilchrest providing Bengals much-needed scoring boost heading into conference play (14.8 PPG).

RPI BOOSTERS

Northern Colorado and Montana remain the only Big Sky teams to earn Mid Major Poll recognition this season.  The Bears slipped one notch from last week to 23rd (87 points), while Montana nearly tripled its vote total (22), still not enough for an actual top 25 ranking.  Of more significance, perhaps, is the Big Sky Conference’s improved record against Division 1 opponents. Facing a tough composite pre-season schedule against D1 competition, the Big Sky has fared well, subsequently boosting its rating against comparable mid-major conferences, and recently stepping ahead of the Big West to 17th in the USA Today Sagarin conference ratings.

HOT & NOT

HOT — The Montana State Bobcats — a pre-season pick as one of the favorites in the Big Sky — turned a 2-3 November record topsy turvy with a workmanlike 5-2 December record that included two homecourt wins in early league play and a creditable last-second 58-56 loss to Boise State in Boise.  The Cats are getting remarkable balance from starters Bobby Howard (13.3 PPG), Marquis Navarre (11.6 PPG), Erik Rush (13 PPG), and Branden Johnson (10.3 PPG), while limiting opponents to 66 PPG.

NOT — The Eastern Washington Eagles (4-9) — losers of four-straight games heading into conference play — are showing signs as potential dubious owners of the Big Sky’s cellar door key.  Kirk Earlywine’s Eagles lost a last-shot nail-biter to a tough 8-5 Nevada Wolfpack squad (73-30) before absorbing a 91-34 lashing from BYU that apparently damaged morale, as the Eagles’ promptly lost games against two sub-.500 opponents, Chicago State (4-7) and previously winless Jackson State (1-10).  After the demoralizing loss to BYU, Earlywine said, “For the life of me, I can’t figure out what happened to our team.”

SETBACK

We’ve mentioned Idaho State’s brutal non-conference schedule earlier in this report, but it bears repeating in light of the Bengals’ 2-10 record with one non-conference game left before conference play resumes.  At what point does a challenging pre-season schedule become demoralizing for players? And how does the endless road schedule affect their fans?  The Bengals spent most of December on the road (10 games), eking out a lone road win against UMKC (68-65).  One of those losses was their only conference match, a 64-63 setback at Sacramento State, while their only home game against a major college foe resulted in a 79-67 loss to Boise State.  But the Bengals played tough through most of those losses.  It’ll be interesting to see if the schedule makes the Bengals improved enough to be the Big Sky contender several pre-season publications predicted.

STAT CHECK

• Northern Colorado’s plus-3.23 TPG turnover margin is the best Big Sky mark by a significant margin, far better than second place Montana’s plus-1.29 margin.
• Montana’s limiting all opponents to an impressive 57.6 PPG, an impressive 10 PPG better than second place Northern Colorado. The Grizzlies back up that mark with a league best defensive field goal percentage average of .401.
• Weber State soph guard Damian Lilliard’s 19.1 PPG average is a Big Sky best, while ISU guard-forward Demetrius Moore’s 8.3 per game rebounding mark leads the league.  Portland State’s Dominic Waters’ 5.0 per game assist average is a full assist per game better than second place.

The preseason magazines hit bookshelves across the country a few weeks ago. Each year some get progressively better, others get progressively worse and some continue to be excellent (I’m talking to you Blue Ribbon). First up is Athlon Sports, which didn’t score all that well two years ago, but I promise the magazine has taken a few strides forward.

I. Covers (5 pts) – are they cool? inclusive?

The 32 covers this year are down from 34 last year, but they include a cover for Canada (as seen above) so at least they are thinking of the Canucks up north.

Coolest Cover: Duke/North Carolina. Yes, this rivalry gets enough attention as is, but it is one of few covers that is posed. Ed Davis and Kyle Singler look like they are about to kill each plus Singler looks like he is using the men’s room.

Say what? The Memphis/Arkansas cover doesn’t feature the FedEx Forum imploding. I guess without the recruits coming in next year, the Tigers aren’t that bad off.

Total points = 4

II. Ease of Use (5 pts) – how hard is it to find confs/teams?

Table of contents in the beginning is very easy to use. Plus, you can pretty much just open up the magazine and figure out where you need to go quickly as the magazine is done alphabetically first by conference then by team.

Total points = 4.5

III. Roundup (10 pts) – every mag has one – tell us something new!

10 Things to Watch is a little better than last year’s version. This one is a little more original and contained a few nuggets that surprised me: #8 about LaceDarius Dunn and his incredible lack of assists stands out.

Hoops Madness is the same old. Nothing really jumps out at me this year. The Hoops Superlatives  is full of debate — Scottie Reynolds is listed as the top scorer!?!

Total points = 4.5

IV. Features (15 pts) – give us some insightful and unique storylines.

There are three main features this year–one is above-average, the next is average, and the final one is a little below average. There’s an outstanding feature on whether mid-major coaches should make the jump to a larger conference. There’s also the standard “look at what John Calipari is doing” feature and finally one that seems like it is a year late. Athlon takes a look at the trend of players going overseas.

Athlon also has The Scoop which is a collection of interviews with some of the game’s top players. Nothing too noteworthy except Washington‘s Isaiah Thomas plans to stick around Seattle for awhile.

Overall, the section is better than last year, but there is still lots of room for improvement.

Total points = 8

V. Predictions (20 pts) – how safe are their picks? do they take any chances? are they biased toward the big boys?

Athlon projects the full field of 65 as well as a preseason top 25. A rematch of one of last year’s Elite Eight games is their projected national title game (doesn’t take long to figure out which two teams they are picking in the finals).

Big Conference Bias: Only one mid-major makes their Sweet 16, but then again, they make their bracket based on their rankings with the higher seed always advancing. Butler is the only mid-major Athlon has in its top 16.

Mid-Major Watch: Athlon seems pretty high on the three teams they’ve got in the top 25: BYU, Butler, and Dayton. Major diss on Siena though. The Saints are projected as a seven seed, but get barely a blurb in the magazine. That’s a big-time negative.

All-Americans: Putting Devan Downey, Patrick Patterson, and Kyle Singler on the first team is debatable. Downey is great, but first team? Patterson may not put the numbers up needed to be a first-teamer and Kyle Singler should have an outstanding year, but put him ahead of Sherron Collins, Evan Turner, or Willie Warren? Athlon also doesn’t include any freshmen on its top three teams which is unrealistic.

Boldest Prediction: The Pac-10 receiving only three bids to the dance. Athlon has California, Washington, and UCLA going dancing. It’s going to be a really down year for Pac-10 ball, but it’s tough fathom only three teams getting in. Someone else (Arizona? Oregon State?) has to step up.

What they got right: It’s hard to argue with most of Athlon’s conference standings predictions. The SEC, Big East, and ACC stand out the most as being the most realistic.

Total points = 14

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