Big Sky Rankings — A bottom four hoping for more

We’re two weeks into the conference season and with a combined 2-13 league record, Idaho State, Southern Utah, Montana State and North Dakota are in trouble.

Each team has its flaws and all of them are off to miserable starts in the Big Sky Conference. If those are indeed the league’s bottom four teams, then we already have the postseason field set (eight teams qualify for the Big Sky tournament).

Is it too early to declare someone’s season over?

North Dakota just needs to rebound a little better and the mascot-less could push to break into the top eight. Idaho State — until this past weekend — has been good defensively. Southern Utah hasn’t won a conference game yet, but two of its losses are by three points, and the Thunderbirds have yet to play a game at home in the Big Sky. Montana State blew a big lead in Pocatello before nearly upsetting Weber State.

So who knows? Maybe someone will surprise the committee (of one) and turn their season around.

If Tony Romo can almost win a road playoff game, anything is possible.

Without further ado.

1. Eastern Washington
Record: 12-4, 3-0
Last week: No. 1
AdjO - AdjD = 5.5 (5.4 last week)

The Eagles beat Idaho in Moscow 89-86 and drove home the point that they’re the team to beat this season.

After two weeks, Eastern is the last undefeated team in the conference, and they might stay that way for a while. Tyler Harvey, the nation’s leading scorer (23.4 points per game), is terrific, but so too are junior forward Venky Jois (18.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game) and senior guard Drew Brandon (7.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game).

The Eagles are easily the best offensive team in the Big Sky. If there is hope for the rest of the league, it’s EWU’s 1.06 points per possession allowed on defense, the sixth-best mark in the conference.

2. Montana
Record: 6-8, 3-1
Last week: No. 4
AdjO - AdjD = -1.9

Montana lost to Weber State (68-60) and beat Idaho State (90-64) on the road.

It’s a one-game sample, but the committee (of one) could not have been more impressed with the Grizzlies after they whipped Idaho State on Saturday. They were crisp on offense and organized on defense. First-year coach Travis Decuire looked like he was in total command.

3. Idaho
Record: 7-7, 2-1
Last week: No. 2
AdjO - AdjD = -3.7

Idaho lost its second home game of the season to Eastern Washington, 89-86, after Mike Scott’s 3-pointer missed its mark in the waning seconds.

Idaho let Eastern shoot 53 percent from the field and five different Eagles scored in double figures. But the Vandals still nearly won the game, even after star senior guard Mike Scott shot 4 for 12 from the field and had four turnovers (Scott leads the Big Sky in assist-to-turnover ratio).

4. Weber State
Record: 7-8, 2-2
Last week: No. 3
AdjO - AdjD = -3.8

Weber State beat Montana (68-60) and Montana State (65-62) at home.

Weber wasn’t particularly impressive in a three-point win over the Bobcats, but disaster was still avoided for coach Randy Rahe and Weber State.

The committee (of one) believes the Wildcats still have a shot to win the Big Sky regular season. The more time sophomores Jeremy Senglin (15.1 points per game) and Richaud Gittens (10.3 ppg) have on the floor playing crunch-time minutes, the better they’ll be.

5. Sacramento State
Record: 9-6, 3-1
Last week: No. 5
AdjO - AdjD = -5.1

Sacramento State beat North Dakota 63-61 to move into first place of the Big Sky standings, and then immediately lost its next game at Northern Colorado 87-73.

The loss to UNC snapped the Hornets’ four-game winning streak, something the program has done five times since joining Division I back in 1991.

The committee (of one) has bragged about Sac State’s backcourt of senior guards Mikh McKinney and Dylan Garrity. Both have to be great for the Hornets to contend for a conference title.

McKinney wasn’t great this weekend, committing nine combined turnovers in two games. We’re curious to see how he plays at home against Idaho on Thursday and Eastern Washington on Saturday.

6. Northern Arizona
Record: 7-9, 2-1
Last week: No. 6
AdjO-AdjD = -3.7

Northern Arizona managed to hold off Southern Utah 70-67.

The Lumberjacks nearly gagged away a 19-point lead to the Thunderbids, but managed to hold on thanks to a 12-point advantage from the free throw line.

NAU’s shooting woes continue to be a concern. The ’Jacks have shot 45 percent from the field in their seven wins and 37 percent in nine losses. Senior guard Quinton Upshur, who tore up Idaho State in one game last season for eight 3-pointers, is hitting a disappointing 34 percent of his threes this season.

7. Northern Colorado
Record: 8-7, 3-1
Last week: No. 7
AdjO - AdjD = -6.7

Tevin Svihovec was named the Big Sky’s player of the week after Northern Colorado beat Portland State 90-85 and Sacramento State 84-73.

Svihovec averaged 21 points, 5.5 assists and three rebounds in the two wins. UNC is one of the better offensive teams in the league, but the committee (of one) has them at No. 7 because they’re concerned about their league-worst 1.13 points per possession on defense.

8. Portland State
Record: 8-6, 2-2
Last week: No. 8
AdjO - AdjD = -9.6

Portland State lost at Northern Colorado (90-85) and knocked off North Dakota (82-75).

The Vikings have beaten the teams they should (Southern Utah and North Dakota) and lost to the teams they should (Northern Arizona and Northern Colorado).

It seems like PSU is destined to finish the season seventh or eighth in the conference standings. The Vikings, led by senior guard DaShaun Wiggins’ 15.7 points a game, have the firepower to beat the league’s bad teams, but they’re not good enough defensively (1.10 points per possession, ninth in the Big Sky) or on the glass to consistently take on squads like Eastern Washington and Weber State.

PSU has a chance to prove that wrong this week. EWU goes to the Rose City on Thursday.

9. North Dakota
Record: 5-10, 1-3
Last week: No. 9
AdjO - AdjD = -12

The mascot-less dropped two competitive games at home to Sacramento State (63-61) and Portland State (82-75).

Winning on your home floor is absolutely essential in the Big Sky Conference. The fact North Dakota couldn’t beat either Portland State or Sacramento State is a devastating blow.

UND’s next four games are brutal, too. On Saturday, the mascot-less host Northern Colorado in frigid Grand Forks, and then there’s a three-game slate with games at Idaho and Eastern Washington before Weber State visits UND.

On another note, the projected high in Grand Forks today is a cozy 13 degrees with a 20 percent chance of snow. That’s actually kind of nice considering it was 10 below zero Monday night.

10. Idaho State
Record: 4-12, 1-3
Last week: No. 10
AdjO - AdjD = -13.5 (-11.5 last week)

Idaho State faced two 19-point deficit at home last week. In the first, the Bengals rallied to upend Montana State 70-61. In the second, Montana walloped ISU 90-64.

Idaho State’s offense, apart from a couple stretches, hasn’t been good all season. The Bengals’ defense, though, has always been a constant beacon of hope, something that kept ISU in games.

But Idaho State’s defense was inconsistent against Montana State and downright bad against the Grizzlies. The Bengals dropped from second to fifth in the Big Sky for points allowed per possession.

11. Montana State
Record: 3-13, 0-4
Last week: No. 11
AdjO - AdjD = -13.6 (-13.9 last week)

Montana State blew a big lead in a 70-61 loss at Idaho State, and couldn’t pull out a major upset in a 65-62 defeat to Weber State.

The Bobcats looked great against ISU for 20 minutes, but MSU struggled to score once Idaho State took guard Marcus Colbert out of the game.

At 0-4 in the Big Sky, the Bobcats have already reached a point of the season where their postseason lives are on life support.

12. Southern Utah
Record: 3-11, 0-3
Last week: No. 12
AdjO - AdjD = -15.6 (-17.1 last week)

The Thunderbids lost at Northern Arizona 70-67 in their lone game last week.

The close score with NAU is somewhat deceiving. Southern Utah trailed 56-40 with 6:10 remaining in the game. It was a great comeback, but the T-birds never had the ball with a chance to tie or take the lead. And an SUU 3-pointer with three seconds left trimmed the final margin.

One thing cannot be denied, though, Southern Utah is a much better team than last season, particularly on offense where they’re putting up .965 points per possession, ninth best in the Big Sky.

Useless fun fact of the week: Southern Utah hasn’t played at home since Dec. 6.