Six games into the conference season and the committee (of one) thinks it knows a few things:
1) Northern Colorado is the favorite to claim the postseason tournament’s No. 1 seed.
2) Northern Arizona’s Jack Murphy is going to win coach of the year.
3) North Dakota’s Troy Huff has little to no chance to win the Big Sky’s player of the year.
4) Southern Utah is going to finish dead last, but the Thunderbirds will win two conference games. You heard it here first.
5) UNC, WSU, NAU, MSU and ISU are all locks to make the postseason. That leaves two more spots open.
Without further ado.
1. Northern Colorado 11-4, 5-1
Last week: No. 1
In the Bears first conference road trip of the season, they dropped a 70-55 decision to Montana State before rebounding to knock off Montana 84-73.
Senior forward Derrick Barden is averaging 13.6 points and 8.5 rebounds a game. Against the Bobcats, the 6-foot-5 forward had four points and four rebounds, and Northern Colorado had its lowest scoring output of the season.
Despite that loss, though, the Bears showed the committee (of one) that they’re the team to beat by bouncing back in Missoula against the Grizzlies. Barden had 20 points and UNC shot a sizzling 58 percent from the field.
2. Northern Arizona 8-9, 5-1
Last week: No. 4
NAU has won its last four by beating Eastern Washington 84-65 and Portland State 77-56, both games in Flagstaff, Ariz.
Since losing to Montana State by two Jan. 4, the Lumberjacks have rolled opponents, winning by 10, 34, 19 and 21 points.
What a remarkable change from nonconference action when NAU went 3-8. In the Big Sky, the Jacks’ scoring average has jumped from 64.7 to 74.2.
Their three leading scorers in the Big Sky — Aaseem Dixon, Quinton Upshur and Max Jacobsen — are all pumping in at least 14 points a game and each is shooting at 50 percent or better from the floor.
The one flaw in Northern Arizona’s resume is that it’s yet to play any of the league’s heavy hitters beyond Montana State. That changes Thursday when Murphy and the Jacks play in Greeley, Colo., where our No. 1 team is undefeated.
3. Weber State 8-6, 5-1
Last week: No. 2
Weber State survived a scare by holding off Southern Utah 65-59, and the Wildcats downed Idaho State 65-59 Monday night.
WSU head coach Randy Rahe says this year’s version of Weber State basketball is a team that’s not going to pull away from any of its opponents. The ’Cats, he says, have to grind out wins.
But that’s not a bad thing. Joel Bolomboy, who leads the Big Sky in rebounding, collected 16 against the Bengals. The 6-9 forward is a terror with freaky jumping ability and a wing span Jay Bilas would faint over.
The committee (of one) hasn’t seen every team in the conference, but we’re confident no one can match WSU’s defensive prowess or athleticism that extends from its starters to the role players.
4. Montana State 9-8, 4-2
Last week: No. 3
The good: Montana State held Northern Colorado 20 points below its season average in a 70-55 victory. At that time, head coach Brad Huse and the ’Cats were sitting atop the Big Sky Conference standings.
The bad: MSU allowed North Dakota to win its first game on the road this season in a 72-69 loss, on a night when its star Troy Huff scored seven points less than his average.
5. North Dakota 6-10, 3-3
Last week: No. 7
As referenced above, North Dakota found a way to beat Montana State (72-69) after it had lost at Montana 84-71 earlier in the week.
The committee (of one) isn’t sure North Dakota is very good and wonders if No. 5 is too high for the mascot-less squad from frigid Grand Forks, N.D. (projected high for today: 9 below zero).
Before the victory in Bozeman, Mont., Saturday, UND’s two conference wins were at home against Southern Utah (by four points) and Idaho State (another four-point margin that required a timely charge call in favor of the home team).
Otherwise, the mascot-less had lost by double digits to their three other conference foes.
6. Idaho State 6-9, 3-3
Last week: No. 5
Idaho State took care of business in a 60-45 victory against lowly Southern Utah and then lost to Weber State 65-59 Monday in Ogden, Utah.
In three conference losses on the road, the Bengals have rallied in the second half to nearly pull off the victory in each. But North Dakota had the favorable call to nullify Andre Hatchett’s game-tying jumper, Northern Colorado executed in the final minute and Weber State nabbed a big-time rebound off a missed free throw.
With both Montana and Montana State visiting Pocatello this week, though, the Bengals can erase any and all memories of missed opportunities with two more home wins.
7. Montana 7-8, 2-4
Last week: No. 9
At home, Montana beat North Dakota 84-71 and lost to Northern Colorado 84-73.
The committee (of one) never would have guessed Montana would be coming to Pocatello Thursday night as the more desperate team. The Grizzlies’ next four games are away from Missoula and it starts with Idaho State Thursday, Weber State Saturday, Southern Utah Jan. 3 and Montana State Feb. 3.
We would expect Montana’s offensive firepower — the Griz are one of the highest scoring teams in the Big Sky — to overwhelm Southern Utah. But head coach Wayne Tinkle had better figure out a way to slow down the opposing offenses of ISU, WSU and MSU.
8. Eastern Washington 7-10, 2-4
Last week: No. 6
The Eagles are good at home with a 5-1 record, but after losses at Northern Arizona (84-65) and Sacramento State (75-64), Eastern Washington is 0-9 outside of Cheney, Wash.
The issue has been defense. NAU and Sac State shot a combined 49 percent from the field, and Eastern’s roster depth is nearly as thin as Alex Rodriguez’s reputation. Tyler Harvey, Parker Kelly, Drew Brandson and Venky Jois are all talented but each logs heavy minutes.
9. Portland State 7-8, 2-4
Last week: No. 8
Portland State traveled south to prevail 68-64 in overtime against Sacramento State and then got torched by Northern Arizona 77-56.
Of the four teams stuck at 2-4 in the league standings, the Vikings might have the best chance to reverse their sorry state of affairs with their next four games in Portland.
They’d better take advantage because after that, too, because PSU is on the road for six of its next eight.
10. Sacramento State 6-9, 2-4
Last week: No. 10
The Hornets lost to Portland State 68-64 in overtime and beat Eastern Washington 75-64.
Taking out the Eagles saved Sacramento State’s season. Falling to 1-5 in the league might have been too big of a hole to clamber out of.
But considering 670 fans were at Sacramento’s game last Saturday, most Hornet fans have already given up.
11. Southern Utah 1-14, 0-6
Last week: No. 11
Southern Utah lost to Idaho State 60-45 and Weber State 65-59.
Every week, the committee (of one) utilizes this space to denounce SUU’s mascot, the Thunderbird. We list reasons why the T-bird is the worst mascot in the Big Sky Conference (and possibly the entire country).
But not today. We picked up a heavy dose of respect for the Thunderbirds last Thursday when they played Idaho State in Holt Arena. Head coach Nick Robinson has a young, inexperienced squad that plays with enthusiasm and energy, despite what is now a 14-game losing streak.
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