Walter Jackson and the Sacramento State Hornets welcome Southeast Missouri State to The Nest on Thursday.
MBB Notes - Dec. 19
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This Week’s Sky Schedule
Monday, Dec. 19 Time
Mayville State at Weber State (Big Sky TV) 7:05
Tuesday, Dec. 20 Time
Montana State at New Mexico (My 50 TV, New Mexico) 7:05
Northern Arizona at Sam Houston State 7:05
Eastern Washington at Saint Mary’s 7:05
Thursday, Dec. 22 Time
Portland State at CS Fullerton 7:05
Wyoming at Idaho State (BigSkyTV) 7:05
Utah at Weber State (Altitude)(BigSkyTV) 7:05
Colorado State at Northern Colorado (BigSkyTV) 7:05
Southeast Missouri St. at Sacramento State (BigSkyTV) 7:05
Utah Valley at Montana (BigSkyTV) 7:05
Game Times Local to Site/Subject to Change
This Week’s Sky Highlights
Big Sky Conference teams are slated to play just 10 games this week, as teams prepare to break for the Holidays and gear up for conference play.…Weber State is in action twice this week at home. Randy Rahe’s Wildcats play host to Mayville State on Monday, and run with Utah on Thursday. The Utah game will be televised live on Altitude Sports & Entertainment…Northern Arizona, fresh off an upset of Arizona State, looks to move to 3-0 under interim coach Dave Brown as the Lumberjacks take on Sam Houston State in Huntsville, Texas, on Tuesday…Eastern Washington treks to Saint Mary’s on Tuesday, while Montana State is at New Mexico…Six Big Sky teams are in action on Thursday…Idaho State will take on Wyoming at Holt Arena. It will be the first game for interim Bengal coach Deane Martin…Northern Colorado looks to snap a two-game slide as it welcomes Colorado State to the Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion…Montana plays Utah Valley State in Missoula, while Sacramento State takes on Southeast Missouri State in a return game from last year’s BracketBusters. Portland State takes on Cal State Fullerton of the Big West Conference on the road…All games held in Big Sky venues can be viewed on Big Sky TV...Conference play starts on Wednesday, Dec. 28.
Around the Big Sky
O’BRIEN STEPS DOWN: Idaho State’s Joe O’Brien resigned as Idaho State men’s basketball coach on Monday. Assistant coach Deane Martin will serve as the interim head coach for the remainder of the season. The Bengals were off to a 2-8 start this season. “In coaching you need to know when it is time to walk way,” O’Brien said. “I know it is time. For a number of reasons in my life it is time. This basketball team has a chance and they have proven they can compete with people. A different voice will make a difference in this program. It is time for me to do something different.” O’Brien took over the Bengals in 2006, leading his team to the Big Sky Championship each of his first three seasons. O’Brien finished his career at Idaho State with a 56-105 record, and was 33-46 in conference play. Martin was in his first season as an assistant coach with the Bengals. O’Brien is the second coach this season to resign. Northern Arizona’s Mike Adras stepped down on Dec. 9.
ROGERS RETURNS: Northern Arizona junior guard Gabe Rogers returned to the Lumberjacks’ lineup in their 69-68 upset of Arizona State on Saturday. Rogers, an All-Big Sky Second-Team selection last season, missed the first 10 games of the season with a shoulder injury. Rogers played 15 minutes off the bench against Arizona State, scoring four points with four assists. Rogers averaged 13 points per game last season, and was among the national leaders in 3-point field-goal percentage at 46.8 percent.
RPI REPORT: This week’s RPI Report from the Collegiate Basketball News was released on Monday. The Big Sky is ranked 21st among the 31 conferences, just behind the Western Athletic Conference and just ahead of the Big West. The Big Ten is first, followed by the ACC, Big 12, Mountain West and the SEC. Weber State has the highest RPI of Big Sky teams, checking in at 109. Northern Colorado moved up nine spots to 118, and Portland State moved up 11 spots to 130. Duke of the ACC is No. 1 in the RPI, followed by Syracuse, Northern Iowa, Southern Miss. and Seton Hall. Northern Colorado’s schedule strength ranks 11th in the nation, while Northern Arizona’s is 114th.
LILLARD STILL LEADS THE NATION: Weber State junior guard Damian Lillard is ranked No. 1 nationally in scoring for the third straight week. Lillard, who scored 14 points in Weber State’s third loss of the season at Cal, is averaging 25.4 points per game. He has scored at least 20 points in six of Weber State’s nine games this season. Lillard is also ranked 10th in the nation in 3-point field goals per game with 3.4. Lillard is shooting 47 percent from the field, 43 percent from 3-point land, and 87 percent from the free-throw line. This season, Lillard scored a career-high 41 points in a double-overtime win against San Jose State. The 41 points is tied for the second-most in a game this season. Alex Young of IUPUI scored 43 against Western Kentucky on Dec. 3. Reggie Hamilton of Oakland netted 14 against Valparaiso on Dec. 17. Lillard has scored 1,379 career points.
SALDIVAR, CHERRY ON COUSY LIST: Montana’sWill Cherry and Northern Arizona’s Stallon Saldivar have been named candidates for the Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year Award. Almost 60 candidates have been nominated for the award, named after Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic Bob Cousy. The list of candidates will be narrowed to 20 on Jan. 1, 10 on Feb. 1, and five on March 1. Cherry is averaging 14.6 points and 3.7 assists per game. Saldivar is netting 9.5 points and 5.5 assists per game.
NCAA RANKINGS: Northern Colorado ranks third nationally in 3-point field goal percentage with an average of 44 percent, and is also ranked 29th in free-throw percentage with 74.6 percent. Weber State ranks sixth (77.9 percent) and Portland State is 50th (73.2 percent) for free-throw percentage. Eastern Washington ranks fifth in the nation in 3-point field-goals, averaging 9.8 per game, and is 13th in the nation in turnover margin at 4.9. Weber State’s Scott Bamforth ranks 12th in the nation in 3-point field-goal percentage at 48.1 percent. Weber State’s Damian Lillard is 10th in 3-point field-goals per game with a 3.4 average. Sacramento State’s Dylan Garrity is 17th in assists per game with an average of 6.4.
WILDCATS DROP TO 22: Weber State dropped from 13th to 22rd in this week’s College Insider.com Mid-Major Poll. Weber State lost its only game last week, falling at Cal 77-57. Creighton of the Missouri Valley is rated first, followed by Murray State, Harvard, Cleveland State and Iona.
Tip-ins: Collin Chiverton and Cliff Colimon each scored 26 points in Eastern Washington’s 83-72 win over Pacific Lutheran…Will Cherry scored 20 points with nine rebounds, four assists and three steals in Montana’s 80-65 road win over Portland. Derek Selvig had 15 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks…Tate Unruh scored a career-high 25 points, hitting five 3-pointers in Northern Colorado’s 93-72 loss to No. 11 Marquette. Unruh scored a then-career high 19 in a loss to 71-65 loss to Denver last Wednesday…Sacramento State make 9-of-13 3-pointers and held a 37-22 rebounding edge in a 75-64 home win over North Dakota. Heath Hoffman scored 19 points, hitting 4-of-5 3-pointers to lead the Hornets… Lateef McMullan scored a career-high 19 points in Portland State’s 101-68 loss to Portland State. He scored 15 points with six assists in a win over Cal State Bakersfield earlier in the week...Northern Arizona is 2-0 under interim coach Dave Brown...Big Sky teams are 29-11 at home, and just 9-36 in road games...Montana’s Will Cherry has 163 career steals, which is tied for 17th in Big Sky history...Weber State’s Damian Lillard has made 183 3-pointers in his career, which is tied for 19th in Big Sky history...Freshman James Douglas scored 18 points in NAU’s win over Arizona State...NAU scored on eight of its last nine possessions against the Sun Devils.