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OGDEN, Utah (October 14, 2016) – The 2016 Big Sky Champion Weber State Wildcats were chosen as the preseason favorite to repeat as conference champions by the league’s coaches and media.
Weber State finished the 2015-16 season with a 26-9 overall record and a 15-3 mark in conference play. The Wildcats earned the 2016 Big Sky regular-season championship and went on to win the first-ever neutral site conference championship on their way to their 16th NCAA tournament appearance.
WSU lost the Big Sky’s all-time leading rebounder and current Utah Jazz forward, Joel Bolomboy to graduation, but most of last year’s starting corps will return with first team All-Big Sky honoree, Jeremy Senglin and last season’s Top Reserve Kyndahl Hill expected to take on a leadership role this season.
The No. 2 spot in the polls were split with Idaho earning second place in the coaches’ poll and Montana second in the media poll.
The Vandals finished third in the Big Sky standings last season at 12-6 in the league and return their top-five scorers. Victor Sanders, the Vandals scoring leader, averaged 15.9 points per game with 51 assists in 2015-16.
The Grizzlies picked up 167 points and three first-place votes in the media poll and were selected fourth in the coaches’ poll with 96 points. Montana finished second in the Big Sky standings (21-12, 14-4 BSC) and earned a No. 2 seed in the conference tournament where the Griz advanced to the finals before falling to Weber State 62-59 in a thrilling championship tilt.
Seniors Walter Wright and Michael Oguine were named preseason All-Big Sky selections by College Sports Madness and both will be looked to for leadership on the 2016-17 squad. Wright averaged 13.2 points and picked up All-Big Sky honorable mention accolades last season. Oguine is the Grizzlies’ top returning rebounder, averaging 4.4 boards per game last season.
North Dakota earned a third-place nod from the coaches with 103 points and three first-place votes. UND was picked fourth by the media with 137 points and one first-place vote. The Fighting Hawks will welcome back standout guard, Quinton Hooker, for a senior season. Last year Hooker picked up numerous accolades including a first team All-Big Sky selection, and the College Sports Report Mid-Major Player of the Year award. Also returning to the Fighting Hawks roster is junior Drick Bernstine, who is the conference’s leading returning rebounder with 9.1 boards per game last season.
Idaho State, which was ranked fifth in both polls, boasts the league’s top returning scorer, Ethan Telfair. Last season the Bengal guard averaged 20.2 points per game last season and led the league with 5.4 assists per game on his way to the 2016 Big Sky Newcomer of the Year award.
Rounding out the polls, Montana State earned a sixth-place ranking by the league’s coaches and a seventh-place ranking by the media. Eastern Washington finished seventh in the coaches’ poll and tied ISU for fifth in the media rankings. Portland State, Sacramento State, Northern Arizona, Northern Colorado and Southern Utah round out the coaches’ poll while the Hornets, Vikings, Bears, Lumberjacks and Thunderbirds cap off the media poll.
Northern Colorado will not be eligible for the 2017 Big Sky Conference championship as the university has instituted a self-imposed postseason ban.
The 2017 Big Sky men’s basketball championship will take place March 7 through 11 at the Reno Events Center in Reno, Nev. Tickets for the 2017 Big Sky Basketball Championships go on sale on Nov. 11. Visit RoadtoReno.com for more information.
| Coaches Poll |
|
Media Poll |
|
| Team |
Points |
Team |
Points |
| 1. Weber State |
114 (7) |
1. Weber State |
181 (10) |
| 2. Idaho |
104 (1) |
2. Montana |
167 (3) |
| 3. North Dakota |
103 (3) |
3. Idaho |
158 (2) |
| 4. Montana |
96 |
4. North Dakota |
137 (1) |
| 5. Idaho State |
79 |
5. Eastern Washington |
121 |
| 6. Montana State |
73 (1) |
5. Idaho State |
121 |
| 7. Eastern Washington |
56 |
7. Montana State |
92 |
| 8. Portland State |
49 |
8. Sacramento State |
78 |
| 9. Sacramento State |
44 |
9. Portland State |
69 |
| 10. Northern Arizona |
36 |
10. Northern Colorado |
54 |
| 11. Northern Colorado |
25 |
11. Northern Arizona |
40 |
| 12. Southern Utah |
13 |
12. Southern Utah |
30 |
| First place votes in parenthesis |
|
|