TW Courtside

Stock Watch: Week One

2009-11-18T16:01:00.002-07:00

I’m back! Now that the season has started it’s time to fire TW Courtside back up for another season. Things look a whole lot different in the Big Sky this year, thanks to graduation. This will be an exciting year!

This past week we finally got a chance to see all of the Big Sky teams in action. Albeit, it is always tough to gauge teams at this point because many are playing up or down a level. Here are some thoughts on each of the teams:

Stocks Are Up

Portland State: The Vikings got off to a 2-0 start with wins over Washington and Western Oregon at home. In the win over Washington, Kelli Valentine hit a buzzer-beater to win it. Against WO, Claire Faucher sat out and the game was closer than expected. It must make Coach Murrell happy that this team can win without Faucher. Now, can they do it against real competition?

Montana State: The Bobcats were the most impressive of any BSC team this past week. MSU survived a tough CS Bakersfield team and took care of Pacific, both on the road. The Cats were awful on the road in the non-conference last season, so this trip gave them a ton of confidence. Only 4 games remain away from Bozeman in the non-conf this season. Katie Bussey and Erica Perry showed that MSU may have the best backcourt in the league.

Not Enough Information

Weber State: Barely lost to a good team (Boise St.), barely beat a bad team (Dixie St). We will know more about CT’s squad in the coming weeks.

Idaho State: Tough way to open the season, at Saint Mary’s and at California. I think the close game against the Gaels is reason to be optimistic. Oana Iacovita’s play is another reason.

Eastern Washington: I believe this to be the most underrated team in the conference. A win at Portland is huge, but only putting up 48 against Oregon is a head-scratcher. Julie Piper is a sure All-BSC first teamer…if they can get her the ball.

Stocks Falling

Sacramento State: The Hornets topped 100 in their exhibition game but looked lost offensively against CS Fullerton. Could this be the same streaky team that we saw last year in Sac Town?

Northern Arizona: There are some great underclassmen on this squad, but losses to UC Riverside and Pepperdine show that this year is clearly a rebuilding year.

Northern Colorado: Offensive struggles will be a theme in Greeley this winter. Losing Kate Kevorken really hurt this team.

Montana: The Griz went 0-2 to start the season, first time this has happened in the Selvig era. A lack of a true point guard hurts this team’s chances and until they find an answer, I think their 2nd place ranking in the preseason polls may be a major stretch.

Burning Questions Part 1

2009-08-10T16:40:00.002-06:00

In just a few days, student-athletes will be back on campuses around the country. While many wbb teams have been involved in summer school and offseason workouts, for some this will be the first time that all team members will be together.

As we mourn the end of summer and celebrate the start of another school year there are many burning questions surrounding the Big Sky Conference this year. The league graduated so many talented players last year, that fans will be asking “Who’s that?” when teams take the floor in November. In honor of these hot August days, here are the burning questions in the BSC for the upcoming year…

Can anyone name a returning player on Idaho State’s roster? Anyone? (Crickets chirp in the background). Well to be fair, there are some returnees for ISU, but the graduations of Michelle Grohs and Jenna Brown leave major voids for the Bengals. On top of that, freshman sensation Sheila Adams, forward Verity Peets, and freshman Jeni Guertin have all transferred. That leaves just 6 returning scholarship players. They have signed 7 newcomers, but a team made up of half returnees and half newcomers is bound to have chemistry issues. Coach Sobelewski did a magnificent job with his team last season, but with a roster thin on experience and so many new faces, it will be another uphill climb this season.

Who will make up the Griz backcourt? The names “Nance-Johnson” and “Hurley” just don’t have the same ring as the names “Morales” and “Rogers.” The UM frontcourt of Sarah Ena and Jessa Loman-Linford appears sown up, but the Grizzlies must answer big questions in the backcourt. Loren Beck will be back at the three-guard/small forward position, but the one and two will be new faces. It is assumed the Griz will go with Shaunte Nance-Johnson at the point, and while she did get some time at the spot last year, this will be a major drop in talent from Mandy Morales. Some have RS Freshman Alex Hurley at the shooting guard spot, but will she have the ability to guard the other talented shooting guards in the league? I have also heard Kenzie DeBoer’s name being thrown around as a starter at the two. Either way, defenses are already breathing easier now that Sonya Rogers has graduated.

Who will rebound for Montana State? Rebounds were aplenty last season for MSU with senior Nubia Garcia moving up the school’s record charts in career rebounding. The senior led the league in average rebounds most of the year. However, Garcia’s graduation, along with Jenny Heringer’s decision to leave the team, has left the Cats in a major hole. Where will the boards come from? Sarah Strand will return for a third year as a starter this season at the small forward, but she has not proven to be a consistent rebounding threat. There aren’t many guards that rebound the way Jenny Heringer did and it is unlikely that the gap will be made up by perimeter players. It is likely that the battle for a starting spot between Jaime Thornton and newcomer Beata Bak will yield the Cats’ biggest threat on the boards. It may also be possible that freshmen Ashley Albert and Rachel Semansky may see increased playing time as the season moves on should they develop into rebounders.

Rest assured many burning questions remain around the league and I will ask them in the coming days!

Coming Attractions

2009-05-31T08:09:00.002-06:00

I will be doing team previews as we get closer to the 2009-10 season of Big Sky WBB, but MSU has some great You Tube videos, so I thought I would wet your appetite a bit. If you are like me, you are going through withdrawls at this point in the calendar anyway.

The Cream of the Crop?

2009-05-05T08:22:00.002-06:00

Charlie Creme at ESPN.com wrote a column lining out the top 64 teams to watch for the 2009-10 season. The only Big Sky team he listed was Portland State at number 53.

"53. Portland State: While the Vikings say goodbye to perhaps the school's all-time best player in Kelsey Kahle, they do return two of their top three scorers to make a run at the top spot in the Big Sky."

I am inclined to agree that the Viks should be the early favorites in the BSC next season. With Mandy Morales out of the picture at Montana, Claire Faucher is probably the most electric player in the conference. As Creme said, the Viks will return 2 of their top 3 leading scorers (Faucher and Kelli Valentine)and will have plenty of other contributors like Kelly Marchant, Kate DePaepe, and Eryn Jones. So, on paper, the Viks look good.

I do think that they will have a big hole to fill with the graduation of Kelsey Kahle. She had a work ethic that ranked in the top 2 or 3 in the conference, and was a leader-by-example for PSU. How the Vikings respond to a leadership void created by Kahle's absence will be the biggest question they must answer in the off season.

The Return of the Jedi (or Blogger)

2009-05-04T17:19:00.004-06:00

Hello everyone! I haven't died, there hasn't been any accident, I just was taking some time away from the blog after the season ended. There have been a few happenings since the end of the season that I need to catch you up on. So here it goes:

Sac State coach (and TW Courtside COY) Dan Muscatell took an assistant coaching job at Oregon under the Ducks' new coach Paul Westhead. The Hornets promoted Associate HC Jaime Craighead to the Head Job. Technically she is an interim, but I imagine it is a trial run to see how she handles being in control of the program. I think "interim" is the most damaging word possible to a program. It hurts recruiting because players are unwilling to commit to a coach that may not be there by the time they set foot on campus, donors are unwilling to make donations to the program because the future is murky, and players under scholarship don't work as hard because they are unsure of the future of the program. I hope the Sac AD does the wise thing and removes coach Craighead's "interim" tag soon.

Idaho State is suffering from the normal defections that occur when a program is in transition. Freshman guard Sheila Adams, veteran post Verity Peets, and freshman post Jeni Guertin have all pulled the plug and asked for transfers. Adams is probably the biggest loss of the three. She showed tremendous poise and potential after being forced into the starting lineup due to injuries. She had a great freshman year. Guertin also showed potential off the bench. Check out Kelvin Ang's reporting on these developments over at his blog.

As for this blog, I will continue to update throughout the off season on happenings throughout the conference. Soon, I will look at incoming freshman and transfer classes, have my pre-pre season rankings, and also hopefully do some interviews of BSC news makers. Stay tuned!

The Madness is Upon Us

2009-03-17T08:39:00.003-06:00

The 2009 Big Sky Conference WBB tournament lived up to its billing. Every game was hotly contested, even the semifinal between UM and ISU ended up being a great game. I know many people (including your truly) had predicted that game to be a rout, but just as they did all season long, the Bengals surprised us by playing one of their best games of the year and kept it close throughout.

The final between PSU and UM was another great game and I thought Altitude did a nice job of bringing it to us. In the end, you knew PSU/UM would settle the BSC for 2009. They were on a collision course.

UM drew a 13 seed in the upcoming NCAA tournament. They will play the 4th seeded Pittsburgh Panthers in Seattle on Friday. I think that for only losing 4 games this season, 3 of which were to other NCAA tourney teams and the other to an NIT team, Montana deserved a better seed. This is a consistently good program that is better than a lot of the teams in the tournament. I would have seeded them at a 10 or an 11.

PSU earned an automatic bid in the WNIT and will host Portland on Thursday for the right to play Oregon State on Saturday. The Viks beat Portland already this season and were blasted by OSU. But, you have to like the fact that you get to stay in state for 2 rounds, who knows maybe PSU can make a run!

2009 TW Courtside Big Sky WBB Awards

2009-03-10T12:05:00.006-06:00

After an outstanding 2008-09 season, I am excited to debut the first ever Courtside Awards for Big Sky Women's Basketball. There were some outstanding performances and stories this year. How about ISU and SAC's improbable runs to the tournament? How about the impressive seasons of UM and PSU? How about MSU turning around their season at the end of January?

The story lines and individuals we will continue to follow at the tournament kept us entertained and inspired all season long, and now it is time to hand out the hardware (there isn't really any hardware, but there is a ton of prestige tied to these awards!).

First of all, the fan votes. I tried the idea of letting Courtside followers select some of the individual awards and I was pleasantly surprised by the number of responses to the polls. Thank you for voting and here are the results:

TW Courtside BSC Player of the Year: Mandy Morales, Sr, Montana. Morales had an incredible senior season, through a good portion of the season, she led the league in scoring and proved to be one of the most difficult match-ups for opposing teams. Her strong and consistent play is the reason we are all headed to Missoula tomorrow. Runner-up: in a narrow vote, Morales edged out Kelsey Kahle, Sr, PSU.

TW Courtside BSC Outstanding Freshman: Katie Bussey, Fr, Montana State. In the fan voting, Bussey ran away in this category. It was clear early on that Katie Bussey would be a key contributor for MSU this season. The freshman led all other BSC freshman in scoring and was third on MSU's team in scoring. She has the tremendous potential to be the most deadly three point threat in the league in coming years. This season, she is 14th in the league in made three pointers with 35, a stat that leads MSU.

TW Courtside BSC Defender of the Year: Britney Lohman, Sr, Montana. Lohman was second in the conference in blocks this season, but her defensive contributions are hard to quantify with numbers. Lohman always draws the biggest defensive assignment for UM and rises to the challenge. Note: My vote went to MSU's Nubia Garcia. Garcia is the only BSC player in the top ten in blocks, steals, and defensive rebounds. She is a lock-down defender that made some of the BSC's best forwards look pretty average. However, here at Courtside we value democracy so fan vote wins!

TW Courtside BSC Coach of the Year: Dan Muscatell, Sac State. This was a hotly contested category because both Coach Muscatell and Coach Sobelewski at ISU did fantastic work to get their teams into postseason contention. The Hornets won 3 more conference games than they did last season. Sac State will be in the BSC tourney for the first time since 2005 and for just the 3rd time in school history. The Hornets were able to do this thanks to some huge wins in conference play. The Hornet's nest was not a fun place for opposing teams to visit this year, which is a testament to Coach Muscatell's hard work. Runner up: Seton Sobelewski, ISU.

Now, here are the 2009 All-Courtside Teams!

MVP: Mandy Morales, UM

First Team All-Courtside
Kelsey Kahle, PSU
Erica Perry, MSU
Charday Hunt, SAC
Claire Faucher, PSU
Sonya Rogers, UM

Second Team All-Courtside
Nubia Garcia, MSU
Michelle Grohs, ISU
Sade Cunningham, NAU
Caitlyn Anderson, WSU
Britney Lohman, UM

Honorable Mention All-Courtside
Julie Piper, EWU
Kelly Valentine, PSU
Courtney Stoermer, NC
Jenna Brown, ISU
Sarah Ena, UM

Tourney Time

2009-03-09T11:21:00.003-06:00

Click on image for a larger view.

Just in case you live under a rock or don't follow Big Sky WBB, here is an update on weekend happenings in the BSC. Montana clinched the 1 seed and hosting rights in a thrilling 70-60 win over Portland State. Over 6,700 fans were in attendance at the game, giving us big hopes for a well-attended tournament this week.

Sac State clinched its third-ever BSC tournament with a walloping of Northern Colorado 74-60 on Saturday afternoon. Hats off to Dan Muscatell and crew on a job well done. Montana State capped off its regular season with an 85-67 win over Eastern Washington. EWU finished the season +6 in the win column over last season, completing a nice turnaround. With a loaded roster back for next season, EWU is primed for a 2009-10 run.

So, we are set for what should be a great tournament this week. In a 3-6 match up, MSU and NAU will tip things off in the first round at 5:30 pm on Thursday. The Jacks swept MSU in the regular season in 2 lopsided victories. MSU is one of, if not the, hottest teams heading into the tournament, and the bracket sets up for another run at the title game, similar to last season's magical run. MSU is 5-1 since their last meeting with NAU, but the 'Cats mustn't take NAU for granted, because the Jacks have been a very difficult match up for MSU over the last couple of seasons.

The ISU/SAC opening round match up is intriguing because SAC has never beaten ISU, but this year's 2 game series was decided by a total of 7 points. Will SAC have more momentum heading into this meeting due to its thumping of NC and ISU's resounding loss to WSU? Or will ISU's front court be too much for the Hornets as it was earlier this year?

An MSU win would set up another rematch with PSU in the semis. The two teams split in the regular season, with the Viks winning the most recent game. This would be the match up of the tournament in my mind. UM is the overwhelming favorite to win it all. They will have no trouble with whoever they face in the semis, but either PSU or MSU could give the Griz trouble in the final.

I can't wait!!

Note: Thanks to all of you who voted in our Courtside Awards. I will be posting winners this afternoon or tomorrow morning. We will have the fan choices and my awards. Check back soon!

Super Saturday Open Thread

2009-03-07T12:09:00.010-07:00

2:55pm

Katia Hadj-Hamou hits a big three at the end of the first half. PSU and UM are tied at 33 at half-time. NC-SAC tip off is in 10 minutes.

2:32pm

With 11:41 left in the first half, PSU and UM are tied at 15. Big crowd on hand in Missoula.

1:20pm

Newspaper Roundups

The Missoulian's Bill Speltz previews the UM/PSU tilt here.

The Oregonian's Ian Ruder has his own preview here.

The Sacramento Bee previews the SAC/NC game here.

12:35pm

If you are a complete statistical nerd like a few people I know, the graphic below will appeal to you. It shows the 8 different possible outcomes based on the 3 games today. The first level shows the winners in the first column and the losers in the second column. The second level shows records based on the possible outcomes. The third level shows the resulting seeds after taking into account tiebreakers. (Click on the graphic for a larger view.)

12:10pm

It's an important day in the Big Sky because we will finally get to answer some important questions like:

Where will the tournament be next week?

Who will be in?

How will the teams be seeded?

Who wins the BSC MVP? (in my mind, that question is answered by the outcome of the PSU/UM game)

We already have 2 of the seeds figured out thanks to Weber State's 74-60 upset of ISU in Ogden last night. With that outcome, ISU clinches the 4 seed while MSU clinches the 3 seed thanks to its season sweep of ISU.

I have camped out with my computer and am ready to load up BigSkyTV.org in a little less than 2 hours. Here's what I will be watching:

2pm- PSU and UM tip off with the winner hosting the tournament.
3pm- NCU and SAC tip off with the winner in and the loser out of the tournament.
7pm- EWU and MSU tip off to close out the BSC regular season.

I will be checking back and updating this post throughout the day, so feel free to leave questions or make comments in the comments section. Enjoy this exciting day!

And then there were 5.

2009-03-06T09:48:00.005-07:00

It was another wild night in the Big Sky last night and the picture became a little bit clearer. Despite all odds, Northern Arizona clinched a spot in the tournament with a beat down of Northern Colorado in Flagstaff and by virtue of an Eastern Washington loss in Missoula. Also as a result of those games, EWU has been eliminated from tournament contention. Portland State avenged a January upset, taking care of Montana State in Bozeman. The game did not affect the tournament race, but it did add some more drama to Saturday's showdown in Missoula as both PSU and UM have 14-1 records heading into the contest.

Saturday will be a very important day because all of our questions will be answered. I for one plan to camp out in front of my computer and watch BigSkyTV.org and catch UM/PSU at 2pm and the second half of SAC/NCU after that. Here is what is at stake this weekend:

ISU @ WSU, 7pm MT
ISU travels to Ogden knowing it is in the tournament and guaranteed at least a 4 seed. WSU has been eliminated. Should ISU get the victory and MSU stumble against EWU, the Bengals would get the 3 seed. If the Bengals lose, they are the 4 seed and MSU clinches the 3 seed by virtue of their season sweep over ISU.

PSU @ UM, 2pm MT
The winner will host next week's Big Sky Conference tournament. It doesn't get any bigger than that. For PSU, a win would secure the first ever BSC regular season title. For Montana, a win would yield their 22nd title and 3rd consecutive season of hosting the tournament. The loser of this game will be the 2 seed in the tournament.

NCU @ SAC, 3pm MT
Due to NCU's loss to NAU last night, the winner of this game is in the tournament. Where the winner is seeded is another story. Here are the possibilities:
1. NCU wins, EWU loses: NAU is the 5 seed, NCU is the 6 seed
2. NCU wins, EWU wins: NCU is the 5 seed, NAU is the 6 seed
3. SAC wins: SAC is the 5 seed, NAU is the 6 seed

EWU @ MSU, 7pm MT
Because of its lopsided loss at UM and NAU's defeat of NCU, the Eagles will be in the spoiler roll at MSU's senior night. Depending on the outcome of Friday's ISU-WSU game, MSU might not have anything but pride to play for either. Assuming ISU wins, MSU will need to beat the Eagles to lock up the three seed.

Where Amazing Happens
I am continually impressed every time I see Claire Faucher in action. Last night vs MSU, the PSU point guard registered a triple-double with 20 points, 10 boards, and 10 steals. She was 2 assists shy of a quadruple double. On top of her hoops skills, she is also a comedian. During a free throw attempt, she fumbled and lost the basketball, promptly drawing jeers from the MSU crowd which thought it should count as her attempt. The ref picked up the ball and gave it back to her, and she gave a big shrug to the crowd before making the shot.

My Soap-Box
Why do we still have the regular season champ host the tournament? In this day and age where travel is so expensive and the logistics of travel for BSC teams are so quirky it is almost prohibitive for this format to continue. Here we are about 4 days away from teams having to leave for the tournament and we still don't know where we are going. I have to admit I love the drama and excitement the PSU-UM situation has created this year, but having to pull travel arrangements together for 5 teams and their fans in a span of 3 days is absolutely ridiculous and needlessly costly.

I do have some solutions however. The idea that springs to mind first is that you have the champion from the previous year host the tournament. That has problems in that in many cases, the champion one year is drained of senior players the next year and may not even be eligible for the tournament.

The better idea in my mind is to hold the tournament in a central location: Ogden, Utah. The Dee Events Center is one of the nicest in the conference and has plenty of space. The BSC headquarters are in Ogden. The Salt Lake City airport is very convenient for all of the teams in the conference and would be easily accessible by all fans. If you have a problem with one school continually hosting the tournament, maybe institute a rotation or hold it in a true neutral site like the Huntsman Center in SLC.

I really don't like the idea that some schools are pitching which is to cut the tourney teams from 6 to 4. It would make the remainder of the season meaningless to most of the teams very early in the conference schedule, and I think you would lose a lot of the late season magic.

You Decide '09

2009-03-04T13:34:00.002-07:00

I have been planning an awards post for a couple of weeks now, and it hit me that I should let all of you loyal readers have a voice in who wins the TW Courtside Big Sky Conference Women's Basketball Awards! I have been getting a good amount of responses to my polls lately, so now is the time. You will see the polls at the right. Due to space contraints, I had to narrow down the choices, but if there is someone missing that you think deserves a look, let me know in the comments.

Polls close at 5pm on Sunday and I will have a wrap-up post on Monday. Get out and vote!!

Clinchers, Round 2

2009-03-02T15:23:00.002-07:00

With just one weekend left in Big Sky regular season play we still have a lot of sorting out to do. Congrats to Idaho State and Montana State who both clinched spots this past week. Here is what can happen this week:

Portland State: has clinched first round bye. Can clinch 1 seed and tournament hosting rights with 1)a win over Montana OR 2)with a win over MSU, EWU wins over UM and MSU, AND ISU win over WSU or NCU loss to either NAU or SAC.

Montana: has clinched first round bye. Can Clinch 1 seed and tournament hosting rights with a win over PSU AND either 1) a win over EWU, OR 2) wins by NCU over SAC and NAU coupled with an ISU loss to WSU, OR 3) MSU win over PSU or EWU.

Montana State: has clinched a tournament spot. Can clinch 3 seed with a win over PSU or EWU.

Idaho State: has clinched a tournament spot, can't get lower than a 4 seed.

Sac State: clinches spot with 1) a win OR 2)a NCU loss to NAU AND EWU losses to UM and MSU.

Northern Colorado: clinches spot with 1)wins over SAC and NAU OR 2)a win over either SAC or NAU AND an EWU loss to UM or MSU.

Eastern Washington: clinches spot with 1)wins over UM and MSU OR 2) with a win over either UM or MSU AND wins by NCU over SAC and NAU OR 3)a win over UM AND losses by NCU to SAC and NAU.

Northern Arizona: clinches spot with a win over NCU AND either a SAC loss to NCU or an EWU loss to UM.

Weber State: eliminated from tournament play.

Many of these scenarios were cleared up by member Mvemjsunpx on BigSkyFans.com. Many thanks!!

Clinchers, Round 1

2009-02-27T13:04:00.003-07:00

For those of you wondering about my motivation for this blog, here you go. I started this blog for 3 reasons: 1) there isn't a place in cyberspace solely focusing on Big Sky WBB, 2) Postseason seeding tie-breakers, and 3) clinching scenarios. We can't get to number 2 quite yet (next weekend for sure), but we can get to number 3 this weekend because there are scenarios that could flesh out.

So, I am proud to present the TW Courtside Clinchers! Here are the Big Sky Conference WBB Tournament seeds and berths that can be clinched on Saturday:

Montana: Clinched spot and is ensured at least the 2 seed. Can’t clinch 1 seed this weekend.

Portland State: Clinched spot and is ensured at least the 2 seed. Can’t clinch 1 seed this weekend.

Montana State: Clinches tournament spot with a win over NCU and a loss by NAU.

Idaho State: Clinches tournament spot with a win over NAU.

Because of the competitive nature of the conference this season, the other teams will know their fates next weekend!

Image from www.bigskyconf.com.

The Homestretch

2009-02-24T08:44:00.003-07:00

First of all, I want to start by apologizing for the lack of posts over the last few days. I am in the process of changing jobs and cities, so I haven't had much time to post lately. Post may be a bit sporadic for awhile, so bear with me.

After another exciting weekend the BSC standings are still as murky as ever. It is clear that we won't know where the tournament will be or exactly who will be in it until the final weekend of the regular season. Perhaps the most important results from the weekend were that some teams really gained some momentum, and some teams lost momentum.

Momentum Gainers

Montana State picked up a road sweep over Weber State and Idaho State by playing some of their best ball of the season. The Cats are now 4-2 for their last 6 games and have won 3 straight. MSU will close with three games at home and appear to be getting hot at just the right time. The Cats are quickly becoming the team no one will want to face in the tournament.

Sacramento State got a huge win at NAU in overtime on Saturday. Getting a 'W' in Flagstaff was a great way to rebound from a disastorous Montana road trip last weekend. The Hornets now have some major momentum heading into this weekend's home clashes with ISU and WSU. The Hornets will finish at home with NCU. Not only are all three of these games winnable, I believe Sac will win these games. A four game winning streak heading into the tourney? Who would have guessed Sac would be one of the hottest teams in the league?

Northern Colorado blasted EWU on Saturday in a type of game no one expected. After losing 4 straight, it was great for the Bears to turn it around, but with 4 straight on the road to close the season I don't see the Bears winning another game. UM, MSU, NAU, and SAC are just too hot right now, and all four play well at home.

Momentum Losers

Idaho State got swept at home this past weekend and looked really bad against Montana, only registering 39 points. ISU was once able to hang its hat on defense, but in the two losses, the Bengals gave up over 70 in each game. With remaining trips to Flagstaff, Sacramento, and Ogden, it is conceivable that ISU will not win another game. I do think the Bengals will win at Weber State, but that may not be enought to get into the tourney.

Eastern Washington looked really bad at Northern Colorado on Saturday, getting blown out by a team it should have beaten. The Eagles now have to go to PSU, UM, and MSU. Good luck with that.

Weber State got swept by the Montana schools last weekend in games it had to win to turn this forgettable season around. It appears now that the Wildcats will miss out on their second consecutive tournament for the first time since 1995.

Links

MSU's Nubia Garcia and UM's Sonya Rogers are named BSC POWs.

The Idaho State Journal's Kelvin Ang breaks down the BSC race and gives his predictions. (and for the most part I agree!)

Big Sky Big Timer: Jenna Brown

2009-02-16T11:12:00.001-07:00

It was another critical and interesting weekend in the Big Sky Conference. NAU and ISU picked up some very important road wins to put themselves in good position heading into home weekends for each team this weekend. PSU and UM continued their home court dominance, each going 2-0 on the weekend. The standings are still a mess, and it looks more and more like we won’t know much about how the tournament will look until the final day of the regular season.

One trend was very clear this weekend: the Big Sky has some very impressive point guards. Just about everyone on my list this week plays that position, and I think we are seeing some great performances out of that position because each game is so critical right now. PGs are trying their best to lead their teams to victory, and it shows.

Mandy Morales had a great weekend, leading all scorers in two home wins over the weekend. But I think you will agree that defending home court when you play your home games in a place like Dahlberg Arena is not nearly as impressive as leading a team with effectively 6 players to a successful road trip in the Big Sky. Congratulations this week to Jenna Brown of Idaho State.

Brown scored 16 points on 5-10 shooting in a tough-fought loss at PSU on Thursday. She added 5 rebounds and 4 assists in the contest. On Saturday, the senior led her team to an important road win at EWU, scoring a game high 24 points. She was 5-9 from the field, bagged 5 boards, and got 5 steals. On the weekend, Brown hit 20-25 free throws. Due to the Bengals’ short bench, Brown played 79 minutes (one minute of rest!) in the 2 games.

For the Bengals, the win over EWU puts them in good position in the standings heading into their final home stand this week against Montana State and Montana. In my opinion, the fact that the Bengals have lost two of the conference’s best players to graduation, have a brand new coaching staff and system, have virtually no bench, and are tied for third in the conference standings this deep in the season is nothing short of amazing. Jenna Brown is the major contributor to that success.

Honorable Mention BSBTrs

Mandy Morales (UM): Morales knocked down 4 of 6 threes in route to a game high 22 points in a win over Sac State. In Saturday’s win over NAU, she had another game high with 19 points. She hit 9 of 9 free throws, pulled down 6 boards, and dished out 4 assists.

Chene Cooper (EWU): Cooper racked up 14 points in each of the Eagle’s 2 games this weekend. Games combined, she was 7-13 from the field, 3-3 from the arc, and 11-13 from the foul line. The freshman also pulled down 4.5 rebounds per game and registered 3.5 assists per game.

Erica Perry (MSU): Perry registered 17 points, 2 assists, and 3 rebounds in a loss to NAU. In Saturday’s win over Sac State, she chipped in 16 points, 3 boards, and 3 steals. On the weekend, she shot 13-20 from the field (65%) and hit 9 of 9 free throws.

Claire Faucher (PSU): Faucher had 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 10 assists in a tough win over ISU on Thursday. She was 8-13 from the foul line and only turned the ball over twice. In Saturday’s win over WSU, she had 8 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists. On the weekend, Faucher averaged 3 steals.

Charday Hunt (Sac St): Hunt had a team high 13 points and 5 boards in the loss to Montana. The junior shot 50% from the field, 3-3 from the arc, and 6-6 from the foul line for a game high 19 points and 6 boards in Sac’s loss to MSU. On the weekend, she hit 6 of 10 shots from the arc.

Sade Cunningham (NAU): Cunningham scored 15 points on 6-8 shooting, 1-1 three-point shooting, and 2-2 foul shooting to lead her team to an important road win at MSU. She also added 6 assists, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists. In the loss to Montana, the senior had 10 points, 7 boards, 3 assists, and shot 50% from the field.

Ali Thorderson (WSU): Thorderson scored 10 points on 3-5 three-point shooting vs EWU on Thursday. She followed that up with 11 points on 3-7 three-point shooting against PSU on Saturday. She averaged 3.5 rebounds and 2 assists over the 2 games.

Weekend Preview

2009-02-11T14:05:00.002-07:00

Tomorrow we start another important weekend of WBB as the Big Sky will try to sort itself out again. Here are some previews of this weekend’s action.

ISU, WSU @ EWU, PSU

These games are very important to all of the teams, but probably most important to the Eagles. For EWU, this weekend’s home stand is the last of the season, and with trips to Portland, Greeley, Missoula, and Bozeman looming, it is conceivable that EWU may not win again after this weekend. ISU and WSU are teams the Eagles should beat; making these must win games if EWU wants to play in the post season. The Bengals blew out EWU in Pocatello a few weeks ago, so winning won’t come easy for the Eagles.

If there were a line on these games, PSU would be heavily favored at the Stott Center against two teams they beat on the road already this season. The Vikings are looking to keep pace with Montana for the number 1 seed in the upcoming tournament. The Viks’ last home game (an OT loss to MSU) should be motivation enough to get a home sweep over the Bengals and Wildcats.

For both ISU and WSU this is a critical weekend. Both schools will entertain the Montana schools next weekend before heading on that always difficult NAU-SAC road trip. Neither team has been too spectacular on the road in conference play, ISU is 1-2 in BSC road games and WSU is 1-3. Couple that with the fact that PSU and EWU have been playing well at home, and it will be a difficult weekend for the Bengals and Wildcats. ISU will need someone besides Michelle Grohs to shine in order to at least split on the weekend. WSU will need consistent play out of its stars, something that has lacked in road games this season.

SAC, NAU @ UM, MSU

The Bobcats find themselves in a place no one predicted at the start of the season, tied for last place in the conference this deep in the season. Despite a dreadful first half of conference play, MSU is still very much within striking distance of a top 4 seed in the conference tournament and can make up a huge chunk of ground with a home sweep over NAU and SAC this weekend. The Bobcats own the conference’s third-best home record at 6-2, but have also played the fewest home games of any BSC team. Getting the home sweep will not be easy as the ‘Cats will go up against teams that gave the Bobcats their lowest point of the season after MSU was swept on the NAU-SAC trip earlier this year. MSU is a completely different team at home however and should put themselves right back in the discussion by Sunday.

NAU got a big win in dramatic fashion against EWU as Sade Cunningham and Katie Schaefer were able to steal away a win for the ‘Jacks in the closing minute on last Saturday. NAU will need similar heroics to earn a victory this weekend against two teams that play well at home. The ‘Jacks would put themselves in a very good position in the conference standings if they were able to get a split this weekend, considering they will be at home for their remaining 4 games. NAU is a team that doesn’t get nervous when it goes to Missoula and has been able to find success there in recent years while other teams have not. UM is 23-3 against NAU in Missoula, but all three of the wins have come in the last 4 seasons.

Sac State finds itself in uncharted territory: deep in the conference season with a chance to move into sole possession of third place in the BSC if the dominoes fall the right way this weekend. It will be uphill sledding for the Hornets however, as they face a MSU team that is bent on redeeming its January OT loss in Sacramento and a UM team that has never lost to Sac and beats the Hornets by an average of 26 points in Dahlberg. More likely than not, the Hornets will be brought back down to earth this weekend in the Big Sky State.

Montana will try to keep pace with Portland State for the top seed in the tournament this weekend. On paper, the Griz shouldn’t lose another game in conference play, which would set up a huge show down with PSU in the final regular season game. NAU will give the Griz a run for their money on Saturday and SAC will play tough as well.

NCU host Black Hills State on Friday

The Bears will look to take out some frustration on a NAIA team after being swept on the road in Ogden and Pocatello last weekend. Some rest and a confidence booster couldn’t have come at a better time for the Bears.

Courtside Mid-Term Awards

2009-02-09T20:01:00.004-07:00

Following along with my Courtside Mid-Term Grades, here are my award winners from the first half of conference play:

MVP
Kelsey Kahle

All-Courtside Team
Mandy Morales, UM
Michelle Grohs, ISU
Charday Hunt, Sac
Erica Perry, MSU
Kelli Valentine, PSU

All-Courtside Team Just Missed
Julie Piper, EWU
Caitlin Anderson, WSU
Nubia Garcia, MSU
Courtney Stoermer, NCU
Sade Cunningham, NAU

Outstanding Freshman
Katie Bussey, MSU

Outstanding Coach
Dan Muscatell, Sac

If I wanted to beat everyone by 50 team
Katie Bussey, MSU
Ali Thorderson, WSU
Sonya Rogers, UM
Kyla Evans, EWU
Michelle Grohs, ISU

I don’t want the other team to score more than 40 Team
Claire Faucher, PSU
Erica Perry, MSU
Britney Lohman, UM
Courtney Stoermer, NCU
Michelle Grohs, ISU

The Future Is Bright Team
Katie Bussey, MSU
Eryn Jones, PSU
Kaisha Brown, NCU
Joey O’Neill, WSU
Brianne Ryan, EWU

Heartbeat Award (Player who means the most to her team)
Erica Perry, MSU

Player I want holding the ball down 3 with 4 seconds remaining Award
Katie Bussey, MSU

Plays bigger than she is Award
Caitlin Anderson, WSU

Take your milk money Award
Mandy Morales, UM

Sixth Man Award
Nicole Scott, EWU

Don’t take her out of the game award
Claire Faucher, PSU

Courtside Mid-Terms

2009-02-09T19:50:00.004-07:00

Alright, pencils down! It’s time for the TW Courtside mid-term grades. I should have written this last week, but you know how things go sometimes. Anyway, in issuing the following grades, I am only taking into account the first half of Big Sky Conference play. In other words, I didn’t count last weekend’s games. Without further ado…

Mid-Term Report Cards

Portland State (7-1) A
The Vikings were picked to finish 2nd in the conference, but thanks to a tie-breaker win over the Grizzlies, they are sitting at the top of the conference after the first half. The Vikings have played very well and have come to play in each game so far. With exception to their loss to MSU, the Viks have been able to put games away fairly early thanks to strong play by Kelsey Kahle, Claire Faucher, and Kelli Valentine. Freshman Eryn Jones has been a surprise with her very efficient play and defensive abilities. The second half won’t be nearly as spotless as the Viks still have to go to Montana and Montana State where road trips seldom go their way.
Best Win: 72-62 over Montana Worst Loss: 90-94 OT to MSU

Montana Grizzlies (7-1) A
The Grizzlies have the best defense in the Big Sky and we have all heard that defense wins championships. Mandy Morales is making a strong case for league MVP, which would be her second career award. I think Montana’s defining moment of the first half was its win over EWU. After coming off of a deflating loss to the Viks, the Lady Griz had to play an EWU team that was still flying high after its win over MSU. UM crushed the Eagles and righted the ship quickly. The fact that Montana only has one loss despite playing 5 of 8 games away from Dahlberg is pretty impressive. The only thing that might trip up the Griz down the stretch may be their lack of depth and inconsistent bench play.
Best Win: 81-56 over EWU Worst Loss: 62-72 to PSU

Northern Colorado (4-4) C
NCU played all but 2 of its first half games in Greeley yet is only .500. That makes me worry about this team. If you can’t win at home, don’t expect to win on the road. I have been impressed by the way NCU has handled losing Jaime Schroeder. A lot of teams would be deflated by losing their star player, but Courtney Stoermer and Kate Kevorken have stepped in to provide some great leadership as sophomores. That said, with only 2 home games left and those being PSU and EWU, I think the Bears may be in real danger of staying home for the tournament.
Best Win: 55-53 at EWU Worst Loss: 53-71 to Sac St at home

Eastern Washington (4-4) B+
The Eagles play in the first half of the conference schedule far exceeded anyone’s expectations. Julie Piper has turned into a force to be reckoned with, Nicole Scott probably deserves the sixth man award if their was one, and the backcourt tandem of Kyla Evans and Brianne Ryan is very potent. EWU is another team with an unfavorable second half schedule that includes just 2 home games. This team may have peaked early and will have some work to do as they weren’t able to put any distance between themselves and the rest of the “muddled middle.” I think their 2 point loss to NCU at home will haunt them. While I do think the Eags will make the tourney, I think next year is when you need to really be scared of this team.
Best Win: 90-75 over MSU Worst Loss: 54-71 to ISU

Montana State (3-5) C
The Bobcats played well below their expectations in the first half. The Bobcats only managed 1 road win in the first half of conference play, despite being in every game with the exception of the season opener in Missoula. MSU’s defense is very spotty and may be the Achilles Heal for this team. However, the ‘Cats played much of the first half on the road (6 of 8 games) and have a very favorable schedule in the second half. Thanks to the parity of the league, MSU may well achieve its predicted third place finish. The consistently good play of Erica Perry will ensure that MSU will be in every game, if not winning them. The reason I gave MSU a ‘C’ rather than a ‘D’ is because of their road win at PSU in OT. The ‘Cats showed tremendous poise in that game and handed PSU its only L in the first half.
Best Win: 94-90 OT at PSU Worst Loss: 61-76 to NAU

Idaho State (3-5) B-
The fact that ISU has won a conference game at all is a mere miracle in my opinion. The Bengals had a very light roster to start the year, and now go only 7 deep after a rash of injuries. Michelle Grohs is having a stellar year and may be the most versatile player in the league. She leads the league in blocks and is third in 3’s made, which is a rare combination. With the short bench and a difficult remaining schedule, wins will also be rare for ISU in the second half. I just don’t think the Bengals will have the juice necessary to make a second half push. The Bengals didn’t get enough Ws in the first half to set themselves up for the second half.
Best Win: 60-55 at NCU Worst Loss: 60-66 vs NAU

NAU (3-5) B+
The Lumberjacks had a tough first half schedule, playing just 2 games at home, but were able to get 2 road victories to keep themselves in the hunt. Their home win over MSU was impressive and their win at Sac State over a surging Hornets team showed great poise. Sade Cunningham continues to impress me, though for a senior point guard I think she turns the ball over too much. Calling the Skydome home in remote Flagstaff gives NAU one of the best home court advantages in the Big Sky, and for the last 4 games in conference play, they won’t have to leave there. This will be a hot team come tournament time.
Best Win: 76-61 over MSU Worst Loss: 58-87 at PSU

Sac State (3-5) B+
The Hornets are teacher’s pet after being the biggest surprise of the first half. After picking up just 2 wins in the non-conference, I was beginning to wonder if Sac would win a game in conference play. Well, they have won 3 conference games, including 2 on the road. The Hornets’ execution in OT in a home win over MSU was excellent and gave the Hornets momentum. Since that game, the Hornets are 2-3, picking up wins in Greeley and Ogden and never losing by more than 10 points. The Hornets will play 4 home games in the second half and have themselves in a good position to make their first conference tourney in recent memory.
Best Win: 88-86 OT over MSU Worst Loss: 58-61 to NAU

Weber State (2-6) D
After a promising non-conference schedule that included a Pac-10 win and a win over the Mountatin West favorite, Weber took 6 losses before it finally won a conference game. I know the Wildcats are young, but they must get more consistent effort from their stars if they are going to make anything out of this season. The Wildcats won just one of four home games in the first half, which may be too big a hole to climb out of. With road trips remaining to Portland, Cheney, Flagstaff, and Sacramento, things may be grim for the Wildcats.
Best Win: 73-51 over NAU Worst Loss: 68-82 to EWU

Big Sky Big Timer: Sade Cunnigham

2009-02-09T09:09:00.005-07:00

Another weekend down and the picture is still as murky as ever. PSU and UM are still within a half-game of each other at the top of the standings and the other 7 teams are still fighting it out for third place, all within one game of each other. Sac State, ISU, NAU, and Weber State all had nice home stands and made up some ground, while EWU and NCU fell out of prime position with goose eggs on the weekend. MSU also lost some ground, falling to UM at home, but the 'Cats are showing signs of playing much better ball as of late and entertain NAU and Sac St this week.

As far as individual performances go, there was a bit of a drop off last week from the brilliant performances across the league of a week ago, but never the less, players showed some great leadership in important games. I don't think any player meant more to her team this past weekend than a certain point guard from NAU.

Congratulations this week to Lumberjack Sade Cunningham, this week's BSBTr. The point guard had 4 points, 5 rebounds, and 9 assists in a loss to PSU on Thursday night. On Saturday, Cunningham tallied a game high 21 points on 9-12 shooting to lead NAU past EWU and into a fourth place tie in the conference standings. Cunningham was 1-1 from behind the arc and kicked in 9 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals. She played the entire 40 minutes of a neck-and-neck game, and hit the go ahead basket with 36 seconds to go. On the weekend, Cunnigham did not miss a minute of action, playing 80 straight minutes. Perhaps the most significant achievement for Cunnigham personally was that she scored her 1,000th career point in the win over EWU. Most important for NAU however, is that thanks to Cunningham's hard work, the 'Jacks are in good position in the standings heading into their Montana road trip this week.

Honorable Mention BSBTrs

Michelle Grohs (ISU) Grohs scored a game high 27 points, going 10-18 from the field and hitting 3 triples. Grohs also had 10 rebounds in the game. Grohs performance led ISU to a win over NCU and put the Bengals into third place in the conference.

Caitlin Anderson (WSU) Anderson registered her fourth straight double-double and her sixth of the season with a 16 point, 17 rebound outing against NCU. Anderson now has the top 3 single-game rebounding performances of the season in the Big Sky.

Mandy Morales (UM) Morales scored 17 points on 6-11 shooting to lead the Lady Griz past MSU in Bozeman. She added 7 rebounds (4 on the offensive end) and 2 assists in the game.

Nubia Garcia (MSU) The MSU senior recorded her fourth double-double of the season scoring 17 points and 13 rebounds in a loss to UM. She was 6-10 from the field and 5-7 from the FT line.

Tonya Schnibbe (WSU) Schnibbe scored a team high 19 points and chipped in 8 assists in Weber’s win over NCU.

Charday Hunt (SAC) Hunt scored a game high 27 points to lead the Hornets to a big win at home over EWU. Her production dropped off a bit on Saturday as she was just 3-12 from the field for 7 points vs PSU.

Kelli Valentine (PSU) The sophomore scored 16 points and pulled down 6 boards in a win over NAU and followed that up with 21 points and 6 rebounds in a win over Sac St on Saturday. In the Sac St game, Valentine was 8-9 from the field.

It Gets Even More Interesting

2009-02-06T08:51:00.003-07:00

There were three games last night in Big Sky Conference Women's hoops, and the results shook up the standings even more than they all ready are. I got a chance to watch parts of all three games on BigSkyTV.org and two of them provided great finishes.

Northern Colorado 55 Weber State 66

The Bears took the lead with 6 minutes remaining in the first half and led until there were 3 minutes to play. With 5:25 to go, Weber State went on a 17-0 run to close the game. Talk about execution in the final minutes. Caitlin Anderson had 16 points and 17 rebounds in the game and Tonya Schnibbe ended with a game high 19 points and 8 assists. And those 17 unanswered points? Thirteen of them came from the free throw line where the Wildcats were 13-15 in the final 5 minutes. Just 2 weeks ago, the Wildcats looked left for dead, starting conference play with 6 straight losses. Don't look now, but they are winners of 3 straight and are just 1 game out of third place.

Eastern Washington 67 Sacramento State 74

The Hornets' Nest is quickly becoming the place you don't want to play right now and the Hornets are quickly becoming the team you don't want to play. Sac State has won 3 of their last 4 games and after last night's mini-upset of EWU, the Hornets find themselves in a three-way tie for third in the standings.

Sac State held EWU to just 29% shooting in the first half and held a commanding 16 point lead at the intermission. Sac got it up to a 20 point lead before the Eagles recovered at the 10 minute mark in the second half, going on a 6 and a half minute, 21-3 run to close the gap to 2. Sac outscored EWU 10-5 over the last 3 minutes however, and pulled away for the win. The Hornets got 25 points from Charday Hunt and double-doubles from 2 other players (Edwards and Christensen). Sac's second-leading scorer, Atty Boyer, was held without a shot in the game due to some foul trouble and good defense by the Eagles.

Sac's win, coupled with the loss by NCU, puts the Hornets, Bears, and Eagles all in a tie for third place in the conference.

Portland State 69 Northern Arizona 57

The Vikings rebounded well from their first BSC loss to Montana State last weekend. The win represented the first time ever that PSU has won back-to-back games in Flagstaff. PSU got off to a fast start, outscoring NAU 36 to 24 in the first half while holding the 'Jacks to 21% shooting (14% from inside the arc!). NAU held serve in the second half, but were unable to make up any ground. Kelsey Kahle led PSU with 17 points and 8 rebounds and Kelli Valentine added 16 and 6. Claire Faucher had 8 points but also contributed 10 assists. For the Vikings, the win puts them a half of a game up on Montana for first place in the standings.

With Sac State and Weber State each picking up important home wins, the bottom seven teams in the Big Sky are all within ONE game of each other. Every game will be pretty important from here on out.

With tight standings like we have right now, who has the best chance to make hay? (Sorry for the farming reference.) Teams with lots of home games. In Big Sky play, home teams are 20-16. That bodes well for Montana State (6 home games, 2 road games remaining), Montana (5 home games, 3 road games remaining), NAU (5 home games, 2 road games) and Sac State (4 home games, 3 road games). Eastern Washington (2 home games, 5 road games) and Northern Colorado (2 home games, 5 road games) may be in trouble.

Big Sky Big Timer: Erica Perry

2009-02-01T20:23:00.002-07:00

What a weekend! I can’t think of a better weekend of women’s hoops in the Big Sky since I started following it intensely last season. Think about it: a match-up of unbeatens, 2 overtime games, road upsets, and a muddled mess in the standings when it was all said and done. When you have great games like we had this weekend there are going to be some outstanding individual performances that leave you in awe. Indeed that is what we got.

This was without a doubt the most difficult BSBTr decision I have had this season because for just about every team there was at least one, sometimes two performances that on a normal week would be shoo-ins for the award. But, just like in the game itself, there will be some who get the short end of the stick.

Congratulations this week to Erica Perry of Montana State. The junior point guard for the Bobcats played the best game of her career in the biggest win of MSU’s season. Perry scored a career high 27 points to lead Montana State over the league-leading Vikings in Portland on Sunday. She was 12-22 from the field (54.5%) and added 3 assists, 3 steals and her 1st block of the season in the effort. Perry was most dangerous off the dribble, where she drove her way into the paint, getting most of her points on acrobatic lay-ups among the PSU forwards. Perry played 40 minutes of the overtime game, scoring 16 points in the second half and 3 in the extra period. With 2:32 left in overtime, Perry scooped a loose ball and went coast-to-coast for a lay-in to give MSU the lead for good.

In a losing effort against Eastern Washington, Perry scored 17 points, while chipping in 3 assists, 2 rebounds, and 3 steals. On the weekend, the guard averaged 58% shooting and committed just 2 turnovers.

Honorable Mention BSBTrs

Mandy Morales (UM): 34 points, 15-28 FG, 0-6 3FG, 4 assists, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks vs PSU; 28 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds, 11-14 FG, 4-5 3FG, 3 steals vs EWU

Katie Bussey (MSU): 20 points, 7-12 FG, 3-6 3FG, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal vs EWU; 20 points, 8-16 FG, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 block vs PSU

Nicole Scott (EWU): 19 points, 11 rebounds, 8-12 FG, 3-5 3FG vs MSU; 15 points, 6-11 FG, 1-1 3FG, 3 rebounds, 2 steals vs UM

Atty Boyer (Sac): 14 points, 10 rebounds, 6-14 FG, 6 blocks vs NCU

Kelly Valentine (PSU): 13 points, 9 rebounds vs UM; 18 points, 11 rebounds vs MSU

Courtney Stoermer (NCU): 15 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds, 1 steal vs Sac St; 21 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 9 steals vs NAU

Claire Faucher (PSU): 8 points, 6 assists, 2 blocks, 2 steals vs UM; 25 points, 11-25 FG, 1-7 3FG, 12 assists, 2 steals, 4 assists vs MSU

Tonya Schnibbe (WSU): 10 points, 13 assists, 6 rebounds, 0 turnovers vs Utah Valley;17 points, 3 rebounds, 12 assists, 2 turnovers, 1 steal vs ISU

Caitlin Anderson (WSU): 10 points, 12 assists, 3 assists, 1 steal vs Utah Valley; 16 points, 19 rebounds, 6-11 FG, 2-2 3FG, 1 assist vs ISU

Jenna Brown (ISU): 24 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal vs WSU

Another Party in Portland

2009-02-01T09:32:00.002-07:00

There was another party in Portland yesterday afternoon, but it was the road team doing the celebrating. In a classic overtime thriller, Montana State got their first road conference win, upsetting number 1 Portland State 94-90.

From MSU:

...The
Montana State women's basketball squad knocked off Big Sky leading
Portland State 94-90 in overtime, paced by Erica Perry's career-high 27
points, Saturday afternoon in the Peter W. Stott Center.

Perry, a junior from Lynwood, Calif., converted 12-of-22 from the field
and added three assists and three steals. She posted 16 points in the
second stanza, including three in the overtime period.

Trailing 90-89 with 2:32 left in overtime, Perry gathered up a loose
ball
and converted a fastbreak layup to give MSU the lead for good. On the
ensuing in-bounds, the Vikings turned the ball over. MSU's next
possession
was blocked out-of-bounds with three-seconds left on the shot clock.
Following a Bobcat timeout, freshman Katie Bussey nailed a 15-footer as
the clock expired to give Montana State (9-11, 3-5) a 93-90 advantage.

MSU missed the front end of two one-and-one situations in the final
22-seconds, but junior Jenny Heringer's free throw make with 17-seconds
left gave the Bobcats their final four-point cushion...

Other Saturday Games:

Weber State is 2-0 in OT games this season after knocking off Idaho State 78-77 in Pocatello.

The Grizzlies got back on the horse in Cheney, whopping Eastern Washington 81 to 56.

Northern Colorado beat Northern Arizona in another classic finish, 59 to 53.

Look for the Big Sky Big Timer later this afternoon when I get back to Montana!

A Party in Portland

2009-01-29T23:38:00.002-07:00

Something had to give. Portland State and Montana squared off in the Rose City tonight, both teams were 6-0 in conference play. Chalk one up for the home team as the Viks were able to knock off the Griz 72-62, putting themselves in sole possession of first place in the Big Sky. It wasn't the usual suspects for PSU doing the damage tonight. Katia Hadj-Hamou led the Viks with 19 points, going 4-9 from long range. For Montana, Mandy Morales had a game high 34 points, but no one else had more than 6. The Griz made just 1 of 14 three-point attempts, and when you subtract out Morales' production, the team shot just 29.7% for the game. Leading into the game, the Griz had trailed in just 1 of 12 halves, make it 3 after that loss.

For the box score click here.

Sacramento State beat Northern Colorado 71-53 tonight for a huge road win. Atty Boyer had a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Eastern Washington got a nice home victory over Montana State 90-75. That win, coupled with the NCU loss, puts the surprising Eagles solidly in 3rd place. The Eags made 13 three's in the game, 1 off of a school record.

Saturday
Montana at Eastern Washington 3:05 p.m.
Montana State at Portland State 3:05 p.m.
Northern Arizona at Northern Colorado 2:05 p.m.
Weber State at Idaho State 7:05 p.m.
All Times Mountain

Big Sky Big Timer: Kate Kevorken

2009-01-25T11:02:00.002-07:00

There were some great performances around the league this weekend in some important games. Weber State finally got their first conference win against NAU, Northern Colorado got a big OT win over MSU to solidify their place in the league, and Sac State got a nice road win over Weber State. As far as individuals go, it was a tough decision this week. Congratulations this week to Kate Kevorken of Northern Colorado.

The sophomore swing forward scored 11 points in the second half for a game total of 15 in the Bears’ win over Montana State on Thursday night. In the OT game she was 5-7 from the free throw line. She chipped in 8 rebounds and 3 assists. In Saturday’s loss to UM, she finished with a game high 23 points and was 12-13 from the free throw line. She also had 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals. The weekend split, following last weekend's win over Eastern Washington, has the Bears solidly in third place in the conference standings. However, the Bears will spend a good deal of the second half of conference play on the road.

Honorable Mentions

Julie Piper (EWU) Piper scored a game high 23 points and pulled down 11 boards in EWU’s loss to PSU. She was 9-16 from the floor.

Courtney Stoermer (NCU) Stoermer finished with 22 points in her team’s win over MSU. 18 of those came in the second half. She was 9-12 from the charity stripe and had 4 rebounds and 3 steals. Against UM, she contributed 16 points and added 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals.

Sonya Rogers (UM) Rogers scored a team high 21 points on 9-17 shooting. She added 4 rebounds and 2 steals.

Erica Perry (MSU) The point guard scored a career high 20 points and pulled down a career high 9 boards in MSU’s loss to NCU. She also added 5 assists and 6 steals.

Atty Boyer (SAC) Boyer notched 29 points on 11-19 shooting and added 9 rebounds in Thursday’s road win at Weber State. She followed that up with a game high 11 rebounds in SAC’s loss to ISU on Saturday, but only scored 4 points on 1-6 shooting.

Kelli Valentine (PSU) The sophomore led PSU in rebounding (9) and tied for the lead in scoring (14), in the Vikings win over EWU.

Michelle Grohs (ISU) Grohs had two double-doubles on the weekend with a team-high 16 points and 11 rebounds in a loss to NAU, and 13 points and 10 rebounds in a win over SAC. She also added 5 assists in that game.

Tonya Schnibbe (WSU) Schnibbe had 10 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists in the Wildcats’ loss to SAC on Thursday. The Point guard dished out 8 assists and scored 12 points as Weber broke its 8 game losing streak on Saturday against NAU.

Oana Iacovita (ISU) Iacovita led her team in scoring in both games over the weekend scoring 16 points against NAU and 19 points against SAC. She averaged 4 rebounds and 2 blocks on the weekend.

Janelle Matthews (NAU) Matthews was 6-10 from behind the arc on the way to 23 points in NAU’s win over ISU on Thursday. She also chipped in 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals while playing the entire 40 minutes. She cooled off a bit in the team’s loss to WSU, going 4-12 from the field and 0-2 from long distance for 11 points , 2 steals, and 2 boards.

Caitlin Anderson (WSU) Anderson had 20 points and 17 rebounds in Saturday’s win over NAU, but was limited to 4 points and 7 rebounds on Thursday night.

Big Sky Big Timer: Nubia Garcia

2009-01-19T18:00:00.003-07:00

Congratulations this week to Montana State's Nubia Garcia, this week's Big Sky Big Timer. Garcia and the Bobcats went 2-0 last weekend, knocking off Weber State and Idaho State. Against Weber State, the 6-2 senior had her third double-double of the season, scoring 18 points and netting 13 rebounds. In the win over Idaho State, Garcia pulled down a career high 16 boards, 3 points, 5 assists, and a steal. The 16 rebound total is the second highest single game effort in the conference this season. The 3 points scored may seem low, but Garcia only took 4 shots, made one and was fouled on another. The Cats found it was much more effective to have the ball in the hands of a guard or their four, as the arc and penetration were wide open against the Bengals.

Last week was an amazing week for the native of Chihuahua, Mexico. In addition to leading her team to the 2 wins with incredible individual performances, Garcia was recognized for her classroom work as well. She is a photography major and was honored this quarter with her self-portrait appearing on the cover of the NCAA Champions magazine. (To see the online story, click here). Last week, Garcia's photography was exhibited at a NCAA exhibition in Washington DC. She has told me in numerous airplane seat-mate interviews that she would like to work as a photographer for a magazine like Sports Illustrated someday and I am confident that with her determination, it is a goal she will achieve.

Garcia now leads the Big Sky in rebounds (8.8 per game, 9.6 per game in conference play), is second in FG% (51.7%--she led the category until the ISU game), and is 7th in scoring (12.5 ppg). With numbers like those, an improving defensive game, and her leadership on her team, Garcia will definitely be in the Big Sky MVP discussion at the end of this season. In my humble and somewhat biased opinion, I think Garcia is the premier post in the conference. No other post has been able to put together the scoring (only Kahle scores more than Garcia among BSC posts), rebounding (Garcia is in a class of her own), and defense (Garcia is the only BSC player in the top ten in both steals and blocks). That sounds pretty premier to me.

Getting Ready for Thursday Night Throwdowns

2009-01-15T08:24:00.004-07:00

It's time for week 3 of Big Sky conference play and there are some good games this weekend. Hungry Weber State and surprising Idaho State take the trip through the Big Sky state, Northern Colorado goes to Eastern Washington and Portland State, and NAU and Sac State will clash on Sunday in Sacramento. Here are some previews of tonight's games from the regional newspapers:

WSU at Montana State (Bozeman Daily Chronicle)

ISU at Montana (Missoulian)

Other News and Notes

Jaime Schroeder's status is "out indefinitely" with a leg injury.

UCSB figured out how to defend Kelsey Kahle and the Gauchos beat PSU 67-61 last night.

Great story on future Bobcat Ashley Albert and Hamilton's try for the state tournament.

Gotta love a good vommit story and an update on ISU WBB.

Idaho State's Andrea Videbeck has had to overcome a lot this year.

BSC Week 1 News and Notes

2009-01-04T19:35:00.004-07:00

Northern Colorado rebounded well from Friday night's loss to Idaho State to take down Weber State today 66-53 despite being without the services of their lone senior and leading scorer Jaime Schroeder. Schroeder suffered a right knee injury 7 minutes into the ISU game and did not return. If Schroeder is done for the year, it would be a devastating blow to the Bears' chances in the conference.

For Northern Colorado, the win over Weber State was number 500 in program history.

In the second half of the MSU-UM rivalry game on Saturday, the Cats and the Griz shot a combined 67% from the field and 64% from the arc. The Grizzlies shot 63% for the game while MSU shot 45%.

The last three games in the 84-game Cat-Griz rivalry have featured the highest combined scores in the history of the rivlary. (2/8/08 MSU 91-UM 87--178 points, 1/3/09 UM 95-MSU 75--170 points, 3/15/08 UM 101-MSU 65--166 points) Defense anyone?

In the last 4 games versus MSU, Montana guard Sonya Rogers has hit 16 three-pointers. She shot 64% from the arc in those games.

Big Sky Big Timer: Kelsey Kahle

2009-01-04T19:18:00.003-07:00

First of all, apologies for being delinquent in my posting, I took some time off in between games and holiday festivities over the last 2 weeks. But I am back and ready to go as the Big Sky heads into conference season. There were some great games this weekend and some outstanding individual performances as well. But one player stood ever so slightly above the rest. Congratulations to Portland State’s Kelsey Kahle, this week’s Big Sky Big Timer.

Kahle averaged 28.6 points per game in 3 contests this week, shooting 57% from the field. In a loss to Utah Valley on Monday, Kahle scored 30 points, the second time she has gone for 30 or more points on the season. In the game, Kahle was 12-12 from the free throw line and dished out 3 assists and 4 steals. (Note: the 102-92 loss to UVU was just the second home loss for the Viks in the last two seasons. Bonus points to anyone who can name which team the other loss was to). PSU went 2-0 to start conference play this weekend, thanks in no small part to Kahle’s efforts. In the season opening win over Sac State, Kahle had 27 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and went 8-11 from the field. Today, PSU blasted NAU behind 29 points from Kahle who added 7 rebounds and went 7-8 from the free throw line. The Viks and EWU both went 2-0 against NAU and Sac State.

Honorable Mention Big Timers

Erica Perry (MSU): on Monday scored a career high 19 points, had 3 assists and 0 turnovers in a win over Albany. Perry was named to the UTPA Classic All-Tournament team. In loss to Montana, she led MSU with 18 points and 7 assists. On the week, Perry was a perfect 6-6 from behind the arc and over the past 3 games is 8-9 from long range.

Sonya Rogers (Montana): With 30 points on 5-7 three-point shooting, Rogers became just the second Big Sky Player to have 30+ points in a game. She was named to the Lady Griz Classic Team after 11 points vs Nevada. The Griz went 2-0 on the week.

Mandy Morales (Montana): Named Lady Griz Classic MVP with 15 points and 8 rebounds against Nevada. In UM’s win over rival MSU, Morales missed just 1 shot, going 10-11 from the field with 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists.

Julie Piper (EWU): Led Eastern to a 3-0 record on the week. Piper had 9 points and 11 rebounds in a win over Eastern Oregon. In an OT win over NAU, Piper hit a jumper with 14 seconds left to send the game to OT. She scored a double-double in the game with 15 points and 10 rebounds. In today’s narrow victory over Sac State, Piper went 5-5 from the charity stripe in the final 4 minutes to seal the win. She ended with 21 points and 7 rebounds.

Michelle Grohs (ISU): 13 points, 10 rebs in loss to Colorado. 17 points, 8 rebs in win over Northern Colorado.

Sade Cunningham (NAU): 14 pts, 5 assists, 2-2 from the arc in loss to EWU. 19 points, 6 rebs, 4 assists, 9-12 shooting in loss to PSU. Cunningham committed 14 turnovers on the weekend.
Charday Hunt (SAC): 7 points in loss to UTEP, averaged 17.5 points per game in Sac’s 2 Big Sky losses this weekend.

Note: I intentionally did not name a BSBTr last week because I didn’t think there were enough games played to really have a meaningful award.

Big Sky Big Timer: Schhhhhhh!

2008-12-21T21:35:00.006-07:00

I want to start off by telling you that I hate ties. In sports there are no ties, you have a winner and a loser. In games/sports that can result in ties, when a tie occurs, I am always left with a sour taste in my mouth. In fact in tie games, such as in the NFL, even if the game ends in a tie you have a moral victor and moral loser (see Donovan McNabb).

However, for this week's BSBTr, I am going to issue a tie. I spent a good two hours trying to decide this one, but there were two very good performances this week that I think deserve a nod. Without further ado, this weeks BSBTr, the "Sch" edition:

Congrats this week to Weber State's Tonya Schnibbe and Northern Colorado's Jaime Schroeder.

Weber State got two big W's this week, thanks in no small part to the play of Tonya Schnibbe. The point guard had 16 points, 7 assists, 3 steals, and was 5-6 from the free throw line in the Wildcats' 66-53 win over UC-Irvine. She scored or assisted 17 of the team's final 21 points as Weber State pulled away for the win. On Saturday, the Wildcats upset Mountain West favorite Utah 65-63 behind 20 points, 6 assists, and 4 steals from Schnibbe. One of her steals came in the closing seconds of the game and set up Weber's game winning possession.

Northern Colorado went 2-2 this week, getting wins over New Mexico State and Washington and losing to Florida State and #1 UConn, two teams with a combined 18-2 record. Schroeder had 15 points, 7 rebounds, and was 5-10 from the field in the 59-50 win over NMSU. The Bears then traveled to Cancun where they faced Florida State to open a holiday tournament. Schroeder had an off night, scoring just 4 points in the loss to the 'Noles, but dropped 17 points and 5 boards on the number 1 team in the land, UConn, the following night. Shroeder ended the tournament with 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists in NCU's 65-63 upset of Washington.

Honorable Mention Big Timers:

Michelle Grohs (ISU): career high 23 points, 8 rebs in win over St. Mary's

Jenna Brown (ISU): career high 18 points, 6 boards, 6 assists in win over St. Mary's

Sonya Rogers (Montana): 24 pts in win over Denver; 13 points, 3-9 from the arc in loss to Gonzaga; 11 points, 3-8 from three, 3 steals in win over MSU-Northern

Sarah Ena (Montana): 13 pts, 9 rebs vs Denver; 20 points, 10 rebs vs Gonzaga

Jenny Heringer (MSU): 16 points, 11 boards in win over Idaho

Erica Perry (MSU): 8 points, 8 assists, 0 turnovers in win over Idaho

Claire Faucher (PSU): 19 points, 8 assists, 5 boards in win over Utah State; 9 points, 11 assists in win over Manhattan

Kelsey Kahle (PSU): 10 points, 8 rebs vs USU; 20 points, 10 rebs vs Manhattan

Sami Field-Polisso (SAC) 17 points, 4 assists, 6-12 shooting in loss to Texas Tech

Visions of Referees Danced in His Head

2008-12-16T19:52:00.003-07:00

Christmas has always been one of my favorite times of the year. Think about it, it is the intersection of family, great food, presents, and sports. The NFL is gearing up for playoffs, part of college football is in their playoffs (while the other half SHOULD be), and there are some great non-conference college basketball games.

Growing up we had three different ways of getting Xmas presents. Mom always filled up our stockings with little gifts that were cool, but not the gifts we really got worked up over. On Xmas eve we got the good gifts from Mom and Dad and our grandparents. Then, the best of all, we opened our really awesome gifts from Santa on Xmas morning.

This year we get some early gifts as there are some awesome non-conference games featuring Big Sky teams the weekend before Xmas. Following my family's gift scheme, here are the ones I am looking forward to:

Stocking Stuffer:
Montana State vs. Idaho, Saturday
This is an intriguing game because of the fact it used to be a pretty good Big Sky Conference rivalry. Add some more intrigue by putting former ISU coach Jon Newlee on the bench for Idaho. Newlee is very familiar with Montana State and you can bet he will have the Vandals ready to play. Idaho has already shown improvement under Newlee. They are off to a 3-6 start, and one of their wins was a solid 10 point win over a Pacific team which blasted Portland State earlier in the month. Idaho is 1-1 against the Big Sky this season with a big loss to Montana and a win over a much improved Eastern Washington team. Their last two losses were by 1 to Long Beach State and by 3 to Washington State.

This is an important game for MSU because the Cats are anxious to get the bad taste of their SoCal trip out of their mouths and head into the Xmas break on a high note. With a win, the Bobcats will equal their win total from last season's non-conference schedule. MSU should prevail, but I expect it to be closer than last season's lopsided affair in Moscow.

Christmas Eve Gift:
Weber State vs. Utah, Friday
Weber State is a hard team to figure out. They started out like a house on fire: drubbing Washington, winning an OT thriller over Elon, and narrowly losing to Wyoming. But in the month of December, the Wildcats went 0-3 until finally getting back in the win column last night vs UC-Irvine. The Wildcats have the early favorite for Big Sky MVP in Caitlyn Anderson, who is averaging a league-leading 16.2ppg and 8.2 rebounds per game. She is shooting 49% from the field and 50% from long range. Add week one BSBTr Tonya Schnibbe to the mix and things get interesting. Schnibbe is the conference's 4th leading scorer and leads the conference in assists at 7.56 per game, which is nearly 2 assists more per game than the next player on the list (Faucher).

Utah is off to a 4-4 start and is picked to win the Mountain West. This is one of those in-state rivalry games that probably means more to Weber. It will be a good test of how good the Wildcats really are: if they keep it close or win, I am sold on Weber as a threat in the Sky. If they get blown out, maybe we have the Weber we thought we would get. The fact that this game will be played in the Purple Palace gives the Wildcats a big advantage.

Christmas Morning Gift:
Montana vs Gonzaga, Friday
After losing 2 straight games in Cancun, the Lady Griz are 4-0 with wins over Oregon, Boise State, Colorado State, and Portland. Mandy Morales has been unstoppable, winning back-to-back BSBTr awards (and BSC POWs as well). The Griz defense has been outstanding this season, giving up a minuscule 54 points per game, the lowest in the Big Sky by more than 11 points. Additionally, the Griz are limiting opponents to 35% shooting and are forcing 19 turnovers per game.

Enter Gonzaga, a very good team which has lost three games this season and is receiving votes in the national polls. The Bulldogs are averaging 75 points per game and shooting 42%. This will be a tough test for the Grizzly defense and should tell us a lot about how good the Griz really are this year. With the game being in Dahlberg, I fully expect a down to the wire game.

Lump of Coal:
Sac State at Texas Tech, Saturday
Good luck with that one.

Big Sky Big Timer: Morales Repeats

2008-12-14T21:10:00.003-07:00

Live from the Scanson residence in Belgrade following a long, long travel day with a major winter weather delay in Denver…here is this week’s Big Timer:

Congrats to Mandy Morales for the second week in a row. This week Morales was the leading scorer in both of Montana’s games, helping the Lady Griz go 2-0 on the weekend. In a 68-53 win over Colorado State on Wednesday, Morales had 16 points and 9 rebounds. Against Portland, a 63-41 win for the LG, Morales had 13 points and 7 rebounds.

It was a tough weekend for the Big Sky as the teams went a combined 4-9, but with all teams playing tough non-conference schedules, the real fun will begin in three weeks when conference play starts!

Honorable Mention BSBTrs

Nicole Scott (EWU): 14 points and 4 rebounds to lead the Eagles in a big win over Pacific.

Michelle Grohs (ISU): Averaged 16 points and 9 rebounds in 2 losses.

Charday Hunt (SAC): 19 points and 4 steals in a rivalry win over UC Davis, 12 points in a loss to San Francisco

Atty Boyer (SAC): Double-double (15,10) in loss to San Fran, 8 points 10 rebounds in win over UC Davis.

Nubia Garcia (MSU): Career high 20 points and 9 rebounds in loss to San Diego State, fouled out vs USC.

Shout Outs:

Shannon Scanson: MVP radio listener of the weekend listened to 2 entire games this weekend. That is dedication.

Katie Falco: former MSU assistant has the South Dakota State Jackrabbits off to a 10-1 start with wins over Missouri, Wisconsin, Montana, Illinois, Gonzaga, and Minnesota (among others). Coach ‘em up Katie!

Joslyn Tinkle: 34 points, 10 rebounds in 56-45 win over Billings West. Wow.

Chelsea Banis: Future Bobcat had 20 points in Fairfield’s win Three Forks and 18 points in a rematch of the State B Championship (W for Fairfield).

Big Sky Big Timer: Mandy Morales

2008-12-10T22:07:00.001-07:00

First of all, apologies on not getting this out earlier in the week. I had some computer troubles and a travel schedule to work out, but better late than never. Live from the Hilton Mission Valley in sunny San Diego, here is this week’s Big Sky Big Timer.

Congrats this week to Montana senior Mandy Morales. During games last week against Oregon and Boise State, Morales averaged 17 ppg in two wins. In Eugene, Morales had 14 points (game high) and 7 rebounds as the Griz knocked off the Pac-10 Ducks. In the Montana win over Boise State, Morales had 20 points and a career high 14 rebounds.

Honorable Mention BSBTrs:

Nubia Garcia (MSU): Against Boise St, Garcia was one point away from two double-doubles on the weekend.

Atty Boyer (SAC): 18 points, 12 rebounds in narrow loss to UC-Irvine.

Kelsey Kahle (PSU): Had 31 points on 11-12 shooting vs Seattle. Followed that up with 20% of her team’s scoring vs Oregon State, unfortunately PSU only scored 24 points.

Sade Cunningham (NAU): Averaged 13 points in a split at the Arizona State Tournament. Named to all-tournament team following a game-high 16 points in a championship loss to the host team.

This Can't Wait...

2008-12-07T19:57:00.003-07:00

I was going through the Big Sky scores tonight and was reading up on candidates for BSBTr when this showed up. The ugliest game ever award goes to Portland State and Oregon State who tangled today in the I-5 Showdown. PSU scored just 6 points in the first half of the game, tripled that in the second half and still lost 58-24. Wow. Going through the box score, PSU committed 35 turnovers and shot 22% on the game, including 3-21 in the first half (14%)!! The Viks didn't get their second basket until halfway though the first half and didn't get their third basket until 57 seconds before half time. Oregon State didn't exactly burn up the nets either and in fact actually turned the ball over 22 times itself.

My condolences to the 1,243 people that sat through that one.

Box Score

Check back for BSBTr and the weekly roundup tomorrow!

Clutch Shot

2008-12-03T21:57:00.004-07:00

This is from a Geneseo HS game in New York. I think Scanson hit a similar shot in the Blue-Gold scrimmage...

How can you not love basketball?

News Roundup

2008-12-02T20:50:00.004-07:00

UPDATE: As was astutely pointed out in the comments section, I forgot to mention that Montana HC Robin Selvig won his 700th game last week over Illinois in his team's Cancun Tournament. This little fact is intriguing:

"By winning his 700th game in 899 games coached, Selvig matches former Texas coach Jody Conradt as the fifth fastest coach in NCAA men’s or women’s basketball history to reach 700 victories."

They even made a special postmark for the man.

Evidently there is another Big Sky POW Award besides my Big Sky Big Timer. Congrats to Jenny Heringer and Caitlin Anderson, both are very deserving. But if I were Tonya Schnibbe I would be writing my congressman.

The hard working Will Holden has a great look at recent Bobcat signees.

Nothing like a truck stop Thanksgiving. Kristen Feemster wrote a cool blog post about Western Carolina's trip to Montana for last week's game. Kristen needs to do some research next time though. She thought Montana would be flat?! Don't diss my mountains girl!

The ACC-Big 10 Challenge got underway last night and continues through Wednesday. The Pac 10 and Big 12 team up for a series later this week. I love the concept and wish the Big Sky could do something like this. I know its probably cost prohibitive for a mid-major conference like the Big Sky, but a guy can dream can't he? Big Sky-Missouri Valley Showdown anyone?

Cats, Broncos, and Tricia Binford

2008-12-02T18:58:00.005-07:00

When Boise State and Montana State tip it off on Friday night, it will seem like a Back to the Future movie. These two schools are old rivals dating back to 1996 when Boise State moved from the Big Sky Conference to the Big West Conference. It will be a nice treat to see these two square-off again.

This year’s meeting carries some extra pizzazz because of a certain MSU coach that just happens to be a Boise State legend. Tricia Binford (then Bader) is the BSU career in assists and second in steals. This will be the second time Binford coaches against her alma-mater. Boise State came to Bozeman for a Thanksgiving Tournament in Binford’s first season (2005-06), winning 66-52.

Here are some other fun Cat-Bronco-Binford facts:

Tricia Binford’s career high in scoring came in Bozeman against MSU. In BSU’s final season in the Big Sky, Binford dropped 34 points on the Cats on 1/27/1996. That total is the 3rd highest in BSU history. Binford racked up 14 field goals, which is tied for the most in school history. She was 75% (6-8) from the arc, which is the second best single game history, and the 6 made threes is 4th most in school single game history. Despite this offensive explosion by Binford, MSU won 78 to 72.

Montana State holds the series edge 26 to 23. The teams met twice in the Big Sky Tournament, back-to-back in 1994 and 1995. In 1994, BSU knocked MSU out in the semifinals 78 to 68 (Binford was named to the all-tournament team). In 1995, MSU beat BSU in the semis, 59 to 55. Boise State’s 92% free throw percentage (22-24) in the 1994 tournament game is 10th most in Big Sky tournament history.

Binford has the top 2 single season assist records at BSU, 139 in 1993-94 (4.8 per game) and 127 in 1992-93 (4.7 per game). She also has number 8, 106 in 1995-96 (3.9 per game).During the 1993-94 season, Binford registered 88 steals (3 per game), which is good for number 2 in school history.

Binford is number 6 in career scoring (1,171 points), 8th in career field goals made (411), 6th in field goals attempted (1,081—for a 38% career average), 11th in 3FGs made (72) , 8th in 3FGs attempted (269—27% career average), 6th in career free throws made (277), 5th in free throws attempted (408—68% career average), 1st in assists (451), 2nd in steals (271), and 5th in games played (115).

Boise State led the Big Sky in scoring offense from 1991-95 (Binford played from 1991-96) and averaged 80 ppg in 1992-93.

Big Sky Big Timer: Tonya Schnibbe

2008-11-30T19:40:00.005-07:00

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving. I got some much needed R & R and ate way too much turkey. With all of the distractions, I kind of fell behind on the blog. Hopefully you were distracted as well and didn’t notice.

Just in time to capture some amazing Big Sky performances in week three of the season, I am happy to present the inaugural Big Sky Big Timer, my attempt at picking a player of the week. While I was busy gorging myself and avoiding family members, six of the Sky’s nine teams were celebrating their holidays with tournaments around the country. It was a tough decision, but I think one performance stood out.

Congratulations this week to Tonya Schnibbe of Weber State. Schnibbe, led the Wildcats to a third place finish in the University of Pittsburgh Thanksgiving tournament with 21 points and a school record 17 assists in an overtime win against Elon in the consolation final. She was 8-13 from the floor and added 2 steals. Against Youngstown State in the first game of the tournament, Schnibbe scored 11 points and dished out 9 assists. The junior also notched 10 points and 9 assists in Tuesday's win over NAIA Westminster College. Schnibbe’s solid work at point guard is one of the main reasons that Weber State is off to a surprising 3-2 start. Schnibbe’s 17 assists are 2 away from the Big Sky single game record set by Claire Faucher last season.

Honorable Mention Big Timers

Caitlyn Anderson (WSU)- scored a career high 28 points and notched 17 rebounds in OT win vs Elon in the Pittsburgh tournament. She was 4-6 for long range, including a three that put Weber ahead for good in OT. In the loss to Youngstown State, Anderson had 17 points and 8 rebounds. On Tuesday, Anderson scored a game high 24 points over Westminster College.

Oana Iacovita (ISU) -recorded back-to-back double-doubles with 18 points and 10 rebounds against Loyola Marymount and 13 points and 14 rebounds against North Dakota State at the Loyola Marymount Tournament. She hit 54% of her shots on the weekend.

Jenny Heringer (MSU)- scored 20 points in a win over Western Carolina, going 5-9 from behind the arc, including 3-4 in a 3 minute span as MSU took over the lead halfway through the second half. She added 8 rebounds and 3 assists.

Mandy Morales (UM)- averaged 17.3ppg in 3 games in Cancun. Hit game winner with 0.7 seconds left in OT to give UM the win over Illinois. She led the Griz in scoring in losses to #14 Maryland and South Dakota State.

Anne Phippard (MSU)- scored a career high 20 points in the Cats’ win over Western Carolina. She was 8-14 in her first start of the year and is now shooting a scorching 54% on the season. She also dished out 5 assists in the game.

Shout Outs

Kyla Evans (EWU)- 16 points, 4-5 from the arc in loss to Georgia. Only 1-7 in upset of UNLV.

Sade Cunningham (NAU)- 11 points, 5 steals, 4 assists, 4-9 in loss to Bradley, 14 points, 5 assists in loss to North Dakota.

Whitley Cox (UNC)- 22 points (18 in second half) in loss to San Fransisco, 12 points in win over Wazzu, but had 9 turnovers.

Atty Boyer (SAC)- 10 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists in loss to Portland, 15 points, 6 rebounds vs San Jose State.

Claire Faucher (PSU)- 10 points, 6 rebounds, 6 steals, 9 assists in win over Portland.

Kelsey Kahle (PSU)- 22 points in win over Portland.

Go West Young Man

2008-11-19T20:08:00.005-07:00

When the MSU schedule came out a few months ago, the road trip I was looking most forward to was...not sunny San Diego St and USC...not the Battle on the Border Tourney in Texas...but the Gonzaga, Washington State trip. Before you navigate away from this blog, let me tell you why. First of all, both arenas will be awesome to visit. I have been a bandwagon fan of both the Zags and the Cougs as their men's programs have emerged on the national scene. It will be neat to watch games on each of their homecourts in the span of a weekend. Second, Gonzaga could be the best team that MSU faces this year. They return 4 starters from a WCC championship team of a year ago. Last year they beat the Cats 82-68 in a game that was closer than the final score indicated. If the Cats play at their potential, they will have a chance to win this game. Third, the Cats SHOULD beat WSU. It is rare when a Big Sky team is a favorite against a PAC 10 team, but WSU is rebuilding and is not expected to do much this season. In other words, two winnable games against prestigious schools present great opportunities for an awesome basketball weekend.

Web Streaming Update:

Just got the word that MY103.5 will be streaming the games from their website, instead of using the Yahoo method of last year. Good news? The quality is much better. Bad News? No archived games. To remedy that in a small way, I will try to post higlights here on Courtside for those that weren't able to catch the game live. Getting highlights is a time intensive process, so please bear with me...To listen via the MY103.5 website, go to http://www.my1035.com and click on the "Listen Live" button in the upper left of the page. Sit back, relax, and enjoy.

News Roundup

2008-11-18T19:54:00.002-07:00

Who chooses these things? I can think of like 10 better choices.

Idaho State has a short bench and can't make its free throws.

I was up way too late last night.

Scotta and Krislyn?! (Check out the second photo. I think I see Katie Burrows and Whitney Connolly there as well.)

One Week Down...

2008-11-17T22:20:00.005-07:00

What a great start to the season. I am already having a blast and we are just warming up. The Cats blasted Utah Valley in Orem 94-71 in their opener on Friday night, and then came home to the Fieldhouse for an excellent home-opener win over North Dakota 85-78.

Against UVU, the Cats relied on their offense to pull away after the Wolverines chiseled away MSU’s 5 point halftime lead. The key for MSU was its bench play, which gave the Cats 41 points, including a pair of big threes by Anne Phippard. Sarah Strand and Erica Perry led the Cats with 15 points apiece.

Against North Dakota, MSU got out to a 12 point lead at the half only to see North Dakota come storming back in the second half. (Déjà vu?) MSU led by as much as 21 points in the second half and UND got it down to a 1 point differential in the final minutes before MSU went on a 6-0 run to close the game for the win. The big difference in the game was at the free throw line: MSU went 27 times and converted 21. UND was 7-9. I am a big believer of what goes around comes around however, the story was the exact opposite in Grand Forks last year where UND got 30 attempts and MSU got 8. Kidding aside, UND was pretty sloppy on defense, especially inside where their star, Kierah Kimbrough was fouled out. In fact, coach Gene Roebuck called her out after the game for her defense.

What did I see this weekend? MSU’s offense will be really good. Sarah Strand is capable of shooting the ball from anywhere, freshman Katie Bussey has been in double figures in all of her games as a Bobcat (well almost, she had 9 vs UND), the Cats are getting 40 ppg from their bench through two games, and the posts are getting their buckets and capitalizing on second chance opportunities. This despite the fact that MSU’s projected leading scorer, Jenny Heringer, has yet to heat up and has been missing a ton of free throws. That won’t last long though, she will find her rhythm and look out, MSU could average high eighties, low nineties all season. There is room for improvement however. The MSU post defense was spotty at times. Against UVU, the Cat’s gave up 31 points to Robyn Fairbanks and sent her to the line 10 times. And while Julie McMurray did get a three, most of her career high 25 points around the basket. Against the Sioux, Kimbrough managed 24 points despite riding the pine in foul trouble and only playing for 14 minutes. The Cats surrendered 13 points and 9 rebounds to Whitney Ledger, a bench player who only averaged 6.3 ppg last season. This undoubtedly bugs Coach Binford, so I know she will be harping on defense in the coming weeks. MSU has the athletes to play good post defense and, with proper focus, will start shutting teams down.

Upcoming: 11/21 @ Gonzaga 7pm, 11/23 @ Washington State 3pm

Week One Big Sky WBB Roundup

2008-11-17T22:10:00.003-07:00

One week all you can find on ESPN is football, the next it is like Christmas and there are more basketball games than your brain can process. A great weekend of action reminded me why I love college basketball more than any other sport. There is so much intensity, strategy, and drama squeezed into forty minutes, that there is rarely a game that I am not emotionally drained after.

The Big Sky swung into action this weekend as all of the teams made their debuts for the 2008-09 seasons. Perhaps the weekend’s best games were on Sunday afternoon in Bozeman and Missoula, but there were noteworthy performances across the Big Sky landscape. I will do a separate post on MSU, so here are the rest:

Montana
The Griz only had one game on opening weekend, and it had a postseason flare. UM hosted Wyoming, a NCAA tourney team from a year ago. Coach Selvig put together a very tough non-conference schedule this season with hopes of improving a potential seeding in the tournament. Wyoming led most of the game, but the Griz got it together in the end, winning 71-64. Sarah Ena scored a career high 19 points. (I told you she would be a factor!) Rodgers, Morales, and Lohman played 40, 39, and 36 minutes respectively, which is a ton for the first game of the year.

Portland State
With double-doubles from Kelly Valentine and Kelsey Kahle, PSU beat BYU at the Stott Center 73-64. BYU started two players at 6-2 and PSU’s tallest player is Valentine at 5’11, but the Viks won the boards 44-31. Could the Viks hang their hat on defense this year? They only allowed BYU to shoot 35% from the field. Oh, and by the way, Claire Faucher only had 8 assists.

Northern Colorado
Northern Colorado pasted Air Force 73-53 in Colorado Springs on Friday. At one point in the first half, the Bears went on a 22-0 run and held the Falcons scoreless for 11 minutes. UNC forced 19 turnovers and held Air Force to 30% shooting. Freshman Cassie Lambrecht had 13 points off the bench (again I told you so) and Courtney Stoermer scored 12.

Northern Arizona
NAU wasn’t as lucky this weekend as the ‘Jacks failed to score over 47 points in two losses on the road. Friday NAU fell to Memphis 64-47 and on Sunday got walloped by Arkansas State 71-40. The story: turnovers and three pointers. NAU turned the ball over a combined 43 times and was a combined 6-30 from downtown in the two games (for those keeping track at home that is 20%). Highnote? San Diego State transfer Lauren Hoisington registered a double-double (17 pts, 11 rebs) in her first game as a ‘Jack.

Sac State
The Hornets got off to a 0-2 start, losing 92-71 on Friday at UNLV, and 100-45 at Oregon State on Sunday. Against UNLV, Sac leaders Charday Hunt and Tika Diaz both fouled out early. Hunt only lasted 11 minutes. The Hornets did get a double-double from Erika Edwards (11,13) who was 3-3 from long range. Four others were in double figures for Sac. The game was in range until UNLV went off from the arc, going 6-10 in the second half. Atty Boyer scored 1/3 of Sac’s points against Oregon State, but the Hornets turned it over 27 times and got outrebounded 38-21. Not gonna win many games that way.

Idaho State
The Seton Sobolewski era got off to a 1-2 start at the Travelers’ Tournament in Albuquerque, NM as the Bengals lost 73-55 on Saturday to DePaul, lost to host New Mexico 82-47 on Sunday, and just got done beating Alcorn State 67-50 tonight. Oana Iacovita was ridiculous in the win over Alcorn State, scoring 22 on 7-11 shooting (7-8 on free throws) and bagging 11 rebounds. In the losses, scoring was an issue. Against DePaul, only Iacovita scored in double figures and New Mexico held ISU to 26% from the field, with no one scoring double figures. Over the two losses, ISU was outrebounded 71-101. Ouch.

Weber State
The Wildcats lost to Nebraska 96-47 on Friday and lost its exhibition game 69-65 to the College of Idaho two weeks ago. ‘Nuff said. Have faith Weber fans, the suffering will end in four months.

Eastern Washington
The Eagles lost their opener on Friday at Nevada 64-49. While Kyla Evans was 5-9 from the field (5-8 from the arc!), the rest of the team was just 13 of 50 (26%). Don’t worry coach Schuller, you have Idaho coming up next week.

This Week

Tuesday
Northern Colorado vs San Jose State
Montana @ Idaho

Wednesday
Weber State vs Washington
NAU @ Utah State

Thursday
Sac State @ Santa Clara

Friday
Portland State @ Binghamton
Montana State @ Gonzaga
Eastern Washington vs San Francisco

Saturday
Portland State @ Syracuse
Northern Arizona vs Pepperdine
Idaho State @ Utah State
Northern Colorado @ Pacific
Sac State vs Fresno State

Sunday
Montana State @ Washington State

MSU 86 UM-Western 46

2008-11-10T19:37:00.004-07:00

Good start for the 'Cats on Saturday night. I don't care who the competition is, winning by 40 is a good win. Some highlights:

-Katie Bussey is good. She put up 17 including 3 long balls. But what I was more impressed with was her ball handling ability and willingness to head right into the teeth of the defense.

-Erica Perry took it easy on the Bulldogs, but she still had a good night. Four steals, 4 assists and 6 rebounds to go along with her 10 points. At one point in the first half she forced three consecutive turnovers, not allowing the Bulldogs to get the ball across halfcourt. After UMW's point guard got the ball stolen two possessions in a row, they gave it to one of their forwards who was a decent ball handler to bring it up. Erica trapped her along the sideline with another Cat (I believe it was Nubia Garcia) and forced the third turnover. If Erica isn't the Defensive MVP of the Big Sky this year, then things could get ugly.(Yes that is a threat).

-The Cats' are deep. Everyone on the active roster scored at least 4 points and all looked fairly comfortable working within Coach Binford's system. It is clear that they have bought in to the high intensity game built on quickness and tough defense that she likes to run. There wasn't much of a drop off when the bench was in the game. Anne Phippard provided some great spark and got communication rolling. Rachel Pauli looked good in her debut, she's got a nice shot and uses her height well in defending and rebounding. There were too many bench highlights to mention.

-The defense looked good. After giving up 91 to the scout team, I was worried about the defense and the focus on that end of the floor. The Cats forced 28 turnovers and kept the Bulldogs below 50 points. While some of that can be attributed to the fact the UMW roster featured 5 transfers that were still trying to figure out the offense, it was clear all night that the Cats had them on their heels and kept them sufficiently flustered all night long. It will be interesting to see how the Cat defense performs when the athleticism of the opponent it similar to their own.

Great game on Friday night at Utah Valley University. The game between MSU and UVU last year in Bozeman may have been the biggest win of the non-conference portion of the season. UVU was undefeated and receiving votes in the national polls when MSU blasted them in the Fieldhouse. The Wolverines will want some revenge and the McKay Center is a tough place to play. This game will be a great test early in the year. However, UVU got kicked around in their exhibition opener to DII Fort Lewis. 82 to 53!!! I haven't tried to figure out why yet, but it is a real head scratcher because they have a good portion of last year's roster back.

To get you ready for the big weekend of hoops, here is that highlight montage that I promised:

Courtside’s 2008-09 All-Big Sky Conference Preseason Team

2008-11-05T18:49:00.004-07:00

Following last night’s team previews, I am excited to announce Courtside’s first Big Sky Conference Preseason Awards. These honors follow the BSC’s postseason awards format with All-Conference Teams, League MVP, Defensive MVP, Top Newcomer, and Outstanding Freshman.

Award winners were selected by a panel of experts (me, myself, and I) and will receive nothing but the respect and honor of being recognized on this blog. I thought of ordering trophies, but what with the economy and all…

Drum roll please.

First Team
Mandy Morales, Montana; Britney Lohman, Montana; Claire Faucher, PSU; Erica Perry, MSU; Jenny Heringer, MSU; Jaime Schroeder NC

Second Team
Sonya Rogers, Montana; Atty Boyer, Sac; Kelly Marchant PSU; Nubia Garcia, MSU; Whitley Cox, UNC; Sade Cunningham, NAU;

Honorable Mention
Julie Piper, EWU; Devin Diehl, ISU; Jenna Brown, ISU; Tonya Schnibbe, WSU; Sami Field-Polisso, Sac, Kelly Valentine PSU; Kelsey Kahle, PSU

MVP: Claire Faucher, PSU
Defensive Player of the Year: Erica Perry, MSU
Top Newcomer: Lauren Hoisington, NAU
Outstanding Freshman: Katie Bussey, MSU
Male Assistant Coach of the Year: Justin Scanson, MSU
Radio Voice of the Year (Other than me of course): Gus Johnson, New York Knicks

For those players out there wondering where your name is at on this list, I encourage you to go out and prove me wrong! Nothing is more exciting than witnessing awesome performances coming from unexpected sources. For those of you on this list, the pressure is on. Don’t let me down!

Big Sky Conference WBB Preview 2008-09

2008-11-04T19:00:00.003-07:00

It is hard to believe that it is time for basketball season already, but here we are. After a thrilling finish to the Big Sky Conference (BSC) women’s basketball 2007-08 season, the 2008-09 season promises to have some exciting twists and turns as well. It is becoming a trend in sports to try to predict what will happen in a sports season. While these predictions almost never hold up, they offer a glimpse into what to look for in the upcoming year.

Keeping with that tradition, here are previews for the nine BSC WBB teams for the 2008-09 season. They appear in the order I expect the teams to finish the regular season. If you are not familiar with the BSC, the top six teams make it into the conference tournament, while the bottom three stay home. Without further ado, Courtside’s Big Sky Conference Preview!

TOURNAMENT TEAMS

1. Montana Grizzlies
It seems like this team is loaded every year, and indeed it is again this season. Montana lost four players off of last year’s squad (one starter), while returning 4 starters including arguably the best player in the conference, Mandy Morales. Morales was the 2006-07 conference MVP and 2007-08 tournament MVP. The Griz return Sonya Rogers, who was ranked among the nation’s best three-point shooters last season, Britney Lohman, the league’s defensive MVP, and Tamara Guardipee, the team’s leading rebounder. The biggest question for Montana is whether or not they can maintain their edge on the rest of the conference. Both Montana State and Portland State exposed Montana weaknesses during conference play, only to get blasted during the tournament. Montana will need to have that “tournament focus” to dominate the regular season. Not only is that difficult to do, but it is improbable. Look for Sarah Ena, a sophomore forward who averaged 5 points and 3 rebounds last season, to step into the graduated Johanna Closson’s starting role. Lauren Beck will have a big year off of the bench.

Team MVP- Mandy Morales
Top Newcomer-Misty Atkinson (RS Freshman G/F)
Five Biggest Games- 11/16 vs Wyoming, 12/19 vs Gonzaga, 1/3 vs Montana State, 1/29 @ Portland State, 2/7 @ Montana State

2. Portland State Vikings
After starting last season with a surprising 11-3 non-conference record, PSU cruised to a fourth place birth in the conference tournament. The Viks return their leader, point guard Claire Faucher. Faucher is a baller, one of those players who knows how to win and makes her teammates better with great passing and clutch shots. PSU also returns Kelsey Kahle, a senior whose basketball game is a mystery. While she doesn’t appear to be a major threat, she waits for opponents to make mistakes, then capitalizes, and somehow gets great stat lines. The Viks lose their best perimeter threat, Delaney Conway, to graduation. Look for her position in the starting lineup to be filled by Kelly Marchant, who has shown signs of lighting up from the arc. Questions: will Lexi Bishop return to form after a knee injury she suffered in the tournament? Will the Viks be able to handle expectations? Montana State provided the blueprint for how to beat PSU: smother Faucher (see Erica Perry) and keep Kahle from getting second chances (see Nubia Garcia). If other teams are able to accomplish this, PSU may go from top of the league to also-ran. Look for Marchant to be one of the most improved players in the league and big contributions from Kelli Valentine and Katia Hadj-Hamou around the basket. Freshmen Eryn Jones and Katy Wade will turn some heads as well.

Team MVP: Faucher (duh!)
Top Newcomers: Jones and Wade
Five Biggest Games: 12/7 @ Oregon State, 1/29 vs Montana, 1/31 vs Montana St, 2/19 @ Northern Colorado, 3/5 @ Montana St

3. Montana State Bobcats
After a breakout season in 2007-08, the expectations are high for the Bobcats. The ‘Cats say goodbye to the BSC’s best offensive threat, Rebecca Mercer, and the team’s vocal leader Krislyn Wallace. Filling Mercer’s shoes may be the team’s biggest challenge, but look for Jenny Heringer to step into the scoring role. Heringer had a fantastic conference season and earned herself a place on the all-conference team. MSU will rely on Nubia Garcia, the team’s leading rebounder in 07-08, to solidify a post presence underneath. At point guard, Erica Perry will be the key to any success the Bobcats achieve this season. Last year, Perry was short changed by not receiving the league’s Defensive MVP award, something that shouldn’t happen again. Tenacious defense is Perry’s forte, but a consistent offensive showing is a must for Perry this season. The role of sophomore Sarah Strand will be important for the ‘Cats. Last season, Strand started out in a traditional forward role while Garcia was recovering from injury. After Garcia’s return, Strand shifted to a slash role, alternating between guard and forward while developing a three-point shot that scared defenses. Strand should return to a predominately “post” role this season in the absence of Wallace. The key battle in the starting lineup should be between guards Anne Phippard and Lyndi Seidensticker for the third guard position. Phippard ended the 07-08 season on fire, and Seidensticker has been tough in practice and scrimmage play. Perhaps the most exciting player for MSU this season could be freshman Katie Bussey. Any shot on the Bobcat side of the court is fair game for Bussey and should the Bobcats be unable to score the points Coach Binford wants, look for Bussey’s playing time to be increased. The biggest question lies with MSU’s defense. Coach Binford stresses defense more than any other aspect of the game, and other than Perry, the MSU defense can be inconsistent. Strong defensive effort will be essential in the BSC this season. If the ‘Cats answer the defensive bell, look out because I truly feel they could jump PSU and Montana in the conference standings. Tournament in Bozeman anyone??

Team MVP: Erica Perry
Top Newcomer: Katie Bussey
Five Biggest Games: 11/21 @ Gonzaga, 1/22 @ Northern Colorado, 1/31 @ PSU, 2/7 vs Montana, 3/5 vs PSU

4. Northern Colorado
The Bears were the Cinderella team of the BSC last season, playing against all odds and earning a birth in the conference tournament. This season looks even brighter for NC as they get their leading scorer from 06-07 back after Whitley Cox sat out last season with a knee injury. The Bears lose center Danielle Hagen to graduation but return all of their other starters. The bench is much deeper this season after coach White signed 5 freshmen and a JC transfer in the offseason. The Bears will have one of the best backcourts in the conference with Cox returning and strong play from Jaime Schroeder, a break through performer from last season. The biggest question mark in Greely is in the post where the absence of Hagen could loom large. Sophomore Kate Kevorken was in the running for freshman of the year last season and will fill a valuable power forward/guard combo role. Brittany Fernandez, a JC transfer, and sophomore Lara Merrit should shore-up some of the rebounding needs, but the rest of the height for NC will come from untested freshmen who will need to grow up fast. Cassie Lambrecht will provide spark off of the bench and could see starting time if things head south early in the year.

Team MVP: Jaime Schroeder
Top Newcomer: Brittany Fernandez
Five Biggest Games: 1/17 @ PSU, 1/22 vs Montana St, 1/24 vs Montana, 3/5 @ NAU, 3/7 @ Sac St

5. Northern Arizona Lumberjacks
NAU was a middle of the pack team last year and will be a middle of the pack team this year. Gone are Ashley Ingle, the league leader in blocks by a 26 block margin, and Laura Dinkins, the team’s leading scorer. Returning is one of the league’s most dynamic point guards, Sade Cunningham. Cunningham had the second best assist to turnover ratio in the league and has the defensive capabilities to rattle some of the conference’s best ball handlers. Joining her in the backcourt will be Janelle Matthews, a sharpshooter that banked in 23 three-pointers last season. Jenna Galloway will anchor the questionable post position with the graduation of Ingle and Dinkins. Galloway was troubled by injury last season and the Jacks will need her to stay healthy. The league is abuzz about the potential of Lauren Hoisington, a sophomore transfer from San Diego State. Look for her to contribute a large portion of NAU’s scoring and rebounding. The Jacks are a team that could be surprisingly good and surprisingly bad. Their roster features plenty of new faces and role players that must gel for any success to take place.

Team MVP: Sade Cunningham
Top Newcomer: Lauren Hoisington
Five Biggest Games: 1/04 @ PSU, 1/8 vs Montana, 1/10 vs Montana St, 1/31 @ Northern Colorado, 2/21 vs Sac St

6. Sacramento State Hornets
Sac State is my surprise team of the season. After years of sitting at home during the BSC tournament, I think Coach Muscatell has the players to get to the tourney this season. The Hornets lost a handful of players, but no one of consequence. Returning is leading scorer Atty Boyer and a surprisingly good point guard in Sami-Field Polisso. FP had fewer turnovers than any other starting BSC point guard in 07-08. While Boyer, Erika Edwards, and Charday Hunt should present a passable frontcourt, the Hornets will have some questions to answer in their backcourt. Sami F-P will run the point, but Sac St will need to develop some outside shooters to win games. The Sac was the worst three-point shooting team in the league last season. Coach Muscatell pulled in the largest freshman class in his tenure, so depth is available, but untested.

Team MVP: Atty Boyer
Top Newcomer: Kari Gallagher
Five Biggest Games: 1/8 vs Montana St, 1/18 vs NAU, 1/24 @ Idaho St, 2/7 vs PSU, 3/7 vs Northern Colorado

STAYING HOME

7. Idaho State Bengals
Of all the teams in the BSC, Idaho State took the biggest hit from graduation. Gone are league MVP Natalie Doma and team leader Andrea Lightfoot. Gone are John Newlee and his assistant coaches (except Jordan Green). Welcome Seton Sobolewski, the only new HC in the conference this season. Sobolewski’s cupboard is not completely bare however. Michelle Grohs, a compliment to Doma in the blocks, and Devin Diehl, a potential outside threat, can both adequately serve in the guard/forward “slash” role that is starting to be an important component to any wbb team. Also returning is point guard Jenna Brown whose leadership will be essential to a team that will feature role players stepping into key positions. The most interesting position battle in the non-conference portion of the schedule will be between three posts battling for two starting spots. Oana Iacovita, Cara Lambert, and Verity Peets have been in a heated battle for starting time in a position which will be critical in the absence of Doma. I think adjusting to a new coaching staff and a roster made of back-ups will make it difficult for the Bengals to compete early in the season. Will they gel early enough to make it into the tourney? That, my friends, is the question.

Team MVP: Jenna Brown
Top Newcomer: Andrea Blodgett, JC Transfer
Five Biggest Games: 1/8 vs EWU, 1/24 vs Sac St, 2/7 vs Northern Colorado, 2/26 @ Sac St, 3/6 @ Weber St

8. Eastern Washington Eagles
The Eags were bad last year and if it weren’t for Weber State, they would look even worse this year. Last season’s leading scorer, Sidney Benson, graduated, but most of the Eagle roster returns. Sophomore Kyla Evans will return this season after sitting out most of last year with injury. Evans should rank among the best three-point shooters in the league. Amy Bratvold and Julie Piper will be relied on in the post in the absence of Benson. Jessica Huntington was fairly effective running the point last season and will be joined in backcourt by Kyla Evans and Tatjana Sparavalo. Sparavalo was a surprise last year, showing the ability to score when the conditions were right. With 6 freshmen on the roster, depth will be an issue for the Eagles. On the bright side however, with EWU likely out of the picture by midseason, the freshmen should see plenty of playing time which will help with development.

Team MVP: Kyla Evans
Top Newcomer: Pauline Ferrall
Five Biggest Games: 1/02 vs NAU, 1/10 @ Weber St, 1/24 vs PSU, 2/12 vs Weber St, 2/14 vs Idaho St, 2/28

9. Weber State Wildcats
I hope Carla Taylor has some hobbies, because stress relief will be necessary this year. Gone is leading scorer and rebounder Sarah Tuomi, second leading scorer Akiah Hunter, and Tashina Taylor, the team’s second best rebounder. Two junior guards, Tonya Schnibbe and Ali Thorderson, should provide some stability in the backcourt. Schnibbe has shown the ability to run the point effectively, and both players have good long-range shooting abilities. Caitlin Anderson should lead the Wildcats in post scoring, but rebounding will be an issue. Karlee Weight and Emily Thatcher saw the most playing time of any of the backup F/C’s last year, but neither appeared comfortable. A surprise could come in the form of freshmen forward Abby Thorderson who has played well in early exhibition games. Good news Weber fans, only one senior on this squad (a role player) and the future looks bright.

Team MVP: Tonya Schnibbe
Top Newcomer: Abby Thorderson
Biggest Games: 12/19 vs Utah, 12/22 vs Utah St, 1/10 vs EWU, 1/31 @ Idaho State, 3/6 vs Idaho St

So there you have it. The toughest decision for me was placing Sac State and ISU. I just have a feeling that Sac will outperform expectations and that the Bengals will struggle to adjust to the new coaching staff. On top of that, with Doma and Lightfoot shining in the last few seasons, not much has been expected out of the other Bengal players, so they are used to being role players rather than everyday performers. If ISU can put it together, they could jump Sac State. The other toss-up was PSU and MSU. If the Bobcats sweep PSU again this year, look for the ‘Cats to get the 2 seed in the tourney.

Later this week I will give you my preseason All Big Sky team and award winners, along with my projected finishes. Also, I will be breaking down MSU position by position, so check back soon!

Gus is Back

2008-10-30T20:11:00.002-06:00

While you were sleeping and generally wasting time, Gus Johnson has been busy being the best announcer on the planet. Check out a remix of Gus's debut last night:

Do we have a new call to rival GOT IT!? Maybe...HELL YES!

Gus is the man.

WBB Bonanza

2008-10-30T19:29:00.004-06:00

It is the start of a new basketball season my friends and Courtside will rise to the challenge! My opponent doesn't have the experience necessary to meet the needs of Joe the Reader my friends, but I do. We must fight, fight for a great season, fight for the fans, fight, fight fight!

OK, so I slipped into my best John McCain right there, and I apologize for my poor attempt at humor. BUT, it is time to get excited about a new basketball season. As we prepare for the upcoming season, I thought I would let you know about the things I have planned for this blog. First, the frequency of blogs will increase as Courtside provides the best analysis of MSU and Big Sky Conference WBB in the BLOGOSPHERE! Well at least the blogosphere as it exists in Helena. Second, as long as he stays awesome (and I have no doubt that he will), Justin Scanson and I will debut our first attempt at a podcast. We will even have a poll question and let YOU choose the name!

As I have noted before on this blog, the MSU WBB team tips off against UM Western on November 8. To celebrate, I will be posting season previews next week. Here is my tentative schedule:

Tuesday: Big Sky Team Previews
Wednesday: MSU Position by Position Breakdown
Thursday: Predicted Finishes and All-Conference Awards
Friday: MSU-UM Western Preview

So tell all your friends, it gonna get wiiiiiiiiild!

Rays-Phils: A Good Start by Fox

2008-10-22T19:20:00.003-06:00

The World Series started tonight! I love playoff baseball and the World Series. As avid Courtside readers will note, I am a terrible prognosticator so I won't give any predictions. In case you missed it, here is Fox's opening video from the broadcast. Just a hint, it is awesome.

This video gives me a chance to talk broadcasting strategy a bit. I think the most important parts of a sports broadcast are the beginning and the end. The beginning is your chance to set the mood, so videos like this are great. It gets the crowd emotional about the game and gets them interested immediately. In radio it is more difficult because you obviously don't have the visual component. That's why planning is important, you have to be able to tell the story of why this game matters. The end is just as important because if the game does matter and the result is close or controversial, people will remember your call of the events for a long time. Therefore you need to make the impression a good one.

Can you tell I'm getting ready for a new hoops season? Woo Hoo!

(Monday) Friday Flop

2008-10-20T21:21:00.003-06:00

From the LSU-South Carolina game on Saturday night. Tell me, do you think the ref is up to no good? Maybe LSU should sign him up!

Quick Hits:

-The MSU WBB team opened up practice on Friday. I got to catch an hour on Saturday, the team looks very focused and intent on reaching its goals this season. Also, the offseason conditioning program looks like it paid off as the teams looks to be in very good shape coming into camp. I had better practice fast play x play!

-The first game is on November 8 vs UM Western. Of course you can catch all the action on MY 103.5. (A link to online broadcasts will be available soon.)

-The Vikings are terrible. I normally don't advocate this kind off stuff, but with the Vikings I am an irrational fan, so here you go.

Snomecoming

2008-10-10T08:48:00.004-06:00

Tomorrow is homecoming for MSU and the Cats will take on Weber State. The Wildcats are coming off of a 47-28 upset of the other Montana school last weekend in Ogden. The Wildcats are 2-0 in conference play and ranked 22nd in the FCS coaches poll. So needless to say, this is a crucial game for MSU.

Being that it is early October and it is homecoming, we should have a beautiful, crisp, autumn day for the game right? NO. Forecasts are calling for a high of 29F with up to 4 inches of snow on the ground at kickoff with another 1-4 inches possible during the game.

Though I have always thought it was a stupid tradition, I feel bad for the homecoming royalty candidates that will have to parade around in tuxes and gowns in 20-degree weather. Luckily, MSU installed FieldTurf during the off season, so field conditions shouldn't be an issue as long as proper snow removal precautions have been undertaken. However, cold weather always contributes to increased injury potential, and MSU can't handle any more injuries. Last week in Pocatello, the sideline looked like a medical unit from the Civil War. Flu and sprains, and bruises. No blood that I saw however.

On paper, this should be one of those games where both teams score in the forties. Both teams have dynamic offenses and playmakers that are capable of running up the score. However, the weather (wind expected in addition to the cold) will be the inhibiting force and should keep the ball on the ground. That will make for interesting football, because Weber features the number one running back in the league, Trevyn Smith, who is averaging 98 yards per game on the ground. MSU's Demetrius Crawford is number two in the league at just under 87 yards per game.

My prediction:
Games that are greatly affected by weather, as this one should be, come down to three factors: turnovers, penalties, and field position. MSU is negative right now in turnover margin (-0.8) and has at times played a bit loose with the football. Avoiding turnovers will be key, because point scoring opportunities will be few and far between. Weber is one of four teams in the league with a positive turnover margin (+0.6). Another factor that affects these "weather games" is penalties. MSU and Weber are number one and number two in the league respectively in fewest penalty yards. Field position is the other key. Weber has the highest punt return and kickoff return averages in the Big Sky Conference. MSU is number four in both categories.

When you look at my three weather factors above, Weber holds a slight advantage, 2 to 1. However, home field and home crowd always affect the outcome of a game. MSU is expecting another sellout-standing room only crowd which will be rabid with excitement over the importance of the game and the fact that it is homecoming. Look for both teams to have big days on the ground, with MSU being propelled by its crowd to a 20-17 win.

But more importantly, should I wear? It will be cold, so please vote in the poll in the upper left margin and help me decide how to dress for homecoming.

Bring your hot chocolate!!! (With or without schnaaps.)

There's Only One October!

2008-10-08T18:54:00.007-06:00

My favorite month of the year is October. (March is a close second). Seasons are changing, so we have some beautiful scenery in Montana. Football is in full swing. The MLB playoffs are on. About half of my extended family has birthdays in October. Hunting season starts. Basketball practice heats up. And much, much more.

This year's baseball playoffs aren't nearly as compelling this year (because my Rockies didn't make it), but they are definitely worth paying attention to. In the National League Championship, the Dodgers have a legitimate chance of winning a World Series, which they have not done since 1988. The Phillies are a fun team to watch, though I think the media has them vastly overrated.

In the American League, the Tampa Bay Rays have been the story of baseball this season. During the pre-season, most of the baseball experts were saying that the Rays were about a year from being a force in the AL East. Well, they have blossomed early and it has been fun watching their young players mature. I felt like this was the year the Red Sox would bow out in the first round, but they surprised me with their ability to pull games out of no where. I guess it shouldn't surprise me, they've been doing it since 2004. I really don't like the Sox, but you have to give them credit for winning when it matters.

My Predictions? Dodgers/Sox in the World Series, with L.A. winning in seven games in a true fall classic. The only thing I don't like about October? Having to listen to Joe Buck. I can't stand him.

I would like to have a moment of silence due to a very sad moment that will happen tomorrow in Helena. I have an appointment to have my boat winterized, which marks the official end of summer.

Queen of the "Office": Heather

2008-10-07T19:29:00.004-06:00

Congrats to Heather for winning the inaugural Courtside Office quote contest. (Honorable mention to Scanson, though he was disqualified for not giving a quote). So in honor of Heather and her uncanny ability to make me laugh while remembering hilarious Office moments, here is a blog post dedicated to Heather.

Things that rhyme with Heather:
Feather
Weather
Tether

My favorite Heather moment:
When she saved me from getting arrested for trying to pump gas in Portland.

Colors that look good on Heather:
Red
Blue
Yellow
All Combinations of the Above

Person That Reminds Me of Pam Beasley:
Heather

Person Most Likley to Get an Invitation to My Birthday Party:
Chuck Norris and Heather

A Poem about Heather:
Good day my dear Heather,
The wind whispers like a feather,
Why did you choose that man to which to tether?

(Sorry, that isn't meant to be a dig at Zeb. Zeb is da bomb)

Congrats again Heather and thanks for going above and beyond with your Office quote.

By the way, for those of you planning a tribute post to someone, there is a fine line between a tribute and sounding like a stalker.

Ladies and gentleman, I have some bad news. Meredith was hit by a car.

2008-09-23T19:48:00.002-06:00

If you woke up on Monday with a spring in your step and a smile on your face, there is a good reason. The Office returns on Thursday night with new episodes. Therefore, I have been in a great mood all week. Pretty soon, all of the old themes will be renewed: will Jim propose to Pam? Will Angela break off her engagement to Andy and return to Dwight? Will we find out who knocked up Jan? Will Michael burn down Dunder Mifflin?

While I enjoyed last season, I think the show as a whole took a small step backward. It lost some of the appeal of the first three seasons. I think all shows go through this. There is a point when all of the really funny stuff has been used up because the writers aren't even sure that the show will make it. The great shows like Seinfeld, The Simpsons, and the Golden Girls (checking to make sure you are still reading) find ways to get over the hump, and I am sure The Office will too.

I have a problem though. A friend of mine is having a party Thursday night (not Office related) and I don't have Tivo. Do I go bad friend and say I can't make it? Or do I go good friend and miss potential TV history? Dilemma.

In honor of The Office returning, I am having a blog contest. I challenge you all (or both of you) to share your favorite Office quotes in the comments. The winner (chosen by and objective panel of experts) will get a blog post devoted solely to him/her. Good Luck!

Tip of the Cap: HDTV. I am officially an HD snob after upgrading a week ago. If it is not in HD, I don't watch it.

Wag of the Finger: ESPN. I want more screen shots of Erin Andrews when I am watching HD.

Ramblings on Football

2008-09-08T21:42:00.004-06:00

Life makes sense again. There is a crispness in the air and football season has begun. I am sad to see summer go, but having football back makes it worth while. I spent all day Saturday prepping and working the sidelines for the MSU-K State football game, spent most of yesterday watching the NFL's first weekend, and just finished watching my Vikings on MNF. So, it has been a true football weekend.

Tom Brady blew his knee out yesterday and the Patsies announced today that he will be out for the rest of the year. Just to get it out there: I would NEVER root for someone to get injured. Never. It is awful to see anyone get hurt and not be able to do their job or live their passion. That said, I actually think having Brady out and having the Pats knocked down a peg helps the NFL. I am not a fan of dynasties. I like to see leagues and divisions be competitive and have multiple teams with a chance at the crown. Over the past few years, it seems like only the Colts and Pats have had a chance in the AFC, and I got bored with that.

My Vikings have been picked by many to win the NFC North and possibly go deep in the playoffs. After watching them play tonight I have mixed feelings. There is so much talent, but the Vikes are limited by Tavaris Jackson. You can tell that Coach Childress has no confidence in him by the plays that get called. When they did take the chains off and let him try to make some plays (in the last two minute drill), he threw an interception. With the Slackers playing well and the Teddy Bears looking pretty good on Sunday night, the Vikings will have a tough road to travel to win the division. TJ better improve quickly or this will be another wasted year and Childress will be looking for work.

It was only the first game however, so there is plenty of time for the Vikes to get better. I am pretty optimistic that they will do well this season.

Some highlights from the K-State trip:
-Got to meet legendary K-State head coach Bill Snyder
-Prowled the sidelines with Frank Martin (K-State men's bball coach). He is just as intense looking in person.
-Nice Hotel. Charter flying is the way to go.
-I need a better rain coat.
-Big school pep-bands are so awesome. (not that ours is bad, but we're talking a whole different scale)
-I am a bad poker player.

Tyler's Olympic Review

2008-08-24T19:48:00.007-06:00

I am watching the closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics right now, with just a twinge of sadness that the games are over. Normally I don't pay much attention to the summer Olympics because who wants to sit in front of the TV when it is so nice outside? But the story lines of these games have compelled me to carve out some time to watch. I decided to share some of my highlights of the 29th Olympiad, so here it goes:

Most Outstanding Athlete: Michael Phelps. Was there any doubt? Phelps earned 8 gold medals, more than any other Olympian ever.

Moment That Made Me Jump Out of My Chair: Usain Bolt in the 100 Meter Dash. He not only set a new world record, he SMASHED the old one. This graphic from the New York Times shows just how far from reality Bolt's run was. He ended up setting two more WRs in the games.

Coolest Venue: The Watercube. China really set the bar high with its venues this year. All of them were spectacular and will be remembered as some of the greatest venues of the modern Olympics. The Watercube was the best however. When it was illuminated at night it was breathtaking.

Favorite NBC Announcer Team: (You had to know I was going here) Dan Hicks and Rowdy Gaines. Their calls of the awesome swimming races were perfect. Just the right level of emotion and they let the races and performances speak for themselves.

Moment When I Felt Bad: When Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang had to withdraw because of a bad Achilles heal. He was the favorite in the event (which is rare for China in track) and the Bird's Nest was full to see him run. He was very upset for not being able to run for his country.

Best Smile: Shawn Johnson. I felt bad when she kept coming up short for gold medals, but she always kept her smile.

Sport I Gained the Most Respect For: Gymnastics. Those people were hands down the strongest athletes in the games.

Sport I Hated: Badminton. Dude, they are like 3 feet from the net. Boring.

Moment When I Almost Cried: When NBC interviewed the USA men's volleyball coach after his team won the gold. His father was killed in Beijing right before the games started. The coach was trying to fight back tears and showed great composure.

Best Commercials: The Visa Ads. Morgan Freeman is the man. I would jump in front of a bus if he told me to. The Visa ads that he narrated were awesome, and this one was my favorite:

Thing Angered Me: NBC wouldn't show those of us in the west events that got shown live on the east coast. Don't get me started on my east coast bias theory in sports and news.

Thing (Person) That Made Me Laugh: Bela Karolyi. He should get a spot in the Sunday Night Football booth with Al and John. He made Bob Costas so uncomfortable. Hilarious.

This blog post is way longer than it should be, sorry. All-in-all I thought the Olympics were great this year. China gets an A-, NBC gets a solid B.

Friday Flop

2008-08-22T16:45:00.005-06:00

Drumroll please. Today I debut a weekly feature (hopefully weekly that is) called "Friday Flop." I will post a funny video clip, audio clip, or story so that we can all start the weekend on a high note.

Our first Friday Flop: Brian Collins and how not to anchor a sports cast.

Brutal. Have a great weekend!!

Credits: Fanhouse

A Theme Song is Born

2008-08-19T20:59:00.005-06:00

One of the things I like best about sports on TV and radio is the theme music that is involved in the broadcasts. One of the best all-time theme songs is the music that opened the NBA on NBC broadcasts up until the network lost it's NBA rights to ABC. The song is called Roundball Rock and was written by none other than Yanni's cousin, John Tesh.

Well, thanks to the blog "Awful Announcing" (one of my favs) I discovered the story behind the song:

That video is both intriguing and uncomfortable at the same time. It is neat to see how the song came about, but OMG John Tesh cannot hum. Also, that hair and goatee coupled with his outfit make him look like a pirate. It is weird to see an orchestra jam out to a sports theme song, the violinists are way too into it.

Anyway, thought you might enjoy that. What are your favorite sports tv theme songs?

Disclaimer: This is the first and last John Tesh music video I watch on YouTube.

Legends of the Mic: Bill Walton

2008-08-17T21:01:00.005-06:00

A newcomer to Courtside, Heather Elkinton, left a great suggestion in the comments section of my last post. Do a recurring post on Bill Walton, one of my favorite *sarcasm* basketball announcers. Heather suggested posting YouTube clips of Bill and giving my commentary on his work. I LOVE it Heather! But, I am going to make a small tweak: I am not going to limit it to Bill Walton, rather I will post clips from some of the best of the best in a recurring post called "Legends of the Mic."

But since Heather requested Bill, Bill she shall have. The clip I have selected for this post is perhaps his best work. Working with Mike Tirico for LA-Phoenix, I give you Bill Walton on Beethoven and Boris Diaw:

Where do I begin? First of all drawing a parallel between an 18th century German composer and a French NBA player is sheer brilliance, something the audience would never expect. When I think of the world's oldest music, I think of Boris Babacar Diaw-Riffiod. The way he carves through a defense is reminiscent of the way Beethoven sliced his baton through the air while conducting a sonata.

That just makes my brain hurt. My favorite part of that clip is when Tirico goes "Geesh" when Walton starts in on the Beethoven comparison. He knows it is coming and just wants to punch Bill right in the kisser. Bill goes so over the top on everything, but I really don't get too annoyed with him until the 4th quarter of a game. He has become a caricature of himself and you have to wonder if he is so melodramatic in real life.

Here is my advice to Bill to make his broadcasts even more awesome:

1. Dress in the appropriate costume for the story you plan to tell for that game. Maybe a powdered wig and 18th century knickers for your Diaw piece.

2. Make all of your commentary rhyme.

3. End all of your comments with "that's what she said."

Feel free to leave your Bill Walton comments in the comments section. Stay tuned for more "Legends of the Mic" I might even drag in an Olympics legend for the next post!

Tip of the Cap: Wilsall, MT- Great turnout for the annual Ranch Rodeo this weekend. One of the best wild cow milking contests I have witnessed.

Wag of the Finger: Brett Favre- You should have stayed retired. A Jet? Come on.

Disappointments

2008-08-14T22:38:00.003-06:00

Well, I am back at it after a delay in blog posts. I wish I had an excuse like "I have been very busy at work," or "my life has been crazy," but the truth is I have been loafing it lately: spending lots of time at the lake and just got back from some vacay up in the Flathead Valley.

Anyway, I got back from a week of no TV and wi-fi to discover that my Rockies went 2-5 in a 7 game home series with Washington and San Diego, the two teams with the worst records in the NL. Follow that up by going 1-2 versus the division leading D-Bags (I mean D-Backs) and I am ready to call the Rox out of the pennant race for 2008. What a major disappointment. After a run to the World Series and only losing our second baseman in the offseason, I was sure the Rox were going to take it all this year. Oh well, maybe next year. (Buy some pitching Dan O'Dowd!!!)

In honor of the disappointment I feel over the Rockies, I thought I would give you a list of the top five sports disappointments in my life. Feel free to add your own in the comments section.

5. Little League 1994. We were the Shields Valley Marlins. My Dad was the coach. I was the slugging right fielder. We won one game. 'Nuff said.

4. Bobcats vs. Appalachian State 2006 NCAA 1-AA playoffs. The Cats had App State on their heels. A trick pass by WR Michael Jefferson is intercepted and App State gets the mo back. We coulda had them.

3. 2007 World Series: Rockies vs Red Sox. Rockies= everything that is right about baseball: small market team, great run to end the season, players no one outside of Denver(except me and my pal Joel Schumacher) has heard of. Sox= everything that is wrong about baseball: East coast bias, bandwagon fans, each player makes more than the GDP of Mongolia. Well you know the result: bad guys win in four.

2. 2007 NCAA Men's Basketball Regional Semis and Finals. Gus Johnson is not included in CBS's announcer lineup.

1. 1998 Minnesota Vikings. Kicker hadn't missed a field goal all year, blows one in the waning moments of the NFC championship. Falcons win in overtime. 15-1 regular season wasted.

I know this post has been depressing and I will try to be more upbeat in the next one. Only 15 days to the start of MSU football!

Tip of the Cap: Justin Scanson- Thanks for mentioning my blog in your favs!
Wag of the Finger: The People's Republic of China- The host country cheats by letting underage girls compete in gymnastics. Try to stay classy Beijing.

Billy Packer: It's Over

2008-07-14T19:25:00.002-06:00

Well, it's official, Billy Packer has called his last Final Four. Let's just it's not over in the same sense as his call during the Kansas-UNC national semifinal:

Usually when a sports broadcasting icon hangs it up I get sad, but not in this case. This move by CBS was long overdue. Viewers could sense that over the past few years the game was passing him by. He made mistakes. In the national championship he mentioned that Kansas was well-equipped to handle overtime because they had been in similar circumstances in 1957. Good memory Billy, but not applicable. He was too grouchy. I admit that there comes a time as an analyst when you need to be critical, but it had become Billy's thing: being critical of every player and coach. College basketball is something people turn too for fun, and to truly experience the game viewers must go through the lows AND the highs. That's where I think Billy's biggest flaw laid. He had a bitter old man's way of dulling the highs. Despite his flaws, one thing I must say is that few in the business know as much as Billy about the game and its history. His replacement had better do his homework.

CBS announced that Clark Kellog would be taking Packer's place on the network's number one announce team along with Jim Nantz. I think this is a solid hire. Kellog loves the game and wears his emotions on his sleeve when he is calling a game. But not too much (see Suzyn Waldman). One thing I hope Kellog leaves in the studio: his penchant for making up words and trying to be funny. Don't try to make people laugh, just naturally let it happen.

In the spirit of the shake-up at CBS sports, here is a list! Five other changes CBS should make in their NCAA basketball coverage (while waiting for my clothes to dry at the laundromat):

5. Bring back the old video intros from about 3 or 4 years ago (I still get chills when I hear that music).

4. Get Dickie V in the studio. I don't care how much it costs. Watching Greg Gumbel try to rein him in would be worth the price of admission.

3. Make sure the studio team goes to the site of the final four. Am I the only one who hated seeing them in New York while all the action was in San Antonio?

2. More shots of the the UCLA dance team.

1. Pair Gus Johnson with Kellog in the number one announce team. Nothing against Nantz, but when I think of March Madness I think of Gus. (Heck when I brush my teeth I think of Gus. Man crush?)

MLB All Star Game: The exhibition that means too much

2008-07-13T18:47:00.006-06:00

Back in 2003, Major League Baseball decided to give its All-Star game some meaning. So, it decided that the winning league would get home field advantage in the World Series. On its face it is not a bad idea, give the players in the AS game something to play for, but in the words of Lance Berkman, it's a "fallacy."

The first beef I have with the AS game deciding home field advantage for the WS is that the incentive is not targeted enough to get the players to play any harder than they would if there were no incentive. Huh? Only two teams will eventually be affected by the outcome of the All-Star game. MLB has a rule that each of its teams must be represented in the AS game, and lots of those teams are already out of contention. By my count 10/36 of the NL players' teams and 12/36 AL players' teams are at least outside looking in at their divisions' pennant races. Therefore they don't have a horse in the AS game race and could care less about where the WS is played.

The AS game and its surrounding festivities are a break from the rigorous schedules and long hours that players put in during the season. They don't treat it like a real game that could make or break their season.

The second part of this puzzle is that the outcome of the game means too much. Home field advantage in the World Series is HUGE. If you don't think so, try telling that to Jeff Francis, who started game 1 of the '07 WS for my poor Colorado Rockies. He had been playing lights out for two months and dominating hitters. But you put him in one of the most intimidating atmospheres in baseball, Fenway Park for game 1 of a World Series, in front of those rude Boston bandwagon baseball fans and a national TV audience and what happens? He gives up a leadoff home run to Dustin Pedroia and the Rockies go on to a 13-1 drubbing. I knew right then and there that Colorado was out of it. You know what Jeff Francis was thinking when Pedroia's HR was sailing over his head?

"I sure wish Tony LaRussa (2007 AS NL manager) would have tried harder to get Albert Pujols into the AS game so maybe the NL could have won."

Had the Rockies had home field advantage in the '07 WS, things would have been a lot different. The Sox may still have won, but the series would have been a lot less one-sided.

In reality it comes down to one of my favorite economics conundrums: the benefits are concentrated while the payments are spread out. (A little light reading on that subject.) The players playing in the All-Star game have everything but the World Series on their mind, and one of the teams in the WS will get shafted by this scheme come October. And as every good student of economics knows, this scheme will never produce the intended consequence: make the All-Star player care about the game.

MLB should either go back to the way it was (alternating home field advantage) or come up with a new scheme (team with the better inter-league record? team from the league with the best inter-league record?) and ditch this current mess. The commish should wake up and realize that the All-Star game is a showcase of players, but they don't really care about the outcome.

Other Notes: Rockies coaching staff is coaching the NL squad. Good luck Clint Hurdle and crew.---Colorado is being represented by Matt Holliday and Aaron Cook.---The All-Star Game is just more evidence that small markets don't matter to MLB. In all reality, you could have Boston square off against the Chicago Cubs because each team has so many players in the game. Players that deserve to be there (see Jose Reyes and anyone besides Jason Varitek) will be watching the Sox and the Yanks vs the Cubs.---The current All-Star game/World Series home field advantage scheme was a concession to Fox TV (read link above).

Goodbye Tim Russert

2008-06-16T18:46:00.002-06:00

My Sunday mornings will never be the same. Every Sunday I do the exact same thing. I get up around 7:30, make some coffee, settle into the recliner, and flip on "Meet the Press." I am a newsie. I love all things news, but in my mind there was a clear number one in terms of getting the "straight scoop," and that was Tim Russert and MTP.

I always felt that in this day of opinionated news across the cable networks and the internet, the only place you could find an unbiased view was on Russert's program. He had the amazing ability to stay neutral on very challenging and difficult issues. He drug the true positions out of everyone he interviewed and made them "grow a spine," to quote my HS history teacher. He never succumbed to the handsome airhead mentality that captures a lot of news anchors and reporters. He was all about substance and professionalism.

I don't get too emotional about celebrity/newsmaker deaths, but this one really got to me. He was a part of my family, kind of like an uncle that I saw once a week. All of the tributes in the past few days have been awesome. I knew he was a family man, but I didn't realize how well he treated his employees and their families.

There will always be a void in my weekends now. The world has lost a truly special person. I think of all the tributes this week, this was the most touching, it is a montage of clips of newsmakers and fellow anchors along with some music by Bruce Springsteen.

The magic that is Gus Johnson

2008-06-10T19:30:00.005-06:00

People always ask me how I prepare for games that I am going to broadcast. Well, there is a lot to it. I memorize and categorize stats, I go over player stories in my head, I get familiar with the opposing team, I memorize the rosters, I study the history regarding the teams and the matchup and I put together all of the facts regarding the context of the game.

But right before the game? I don't nap, I don't practice, and I don't gargle lemon juice ala Luciano Pavarotti. No, my pal and road trip roommate Justin Scanson got me hooked on something better: I listen to the magic that is Gus Johnson. I think every sportscaster can learn a thing or two from his enthusiasm for the game he is covering. His dramatic calls get me juiced for the game at hand. Here is my favorite GJ moment: UCLA-Gonzaga from the 2006 NCAA Tournament. THE CAAAATCH!

Jitters!

Welcome to TW Courtside!

2008-06-09T19:25:00.004-06:00

Isn't technology wonderful?! It seems everyone has opinions; some people express them better than others, but we all have them nonetheless. As any of my friends or family will tell you, I definitely have opinions, especially regarding sports and politics. Fortunately for them, the Internet allows me to express them to the world, and I have heard from more than one friend that they hope a blog will alleviate the necessity of me sharing my opinions all of the time.

Kidding aside, I plan to use this blog as my format for taking a deeper look at less examined areas in sports. For example, ever since I began providing radio play-by-play for women's college basketball, I have recognized that the drama, achievements, excitement, and stories of this sport go largely unnoticed by the sports world. Let me tell you, these athletes are far more deserving of the spotlight than the prima donnas of the NBA and NFL. See, already on my soap box.

One thing you can count on: lists. I am a lister and I believe that listing is the most concise and effective way to convey information. Also, expect variety. My life is all over the board, and this blog will be the same.

My first list:

The Top 5 NBA Postseason Announce Teams, in order:
1. Dan Schulman and Doris Burke, ESPN
2. Kevin Harlan and Doug Collins, TNT
3. Mike Tirico and Hubie Brown, TNT
4. Marv Albert and Reggie Miller, TNT
5. Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, and Jeff Van Gundy, ESPN