THIS ONE IS A LITTLE MORE LEGIT AT LEAST...I don't mind WSU picked low, less pressure.
Athon Big Sky Preview
http://www.athlonsports.com/college-bas ... ps-preview
Big Sky Predicted Order of Finish
1. Portland State
2. Montana
3. Northern Arizona
4. Idaho State
5. Weber State
6. Northern Colorado
7. Eastern Washington
8. Montana State
9. Sacramento State
1. Portland State (23–10, 14–2)
Fourth-year head coach Ken Bone returns three starters, including last year’s conference MVP Jeremiah Dominguez, from a team that dominated the Big Sky Conference last winter. And to complicate matters for the rest of the league this year, Bone has a trio of talented transfers eligible to compete after redshirting last season under the NCAA’s transfer rule. Joining Dominguez, a bug-quick senior point guard who averaged a team-high 14.2 points and 4.1 assists per game, from last year’s starting lineup are senior guard Andre Murray (9.1 ppg) and junior forward Kyle Coston (5.9 ppg). But Murray and Coston might have trouble finding minutes with Dominic Waters, Phil Nelson and Jamie Jones all becoming eligible. Waters, a junior guard, was named the WAC’s Freshman of the Year at Hawaii in 2005-06. Nelson, a versatile 6'7" sophomore forward, was a part-time starter for Washington as a freshman. And Jones, a junior forward, averaged 10.3 points and 7.2 rebounds as a sophomore at Portland before transferring to PSU.
2. Montana (14–16, 8–8)
The Grizzlies were a big disappointment last season, despite boasting two of the league’s best big men in Andrew Strait and Jordan Hasquet. Strait is gone, but Hasquet, a 6'9" senior who averaged 13.7 points and 7.2 rebounds, returns, along with senior point guard Ceylon Elgin-Taylor (6.2 ppg, 3.5 apg) and junior guard Ryan Staudacher (9.0 ppg), who is one of the league’s best long-range shooters. Throw in Jack McGillis, a 6'6" forward who redshirted last year after transferring from Oregon State, and Michael Taylor, a 6'4" sophomore guard and second-year transfer who started 25 games as a freshman at Eastern Washington, and you have another deep and talented Grizzly team that seems capable of challenging for the Big Sky regular-season title.
3. Northern Arizona (21–11, 11–5)
Tenth-year head coach Mike Adras has built his program to a level where you can pretty much pencil the Lumberjacks in among the top two or three teams in the Big Sky at the start of each season. Adras lost his top scorer and rebounder, Kyle Landry, from last season but returns enough backcourt talent to once again figure in the Big Sky’s title mix. The best of NAU’s returnees is senior point guard Josh Wilson, the school’s all-time assists leader, who averaged 11.6 points and a league-best 5.4 assists per game as a junior. Senior guard Matt Johnson (5.6 ppg) and senior forward Zarko Comagic (6.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg) also return.
4. Idaho State (12–19, 8–8)
The Bengals did most of their scoring and rebounding by committee last year, and the majority of those committee members, including last year’s leading scorer and top playmaker Matt Stucki, are back. Stucki (11.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 3.5 apg), a 6'6" senior, is one of three full-time starters returning to third-year coach Joe O’Brien’s four-guard lineup that will also include juniors Amorrow Morgan (9.7 ppg), Austin Kilpatrick (7.3 ppg) and Donnie Carson (6.2 ppg). If O’Brien can develop another big man to spell 6'11" senior center Lucas Steijn on the low blocks, look for ISU to become a player in the Big Sky.
5. Weber State (16–14, 10–6)
Third-year coach Randy Rahe has some holes to fill after losing last year’s two top scorers, Dezmon Harris and Arturas Valeika, to graduation. But the return of senior guard Kellen McCoy (8.8 ppg) and senior forward Daviin Davis (8.6 ppg) gives the Wildcats some experience on which to rebuild. And the addition of first-year junior college transfer Marcus Carson, a versatile 6'4" wing, should be enough to put the Cats in position to challenge for another first-division finish.
6. Northern Colorado (13–16, 6–10)
Despite being one of the youngest teams in the Big Sky last season, the Bears were competitive night in and night out, which should give third-year coach Tad Boyle and his quickly maturing players plenty of confidence. Junior wing Jefferson Mason has a chance to become an all-league type of performer, but just how far Northern Colorado goes will probably hinge on Jabril Banks, a 6'7" senior forward who averaged a team-high 13.2 points and 5.8 rebounds while emerging as one of the most productive low-post scorers in the league last winter.
7. Eastern Washington (11–19, 6–10)
Questions abound at EWU, where second-year head coach Kirk Earlywine continues to sort through the mess he inherited last year. The Eagles lost last year’s top scorer and rebounder, Kellen Williams, to graduation, but return four starters, including senior point guard Adris DeLeon (12.5 ppg, 3.1 apg), who showed signs of brilliance at times last winter. Junior forward Brandon Moore (7.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg) also had his moments, but unless a couple of transfers who redshirted last season are better than billed, look for Eastern to struggle once again.
8. Montana State (15–15, 7–9)
Graduation gutted the Bobcats’ backcourt and left third-year coach Brad Huse without Carlos Taylor, last year’s Big Sky scoring champion, and veteran playmaker Casey Durham. The return of 6'9" senior center Divaldo Mbunga (12.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg) will help ease some of the graduation sting, but unless a couple of Huse’s young and untested perimeter players make some huge strides, it’s hard to see the Bobcats making much noise.
9. Sacramento State (4–24, 2–14)
Senior guard Loren Leath (13.1 ppg) returns after leading the Hornets in scoring last season, but beyond that there is precious little to recommend about the program first-year coach Brian Katz inherited at Sac State. Vinnie McGhee, last year’s Big Sky Freshman of the Year, transferred, and graduation claimed two other starters, leaving Katz to hope that first-year transfer Mike Marcial, a highly touted point guard out of Fresno City College, is the real deal.
