• Hi Guest, want to participate in the discussions, keep track of read/unread posts access private forums and more? Create your free account and increase the benefits of your eGriz.com experience today!

BSC Men's Tourney

Grizbacker1

Well-known member
2006 Men's Tournament - Feb. 27

The pairings for the Summit Center Big Sky Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament Presented by Pespi are set.

Portland State gained the No. 6 seed in the tournament Monday night because of Eastern Washington’s 94-87 win over Idaho State.

Portland State (12-15, 5-9) will take on third-seeded Eastern Washington (14-14, 9-5) in a first-round game Saturday at 7:05 p.m. Pacific from Reese Court in Cheney, Wash.

Montana State clinched the No. 4 seed with a 75-70 win over Sacramento State. The two teams will meet once again in Bozeman, Mont., on Saturday at 2:35 p.m. in a first-round game. The Bobcats (15-14, 7-7) swept the season series with the Hornets. Sacramento State (14-14, 5-9) is the No. 5 seed.

The winners of Saturday’s first-round games will advance to Flagstaff, Ariz., for the semifinal games on Tuesday, March 7. Regular-season champion Northern Arizona, which finished 12-2 in league games and brings 20-9 record into the tournament, is hosting the tournament for the fourth time, and the first time since 1998. The Lumberjacks will play the lowest remaining seed in the late semifinal.

Montana is the No. 2 seed. The Grizzlies, who won the 2005 Big Sky tournament, topped Northern Arizona 96-83 in Missoula on Monday night. The Grizzlies finished 10-4 in conference and bring a 21-6 record into the tournament. The Grizzlies will play in the early semifinal game against the highest remaining seed.

The championship game is slated for Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. Mountain. It will be televised live by ESPN2.

This will be the 31st Big Sky Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament, and the 16th straight with a six-team format. The winner of the tournament receives the Big Sky’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Northern Arizona, which failed to qualify for the tournament last season, will be making its 16th tournament appearance. NAU won titles in 1998 and 2000.

Montana is making its seventh straight and 27th overall appearance in the tourney. The Grizzlies have won five championships.

Eastern Washington is making its ninth straight appearance and it’s 10th overall. EWU won its only title in 2004.

Montana State is making its 20th appearance. The Bobcats won the championship in 1986 and 1996.

Sacramento State is making its fourth straight appearance. The Hornets have advanced each of the last four years, but have not advanced past the semifinals.

Portland State, the 2005 regular-season champion, is in the field four the fifth time since joining the league in 1996-97.

Weber State failed to qualify for the first time since 1981. Idaho State missed the tournament for a second consecutive season.
 
Big Sky Conference Men’s Basketball Championship

First Round - March 4

No. 5 SAC at No. 4 MSU (on campus site)
No. 6 PSU at No. 3 EWU (on campus site)

Semifinals - March 7

5 p.m. (Mountain) - Highest Remaining Seed vs Montana
7:30 p.m. (Mountain) Lowest Remianing Seed at Northern Arizona

Final - March 8

7:30 p.m. (Mountain) Semifinal Winners (ESPN2)
 
Grizbacker1 said:
2006 Men's Tournament - Feb. 27

This will be the 31st Big Sky Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament, and the 16th straight with a six-team format. The winner of the tournament receives the Big Sky’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Northern Arizona, which failed to qualify for the tournament last season, will be making its 16th tournament appearance. NAU won titles in 1998 and 2000.

Montana is making its seventh straight and 27th overall appearance in the tourney. The Grizzlies have won five championships.

Eastern Washington is making its ninth straight appearance and it’s 10th overall. EWU won its only title in 2004.

Montana State is making its 20th appearance. The Bobcats won the championship in 1986 and 1996.

Sacramento State is making its fourth straight appearance. The Hornets have advanced each of the last four years, but have not advanced past the semifinals.

Portland State, the 2005 regular-season champion, is in the field four the fifth time since joining the league in 1996-97.

Weber State failed to qualify for the first time since 1981. Idaho State missed the tournament for a second consecutive season.

Montana has the best Big Sky tourney tradition in this tournament. Hope they only add to it this March.

A rough year for Weber State.
 
So who you guys rather see we play, EWU, MSU or SAC? We won't meet PSU in the semi's because if they win they'd play NAU.

We've beaten both teams twice, and all three make me nervous...if I were to randomly pick it would probably be Sac or MSU.
 
I say EWU without any doubt.

They haven't beat the griz in three years and they're not about to start.
 
If I had to rank the remaining teams at this point (kind of a power poll I suppose):

1) NAU (Only because they are at home and are undefeated in conference there, could easily be UM or PSU here)
2) UM (Have won 4 of their last 5, arguably the hottest team in the BSC)
3) PSU (Have won 4 straight, again probably the hottest team in the BSC)
4) EWU (Stuckey can go off at anytime, and is always a threat)
5) MSU (At least they haven't lost 9 of their last 10)
6) SAC (You can have all the talent in the world, but if you can't play as a team, it doesn't matter)

I like the way that things shaped up for the Griz. At this point, I think that UM has an edge over every team in the tournament.

They've got the confidence factor over NAU right now, knowing that they were 15 minutes from owning the Jacks team twice.

They've got the revenge factor against PSU, they would be really fired up against the Viks.

They seem to have figured out how to limit EWU's production on offense. That box and 1 with Dlouhy on Stuckey was really effective in Cheney.

MSU really is not playing strong basketball right now, and its hard to see them magically pulling it together in a week.

If MSU is melting down, then Sacramento State is Chernobyl. They have so many things to overcome, its just not their year.


I'd have to say that the Grizzlies have the best shot at beating a team in the NCAA tournament. NAU plays nice solid team basketball, but they don't have the talent to keep up with a top 25 team. PSU could probably make a game with that lineup of Morrison and Washington. With Sommer in at PG and Schroeder always a deep threat, they could hold their own. I think with a player like Stuckey, EWU always has a chance.

I think the Griz are eyeing an NIT birth at a minimum right now. The semifinal win would be big, since it would give them 20 D-1 wins and probably a top 75 RPI. If NAU doesn't win the BSC tourney, and neither does UM - that could pose problems for a potential NIT bid.
 
TrueGriz said:
I would say Sac State worries me the most. So, I would take MSU or EWU.

Give me the kittens one more time. We can have a lottery how many times we hear them say "it is tough to beat a team 3 times" the Mick Durham signature line. Of all the teams they have the least heart in my book. I will go on record right now saying I think Sac will beat them Saturday. They gave them the game Monday, with a little help down the stretch from what I have heard.
 
I also have to say that if UM puts their soild ball for 40 minutes against somebody else's in the BSC - Griz come out on top everytime. The other teams don't make me as nervous as our team's potential for mental lapses or lack of intensity at times.

It doesn't really matter who the Griz play, if they play well for 40 minutes, they'll win.
 
I think Sac will win on Saturday too, but I'm biased. It's hard to beat a team three times in a season. I head that earlier somewhere...
 
Kadeezy said:
I think Sac will win on Saturday too, but I'm biased. It's hard to beat a team three times in a season. I head that earlier somewhere...

kadeezy, check the threads, i posted a question to you about a sca recruit
 
So how about game by game? What does everybody see happening?

SAC @ MSU - I know Sacramento State is going to be fired up, but its almost like this team has the stars aligned to lose. They've lost 9 of their last 10 and it seems like they keep getting bad breaks. Eventually a team has to suck it up and overcome those breaks. I really question this team's mental toughness and if they can actually make the return trip on a Saturday afternoon and play well. I think MSU wins this game, only because both teams can't lose. :laugh:

PSU @ EWU - Morrison being out is going to counteract that heavy hitter lineup (pun intended :wink:) they've had the last 4 games. PSU is very hot right now, and they are a dangerous team right now. The last game was in EWU and it took OT to decide that one. I think in the end, PSU comes up short - but I would not be suprised at all if the Viks pull it out.

EWU vs UM - The Griz just match up nicely to EWU. Both times the teams played, UM came out sluggish but was still able to get victories in both games. Even if EWU can jump out on UM, I still think the Griz get the nod in this one. If UM comes out guns blazing - they'll get to rest the starters for the BSC championship.

MSU @ NAU - I really think that there are only 3 teams who can beat NAU in Flagstaff. They can't play EWU or UM and MSU isn't the other one. The Cats have given no reason whatsoever to believe they'll have their first strong tourney showing in 10 years.

UM @ NAU - The way it should be. Both teams will feel like they have something to prove. Two games at 7,000 feet in a row will probably affect the Griz, so its a good thing they've got good depth. Big efforts out of Ellis, Mayes, Martin and Sharp are going to be needed to get this one. It'll be a tough game - and I hope it happens. I'll be there to scream my lungs out. No prediction on this one...but I'll just say I like where the Griz sit right now.
 
Back
Top