Montana (15-5, 8-1 Big Sky)
The Grizzlies lost four of their first six games to start the season, but since then, they have won 13 of their last 14 games. The hottest team in the Big Sky most recently beat second-place Sacramento State by eight points at home. Montana shouldn’t slow down the rest of the season. Expect a first-place finish by the Griz.
Sacramento State (9-12, 7-3)
Despite sporting a losing record overall, Sacramento State sits in second place in the conference. The Hornets lost two straight games and have looked vulnerable, so a contest against bottom dweller Portland State Saturday should be a welcome sight on the schedule.
North Dakota (14-7, 6-3)
NDU was picked to win the conference by both the coaches and the media in the preseason. Heading into February, the team still has some work to do to live up to those expectations. NDU is the only conference team to beat Montana so far this season, which gives hope that the team can still make a push for a championship come tournament time, even if they aren’t one of the top seeds.
Idaho State (11-10, 6-4)
ISU is riding a three-game winning streak heading into a three-game road stretch. The Bengals haven’t been putting up impressive statistics as they sit in the bottom half of the conference in points scored and points allowed, but something is going right as the wins are still rolling in.
Southern Utah (11-7, 4-4)
Impressive play during the nonconference schedule hasn’t translated into success in the Big Sky for the Thunderbirds. After a heartbreaking overtime loss to Northern Arizona over the weekend, the team’s reward is a game against powerhouse North Dakota Saturday. Momentum currently has Southern Utah headed in the wrong direction.
Eastern Washington (11-8, 4-4)
EWU’s season is proof of how quickly a season can go from amazing to horrible. A seven-game winning streak turned into a four-game losing streak for the Eagles. To make matters worse, Thursday’s game pits EWU against the conference’s top team, Montana. The Eagles are the best free throw shooting team in the conference, but they need to improve in other areas to get back on track.
Northern Arizona (8-11, 4-4)
Mariah Willadsen picked a good time to have a clutch performance as she scored 13 of her 17 points in the second half Saturday, helping NAU rally back from an eight-point halftime deficit to defeat Southern Utah, 73-64 in overtime. She’ll have to keep playing at this level if the Lumberjacks are going to hold on to their spot in the Big Sky Tournament.
Northern Colorado (10-10, 4-5)
NCU is currently holding on to the last seed in the Big Sky Tournament. Unfortunately for Bears fans, they still have games against the conference’s top three teams on the schedule. NCU has already lost to Montana, Sacramento State and North Dakota and will likely have to win a couple of those games to keep their playoff spot.
Weber State (9-12, 4-6)
The Wildcats are the worst shooting team in the conference. A team that only makes 35.4 percent of its shots has no place in a conference tournament, but Weber State isn’t out of the tournament picture yet. The saying, “defense wins championships” has to be the Wildcats’ motto right now as they head into the final four weeks of their schedule.
Idaho (9-10, 3-5)
The Vandals have had a seesaw season as they haven’t won or lost more than two straight games at a time. Idaho still has to face the conference’s top team, Montana, twice, so it is going to be a battle to move up the standings. The Vandals were the top team in the WAC, but they have struggled in their first season back in the Big Sky.
Montana State (9-11, 3-6)
Usually, a team near the bottom of the conference standings has a worse overall record than 9-11. This should give hope to the Bobcats as they head into a pivotal Thursday game against Idaho. Both teams need to move up the conference standings and out of the conference cellar.
Portland State (3-18, 1-9)
At this point in the season, coach Sherri Murrell and the Vikings need to set their long-term goals on next season. PSU is far behind the other teams in the Big Sky in record and skill, which is evident by their six-game losing streak. The upside is that teams might look past them on the schedule, so they might have a chance to pull an upset and ruin a team’s tournament hopes.
Stephan Wiebe can be reached at [email protected]