The head-scratching season for Idaho men’s basketball rolls on with the Vandals desperately searching for their second Big Sky win.
The Northern Arizona Lumberjacks travel to Moscow to face the Vandals in Cowan Spectrum Saturday in a game Idaho desperately needs to build momentum.
The last time the Vandals were home, Idaho almost pulled off an unbelievable win against Montana, until the game shifted in the Grizzlies’ favor in the final six minutes.
Idaho then traveled to Sacramento State, where the Vandals were shut down for most of the game.
Questions remain as to when this team will finally click. With fans’ patience reaching a tipping point after the loss to Sacramento State, the Vandals need figure it out quickly.
The Lumberjacks enter Saturday’s game in seventh place in the Big Sky with four conference wins, while Idaho remains the only team with a single conference victory.
The Vandals will have to contain the Lumberjacks from outside the arc, as Northern Arizona currently ranks fifth in the Big Sky in 3-pointers made.
Both teams rank amongst the latter half in rebounding, so the battle of the boards will be a key factor in Saturday’s matchup. If Idaho can win the rebounding battle, it can take this game.
One name fans should watch out for is Bernie Andre for Northern Arizona. Andre is fourth in the Big Sky in rebounding this season with Idaho sophomore Jared Rodriguez ranking seventh. The battle on the glass between the two could be an exciting one to watch.
Another Lumberjack the Vandals need to contain will be Carlos Hines. Hines ranks top three in steals per game and is top-20 in scoring for the Big Sky this season.
If Hines and Andre can be contained, the Vandals have a shot at getting their second Big Sky win at Cowan Spectrum this season.
While it seems clear this is certainly a rebuilding season, all Idaho can do is keep the focus on this game.
Idaho Head Coach Don Verlin seems to be using everyone on the roster, where every young Vandal gets a shot to prove their worth.
Once again, junior guard Trevon Allen will need to have a strong Big Sky performance in order for the Vandals to get a win. This team can only go as far as Allen can take them. When he is hot the rest of the team follows.
With Idaho sophomore forward Scott Blakney getting into foul trouble the last few weeks, freshman forward Cassius Smits-Francisco has seen many minutes lately. Having Blakney and Smits-Francisco at full arsenal will be great for the Vandal frontcourt if they can stay out of foul trouble.
A win Saturday can help boost the confidence for the Vandal squad and squash the recent five-game losing streak.
Idaho enters a brutal February schedule with four teams currently ranked in the top five of the Big Sky. If the Vandals do not pull off the win Saturday, the clouds hanging over Idaho men’s basketball may never clear up.
Idaho will play Northern Arizona at 7 p.m. Feb. 2 in Cowan Spectrum. Stay tuned to Vandal Nation for a full game recap.
Chris Deremer can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @Cderemer_VN