The matchup: After picking up their second Big Sky win of the season last Saturday, the Vandals look to avenge their home losses against the Wildcats and the Bengals and build a late season push going into the Big Sky Tournament.
Photo by: Meredith Spelbring
Overcoming the odds: The last time Idaho and Weber State met earlier this season, the Wildcats escaped with a six-point win over the Vandals. Since then, the Vandals plummeted to the bottom of the conference with Weber State currently fourth in the Big Sky. Idaho has the opportunity this week to add some chaos to the Big Sky standings before the start of the Big Sky Tournament with a win on Thursday.
Growing up at the right time: The young Vandals proved last week this team has turned around from their miserable two-month slump. Idaho has four players scoring in double figures in their last two games, all while playing stellar defense as well. Don’t expect the Vandals to roll over just yet in these final two games of the season.
The names: Idaho junior guard Trevon Allen helped put the Vandals on his back to break the 14-game losing streak. In order for the Vandals to win again, expect Allen to be fearless on the offensive side of the court. Freshmen guards RayQuawndis Mitchell and Cameron Tyson both got their 3-point shots to fall last week. Continued strong shooting by both guards would help greatly. Last but not least, freshman forward Jared Rodriguez has been a dominant force on the offense and if he can continue his persistent scoring, the Vandals could steal a win this week.
A haunting past: The Vandals’ struggles all season have come from rebounding woes, turn- overs and inconsistent shooting. Last week, Idaho addressed the issues and turnovers were the only problem Idaho suffered from greatly. Weber State ranks first in 3-point field goal percentage defense and blocked shots, which will make it a difficult time for Idaho to find a basket. The Vandals need to keep the ball moving and not get stagnant on offense to try to overcome the strong Wildcat defense.
Battle of the Domes: Idaho and Idaho State currently sit as the bottom two teams in the Big Sky. With both teams playing similar in almost every statistical category, the rivalry might turn into a battle of relevancy. A statement win over the rival Bengals could be a great launching point going into postseason play.
Where/when: Idaho men’s bas- ketball travels to Ogden, Utah, to take on the Weber State Wildcats 6 p.m. Thursday followed by the final Battle of the Domes matchup in Pocatello against the Idaho State Bengals 6 p.m. Saturday. Both games can be streamed on watchbigsky.com.
Chris Deremer can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @chris_DEREMER