With less than four weeks until the Big Sky Conference Basketball Championships, the Idaho women’s basketball team sits near the top of the conference rankings with the opportunity to clinch a first round bye.
The Vandals (17-6 overall, 9-2 Big Sky) are part of a trio of Big Sky programs that are currently vying for the top seed in the postseason tournament in Reno next month. The Vandals sit just one game out of first place behind Eastern Washington and Montana State.
With seven games left on the schedule, Idaho not only has the opportunity to earn a first round bye in the conference tournament, but the Vandals could potentially leapfrog into the No. 1 position.
In theory, this is a likely possibility for Idaho. Three of the next four games for the Vandals are against middling programs in the Big Sky: Sacramento State, Northern Colorado and North Dakota.
The Idaho women’s basketball program has the offensive firepower to easily defeat the trio. The Vandals defeated the three programs earlier in the year by an average of 15.6 points in each matchup.
The Vandals are also scheduled to face Portland State, which currently sits near the bottom of the standings with a 1-9 conference record.
Two weeks ago, Idaho earned a commanding 94-65 road victory over the Vikings.
If Idaho is able to earn crucial victories against these opponents, it would provide the team with the opportunity to snatch Eastern Washington’s position in the rankings when the two programs meet on Feb. 27.
Idaho will be on the road in Cheney to face a tough Eagles team that defeated the Vandals 74-66 at the Cowan Spectrum last month.
The matchup will test the caliber of the Vandals against an elite conference rival and possibly provide a preview of the Big Sky title game.
Even if Idaho were to lose this matchup, the team would still possess one of the top four seeds in the conference tournament. This would provide the Vandals with a crucial bye in the first round of postseason play.
With a vast field of 12 teams for the conference postseason tournament, any advantage to rest players will prove vital for head coach Jon Newlee and the Vandals.
It might be too early to begin predicting the final seeding for the Big Sky Conference Basketball Championships. But if the Vandals continue their success on the court, then it would come as no surprise if Idaho earns a No. 1 conference ranking for next month’s tournament in Reno.
Josh Grissom can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @GoshJrissom