Big Sky Men’s Basketball power rankings for week 15

Montana (16-10; 12-3 BSC)

The Grizzlies are tearing through the Big Sky Conference (BSC) and are undefeated at home this conference season. Senior guard Sayeed Pridgett leads the way, averaging 20 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists a game. With four of the last six games played away, the Big Sky’s best three-point shooting team will be tested. The Grizzlies will continue to cling to the top spot.

Northern Colorado (17-8; 10-4 BSC)

After the Bears were predicted a fifth-place finish in the Big Sky Preseason Coaches’ Poll, they have surpassed expectations as a contender for the Big Sky championship. Despite Portland State being responsible for two of its conference losses, Northern Colorado, led by redshirt-senior guard Jonah Radebaugh, has a solid foundation for a potentially lengthy postseason that could lead into March.

Eastern Washington (17-8; 10-4 BSC)

The Eagles started the conference season on fire as one of the best scoring teams in the country. Despite dropping to Idaho in Cheney last Friday, Eastern Washington’s plan remains the same: shoot, shoot and shoot some more. A tight lineup rotation makes long defensive battles tough, but the explosive offense can hang with anyone if the shots are falling.

Montana State (14-11; 8-6 BSC)

On the flip side to the Eagles, the Bobcats appear to have taken the motto “defense wins championships” to heart and made that their focus this season. Despite ranking near the bottom in the conference for offensive production, Montana State continues to lock down opponents and hold shooting percentages low. But come postseason, senior guard Harald Frey might need to turn up the offense up another notch to hang in a shootout.

Portland State (13-14; 7-8 BSC)

The Vikings have an elite scoring attack, one of the highest per-game averages in the conference. However, the defense allows the most points per game in the Big Sky. But even with this, they have the most steals, second-most blocks and lead the conference in offensive rebounds. Junior guard Holland Woods and senior center Sal Nuhu have helped this team stay near .500, the defense just needs to turn a corner to trend upwards.

Northern Arizona (14-10; 8-7 BSC)

After a slow 1-4 conference start, the Lumberjacks rattled off five-straight wins to climb the Big Sky, but things look a bit shaky in recent weeks. Squeezing past three-win Idaho State, NAU still has Montana twice on the schedule in its six remaining games. Even one win against the Grizzlies could show that the Lumberjacks are a potential sleeper team that can chop down a favorite in a big upset come time for the tournament in Boise.

Southern Utah (14-11; 7-7 BSC)

The Thunderbirds are a team just good enough to stay in tight games and keep things close, but they haven’t jumped to the next level. Consistency is not what would best describe SUU. They’ve only won back-to-back games once this conference season. It mostly depends on the night. However, as Big Sky fans know, once the postseason hits, maybe the Thunderbirds can finally start clicking.

Sacramento State (13-11; 6-9 BSC)

The Hornets are tough to gauge. They appear to fly in a straight line near the middle of the standings. They beat lower-ranked teams but have yet to take down a high ranked opponent, outside of the impressive NAU win in early January. It’s hard to tell if they’ll sting someone or if they’ll be swatted into the offseason early.

Weber State (10-16; 6-9 BSC)

Well, not every team can live up to expectations. The Wildcats were picked to finish third in the preseason coaches’ poll but sit near the bottom of the rankings despite a 6-9 record. After starting 2-6 in the Big Sky, Weber State has turned it around. They’ve beaten Montana in overtime, but in a rematch lost by 35 points. If the Wildcats sweep their three-game homestand before traveling to Moscow and Cheney, expect a quick climb in the rankings.

Idaho (7-18; 3-11 BSC)

This year’s Vandal team is far from a disappointment. Hold on, here is the explanation. Remember back to the beginning of the season? It was one score loss after one-score loss. They could have easily been 5-0 rather than 1-4, (which then turned to 1-8.) On the bright side, junior guard Damen Thacker is seeing more time on the court. The team chemistry appears to be lightyears better compared to last season, and senior guard Trevon Allen is having a tremendous run and has a case for Big Sky Player of the Year.

Idaho State (6-18; 3-12 BSC)

When you lose 10 straight games, this is where you end up. If there was a term for the Bengals going into week 15, it would be “meh.” Average offense, average defense, average rebounding and shooting percentage. They can hang tough with the best of the conference, just can’t turn those close games into wins and every week feels longer with no win in the schedule.

Zack Kellogg can be reached at arg-sports@uidaho.edu or on Twitter @kellogg_zack.