FARMINGTON, Utah (October 21, 2021) – After claiming their first Big Sky Conference regular-season championship in program history last season, the Thunderbirds of Southern Utah University have been picked as the preseason favorite in the league heading into the 2021-22 campaign by both the coaches and media.
“It is an honor to be recognized as the top program in such a talented conference,” SUU head coach Todd Simon said. “It is a tribute to the hard work of our staff and our student-athletes, but it is only for fun and on paper at this stage. We have championship-level expectations and will need to be at that standard every day.”
Southern Utah returns the majority of its production from last season, where they finished conference play with a 12-2 record. SUU won .864 percent of its games, which was the highest mark in their Division I history. They also went undefeated at home for the first time in 20 years.
Following the season, Simon was named NABC District 6 Co-Coach of the Year, as well as the 2020-21 Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year.
Following Southern Utah in both Polls is Weber State. The Wildcats return 10 players and four starters from last year’s team, which finished 17-6 overall and 12-3 in the Big Sky. The Wildcats also finished undefeated at home, going 11-0. That marked only the fourth time in program history they’ve reached that feat.
For Weber State, Randy Rahe returns for his 16
th season with the Wildcats. He is the league’s all-time leader in coaching wins.
Selected third by both coaches and media, Montana State returns three All-Big Sky selections from last season and is coming off a run to the Big Sky Conference Championship game. That marked both their first semifinal and championship appearances since 2009. The Bobcats return 90 percent of their scoring from a season ago.
Slotted fourth is the Grizzlies of Montana. The Griz went 15-13 in 2020-21, marking their 13
thconsecutive season with a .500 or better record. They are one of only 19 teams nationally that can claim that number. UM brings back all eight players from their rotation that closed out last season.
Sitting fifth in both polls is Northern Colorado, who returns all five of their starters from the 2020-21 season. Led by senior Bodie Hume, who needs just 215 points to crack the program’s top-10 scorers, the Bears led the Big Sky in 3-point percentage in each of the previous two seasons.
Selected sixth in both polls is Idaho State, who is looking to have back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since the mid-90’s.
Big Sky coaches selected the Vikings of Portland State seventh, while the media tabbed them in eighth. PSU is entering the season with new head coach Jase Coburn, who was hired last April.
The Vikings are flipped with defending Big Sky Tournament champion Eastern Washington, who were tabbed seventh by the media and eighth by the coaches. The Eagles are also led by a first-year head coach in David Riley, who is in his 11
th season overall with the program. This season’s edition of the Eagles features 13 newcomers.
Northern Arizona was tabbed ninth by the coaches and 10
th by the media, while Sacramento State was picked ninth by the media and 10
th by the coaches.
The Idaho Vandals were selected 11
th by both coaches and media.
Tune in to the Big Sky Tipoff on November 4 to get a full breakdown of the preseason polls, which will stream on ESPN+.
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Big Sky Men’s Basketball Preseason Coaches’ Poll
| Place |
Team |
Votes |
First Place Votes |
| 1 |
Southern Utah |
98 |
8 |
| 2 |
Weber State |
91 |
2 |
| 3 |
Montana State |
81 |
1 |
| 4 |
Montana |
71 |
|
| 5 |
Northern Colorado |
68 |
|
| 6 |
Idaho State |
56 |
|
| 7 |
Portland State |
40 |
|
| 8 |
Eastern Washington |
37 |
|
| 9 |
Northern Arizona |
28 |
|
| 10 |
Sacramento State |
25 |
|
| 11 |
Idaho |
10 |
|
Big Sky Men’s Basketball Preseason Media Poll
| Place |
Team |
Votes |
First Place Votes |
| 1 |
Southern Utah |
324 |
23 |
| 2 |
Weber State |
290 |
5 |
| 3 |
Montana State |
264 |
1 |
| 4 |
Montana |
217 |
|
| 5 |
Northern Colorado |
212 |
|
| 6 |
Idaho State |
181 |
|
| 7 |
Eastern Washington |
142 |
|
| 8 |
Portland State |
116 |
|
| 9 |
Sacramento State |
110 |
|
| 10 |
Northern Arizona |
85 |
|
| 11 |
Idaho |
38 |
|