FARMINGTON, Utah (Feb. 7, 2024) – With just about a month separating Big Sky Conference men’s basketball teams from the Championship Tournament in Boise, Idaho, all 10 squads are gearing up for a massive February stretch.
Below is the most recent news and notes in and around the Big Sky.
#BigSkyMBB Notebook (Week Fourteen)
Standings Breakdown
Eastern Washington enters the weekend two games clear of the rest of the league, sitting at 9-1 in Big Sky play at 15-8 on the season. The Eagles are 7-0 at home this year and only have one loss against a non-P5 Division I opponent.
With a 6-3 mark in league play, Northern Colorado currently sits in second place. The Bears are 13-9 on the year.
Montana (6-4) and Montana State (6-4) are currently tied for third, with Montana holding a head-to-head tiebreaker.
Portland State (5-5) and Weber State (5-5) are in the same situation for fifth place, with the Vikings holding a tiebreaker over the Wildcats.
Idaho State (4-6), Northern Arizona (3-6), Idaho (3-7) and Sacramento State (2-8) currently round out the field.
If the Big Sky Tournament started today, Eastern Washington and Northern Colorado would be the No. 1 & No. 2 seeds respectively.
Jones Named Player of the Week
Following a 2-0 weekend where he once again stuffed the entire stat sheet, Weber State’s Dillon Jones was named Big Sky Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week.
This marks the sixth weekly award Jones has secured this season.
In victories over Northern Arizona and Northern Colorado, Jones averaged 23.5 points per game, 8.5 rebounds per game, 4.5 assists per game and 2.0 steals per game.
He had 26 points, eight rebounds, and four assists in Thursday’s 72-70 win at Northern Arizona. He was 8-of-13 from the field and was a perfect 10-of-10 from the free throw line. He followed that up with 21 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and three steals in Saturday’s 82-63 win at Northern Colorado.
In the two games, he was 17-of-19 from the free throw line and also shot 44 percent from the field.
Jones is third in the nation in defensive rebounds and 20th in the nation in overall rebounds. He also ranks sixth in the country in double-doubles with 13 this season. He is 10th in the nation in minutes per game and 13th in free throws made. He is second in the Big Sky in scoring, rebounding, and assists.
For his career, Jones now has 14 Men’s Basketball Player of the Week titles.
Individual Stat Leaders
Northern Colorado’s Saint Thomas remains the Big Sky’s leading scorer, dropping in 20.3 ppg on average. He’s followed by WSU’s Jones at 19.7 and Northern Arizona’s Trenton McLaughlin at 16.3.
Thomas is also currently the league’s top rebounder, pulling in 10.0 rebounds per contest.
Montana State’s Robert Ford III leads the Big Sky in steals, with 69 total for 3.0 per game.
Portland State’s Hayden Curtiss and Idaho’s Julius Mims lead the Big Sky in blocks with 36 each for averages of 1.6.
This Week’s Schedule
Thursday, February 8
Montana State at Northern Colorado / 6:00 p.m. / ESPN+
Montana at Northern Arizona / 6:00 p.m. / ESPN+
Portland State at Weber State / 7:00 p.m. / ESPN+
Sacramento State at Idaho State / 7:00 p.m. / ESPN+
Saturday, February 10
Montana at Northern Colorado / 2:00 p.m. / ESPN+
Montana State at Northern Arizona / 2:00 p.m. / ESPN+
Idaho at Eastern Washington / 5:30 p.m. / ESPN+
Portland State at Idaho State / 6:00 p.m. / ESPN+
Sacramento State at Weber State / 7:00 p.m. / ESPN+
#BigSkyInBoise
2024 Big Sky Women's Basketball Bracket |
2024 Big Sky Men's Basketball Bracket
Both the Big Sky men's and women's tournaments tip off on Saturday, March 9, with the championship games slated for Wednesday, March 13. Tip-off times for this year’s Basketball Championships will mirror the tournament schedule from 2023, with the women's games slated for the afternoon and the men's contests set for the evening each day. Nearly half of the games – or eight of the 18 total contests – will be held during the championships’ opening weekend, making it convenient for both local and out-of-town fans to attend.
The women's bracket will feature two games each day at 12:00 p.m. MT and 2:30 p.m. MT on Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, before the 3:00 p.m. MT championship game on Wednesday. All games will be streamed on ESPN+, with the championship matchup airing on ESPNU for the second-straight year.
The men's bracket will feature two games each day at 5:30 p.m. MT and 8:00 p.m. MT on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday before a 6:30 p.m. MT and 9:00 p.m. MT semifinal slate on Tuesday, followed by a 9:30 p.m. MT tip-off for the championship game on Wednesday. Tuesday's first semifinal game will air on ESPNU, while the nightcap will be televised on ESPN2. The men's championship final also will air on ESPN2, marking the second-straight year for that game on that network.
Tony Parks and Joe Cravens will serve as the men's basketball TV talent for the ESPN+ games in Boise, while Tracy Warren and Krista Redpath will be the ESPN+ TV talent on the women's side. The linear TV talent will be announced at a later date.
For those wishing to purchase all-session or all-tournament passes for the 2024 Big Sky Men's and Women's Basketball Championships, visit
BigSkyInBoise.com. Tickets can also be purchased by calling 208-331-TIXS, visiting the Idaho Central Arena Box Office in-person or going to
IdahoCentralArena.com to purchase online.
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