FARMINGTON, Utah (Dec. 2, 2025) – It’s Summit Challenge week for Big Sky Conference men’s basketball teams, as an in-season combined trophy is on the line against some high-level foes.
#BigSkyMBB Notes (Dec. 2, 2025)
Below are the latest news and notes from around the Big Sky.
Big Sky – Summit Challenge: Volume 3
For the third-consecutive season, the Big Sky Conference and the Summit League are going head-to-head with a two-day men's and women's basketball challenge. Games will take place on Wednesday, December 3 and Saturday, December 6 (with one exception).
The two leagues will be playing for a combined trophy, taking both men's and women's results into consideration equally from 36 total games.
Victories in the challenge will be weighted differently based on whether they occur at home or on the road. Teams will be awarded one (1) point for a victory on their home floor, while if a road team emerges with a win, it will be awarded one and one-half (1.5) points for the result.
The conference with the most total points combined between men's and women's results will be declared the winner.
If there is a tie in points following the conclusion of all contests, the first tiebreaker will be total margin of victory. If there is still a tie following the calculation of margin of victory, the two commissioners will compete in an arm-wrestling contest at the Final Four to determine the champion.
The Summit League currently has possession of the trophy, after winning the challenge for two-consecutive seasons.
A full schedule for the weekend can be found below.
UNC’s Denker Earns Second-Consecutive POTW Title
For the second-consecutive week, Northern Colorado’s Quinn Denker has been named Big Sky Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week. Denker was instrumental for the Bears in their victory over in-state rival Air Force, scoring 23 points in the contest. He also generated a ton of offense for his squad, dishing out eight assists. For the week as a whole, he had 13 assists and shot 70 percent from the field. This is his second career weekly award from the Big Sky.
Standings Breakdown
Northern Colorado currently sits on top of the Big Sky Conference men’s basketball standings with a 7-1 overall record. The Bears are 3-0 at home and 3-0 on the road, with their lone loss coming on a neutral court.
Northern Arizona and Portland State are currently tied for the second-best record, each sitting at 4-2 entering the week. Idaho is right behind them with an extra notch in the loss column at 4-3.
Idaho State and Montana round out the six Big Sky teams at .500 or better, each sitting with a 4-4 record through eight contests.
Individual Stat Leaders
Preseason All-Big Sky Team member Jaylin Henderson is the Big Sky’s leading scorer currently, averaging 19.8 points per game through six contests for Portland State. Preseason MVP Money Williams is averaging 18.7 ppg for Montana in seven appearances, while UNC’s Denker is third in the league with an average of 18.3.
Portland State’s Tre-Vaughn Minott, who was also a member of the Big Sky’s Preseason All-Conference Team, is the league’s leading rebounder currently at 9.8 rebounds per contest.
Denker currently leads the Big Sky in assists with 6.5 per contest through eight appearances. UM’s Williams is second in terms of average at 6.4.
Sacramento State’s Jeremiah Cherry leads the Big Sky in rejections with 2.3 blocks per game, while fellow Hornet Prophet Johnson leads the league in takeaways with 2.7 steals per game.
Team Stat Leaders
Northern Colorado currently boasts the best team offense in the Big Sky, averaging 88.8 points per game as a unit. Defensively, Idaho State is giving up the fewest points in the league at just 68.0 per game.
Starch Madness
The 2026 Big Sky Basketball Championships in Boise, Idaho will take place from March 7-11 inside Idaho Central Arena. Visit
StarchMadness.com for more details.
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Upcoming Big Sky Men’s Basketball Games (MT)
Tuesday, December 2
Sacramento State at Baylor | ESPN+ | 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday, December 3
Northern Colorado at Omaha | Summit League Network | 6:00 p.m.
South Dakota State at Northern Arizona | ESPN+ | 6:00 p.m.
Idaho State at Kansas City | Summit League Network | 6:00 p.m.
Portland State at South Dakota | Summit League Network | 6:00 p.m.
North Dakota State at Montana | ESPN+ | 7:00 p.m.
Oral Roberts at Weber State | ESPN+ | 7:00 p.m.
St. Thomas at Montana State | ESPN+ | 7:00 p.m.
North Dakota at Idaho | ESPN+ | 7:00 p.m.
Eastern Washington at Denver | Summit League Network | 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 6
Idaho at South Dakota State | Summit League Network | 1:00 p.m.
Omaha at Portland State | ESPN+ | 3:00 p.m.
Kansas City at Eastern Washington | ESPN+ | 3:00 p.m.
Denver at Idaho State | ESPN+ | 4:00 p.m.
Montana at North Dakota | Summit League Network| 6:00 p.m.
Northern Arizona at North Dakota State | Summit League Network | 6:00 p.m.
Montana State at Oral Roberts | Summit League Network | 6:00 p.m.
South Dakota at Northern Colorado | ESPN+ | 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 7
Weber State at St. Thomas | Summit League Network | 11:00 a.m.
Tuesday, December 9
Northern Arizona at Arizona State | ESPN+ | 7:00 p.m.