FARMINGTON, Utah (Dec. 30, 2025) – Non-conference play is complete, and the battle for a Big Sky Conference regular season title begins this week as all 10 men’s basketball programs will be in action.
#BigSkyMBB Notes (Dec. 30, 2025)
Below are the latest news and notes from around the Big Sky.
Northern Colorado’s Denker Named Big Sky & National Player of the Week
Northern Colorado’s Quinn Denker led the Bears to the program’s first victory over Colorado since Feb. 18, 1935 on Sunday afternoon in Boulder, and has been named Big Sky Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for his efforts. Yesterday, he was also named Lou Henson Award National Player of the Week by CollegeInsider.com.
Denker finished the game with a career-high 33 points (12/18 FG, 3/5 3FG, 6/6 FT), 8 assists and 8 rebounds in 38 minutes of action to lead the Bears to a victory over the Buffs. His 33 points were the most in a single-game by a Big Sky player this season.
Denker had missed some games due to an injury prior to this contest, making his first appearance since December 6. Prior to his injury, he was named Big Sky Men’s Basketball Player of the Week twice. He is the Big Sky’s leading scorer with 18.7 PPG and assists leader with 6.3 APG.
This victory marked UNC’s 10th in non-conference play, which is the highest in the program’s Division I history. Heading into conference play, the Bears have the best overall record in the league at 10-3.
Mid-Major Top 25
With the victory over Colorado, the Bears of Northern Colorado jumped up five spots in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25, as they now sit No. 18 going into Big Sky play. They are the only Big Sky team to appear in the rankings.
NCAA NET Rankings
Northern Colorado features the best NCAA NET Ranking of the 10 Big Sky programs, checking in at No. 117 heading into conference play. Idaho State is the second-highest ranked Big Sky team, ranked No. 124 at this point of the season. Idaho (150
th), Montana State (156
th) and Portland State (180
th) round out the top-five for the Big Sky.
Stat Leaders
Denker will enter Big Sky play as the league’s leading scorer with an18.7 points per game average, followed closely by Montana’s Money Williams at 18.2 PPG and Portland State’s Terri Miller Jr. at 17.8 ppg.
Denker also leads the Big Sky in assist average, with 69 total for an average of 6.3 per game. Portland State’s Jaylin Henderson is second in assist average with 6.1, while UM’s Williams I the leader in total assists with 76 on the year in 13 appearances.
Sacramento State’s Prophet Johnson is the Big Sky’s leading rebounder, pulling down 8.9 boards per contest through 11 appearances. He is also the Big Sky leader in steals with 2.7 per game for a total of 30 on the season. PSU’s Henderson is also second in that category, with an average of 2.1 assists per game.
Idaho State’s Evan Otten leads the Big Sky in blocks, with 22 total for an average of 1.7 per game.
Northern Colorado leads the Big Sky in total team offense, putting up 86.8 points per game through 13 contests. Montana State is the leader in total team defense, allowing just 69.2 points per game in 13 appearances.
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)
Thursday, January 1
Portland State at Weber State |ESPN+ | 2:00 p.m.
Northern Arizona at Montana | ESPN+ | 4:00 p.m.
Northern Colorado at Montana State | ESPN+ | 7:00 p.m.
Sacramento State at Idaho State ESPN+ | 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, January 3
Eastern Washington at Idaho | ESPN+ | 3:00 p.m.
Northern Colorado at Montana | ESPN+ | 4:00 p.m.
Portland State at Idaho State | ESPN+ | 4:00 p.m.
Northern Arizona at Montana State | ESPN+ | 6:00 p.m.
Sacramento State at Weber State | ESPN+ | 7:00 p.m.