FARMINGTON, Utah (Mar. 16, 2026) – For the first time since 1990, the Idaho Vandals will be representing the Big Sky Conference in the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament, which is a journey that will begin on Thursday for the squad from Moscow.
#BigSkyMBB Notes (March 16, 2026)
Below are the latest news and notes from around the Big Sky.
Idaho Wins Big Sky Tournament
Winning four games in five days as the No. 7 seed in Boise, the Idaho Vandals won the 2026 Big Sky Conference Men’s Basketball Championship, earning the right to represent the league in March Madness.
The journey started on Saturday, March 7, when the Vandals knocked off No. 8-seeded Sacramento State 68-45. The following day, the Vandals squared off against No. 2-seeded Montana State and secured the upset 78-74 over the Bobcats.
After a day off, the Vandals returned to the court inside Idaho Central Arena and squared off against No. 3-seeded Eastern Washington. The Vandals once again prevailed, knocking off their regional rival 81-68.
In the Big Sky Championship Game, against the league’s defending champs, the Vandals defeated No. 4 Montana 77-66 to punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament.
That marked Idaho’s first Big Sky Tournament title since 1990, which was also won in Boise, Idaho.
A trio of Vandals were recognized on the Big Sky All-Tournament Team for their efforts, as Kolton Mitchell, Jackson Rasmussen and Isaiah Brickner all earned the nod from the voting media.
The Vandals are now 21-14 on the year and finished 9-9 in league play.
Money Williams Named Tournament MVP
Despite falling to the Vandals in his third and final game, Montana’s Money Williams was named Big Sky Tournament Most Valuable Player for his efforts.
Williams set a new tournament record for total points, dropping 91 total over the course of three contests. He surpassed former Griz player Anthony Johnson, who scored 83 points in a single tournament back in 2010.
Vandals Draw #2 Houston in First Round
Idaho’s March Madness journey will begin on Thursday evening, when the Vandals square off against No. 2-seeded Houston in Oklahoma City.
The Houston Cougars were national runner-up a season ago, as they fell to Florida in the National Championship 65-63. This year’s team is 28-6 on the season and finished second in the Big 12 regular season standings. They were also the Big 12 runner-up this season, as they fell to Arizona 79-74 in their league’s title game.
Freshman sensation Kingston Flemings will lead the charge for Houston, after averaging 16.4 points per game and 5.3 assists per game during the course of the regular season.
Houston’s only losses this season came to teams in the top-20 when they took the floor against them.
The winner between Idaho and Houston will draw either No. 7 Saint Mary’s or No. 10 Texas A&M.
Eighth All-Time for Assists
After dishing out eight assists in Northern Colorado’s tournament game, Quinn Denker moved into eighth all-time in Big Sky history for single-season assists with 211. He is currently tied for 13
th national in the total assists category.
Four Big Sky Players Earn National Recognition
During the course of the regular season four different Big Sky Conference men’s basketball players earned National Player of the Week honors from CollegeInsider.com. Through the course of the year, Montana’s Money Williams, Northern Colorado’s Quinn Denker, Sacramento State’s Prophet Johnson and Idaho State’s Gus Etchison all earned the Lou Henson Award.
DeCuire Chasing History
Montana head coach Travis DeCuire is just two victories away from tying for second all-time in Big Sky history for career wins. DeCuire currently has 244 career wins, and is chasing Montana State legend Mick Durham, who had 246 wins during his career. Long-time Weber State head coach Randy Rahe holds the Big Sky record for total coaching victories with 316 in 16 seasons.
2025-26 Men’s Basketball All-Conference Team & Individual Awards
The Big Sky Conference office released its 2025-26 Men’s Basketball All-Conference Teams and Individual Award Winners on Friday, headlined by Portland State’s Terri Miller Jr. being named the league’s Most Valuable Player.
Portland State, the Big Sky’s regular season champions, earned two more individual awards along with Miller’s, as Tre-Vaughn Minott being named Defensive Player of the Year and Jase Coburn earning Coach of the Year honors.
Miller Jr. averaged 18.9 points per game for the Vikings, which puts him second in the Big Sky. Minott ended the regular season as the league’s top rebounder, averaging 8.9 boards per contest.
The Vikings finished the regular season 19-10, with a 13-5 record in Big Sky play. PSU claimed the No. 1 overall seed for Starch Madness on Monday.
Eastern Washington’s Isaiah Moses was named the league’s Newcomer of the Year, after transferring to the Eagles by way of UC Riverside. He averaged 17.9 points per game for the Eagles this season.
The Idaho Vandals also picked up a pair of individual honors, as Jackson Rasmussen was named Freshman of the Year and Isaiah Bricker was tabbed the league’s Top Reserve.
Five players were unanimous selections to the Big Sky’s All-Conference First Team, as Miller Jr and Moses were joined by Northern Colorado’s Quinn Denker, Montana State’s Jed Miller and Montana’s Money Williams as players to earn that designation.
All awards are voted on by the league’s 10 head coaches. Coaches are not permitted to vote for their own players.
2025-26 Men’s Basketball Individual Awards
Most Valuable Player: Terri Miller Jr., Portland State
Newcomer of the Year: Isaiah Moses, Eastern Washington
Freshman of the Year: Jackson Rasmussen, Idaho
Defensive Player of the Year: Tre-Vaughn Minott, Portland State
Top Reserve: Isaiah Brickner, Idaho
Coach of the Year: Jase Coburn, Portland State
2025-26 Men’s Basketball First Team All-Conference
Terri Miller Jr., Portland State*
Quinn Denker, Northern Colorado*
Jed Miller, Montana State*
Isaiah Moses, Eastern Washington*
Money Williams, Montana*
Jaylin Henderson, Portland State
Tijan Saine Jr., Weber State
*Unanimous First Team Selection
2025-26 Men’s Basketball Second Team All-Conference
Brock Wisne, Northern Colorado
Prophet Johnson, Sacramento State
Alton Hamilton IV, Eastern Washington
Tre-Vaughn Minott, Portland State
Kiree Huie, Eastern Washington
Patrick McMahon, Montana State
2025-26 Men’s Basketball All-Conference Honorable Mention
Kolton Mitchell, Idaho
Christian King, Montana State
Viljami Vartiainen, Weber State
Te’Jon Sawyer, Montana
2025-26 Men’s Basketball All-Defensive Team
Tre-Vaughn Minott, Portland State (DPOY)
Zach Bloch, Northern Colorado
Evan Otten, Idaho State
Prophet Johnson, Sacramento State
Jeremiah Davis, Montana State
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