2005 Men's Basketball Postseason Guide
3/4/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Mick Durham has been in the coaching business for a long time. Montana State’s 15th-year head coach has experienced most everything a Big Sky Conference coach can expect to face.
And yet, the fall of 2004 brought something new. His peers in the conference coaching fraternity, and those who cover Big Sky basketball in the media, picked Durham’s Bobcats dead last in the league’s preseason polls. Not only had the Bobcats never been projected as a last-place team in Durham’s 15 years, the ‘Cats have never finished dead last in that period.
While those polls may or may not have been a surprise, Durham was unfazed. “I knew in October we didn’t have a last-place team,” he said, holding to that position even after a 1-6 start, even after a 33-point loss at Nebraska that ended MSU’s pre-conference season.
Against that backdrop, Montana State opened Big Sky play with perhaps the most imoprtant three-game road stretch in Durham’s illustrious coaching tenure. MSU opened league play with only the sixth win in school history at Weber State, then won road games at Idaho State and, a week later, at Montana.
The fast start launched the Bobcats to a bounce-back season. MSU finished conference play with a 9-5 league record, and a 14-13 overall mark, including a 13-7 run after that disappointing 1-6 beginning. “Those three road wins really set the tone for our season,” Durham said. “Once you have those in your pocket, it’s a matter of taking care of business at home.”
The Bobcats now turn their attention to the Big Sky Tournament, MSU’s first trip to the league’s post-season event since winning the regular season and serving as tourney host in 2002. No player on this year’s Bobcat team has participated in the Big Sky Tourney, and Durham said he is approaching the event as he has everything else this season.
“We’re looking forward to the experience. Playing in Memorial Coliseum will be fun,” he said. “This team needs to experience the tournament and get a feel for the intensity.”
And yet, the fall of 2004 brought something new. His peers in the conference coaching fraternity, and those who cover Big Sky basketball in the media, picked Durham’s Bobcats dead last in the league’s preseason polls. Not only had the Bobcats never been projected as a last-place team in Durham’s 15 years, the ‘Cats have never finished dead last in that period.
While those polls may or may not have been a surprise, Durham was unfazed. “I knew in October we didn’t have a last-place team,” he said, holding to that position even after a 1-6 start, even after a 33-point loss at Nebraska that ended MSU’s pre-conference season.
Against that backdrop, Montana State opened Big Sky play with perhaps the most imoprtant three-game road stretch in Durham’s illustrious coaching tenure. MSU opened league play with only the sixth win in school history at Weber State, then won road games at Idaho State and, a week later, at Montana.
The fast start launched the Bobcats to a bounce-back season. MSU finished conference play with a 9-5 league record, and a 14-13 overall mark, including a 13-7 run after that disappointing 1-6 beginning. “Those three road wins really set the tone for our season,” Durham said. “Once you have those in your pocket, it’s a matter of taking care of business at home.”
The Bobcats now turn their attention to the Big Sky Tournament, MSU’s first trip to the league’s post-season event since winning the regular season and serving as tourney host in 2002. No player on this year’s Bobcat team has participated in the Big Sky Tourney, and Durham said he is approaching the event as he has everything else this season.
“We’re looking forward to the experience. Playing in Memorial Coliseum will be fun,” he said. “This team needs to experience the tournament and get a feel for the intensity.”
Wednesday, August 19
Wednesday, June 10
Monday, March 23
Friday, March 13
