Thursday, January 5
Pocatello, ID
7:00 PM
Montana State University
at
at IDAHO STATE
Mo Fall (right) anchors a Bobcat defense as the team heads onto the road Thursday
Photo by: Kelly Gorham
Bobcats Venture to Pocatello for First League Road Tilt
1/5/2012 9:42:00 AM | Men's Basketball
MSU faces experienced Bengals squad which has weathered turmoil in 2011-12
Boosted by the good feelings from a Big Sky win against Portland State at home last Saturday, Montana State begins the road portion of its league schedule at Idaho State on Thursday night.
MSU Game Notes vs. Idaho State/documents/2012/1/5/BB_Gm_Notes__12.pdf?id=834
MSU Game Notes vs. Idaho State/documents/2012/1/5/BB_Gm_Notes__12.pdf?id=834
More than just another game, Bobcat head coach Brad Huse said that conference contests on the road help define a team and a season. "Winning league games on the road is what can separate you (from other conference teams)," said Huse, now in his sixth go-round on the MSU bench. "It takes mental toughness. These teams prepare for you, they are ready for you, they know your strengths and weaknesses. A possession here or there can make the difference."
Beginning the journey is Pocatello's Holt Arena, Huse said, is an appropriate representation of the differences a league season in the Big Sky throws at a team.
"You have to go into a lot of different environments in our conference," Huse said, "a lot of different types of arenas. You have domes, small gyms, bigger arenas. There's lots of travel. (The team will) have to deal with all that stuff equally well."
Montana State opened Big Sky play with a home split last weekend, dropping the opener to Eastern Washington on Wednesday before beating Portland State on Friday. Huse hopes that a roster stocked with talented newcomers is more comfortable with the intensity of conference games as it heads out of Worthington Arena.
"I certainly thought we looked tight and unsure of ourselves, particularly on the offensive end, in that first conference game. I thought we looked much more comfortable in the second game, against Portland State. Now we have to go on the road, and playing on the road in a conference environment is going to be a change for these guys. I hope the learning curve is a small one."
The 2011-12 season has thrown different challenges at Idaho State than the Bobcats. Veteran coach Joe O'Brien resigned just before Christmas, leaving first-year assistant Deane Martin to pull the team together. The experienced Bengals responded with one win in their first three contests, but played very well in the two most recent games, both league road tilts.
I don't know if they're better (since the resignation), I don't know if they're worse, but I know they've played well," Huse said. "They competed well in a game they lost at Weber and they won at Northern Colorado, which is a really nice road win in the conference. I wouldn't say they've changed anything from an X's and O's standpoint, but maybe from an attitude standpoint. They have some guys that have been through the league, guys that have some experience. I know what kind of team they have, and we're going to have our hands full."
Huse knows the Bobcats stand at a crucial juncture early in the 2012 league season.
"Our next three games are on the road, and they're going to be tough," he said. "We need to string some good things together. It takes something special to win on the road in the league. Little things will make the difference."
Bobcat Insider TV Show
Thursday, March 03
Inside The Brick (Amin Adamu)
Friday, November 05
Inside The Brick (Nick Gazelas)
Monday, November 01
Inside The Brick (Abdul Mohamed)
Sunday, October 31
