Thursday, January 16
Bozeman, MT
7:05 pm
Montana State University
vs
NORTHERN COLORADO
Michael Dison has ignited MSU's offense in conference play
Photo by: Kelly Gorham
Bobcats Host League-Leading Bears Thursday
1/16/2014 8:35:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Worthington Arena site of key early-season clash
Montana State isn't even halfway to the halfway mark of the Big Sky men's basketball season, but the Bobcats face a key conference clash on Thursday when league-leading Northern Colorado invades Worthington Arena.
MSU Game Notes vs. Northern Colorado
MSU's eighth-year head coach Brad Huse understands the challenge ahead. "(Northern Colorado) is well-rounded," he said of the only team in the league off to a 4-0 start. "(UNC has players) that individually have performed well in the past and are good players obviously this year, but as a team they've got a lot of balance, a lot of different ways to get you. I think that's what makes them hard to defend."
Northern Colorado's lofty stature in the league is reinforced statistically. The Bears lead the Big Sky in scoring offense (75.6), scoring defense (64.4), field goal percentage (49.2%), opponent rebounds (30.8), rebound margin (+5.2), and offensive rebound percentage (.355). All of this reflects games against one of the Big Sky's most difficult non-conference schedules, including a win over Kansas State.
"They've played a legitimate schedule," Huse said. "One of the road wins they've had is Kansas State, which is really impressive. (K-State is) ranked in the top 25 right now. This is a mature team, a physical team, a confident team. They're on a mission of sorts. We're playing a very hot basketball team on Thursday."
While understanding the task at hand, Huse is quick to say that his focus this week is internal rather than external. "Ultimately you're worried about yourself," he said. "You have to take care of your business, come out and perform the way you can and utilize your talents. We want to emphasize the depth we have on this team. We have a number of different guys that can score the ball and do different things. As long as we stay together and keep moving forward we'll be fine."
Montana State has led the Big Sky in defensive rebound percentage – the ratio of opponent missed shots gathered – through much of the season to this point. Senior center Paul Egwuonwu has been a tremendous part of that effort, averaging 7.7 boards a game, fifth in the Big Sky. His 6.0 defensive rebounds a game is second-best in the loop.
That element of MSU's success will be severely challenged Thursday. Northern Colorado leads the league in offensive rebound percentage (35.5%), and Derrick Barden, possibly the leader out of the gates for Big Sky Player of the Year honors, has anchored UNC. Of his 9.1 rebounds a game, 3.2 come off the offensive glass.
Barden averages 13.8 points a game, and Bobcat forward Flavien Davis, who likely draws UNC's sensational 6-5 senior on the defensive end, says limiting Barden's impact on the game begins with limiting his put-backs. "You have to keep him off the boards," Davis said. "That has to be the biggest focus. If you keep him off the boards you can eliminate (some of his scoring)."
While Barden is a focus on most UNC scouting reports because of his hot start, Huse is quick to point out that "they have a lot of weapons, that's the issue. It's not just Barden, they have a lot of guys, but obviously his numbers are great. Everybody tried to slow him down, he just has a great motor and a real nose for getting rebounds and scoring it in a lot of different ways. He's shooting threes really well this year, and stepping out and doing that he's added to his game, so there's no single way to slow him down."
The Bobcats narrowly missed a precious road sweep last weekend, dropping a roller-coaster affair at Eastern Washington Saturday afternoon after a road win Thursday at Portland State. The loss at Eastern, in which the team overcame a 16-point first half deficit before losing an 11-point second-half lead, gives MSU a 3-1 Big Sky record heading into Thursday's action, placing the Cats in a tie with Weber State and NAU in second behind Northern Colorado.
Huse was pleased with his team's effort. "We competed hard in all four games. We were in position to win all of them, we won three of them, and the guys are playing hard, playing together, finding ways to be in games and win games. It doesn't get any easier moving forward, but I like the competitive spirit these guys are showing."
After Thursday's clash, the Bobcats host North Dakota, a team picked near the top of the league in the preseason which enters weekend play as one of seven teams with a conference mark of .500 or better. With 14 more Big Sky games after this weekend's pair – the Bobcats and UND get together Saturday at 7 pm in Worthington Arena – Huse knows there's no acceptable focus except for any team except on itself.
"There's a lot of talent in this league," he says, "and we'll see that this weekend. Both these teams were picked very high in the big sky, certainly ahead of us, and we've got our work cut out for us. But we have to take care of our business, worry about us."
MSU Game Notes vs. Northern Colorado
MSU's eighth-year head coach Brad Huse understands the challenge ahead. "(Northern Colorado) is well-rounded," he said of the only team in the league off to a 4-0 start. "(UNC has players) that individually have performed well in the past and are good players obviously this year, but as a team they've got a lot of balance, a lot of different ways to get you. I think that's what makes them hard to defend."
Northern Colorado's lofty stature in the league is reinforced statistically. The Bears lead the Big Sky in scoring offense (75.6), scoring defense (64.4), field goal percentage (49.2%), opponent rebounds (30.8), rebound margin (+5.2), and offensive rebound percentage (.355). All of this reflects games against one of the Big Sky's most difficult non-conference schedules, including a win over Kansas State.
"They've played a legitimate schedule," Huse said. "One of the road wins they've had is Kansas State, which is really impressive. (K-State is) ranked in the top 25 right now. This is a mature team, a physical team, a confident team. They're on a mission of sorts. We're playing a very hot basketball team on Thursday."
While understanding the task at hand, Huse is quick to say that his focus this week is internal rather than external. "Ultimately you're worried about yourself," he said. "You have to take care of your business, come out and perform the way you can and utilize your talents. We want to emphasize the depth we have on this team. We have a number of different guys that can score the ball and do different things. As long as we stay together and keep moving forward we'll be fine."
Montana State has led the Big Sky in defensive rebound percentage – the ratio of opponent missed shots gathered – through much of the season to this point. Senior center Paul Egwuonwu has been a tremendous part of that effort, averaging 7.7 boards a game, fifth in the Big Sky. His 6.0 defensive rebounds a game is second-best in the loop.
That element of MSU's success will be severely challenged Thursday. Northern Colorado leads the league in offensive rebound percentage (35.5%), and Derrick Barden, possibly the leader out of the gates for Big Sky Player of the Year honors, has anchored UNC. Of his 9.1 rebounds a game, 3.2 come off the offensive glass.
Barden averages 13.8 points a game, and Bobcat forward Flavien Davis, who likely draws UNC's sensational 6-5 senior on the defensive end, says limiting Barden's impact on the game begins with limiting his put-backs. "You have to keep him off the boards," Davis said. "That has to be the biggest focus. If you keep him off the boards you can eliminate (some of his scoring)."
While Barden is a focus on most UNC scouting reports because of his hot start, Huse is quick to point out that "they have a lot of weapons, that's the issue. It's not just Barden, they have a lot of guys, but obviously his numbers are great. Everybody tried to slow him down, he just has a great motor and a real nose for getting rebounds and scoring it in a lot of different ways. He's shooting threes really well this year, and stepping out and doing that he's added to his game, so there's no single way to slow him down."
The Bobcats narrowly missed a precious road sweep last weekend, dropping a roller-coaster affair at Eastern Washington Saturday afternoon after a road win Thursday at Portland State. The loss at Eastern, in which the team overcame a 16-point first half deficit before losing an 11-point second-half lead, gives MSU a 3-1 Big Sky record heading into Thursday's action, placing the Cats in a tie with Weber State and NAU in second behind Northern Colorado.
Huse was pleased with his team's effort. "We competed hard in all four games. We were in position to win all of them, we won three of them, and the guys are playing hard, playing together, finding ways to be in games and win games. It doesn't get any easier moving forward, but I like the competitive spirit these guys are showing."
After Thursday's clash, the Bobcats host North Dakota, a team picked near the top of the league in the preseason which enters weekend play as one of seven teams with a conference mark of .500 or better. With 14 more Big Sky games after this weekend's pair – the Bobcats and UND get together Saturday at 7 pm in Worthington Arena – Huse knows there's no acceptable focus except for any team except on itself.
"There's a lot of talent in this league," he says, "and we'll see that this weekend. Both these teams were picked very high in the big sky, certainly ahead of us, and we've got our work cut out for us. But we have to take care of our business, worry about us."
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