The Cats tip off league play with North Dakota on Thursday
Bobcats Open New Year, League Play Hosting North Dakota
12/31/2014 3:16:00 PM | Men's Basketball
MSU welcomes fresh start as Big Sky play begins
Brian Fish knows that every college basketball team gets one crack at the reset button during the regular season. That moment arrives Thursday in Big Sky country, when Fish's Montana State team hosts North Dakota to open conference play at 1 pm in Worthington Arena.
"I've been very happy with the guys," Fish said of team in the three days since returning from Christmas break. "Sometimes four or five days away is really good. The weather held out, they all got home and got back on time, and we were able to get (a practice) in on the 28th, got two in (Monday) and two in (Tuesday). I really, really like their attitude, it's been really good. We've gotten a lot done, we're making strides. I think the refreshment of starting out 0-0 (in the league) excites the guys and is something they're looking forward to."
The Cats enter league play with a 3-9 mark, but that includes losses to No. 1 Kentucky, national power UCLA, and a pair to Wyoming. MSU's defining characteristic in the first two months of the season has been sporadic shooting, with the Cats hitting just 38.3% of its shots, 12th in the Big Sky. Fish said his team's opportunity to overcome offensive deficiencies come on the other end of the floor.
"What we're having is that guys are trying to win games through scoring," he said. "We've got to win games through getting defensive stops. We've got to understand that scoring's good, but if you give us three or four points but give up six or eight we're in trouble."
In North Dakota, the Cats find a team similar in production. UND and Montana State each average 61.9 points a game. The Green and White shoots the ball better (41.5%), but the Bobcats make up ground in other areas. MSU makes one free throw a game more than North Dakota and shoots 76.5% from the line to UND's 62.4%. MSU shoots 34.8% from beyond the three-point circle to North Dakota's 33%, and makes more than two treys a game more than its opponent.
"I expect the same type of team as we are," Fish said. "They're behind the eight ball a little bit coming on the road, they need to find a way to win, but we all need to find a way to win in conference play. They got a big lift when they got Jaron Nash back for his sixth year, so that gives them some big-time experience. We actually played them last year at Oregon so I'm a little more familiar with this group. They're well-coached, they'll play hard. Everybody gets the excitement again, everybody's in the same boat. We're all 0-0, we're all fired up and everybody will be ready to go."
Nash, a 6-8 wing, leads the squad with 12.2 points a game, while 6-1 guard Estan Tyler chips in 11.8. Nash grabs a team-high 7.6 rebounds a game, while Quinton Hooker runs the show and dishes out 2.7 assists a game. UND has compiled a 4-7 record through the non-league portion of the season.
Fish says his team is getting close to breakthroughs. "I feel like we're one, two, three possessions away from getting wins," he said. "Our non-conference has prepared us. We just need to take advantage of getting our confidence back with the extra practices and being at home."
After the New Year's Day game, MSU remains at home for a Saturday afternoon (2:35 pm) contest against Northern Colorado.
"I've been very happy with the guys," Fish said of team in the three days since returning from Christmas break. "Sometimes four or five days away is really good. The weather held out, they all got home and got back on time, and we were able to get (a practice) in on the 28th, got two in (Monday) and two in (Tuesday). I really, really like their attitude, it's been really good. We've gotten a lot done, we're making strides. I think the refreshment of starting out 0-0 (in the league) excites the guys and is something they're looking forward to."
The Cats enter league play with a 3-9 mark, but that includes losses to No. 1 Kentucky, national power UCLA, and a pair to Wyoming. MSU's defining characteristic in the first two months of the season has been sporadic shooting, with the Cats hitting just 38.3% of its shots, 12th in the Big Sky. Fish said his team's opportunity to overcome offensive deficiencies come on the other end of the floor.
"What we're having is that guys are trying to win games through scoring," he said. "We've got to win games through getting defensive stops. We've got to understand that scoring's good, but if you give us three or four points but give up six or eight we're in trouble."
In North Dakota, the Cats find a team similar in production. UND and Montana State each average 61.9 points a game. The Green and White shoots the ball better (41.5%), but the Bobcats make up ground in other areas. MSU makes one free throw a game more than North Dakota and shoots 76.5% from the line to UND's 62.4%. MSU shoots 34.8% from beyond the three-point circle to North Dakota's 33%, and makes more than two treys a game more than its opponent.
"I expect the same type of team as we are," Fish said. "They're behind the eight ball a little bit coming on the road, they need to find a way to win, but we all need to find a way to win in conference play. They got a big lift when they got Jaron Nash back for his sixth year, so that gives them some big-time experience. We actually played them last year at Oregon so I'm a little more familiar with this group. They're well-coached, they'll play hard. Everybody gets the excitement again, everybody's in the same boat. We're all 0-0, we're all fired up and everybody will be ready to go."
Nash, a 6-8 wing, leads the squad with 12.2 points a game, while 6-1 guard Estan Tyler chips in 11.8. Nash grabs a team-high 7.6 rebounds a game, while Quinton Hooker runs the show and dishes out 2.7 assists a game. UND has compiled a 4-7 record through the non-league portion of the season.
Fish says his team is getting close to breakthroughs. "I feel like we're one, two, three possessions away from getting wins," he said. "Our non-conference has prepared us. We just need to take advantage of getting our confidence back with the extra practices and being at home."
After the New Year's Day game, MSU remains at home for a Saturday afternoon (2:35 pm) contest against Northern Colorado.
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