Saturday, December 6
7:35 pm
Montana State University
vs
Utah Valley
Marcus Colber leads the Cats against Utah Valley on Saturday
Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson
Bobcats Renew Regional Rivalry Against Utah Valley Saturday
12/5/2014 4:09:00 PM | Men's Basketball
MSU, Wolverines get together at 7:30 in back end of doubleheader
Utah Valley's men's basketball team isn't a member of the Big Sky Conference, but it might as well be.
When the Wolverines invade Worthington Arena Saturday for a 7:30 pm tipoff, it will mark the fifth Big Sky school UVU has faced this season. After back-to-back games against national powers Arizona and Utah State the Wolverines meet three more BSC foes before the calendar turns to 2015.
"They've played a lot of schools from our league already," said Bobcat coach Brian Fish, "and I know they're familiar with our conference. They're really well-coached, very disciplined. They run as good of offensive sets as you'll see."
After winning the WAC regular season title a year ago, the Wolverines field a largely new squad in 2014-15. Two seniors – forwards Brenden Evans and Mitch Bruneel – start, and the roster features two other seniors. But first-year players occupy more than half the team's 15 roster spots, and no one in the program has lettered more than once.
The high volume of newcomers, Fish said, hasn't depleted the talent level. "It's a really good team," he says. "Their point guard, (Marcel) Davis, transferred in from Utah State and he's doing a nice job. Mitch Bruneel and Zach Nelson are good players. I really like the team Coach (Dick) Hunsaker has put together."
Bruneel, also a Utah State transfer, leads the Wolverines with 13.8 points a game, and has proven adept at both drawing and converting free throws. He is 24-for-28 from the line. Nelson averages 9.5 points a game, and is the team's most efficient three-point shooter at 7-for-16. Davis averages 4.5 assists a game in engineering the UVU offense.
Saturday's game comes on the heels of an MSU-Wyoming women's game (5 pm), and it marks the Cats' final taste of home cooking for a while. After a respite for finals week, MSU plays at Wyoming on Sunday, Dec. 14, at noon, followed by trips to South Dakota and Portland.
Montana State has sandwiched its two best performances of the season – a 104-81 win over UT Arlington and a 79-41 victory over South Dakota Mines – around a loss to North Dakota State which prompted Fish to prod his team for more consistent intensity. He has liked the results.
"Our effort level has picked up," he said. "I like that. The ball movement has been much better at times. We need to keep working hard, but we're getting better."
Marcus Colbert's performance at the point has fueled MSU's more efficient offensive play. His 5.7 assists per game is among the top 35 marks in the nation, and is best in the Big Sky. Michael Dison, who has two 20-point games in the last three, shows signs of developing into a more consistent scorer.
The transition from role players to key contributors, Fish says, remains a work in progress for several of his players. "A lot of these guys are being asked to fill new roles," he said. "That will take some time, but we need to keep working at it."
After Saturday's game, Montana State's next home contest is a December 23 tilt against Wyoming in the Cowboys' first trip to Bozeman since 1959. Fans holding tickets to Saturday's men's game are asked to sit in general admission seating until the women's game against Wyoming is completed.
When the Wolverines invade Worthington Arena Saturday for a 7:30 pm tipoff, it will mark the fifth Big Sky school UVU has faced this season. After back-to-back games against national powers Arizona and Utah State the Wolverines meet three more BSC foes before the calendar turns to 2015.
"They've played a lot of schools from our league already," said Bobcat coach Brian Fish, "and I know they're familiar with our conference. They're really well-coached, very disciplined. They run as good of offensive sets as you'll see."
After winning the WAC regular season title a year ago, the Wolverines field a largely new squad in 2014-15. Two seniors – forwards Brenden Evans and Mitch Bruneel – start, and the roster features two other seniors. But first-year players occupy more than half the team's 15 roster spots, and no one in the program has lettered more than once.
The high volume of newcomers, Fish said, hasn't depleted the talent level. "It's a really good team," he says. "Their point guard, (Marcel) Davis, transferred in from Utah State and he's doing a nice job. Mitch Bruneel and Zach Nelson are good players. I really like the team Coach (Dick) Hunsaker has put together."
Bruneel, also a Utah State transfer, leads the Wolverines with 13.8 points a game, and has proven adept at both drawing and converting free throws. He is 24-for-28 from the line. Nelson averages 9.5 points a game, and is the team's most efficient three-point shooter at 7-for-16. Davis averages 4.5 assists a game in engineering the UVU offense.
Saturday's game comes on the heels of an MSU-Wyoming women's game (5 pm), and it marks the Cats' final taste of home cooking for a while. After a respite for finals week, MSU plays at Wyoming on Sunday, Dec. 14, at noon, followed by trips to South Dakota and Portland.
Montana State has sandwiched its two best performances of the season – a 104-81 win over UT Arlington and a 79-41 victory over South Dakota Mines – around a loss to North Dakota State which prompted Fish to prod his team for more consistent intensity. He has liked the results.
"Our effort level has picked up," he said. "I like that. The ball movement has been much better at times. We need to keep working hard, but we're getting better."
Marcus Colbert's performance at the point has fueled MSU's more efficient offensive play. His 5.7 assists per game is among the top 35 marks in the nation, and is best in the Big Sky. Michael Dison, who has two 20-point games in the last three, shows signs of developing into a more consistent scorer.
The transition from role players to key contributors, Fish says, remains a work in progress for several of his players. "A lot of these guys are being asked to fill new roles," he said. "That will take some time, but we need to keep working at it."
After Saturday's game, Montana State's next home contest is a December 23 tilt against Wyoming in the Cowboys' first trip to Bozeman since 1959. Fans holding tickets to Saturday's men's game are asked to sit in general admission seating until the women's game against Wyoming is completed.
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballBobcat 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
