Thursday, February 20
Bozeman, MT
7:05 pm
Montana State University
vs
IDAHO STATE
Stephan Holm and the Bobcats host Idaho State on Thursday
Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson
Bobcats, Bengals Battle in Big Conference Clash
2/19/2014 3:52:00 PM | Men's Basketball
MSU enters season's home stretch with Thursday night showdown
Talk to members of the Montana State men's basketball program this week, and there's no mistaking job one.
MSU Game Notes vs. Idaho State
"We have to look at Idaho State first," said senior forward Flavien Davis. "We really can't (look ahead) to Weber because Idaho State is a great team. We lost to them this year, we lost to them once last year." The Bobcats host Idaho State Thursday at 7 pm.
Even with a matchup against league-leading Weber State looming Saturday, the Bengals have MSU's full attention. For good reason, too, as ISU beat the Wildcats in overtime Monday night in Pocatello. While the Bengals come to Bozeman as a hot squad, the basketball side of the equation is imposing, as well. Idaho State strictly employs a zone on the defensive end, and offensively rely on three talented guards that poured in 60 points in MSU's 69-64 loss in Reed Gym last month.
"The 40 minutes of zone is a tough defense to play against," Davis said. "You don't face zone for 40 minutes unless you're playing Syracuse. Against a zone things easily can go wrong. If they figure out what you're doing, what you're looking, where you're trying to get the ball."
Huse said while ISU's scheme is difficult to attack, the team's personnel is perfectly suited to the style. "They have really good length on the perimeter," he said. "They play a 1-3-1 and their perimeter players are all 6-3 or 6-4, and they have big guys on the back end to protect the rim."
While the temptation is to shoot over the zone, Huse said the emphasis this week is to attack it from the inside-out. "You can't settle on three-pointers," he said. "That's the tendency, you sit back and think that's how you're going to beat that thing. Obviously that's part of the equation, but you have to be aggressive against it."
The perimeter trio of Chris Hansen, Tomas Sanchez and Andre Hatchett lead the Bengals. They combine for 46.6 points a game, nearly two-thirds of the team's scoring output, and each are among the Big Sky's top 10 scorers. No other Big Sky team has three players on that list. Davis leads the Bobcats offensively, averaging 12.4 points a game.
The Bobcats and Idaho State tip off at 7 pm in Worthington Arena on Thursday, while league-leading Weber State visits Montana. The visiting teams swap opponents on Saturday, with WSU coming to Bozeman for a 7 pm contest.
MSU Game Notes vs. Idaho State
"We have to look at Idaho State first," said senior forward Flavien Davis. "We really can't (look ahead) to Weber because Idaho State is a great team. We lost to them this year, we lost to them once last year." The Bobcats host Idaho State Thursday at 7 pm.
Even with a matchup against league-leading Weber State looming Saturday, the Bengals have MSU's full attention. For good reason, too, as ISU beat the Wildcats in overtime Monday night in Pocatello. While the Bengals come to Bozeman as a hot squad, the basketball side of the equation is imposing, as well. Idaho State strictly employs a zone on the defensive end, and offensively rely on three talented guards that poured in 60 points in MSU's 69-64 loss in Reed Gym last month.
"The 40 minutes of zone is a tough defense to play against," Davis said. "You don't face zone for 40 minutes unless you're playing Syracuse. Against a zone things easily can go wrong. If they figure out what you're doing, what you're looking, where you're trying to get the ball."
Huse said while ISU's scheme is difficult to attack, the team's personnel is perfectly suited to the style. "They have really good length on the perimeter," he said. "They play a 1-3-1 and their perimeter players are all 6-3 or 6-4, and they have big guys on the back end to protect the rim."
While the temptation is to shoot over the zone, Huse said the emphasis this week is to attack it from the inside-out. "You can't settle on three-pointers," he said. "That's the tendency, you sit back and think that's how you're going to beat that thing. Obviously that's part of the equation, but you have to be aggressive against it."
The perimeter trio of Chris Hansen, Tomas Sanchez and Andre Hatchett lead the Bengals. They combine for 46.6 points a game, nearly two-thirds of the team's scoring output, and each are among the Big Sky's top 10 scorers. No other Big Sky team has three players on that list. Davis leads the Bobcats offensively, averaging 12.4 points a game.
The Bobcats and Idaho State tip off at 7 pm in Worthington Arena on Thursday, while league-leading Weber State visits Montana. The visiting teams swap opponents on Saturday, with WSU coming to Bozeman for a 7 pm contest.
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