Big Sky Releases Men's Basketball Preseason Polls
10/18/2023 11:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Back-to-back Big Sky champion Bobcats picked fourth by media, seventh by coaches
FARMINGTON, Utah – The results of the Big Sky Conference Preseason Coaches' and Media Polls have been released, with the two-time defending league champs Montana State picked fourth by the media and seventh by the coaches ahead of the 2023-2024 season.
Weber State was picked as the favorite in both two polls published by the conference office on Wednesday, with Eastern Washington checking in as the runner-up according to the media and Montana earning that recognition from the conference's coaches.
In the preseason media poll, Montana State was slotted fourth, collecting 197 points to edge out fifth-place Sacramento State (196), while in the coaches' poll, the Bobcats were selected seventh with 35 points behind Sacramento State (50), Portland State (48), and Idaho State (39).
Montana State returns six players from last year's team that went 25-10 and won their second consecutive Big Sky Tournament championship on the way to making their second straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
Junior wing Tyler Patterson is the lone returning starter for an MSU team that will replace 77.6% of its scoring production from last year. The native of Snoqualmie, Wash., has started 82 games over the past three seasons for the Bobcats.
Redshirt senior guard Robert Ford III will assume a larger role after averaging 4.4 points and 3.2 rebounds in 20.8 minutes per game last year, junior wing Patrick McMahon aims to make a big return after missing the second half of the 2022-2023 championship season with an injury, junior forward Sam Lecholat figures to feature heavily in the frontcourt rotation, and sophomore guard Jed Miller will push for minutes in the backcourt.
Impact transfers such as Brandon Walker (UT Arlington), Chika Nduka (Portland), Brian Goracke (Point Loma), John Olmsted (Arizona State), Eddie Turner III (Columbia), Jaden Geron (Rice), and Aiden Gair (Missouri State-West Plains JC) will don the Blue and Gold for the first time, joining freshman Jaqari Miles (Los Angeles, Calif.) as newcomers to the two-time defending Big Sky champions.
First-year head coach Matt Logie takes the reigns of the program after building a powerhouse at Point Loma, where he rolled up an 82-23 record over four seasons. Logie's 276-58 career mark in 12 seasons is good for an .826 winning percentage, third-best among active coaches at four-year schools and the third-highest winning percentage in the history of all NCAA men's college basketball coaches.
Montana State has played in three straight Big Sky Tournament championship games, gone 37-7 against Big Sky opponents over the last two seasons, won at least 25 games in two straight seasons for the first time since 1927-1929, and are coming off consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time in school history.
The Bobcats tip off the 2023-2024 season at Worthington Arena on November 6 against Northwest Indian College at 7 p.m.
Men's basketball season tickets can be purchased at msubobcats.com/tickets or by reaching out to the Bobcat Ticket Office (bto@montana.edu or 994-2287)
2023-24 Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
1 – Weber State (9) – 81
2 – Montana (1) – 70
3 – Eastern Washington – 68
4 – Sacramento State – 50
5 – Portland State – 48
6 – Idaho State – 39
7 – Montana State – 35
T8 – Northern Arizona – 22
T8 – Northern Colorado – 22
10 – Idaho – 15
2023-24 Men's Basketball Preseason Media Poll
1 – Weber State (33) – 347
2 – Eastern Washington (2) – 301
3 – Montana – 279
4 – Montana State – 197
5 – Sacramento State – 196
6 – Portland State – 166
7 – Idaho State – 155
8 – Northern Arizona – 135
9 – Northern Colorado – 90
10 – Idaho – 59
() – First-Place Votes
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