Ewu, Idaho Road Warriors
There’s been more than a fork in the road for Big Sky Conference men’s basketball teams this season.
There’s been a ladle full of losses, too.
The top five teams - Boise State, Montana State, Idaho, Montana and Weber State - are a combined 13-0 at home in league games.
The bottom three - Idaho State, Northern Arizona and Eastern Washington - have a collective home mark of 2-7.
Idaho and Eastern Washington will try for road breakthroughs this weekend on their annual tours of Montana. Idaho (9-7 overall, 3-2 Big Sky) faces co-third place Montana (13-5, 3-2) on Friday and second-place Montana State (12-6, 4-1) on Saturday. EWU (2-14, 0-5) flip-flops opponents on alternate nights.
“There’s still a couple of weeks to sort out (the contenders),” MSU coach Mick Durham said. “Who’s going to be the team that gets that big road breakthrough?”
Idaho probably needs at least a split this weekend to harbor legitimate title hopes. Problem is, this is the league’s most difficult road trip, based on quality of opponents, crowd size, travel and playing on consecutive nights.
“In both games, we have a chance to win if we play like we’ve been playing,” UI coach Joe Cravens said. “We don’t have to play over our heads. The way you win at places like that is to keep it close and make plays at the end.”
Cravens feels his team has been close to having a fine season so far.
“It’s a shame we’re 9-7 because I think we’ve got a nice team, and, at times, a very good team,” he said. “I keep going back to the three overtime games (all losses). If we win those, we’re 12-4 instead of 9-7 and everybody’s talking about what a great year we’re having.”
This is probably Cravens’ best team in his three seasons, but the Vandals must prove themselves over the next month.
“We don’t have an Orlando (Lightfoot), but I think this is my most talented team overall,” he said. “We have eight players that can contribute.”
Said Durham: “They’re the most athletic team we’ll see, other than Eastern Michigan and Texas Tech.”
Rodman not Rodman-like
Boise State senior forward Phil Rodman is a half brother of tattooed renegade Dennis Rodman of the Chicago Bulls.
BSU’s Rodman, however, is an intensely private person who purposely avoids the spotlight.
Phil apparently has little or no contact with Dennis or the father they share.
“Most people don’t care what I’m about, and I don’t care what they think I’m about, so it’s best we leave it at that,” Phil told the Idaho Statesman newspaper in Boise.
His teammates and past and current coaches describe Phil as a studious, everyday college kid who keeps to himself.
Real or phony?
BSU continues to shock the conference with a league-leading 5-1 record that includes wins over Montana State, Idaho and Montana.
But many coaches and observers still aren’t sold on the Broncos, who have played four of six league games at home.
“I don’t know if they’re the best team in the league, but I don’t think they’re going to go away either,” MSU’s Durham said diplomatically.”They’re tremendously confident right now and they’re playing so well defensively. They flat beat us (69-61 last Saturday).”
Sky lines
Montana coach Blaine Taylor, following a 69-59 loss at BSU Friday: “We need some guys to go down to the butcher shop and get 10 cents worth of guts.” … Five Idaho players average in double figures, ranging from Eddie Turner’s 10.1 to Reggie Rose’s 13.6. The last time five Vandals averaged twin digits at season’s end was in 1981-82…BSU’s Joe Wyatt has made nine straight 3-pointers.
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