Sac State

[CelticCat]

While I fully expect the Women to take care of business, these next two games for the Men are HUGE. It's the difference between heading into Boise either having won only 1 or 2 of your last 8 games (depending if we get swept or split), or possibly heading into the tournament on a 3 game winning streak and earning a bye. Sprinkle has to get this dialed in and sweep Sac State at home if we want to have any momentum heading into the tournament.

[BelgradeBobcat]

So I saw where Montana's men's games against Idaho have been cancelled. If they were played, UM would have won both and near as I can tell would have leap frogged ISU (who will certainly lose both to EWU) and PSU who I think will lose to SUU, and UNCU who should lose to Weber State, thus likely setting up a Cat-griz 4-5 matchup.

Does anybody have a good handle on seeding for the Big Sky tourney?

Our series with Sac State is really hard to predict. Probably be a split but who knows?

[BelgradeBobcat]

[Catprint]

That chart certainly saves some of my time putting together all the options. However, even if the Cats lose both games to Sac State, at 7-7 they would still likely get a bye (maybe undeserved) because Portland will lose at least one game to SUU and UNC will lose one or both games to Weber. Cats own the tiebreaker against both of these teams. As much as there as been disappointment in this season (inconsistency; lack of floor leader, no fans, cancelled games), MSU looks like they could possibly secure the 4th spot in an 11 team conference. That certainly does not seem like cause for all the alarm bells going off about how terrible we play or Coach Sprinkle is not doing a good job. And while it would be great to win first tournament game and then challenge EWU in the Semis, it sure seems like we are moving in a positive direction and Coach's positivity is way more enjoyable to watch, even if only on Pluto! But I guess until we get to the Sweet 16, some of us will never be satisfied with the Cat's BBall program!

[grizzh8r]

That chart certainly saves some of my time putting together all the options. However, even if the Cats lose both games to Sac State, at 7-7 they would still likely get a bye (maybe undeserved) because Portland will lose at least one game to SUU and UNC will lose one or both games to Weber. Cats own the tiebreaker against both of these teams. As much as there as been disappointment in this season (inconsistency; lack of floor leader, no fans, cancelled games), MSU looks like they could possibly secure the 4th spot in an 11 team conference. That certainly does not seem like cause for all the alarm bells going off about how terrible we play or Coach Sprinkle is not doing a good job. And while it would be great to win first tournament game and then challenge EWU in the Semis, it sure seems like we are moving in a positive direction and Coach's positivity is way more enjoyable to watch, even if only on Pluto! But I guess until we get to the Sweet 16, some of us will never be satisfied with the Cat's BBall program!

I call BS on this statement, quit being melodramatic. With the advantages MSU holds over most of the teams in this conference, there is no excuse for not making it to the NCAA Tournament in over a quarter century. Only the two Idaho schools have longer droughts, and they don't have near the resources or fanbase as MSU does. Not winning a Big Sky title in almost two decades is just as inexcusable. A goal of once a decade for both should be completely reasonable.

[thefrank1]

As I recall, the conference coaches picked us for 4th. Maybe they knew more than we did.

[CelticCat]

That chart certainly saves some of my time putting together all the options. However, even if the Cats lose both games to Sac State, at 7-7 they would still likely get a bye (maybe undeserved) because Portland will lose at least one game to SUU and UNC will lose one or both games to Weber. Cats own the tiebreaker against both of these teams. As much as there as been disappointment in this season (inconsistency; lack of floor leader, no fans, cancelled games), MSU looks like they could possibly secure the 4th spot in an 11 team conference. That certainly does not seem like cause for all the alarm bells going off about how terrible we play or Coach Sprinkle is not doing a good job. And while it would be great to win first tournament game and then challenge EWU in the Semis, it sure seems like we are moving in a positive direction and Coach's positivity is way more enjoyable to watch, even if only on Pluto! But I guess until we get to the Sweet 16, some of us will never be satisfied with the Cat's BBall program!

I call BS on this statement, quit being melodramatic. With the advantages MSU holds over most of the teams in this conference, there is no excuse for not making it to the NCAA Tournament in over a quarter century. Only the two Idaho schools have longer droughts, and they don't have near the resources or fanbase as MSU does. Not winning a Big Sky title in almost two decades is just as inexcusable. A goal of once a decade for both should be completely reasonable.

Yea Catprint turned the dial up to 11 with that last statement. I think people are just tired of the perpetual mediocrity of the MSU program. It doesn't seem to matter who the coach is.

A few statistics - The Cats have only won more than 9 conference games 6 times since 1997 (2001, 2009, 2012, 2016, 2018, 2019). Since 2000, the Cats are 161-170 in conference play. 2001 was the last time we won a conference championship, and our next best finish was 3rd in 2005, and we haven't done better than 4th since then.

We the spitting image of a middle of the road team, and just one time I want to see better. Like grizzh8r said I don't think winning 1 conference title a decade should be a pie in the sky dream.

[tetoncat]

Good points, but did we expect to win it this year in Sprinkle's second season. If we can win these we finish in top four and above 500. That will be second year in a row. That is improvement. We lost to top teams and Idaho coming off the layoff. Even Baylor has struggled after COVID

[ilovethecats]

Good points, but did we expect to win it this year in Sprinkle's second season. If we can win these we finish in top four and above 500. That will be second year in a row. That is improvement. We lost to top teams and Idaho coming off the layoff. Even Baylor has struggled after COVID

Exactly.

I think both thoughts are correct. It is absolutely ridiculous that we haven't won the conference one time in 25 years. Especially when UM has made a living going to the dance during that time. We have a better fanbase and better resources than almost anyone in this league. That part isn't disputed.

But Sprinks has been here two years. One of which has been during a fricking worldwide pandemic. His teams have nothing to do with what we did in 2000, 2005, 2010 or 2015. This was a season unlike anything we have ever seen, and as annoying as some of the results have been, I'm not willing to say this is "just another Bobcat hoops team in February".

I'm fine with whatever the results will be this season. It's been a trainwreck of a year. I'm WAY more interested to see what this team looks like the next two seasons before I concede that this team and staff is just like all the others we have had the last two decades.

But something has to give. No reason we shouldn't be in the conversation of league champ year in and year out

[imacat]

Good points, but did we expect to win it this year in Sprinkle's second season. If we can win these we finish in top four and above 500. That will be second year in a row. That is improvement. We lost to top teams and Idaho coming off the layoff. Even Baylor has struggled after COVID

Exactly.

I think both thoughts are correct. It is absolutely ridiculous that we haven't won the conference one time in 25 years. Especially when UM has made a living going to the dance during that time. We have a better fanbase and better resources than almost anyone in this league. That part isn't disputed.

But Sprinks has been here two years. One of which has been during a fricking worldwide pandemic. His teams have nothing to do with what we did in 2000, 2005, 2010 or 2015. This was a season unlike anything we have ever seen, and as annoying as some of the results have been, I'm not willing to say this is "just another Bobcat hoops team in February".

I'm fine with whatever the results will be this season. It's been a trainwreck of a year. I'm WAY more interested to see what this team looks like the next two seasons before I concede that this team and staff is just like all the others we have had the last two decades.

But something has to give. No reason we shouldn't be in the conversation of league champ year in and year out

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1981–82_I ... tball_team

No reason we can't do better than the Idaho Vandals ...

Or for that matter the Idaho State Bengals (Elite Eight) ...https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1976–77_I ... tball_team

[MSU01]

It's not fair to put extra pressure on Danny Sprinkle because Mick Durham couldn't win a title in his last several years at MSU, and then Huse and Fish couldn't get it done either. We all love the MSU women now, but they had a nearly quarter-century drought themselves dating back to 1993 before they got back to the NCAAs in 2017.

IMO, Sprinkle's incoming recruiting class and how he can develop them will go a long way towards determining his ultimate success here. No quick fix transfers this time, as he signed 5 freshmen. Combine those guys with this year's freshman class of Tynes and Patterson, and you've got the core of what could be a very experienced and (hopefully) very talented team 2 or 3 years down the road. If the recruits don't turn out to have D-1 talent or Sprinkle and staff can't develop them, then it'll be time for "here we go again..." talk.

[BelgradeBobcat]

And Idaho State goes and beats EWU in Cheney!!! Huge win for Ryan Looney. How did that happen?
We'll have to win both against Sac and have ISU lose against EWU to get to 4th.

[Catprint]

That chart certainly saves some of my time putting together all the options. However, even if the Cats lose both games to Sac State, at 7-7 they would still likely get a bye (maybe undeserved) because Portland will lose at least one game to SUU and UNC will lose one or both games to Weber. Cats own the tiebreaker against both of these teams. As much as there as been disappointment in this season (inconsistency; lack of floor leader, no fans, cancelled games), MSU looks like they could possibly secure the 4th spot in an 11 team conference. That certainly does not seem like cause for all the alarm bells going off about how terrible we play or Coach Sprinkle is not doing a good job. And while it would be great to win first tournament game and then challenge EWU in the Semis, it sure seems like we are moving in a positive direction and Coach's positivity is way more enjoyable to watch, even if only on Pluto! But I guess until we get to the Sweet 16, some of us will never be satisfied with the Cat's BBall program!

I call BS on this statement, quit being melodramatic. With the advantages MSU holds over most of the teams in this conference, there is no excuse for not making it to the NCAA Tournament in over a quarter century. Only the two Idaho schools have longer droughts, and they don't have near the resources or fanbase as MSU does. Not winning a Big Sky title in almost two decades is just as inexcusable. A goal of once a decade for both should be completely reasonable.

Yea Catprint turned the dial up to 11 with that last statement. I think people are just tired of the perpetual mediocrity of the MSU program. It doesn't seem to matter who the coach is.

A few statistics - The Cats have only won more than 9 conference games 6 times since 1997 (2001, 2009, 2012, 2016, 2018, 2019). Since 2000, the Cats are 161-170 in conference play. 2001 was the last time we won a conference championship, and our next best finish was 3rd in 2005, and we haven't done better than 4th since then.

We the spitting image of a middle of the road team, and just one time I want to see better. Like grizzh8r said I don't think winning 1 conference title a decade should be a pie in the sky dream.

Oops, guess my concealed sarcasm went along way to heating up the argument!! I have been following the Cats since the days of Jack Gillespie in the late 60's. I am as disappointed as anyone in the last 20 years. I was happy to see Coach Fish leave and Sprinkle be given a chance. My only point was that after two years I think we are headed in the right direction. And yes, we should be winning some conference championships and getting to the NCAA's more than once every 20 years. 4th is not good enough. I just think it will take 1 to 2 more years. This was a bad year all the way around.

As far as polls, we were picked 6th by coaches and 4th by Media. But UNC was picked 3rd by Media and Griz picked second. So what does the media know?

[MSU01]

MSU will be no worse than the #5 seed after PSU lost to SUU and UNC lost to Weber last night.