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Idaho women picked second, men last in Big Sky
preseason hoop polls
Idaho’s women’s basketball team was picked to finish second by the coaches and the media in the annual Big Sky preseason polls.
Montana State earned the sweep and is the favorite in both polls. Idaho was close in both, however, and finished one point behind the Bobcats in the coaches’ poll. The Vandals received one first-place vote in the media poll and three in the coaches’ poll.
Last year’s Vandals won the regular season crown at 16-4 in conference play. The Vandals advanced to the semifinals of the Big Sky Tournament and earned a bid to the WNIT, where the Vandals picked up a pair of wins before falling to eventual champion, Arizona, in the round of 16.
- The Eastern Washington men’s basketball team as the preseason choice of coaches to win the Big Sky title. The Eagles were picked third in the media poll.
Idaho was picked to finish 11th (last) in both polls.
BIG SKY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
PRESEASON MEDIA POLL
First-place votes in parentheses
1, Montana State (7). 2, Idaho (1). 3, Portland State (3). 4, Idaho State (3). 5, Northern Colorado (4). 6, Eastern Washington (1). 7, Montana (2). 8, Northern Arizona. 9, Sacramento State. 10, Southern Utah. 11, Weber State.
PRESEASON COACHES POLL
First-place votes in parentheses
1, Montana State (5). 2, Idaho (3). 3., Portland State (2). 4, Idaho State. 5, Montana (1). 6, Northern Colorado. 7, Eastern Washington. 8, Northern Arizona. 9, Southern Utah. 10, Sacramento State. 11, Weber State.
BIG SKY MEN’S BASKETBALL
PRESEASON COACHES POLL
First-place votes in parentheses
1, Eastern Washington (8). 2, Montana (3). 3, Weber State 86. 4, Southern Utah 71. 5, Northern Colorado 65. 6, Portland State 59. 7, Montana State. 8, Northern Arizona 35. 9, Sacramento State. 10, Idaho State. 11, Idaho.
PRESEASON MEDIA POLL
1, Montana (13). 2, Weber State (12). 3, Eastern Washington (9). 4, Northern Colorado (2). 5, Southern Utah. 6, Portland State. 7, Montana State. 8, Northern Arizona. 9, Sacramento State. 10, Idaho State 92. 11, Idaho.
Tillie named to Karl Malone
Award Watch List
Gonzaga’s Killian Tillie was named one of 20 candidates for the 2020 Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year Award, which recognizes the top power forwards in Division I men’s college basketball.
Tillie was recently named Preseason All-WCC for the second straight season. He was a preseason All-West Coast Conference selection before missing 22 games with injuries last season. In 15 appearances, he averaged 6.2 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, shooting 50 percent from the field, including 43.8 percent (14-of-32) from three-point range.
Yoeli Childs of BYU is also on the watch list.
WSU set to break ground
on Baseball Project: BTO
PULLMAN — Washington State University will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for the Cougar Baseball Facility Project: BTO (Back to Omaha) at 1 p.m., Saturday at Bailey-Brayton Field.
President Kirk Schulz, Director of Athletics Pat Chun and Cougar baseball coach Brian Green will be joined by the current baseball team, Cougar baseball alumni, family and friends to officially break ground on the $10 million clubhouse facility and entrance to Bailey-Brayton Field.
The facility will feature a 1,300 square-foot locker room, a 1,500 square-foot weight and cardio room, academic area, team meeting room, areas for Cougar equipment, nutrition and athletic medicine, coaches offices as well as recognition of Cougar Baseball’s storied history. In addition, the facility will offer new public restrooms and concessions.
The facility renovation and enhancement will cost approximately $10 million with 100 percent of the project costs covered through donor support. Construction of Project: BTO will run through the 2020 season and is scheduled to be completed prior to the 2021 season.
The Cougar baseball team includes sophomores Kyle Manzardo and Kodie Kolden from Lake City High.