Busting Brackets
Fansided

Big Sky Basketball: Top contenders for the 2018-19 season

By Jason Burgess

GLENDALE, AZ - MARCH 31: An Oregon Ducks player dribbles a Final Four game ball in practice ahead of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four at University of Phoenix Stadium on March 31, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ - MARCH 31: An Oregon Ducks player dribbles a Final Four game ball in practice ahead of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four at University of Phoenix Stadium on March 31, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – NOVEMBER 12: DJ Miles #3 of the Northern Colorado Bears dribbles the ball against Andrew Chrabascz #45 of the Butler Bulldogs at Hinkle Fieldhouse on November 12, 2016 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Butler defeated Northern Colorado 89-52. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – NOVEMBER 12: DJ Miles #3 of the Northern Colorado Bears dribbles the ball against Andrew Chrabascz #45 of the Butler Bulldogs at Hinkle Fieldhouse on November 12, 2016 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Butler defeated Northern Colorado 89-52. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

Northern Colorado

Northern Colorado may have finished fifth in the conference with an overall record of 26-12 and 11-7 in the conference but the Bears reached the conference tournament semifinals and took eventual champion Montana to overtime before their season ended. They landed in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament and won the title.

The 26 wins marked a 15-win improvement for coach Jeff Linder, who despite losing senior guard Andre Spight who led the team in points, 22.5 and assists 3.7 does return Jordan Davis and his 16 points, nearly five rebounds and over three assists. Joining Davis in the backcourt are underclassmen Jalen Sanders and Jonah Radebaugh and their 17.4 points and 11.8 rebounds.

Despite the loss of Spight, there is plenty returning to the Bears’ backcourt, the same can not be said for the frontcourt. The lone returning forwards are Matej Drgon and Kai Edwards who together averaged just over 13 minutes per game. Seeing that, Cole Bergan, a 6-7 forward from South Dakota, Roy Grigsby brings his 6-9 frame to Greeley by way of New Hampton Prep in New Hampshire, and Brodie Hume is a 6-8 wingman from Sterling, Colorado. That means these three big men will need to pay immediate dividends if the Bears hope to battle the other top teams in the conference.

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