Big Sky Basketball Tournament: Montana, Northern Colorado favored

WICHITA, KS - MARCH 15: Head coach Travis DeCuire speaks with Ahmaad Rorie #14, Sayeed Pridgett #4 and Fabijan Krslovic #20 of the Montana Grizzlies during a stopage against the Michigan Wolverines during the second half of the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at INTRUST Arena on March 15, 2018 in Wichita, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

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EAST LANSING, MI – DECEMBER 9: Jadon Cohee #12 of the Southern Utah Thunderbirds walks off the court with his team mates during a time out against the Michigan State Spartans at Breslin Center on December 9, 2017 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /

Teams to watch in the Big Sky Tournament

The Favorite: Montana

Even though the finish at the top of the conference was tight, this is a case of the defending champ being the favorite until someone knocks them off. Even if Jamar Akoh is out for the Grizzlies, head coach Travis DeCuire has made adjustments and the team is getting used to playing without Akoh. Guards Sayeed Pridgett, Kendal Manuel, and Donaven Dorsey have seen increased roles, and Montana has gone 7-2 since Akoh went down.

Biggest threats

Northern Colorado

If there is a team that can take down Montana, it would be the Bears. Northern Colorado has been on the heels of Montana all season long, but the Bears enter the tournament as the No. 2 seed. They split the season series with the Grizzlies with each team winning on the road. For Northern Colorado to be successful, two things have to happen: Davis needs to be the best player on the floor in every game, and the Bears need to knock down the 3-pointer, something they are best in the Big Sky at doing, knocking down 9.6 per game.

Weber State

The Wildcats are the other team that could contend for the title, but they have fallen off the pace lately. Since defeating Montana State on Jan. 24, they struggled to a 4-8 record down the stretch, finishing five games behind the conference leader. With a frontcourt that has Chapman and center Zach Braxton, who combine for 22.4 points and 15.4 rebounds, to go along with a scoring machine like Harding, the Wildcats will always loom as a dangerous team.

Team to keep an eye on: Southern Utah

The Thunderbirds may have finished just 9-11 in the conference but that shouldn’t deter Todd Simon’s team. Last season, they entered the tournament as a No. 10 seed and made it to the semifinals. This year, with four guys averaging double figures and two more with eight or more points, they have the depth to take down teams that are top heavy, having swept the season series from Weber State. The duo of Andre Adams and Brandon Better combine for 22 points and 7.8 rebounds per game while shooting 46.9% from the field.

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