NCAA Basketball: Every conference’s biggest surprise and disappointment for 2018-19
By Joey Loose
Big Sky
Biggest Surprise (Southern Utah)
There was little surprise that Montana won the Big Sky again nor were the teams near the top of the conference a shocker. What came as more of a surprise was the season that Southern Utah had in their third year under Todd Simon. The Thunderbirds ended the year at 17-17, their first season not below .500 since 2007. There have been low expectations in Southern Utah for many years, but Simon just might be turning this program around.
He’s risen from 6 to 13 to 17 wins with a squad that started just one senior, meaning there’s a bright future ahead. This team still really struggled against teams like USC and Montana, but brighter days are on the horizon. Simon is fixing a defense that was one of the five worst in the nation when he arrived; soon enough the offensive struggles will mitigate as well.
Biggest Disappointment (Idaho)
A step back was expected after a 22-9 season, but the Vandals really plummeted in Don Verlin’s 11th season at the helm. They had one of the worst defenses in college basketball and won just 2 of their 20 Big West games. They lost a lot of talent off of last year’s squad, but a downfall this quick and severe was certainly unexpected.
They’ll get Oregon State transfer Xavier Smith and a few other new faces next year, but Verlin might be coaching for his job after this year’s collapse. The 5-27 Vandals were the worst team in the nation at turnovers and will desperately need to shore up the defense to compete in the Big Sky, especially with an inconsistent offense. Verlin hasn’t had them to the Tournament yet, maybe it never happens for him and the Vandals.