Big Sky Basketball has plenty of returning talent, including a pair of first-team all-leaguers who will be vying for this year’s Player of the Year award.
While Big Sky Basketball may not register as a household name nationwide, this is a league that is brimming with talented players. The race for all-conference honors will be hotly contested, especially at the guard position. There is also an opening at the top for the Big Sky Player of the Year award with reigning winner Jordan Davis having graduated from Northern Colorado after his spectacular senior season.
Along with Davis, two other All-Big Sky first-team selections have moved on after Ahmaad Rorie and Tyler Hall finished up their careers at Montana and Montana State, respectively. Rorie was one of two Grizzlies to make the first team, along with teammate Sayeed Pridgett, who is returning for his senior season in Missoula. Hall was also part of a stellar backcourt duo for the Bobcats, pairing with all-league second-teamer Harald Frey. Hailing from Norway, Frey should be on the shortlist for Big Sky preseason POY honors in 2019-20. The other returning first-team choice from 2018-19 is Weber State’s Jerrick Harding, whose points-per-game average was second only to Davis in the Big Sky.
Aside from Pridgett, Harding, and Frey, there are five other All-Big Sky players that are returning to action this season. There are also a couple players that are coming off promising freshman seasons that could really break out. This season is going to be a very fun one for fans of the Big Sky, a league that consistently pumps out talented, experienced teams. The dogfight at the top of the standings should prove to be a season-long battle, with Montana and Weber State the most likely candidates to take home the crown.
But while the Big Sky does have many well-balanced teams, there is still plenty of individual talent that deserves recognition. With that in mind, here are ten players to watch in the league, broken out into first and second teams.