Big Sky Basketball power rankings: EWU, Montana among teams at the top

Big Sky Basketball has four teams with legitimate claims at the top of power rankings. Who is the best as conference play is set to begin?

Conference play begins on Dec. 28 for Big Sky Basketball.  There are four teams battling at the top of the power rankings, while four teams will struggle with new coaches at the bottom with three teams sandwiched in between.

The Big Sky is definitely a one-bid league again this year and is currently 21st out of 32 leagues in the current KenPom rankings.  Montana represented the past two years as the Big Sky Champion and will be a contender again.

The two preseason Big Sky polls couldn’t agree on the front-runner.  The media chose Montana while the coaches chose Eastern Washington.

Let’s take a look at the current Big Sky power rankings and see how the season will play out.

11. Idaho Vandals (4-6) KenPom: 332

The University of Idaho was in the cellar of most preseason polls.  After finishing in last place in 2018-19 with a 2-18 conference record, the university fired suspended coach Don Verlin in June and replaced him with assistant Zac Claus for the interim.  The Vandals have been able to scrape up a few wins this year, but probably not enough to dig themselves out of the bottom of the conference.

The Vandals were able to get an overtime 76-70 come-from-behind win at home over Cal State Bakersfield (4-8) on Dec. 14.  Led by 6’2 senior guard Trevon Allen’s 23, Idaho’s offense has been anemic all season.   Allen’s 17.6 ppg is not getting any support in an offense ranked #330 in efficiency and is susceptible to pressure defense.

This team is loaded with juniors (seven).  Most of them are transfers.  Coach Claus is hoping the team starts to gel sooner rather than later.  Expect them to go 3-17 in the Big Sky.