When it comes to parity in college basketball, the Big Sky Conference ranks at or near the top of the list. One would have to go all the way back to 2016 to find the last time that one of the top four seeds in this year’s Big Sky basketball tournament advanced to March Madness. Montana state earned the 1-seed this season, finishing with a two-game advantage in the Big Sky basketball standings over Southern Utah. The Bobcats would certainly be a fresh face in the NCAA Tournament given that they last went back in 1996. Then again, a league full of parity means that there will be several challengers for the crown. The following contains the Big Sky Tournament bracket and schedule, as well as a preview of what we can expect to see.
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Big Sky Basketball Standings
| Team | Conf. Record | Overall Record | Seed |
| Montana State | 16-4 | 24-7 | 1 seed |
| Southern Utah | 14-6 | 20-10 | 2 seed |
| Northern Colorado | 13-7 | 18-14 | 3 seed |
| Weber State | 13-7 | 20-11 | 4 seed |
| Montana | 11-9 | 18-13 | 5 seed |
| Eastern Washington | 11-9 | 17-14 | 6 seed |
| Portland State | 10-10 | 12-16 | 7 seed |
| Sacramento State | 6-14 | 10-17 | 8 seed |
| Idaho | 6-14 | 9-21 | 9 seed |
| Idaho State | 5-15 | 7-22 | 10 seed |
| Northern Arizona | 5-15 | 9-22 | 11 seed |
Big Sky Tournament Schedule
Dates: March 9-12
TV Schedule: ESPN+ (First Round, Quarterfinals, Semifinals); ESPNU (Championship Game)
Venue: Idaho Central Arena — Boise, ID
Byes: Top 5 receive single bye
Defending Champion: Eastern Washington
Big Sky Tournament Bracket
First Round
- (6) Eastern Washington 78, (11) Northern Arizona 75
- (7) Portland State 66, (10) Idaho State 52
- (8) Sacramento State 57, (9) Idaho 54
Quarterfinals
- (1) Montana State 83, (8) Sacramento State 61
- (7) Portland State 77, (2) Southern Utah 65
- (3) Northern Colorado 68, (6) Eastern Washington 67
- (4) Weber State 68, (5) Montana 56
Semifinals
- (1) Montana State 69, (4) Weber State 66
- (3) Northern Colorado 86, (7) Portland State 79
Championship
- (1) Montana State 87, (3) Northern Colorado 66
Montana State advances to NCAA Tournament
Big Sky Conference Breakdown
2022 will mark the third straight edition of the Big Sky basketball tournament being played in Boise, Idaho. After running their way to the title game a season ago, Montana State ultimately fell short. Eastern Washington proved to be too much for the Bobcats and won the Big Sky Tournament for the second time since 2015. Rather than sulk, Montana State simply got better. They are seeded first in this year’s bracket. After watching in-state rival Montana win five titles in the previous decade, MSU will seek to win its first of the current century.
The numbers certainly believe that 1-seed Montana State is positioned for success in the Big Sky basketball tournament. The Bobcats achieved the highest standing in both the College Basketball NET and KenPom efficiency ratings of any team in the conference. 2-seed Southern Utah was the next-best in both rankings, some 30 spots lower. 4-seed Weber State and 3-seed Northern Colorado were the only other schools to achieve top-200 standing in the NET.
Relative to the Big Sky basketball preseason poll, Montana State winning the regular-season title could be considered an upset. Although the Bobcats did receive one of 11 first-place votes, they were ultimately projected to finish third behind Southern Utah and Weber State. Northern Colorado and Eastern Washington, Sacramento State and Idaho also each finished two spots higher in the final Big Sky basketball standings than they were projected. Idaho State stands out as the greatest underachiever. After being picked sixth, the Bengals will open tournament play as the 10-seed.
Team Stats | 2022 Big Sky Basketball Tournament
(1) Montana State Bobcats
Net Ranking: 130 (No. 1 in Big Sky)
KenPom Overall Efficiency Ranking: 140 (No. 1 in Big Sky)
Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: 104.1 (No. 166)
Adjusted Defensive Efficiency: 101.6 (No. 134)
Strength of Schedule Rating: -5.97 (No. 308)
(2) Southern Utah Thunderbirds
Net Ranking: 165 (No. 2 in Big Sky)
KenPom Overall Efficiency Ranking: 160 (No. 2 in Big Sky)
Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: 107.1 (No. 107)
Adjusted Defensive Efficiency: 106.3 (No. 237)
Strength of Schedule Rating: -5.50 (No. 290)
(3) Northern Colorado Bears
Net Ranking: 196 (No. 4 in Big Sky)
KenPom Overall Efficiency Ranking: 207 (No. 4 in Big Sky)
Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: 109.3 (No. 74)
Adjusted Defensive Efficiency: 112.2 (No. 330)
Strength of Schedule Rating: -3.69 (No. 244)
(4) Weber State Wildcats
Net Ranking: 176 (No. 3 in Big Sky)
KenPom Overall Efficiency Ranking: 177 (No. 3 in Big Sky)
Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: 104.1 (No. 164)
Adjusted Defensive Efficiency: 104.9 (No. 205)
Strength of Schedule Rating: -5.64 (No. 297)
(5) Montana Grizzlies
Net Ranking: 220 (No. 6 in Big Sky)
KenPom Overall Efficiency Ranking: 240 (No. 6 in Big Sky)
Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: 101.3 (No. 223)
Adjusted Defensive Efficiency: 107.3 (No. 253)
Strength of Schedule Rating: -7.06 (No. 325)
(6) Eastern Washington Eagles
Net Ranking: 200 (No. 5 in Big Sky)
KenPom Overall Efficiency Ranking: 219 (No. 5 in Big Sky)
Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: 104.6 (No. 153)
Adjusted Defensive Efficiency: 108.2 (No. 271)
Strength of Schedule Rating: -4.76 (No. 273)
(7) Portland State Vikings
Net Ranking: 281 (No. 7 in Big Sky)
KenPom Overall Efficiency Ranking: 274 (No. 7 in Big Sky)
Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: 96.9 (No. 299)
Adjusted Defensive Efficiency: 105.7 (No. 220)
Strength of Schedule Rating: -5.69 (No. 298)
(8) Sacramento State Hornets
Net Ranking: 310 (No. 8 in Big Sky)
KenPom Overall Efficiency Ranking: 311 (No. 8 in Big Sky)
Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: 96.3 (No. 307)
Adjusted Defensive Efficiency: 109.4 (No. 281)
Strength of Schedule Rating: -5.25 (No. 284)
(9) Idaho Vandals
Net Ranking: 329 (No. 9 in Big Sky)
KenPom Overall Efficiency Ranking: 322 (No. 9 in Big Sky)
Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: 100.5 (No. 239)
Adjusted Defensive Efficiency: 114.7 (No. 347)
Strength of Schedule Rating: -3.91 (No. 252)
(10) Idaho State Bengals
Net Ranking: 342 (No. 11 in Big Sky)
KenPom Overall Efficiency Ranking: 334 (No. 10 in Big Sky)
Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: 95.4 (No. 320)
Adjusted Defensive Efficiency: 112.4 (No. 333)
Strength of Schedule Rating: -4.12 (No. 258)
(11) Northern Arizona Lumberjacks
Net Ranking: 337 (No. 10 in Big Sky)
KenPom Overall Efficiency Ranking: 336 (No. 11 in Big Sky)
Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: 95.6 (No. 317)
Adjusted Defensive Efficiency: 112.7 (No. 336)
Strength of Schedule Rating: -4.57 (No. 279)
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