Jan. 16—First-year coaches David Riley and Arthur Moreira have the Cougar men and Vandal women off to strong basketball starts, the Lewis-Clark State men’s and women’s programs are nationally ranked and each local college hoops squad has seen younger players and newcomers step into larger roles.
With all six area college basketball programs well into conference play, the Tribune takes a look at how each has fared up to this point and previews the Vandals’ doubleheader against Big Sky rival Eastern Washington.
Idaho women (11-4, 3-1)
The success of the Vandal women’s team has been among the biggest surprises, not just in the Big Sky Conference, but perhaps the nation.
One year removed from a 15-16 finish, Moreira has the Vandals off to an 11-4 start. Idaho has nine transfers and three freshmen and just two returners in Sarah Brans and Clarkston’s Ashlyn Wallace. Despite so many new faces, the team’s vast college basketball experience has allowed the players to gel, especially behind a pair of graduate transfer leading scorers.
Hope Hassmann (12.5 points per game) and Olivia Nelson (11.3) lead the Vandals in scoring. Hassmann posted 16 points in the Vandals’ 63-48 win over Sacramento State on Jan. 9 and Nelson scored 19 in Idaho’s 60-56 victory over Portland State on Saturday.
After an 0-2 start against a pair of Cougars from BYU and Washington State, the Vandals are 11-2 since Nov. 13.
They host Eastern Washington at 1 p.m. Saturday before the Vandal men play the Eagles at 4 p.m.
“It just gives us a good atmosphere,” Moreira said of the doubleheader. “(UI men’s) coach (Alex) Pribble and his program have done a great job of bringing people into the gym. I was watching the broadcast of the Montana games here and it looked like it was fun. It looked like there were a lot of people here.”
Moreira said EWU is one of the best shooting teams in the Big Sky and he will look for his team to keep them off the line and stay clean and disciplined guarding the Eagles at the rim.
The Vandals are ranked No. 118 in the NCAA NET rankings. That’s three spots higher than Gonzaga and 26 spots ahead of Washington State (No. 141).
Up next: Idaho vs. EWU (6-10, 2-2) at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Idaho men (7-10, 2-2 Big Sky)
The Vandal men have been hampered by several injuries that have held the team back from its true potential, namely the absence of senior forward Julius Mims.
Pribble said that his team sorely missed Mims’ defensive ability that won him all-conference honors last season and in the preseason.
“It starts with getting healthy,” Pribble said. “Let’s find a way to get Julius Mims back out there.”
The timeline for Mims’ return to the court remains to be determined.
The Vandals knocked off Montana State 69-64 on Jan. 2 and have so far come up short against the best of the Big Sky, dropping a close one to Montana, 73-71 on Jan. 4, and losing 75-63 to Portland State on Saturday.
The Vandals host EWU with a chance to separate themselves in the middle of the conference.
Up next: Idaho vs. EWU (6-11, 2-2) at 4 p.m. Saturday.
Washington State men (13-5, 3-2 WCC)
In Riley’s first year at the helm, the Cougar men have weathered a wave of injuries to key players to start the year 13-5. Eastern Washington transfer Cedric Coward suffered a season-ending shoulder injury and reserves the ability to return to WSU next year. Role players Marcus Wilson and Rihards Vavers also suffered season-ending injuries.
Sophomore guard Isaiah Watts is out for the foreseeable future with an injury on his non-shooting hand.
With key players sidelined, the Cougs started 4-0 in conference play with a 23-1 run at home to beat San Francisco on Jan. 4 for a share of first place but hit a roadblock when they lost 95-94 in overtime to Pacific on Jan. 9, a team that walked into Pullman with a 4-13 record.
The Quad 4 loss has tanked the Cougars’ NCAA Tournament chances, likely narrowing a berth to an outright bid by way of winning the WCC tournament in March in Las Vegas.
Nate Calmese scored 20 points in the Cougars’ Saturday loss to then-No. 18 Gonzaga. The Cougs held a six-point lead in the first half before the Zags took control to cruise to the 88-75 win.
Up next: WSU at San Diego (4-14, 1-4) at 7 p.m. today.
Washington State women (10-8, 5-2)
