Big Sky Conference

MSU men finalize 2015-2016 hoops schedule

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By BILL LAMBERTY & Skyline Sports

Montana State Sports Information

Brian Fish’s first Montana State men’s basketball team played one of the most difficult non-conference schedules in the nation. The release of the Bobcats’ 2015-16 schedule made one point perfectly clear.

Things aren’t getting easier.

IMG_0445 copy 2Montana State’s schedule is highlighted by a contest at perennial NCAA Championship contender Syracuse, the last opponent the Cats faced in NCAA Tournament play in the spring of 1996. MSU also squares off in home-and-home series against regional rivals San Jose State and 2015 NCAA Tournament participant Wyoming, and also play at North Dakota State. The schedule, Fish says, provides his team games “against brand-name programs and teams that a school from our league could see in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament.”

After an exhibition game in Bozeman on November 3 against Northwest Indian, the Cats head to paradise for a tournament at the University of Hawaii. The event includes games against Hawaii and Nevada, and one other yet-to-be-named opponent, November 13-15 in Honolulu. It’s been reported that Prairie View A&M will be the other team at the tournament.

Upon returning to Bozeman, the Bobcats are involved in one of the great college sports weekends in the nation. On Friday, Nov. 20, after the Bobcat women play Portland at 5:30 pm the men’s team hosts San Jose State at 8 pmOn Sunday, the day after the Cat-Griz football game in Bozeman, MSU’s men host Wyoming in the First Interstate Bank Border War in Billings.

“It’s important for us to play high-caliber opponents at home, and that will be a great weekend for our fans,” Fish said. “One of the things I heard over and over when I was traveling the state after I got this job was that our fans want the Border War back in Billings, and I appreciate Coach (Larry) Shyatt (of Wyoming) working with us to bring that back. Games like this certainly prepare us for Big Sky play, and our focus every year is to win our conference.”

IMG_0046 copyMSU meets Wyoming the next weekend in Laramie to finish the home-and-home, then plays at Utah Valley on Dec. 1 in Orem. MSU’s non-conference home finale is Dec. 6 against Omaha, before the Bobcats embark on an epic road trip that begins on Dec. 13 at San Jose State and features games at North Dakota State (Dec. 16), Buffalo (Dec. 19), and Syracuse (Dec. 22).

The Bobcats open Big Sky play at Southern Utah on New Year’s Eve, and at NAU two days later, and the next weekend face Sacramento State and Portland State. MSU gets only one crack each at its four longest-standing out-of-state rivals, hosting Eastern Washington (Jan. 21) and Idaho (Jan. 23), visiting Weber State (Feb. 25) and Idaho State (Feb. 27). This year’s Brawl of the Wild series opens on Jan. 30, when Montana visits Bozeman, and concludes with MSU’s game in Missoula on Feb. 20. This season marks the first time 1958-59 that Idaho State fails to visit Bozeman, and the first time since 1962-63 for Weber State.

The scheduled portion of the season concludes for Big Sky Conference schools at the league’s first post-season tournament, held in Reno, Nev., March 7-12.

2015-16 Schedule

Nov. 3       Northwest Indian (exh.)

Nov. 13    at Hawaii Tourn, 7 pm HT

Nov. 14    at Hawaii Tourn, 2 pm HT

Nov. 15    at Hawaii Tourn, 2 pm HT

Nov. 20    San Jose State, 8:05 pm

Nov. 22    Wyoming in Billings, 2:05 pm

Nov. 28    at Wyoming, TBA

Dec. 1       at Utah Valley, TBA

Dec. 6       Omaha, TBA

Dec. 13    at San Jose State, TBA

Dec. 16    at North Dakota State, TBA

Dec. 19    at Buffalo, TBA

Dec. 22    at Syracuse, TBA

Dec. 31    *at Southern Utah, 7:05 pm

Jan. 2        *at NAU, TBA

Jan. 7        *Sacramento State, 7:05 pm

Jan. 9        *Portland State, 2:05 pm

Jan. 14     *at North Dakota, 7:05 pm CT

Jan. 16     *at Northern Colo., TBA

Jan. 21     *Eastern Wash., 7:05 pm

J23     *Idaho, 2:05 pm

Jan. 30     *Montana, 7:05 pm

Feb. 4       *at Portland State, 7:05 pm PT

Feb. 6       *at Sacramento State, 7:05 pm PT

Feb. 11     *NAU, 7:05 pm

Feb. 13     *Southern Utah, 2:05 pm

Feb. 20     *at Montana, 7:05 pm

Feb. 25     *at Weber State, 7:05 pm

Feb. 27     *at Idaho State, TBA

March 3      *Northern Colorado, 7:05 pm

March 5      *North Dakota, 2:05 pm

March 7-12   Big Sky Tourney at Reno, NV

About Colter Nuanez

Colter Nuanez is the co-founder and senior writer for Skyline Sports. After spending six years in the newspaper industry with stops at the Missoulian, the Ellensburg Daily Record and the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, the former Washington Newspaper Association Sportswriter of the Year and University of Montana Journalism School graduate ('09) has cultivated a deep passion for sports journalism during his 13-year career covering the Big Sky Conference. In August of 2014, Colter and brother Brooks merged their passions of writing and art to found Skyline Sports.

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