Before taking his snip of the championship net, Randy Rahe climbed to the top of a ladder and looked into a sea of purple. Weber State’s head coach clenched his fist and let out a roar that could be heard from any corner of the Reno Special Events Center.
Rahe had reason to celebrate. His team was heading back to the Big Dance and the victory was even sweeter considering his recent past. The four-time Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year prepared his team to seize the moment against an opponent that has given him fits for the last decade. Weber State and Montana have now played eight times in the championship game of the Big Sky Tournament following Saturday’s showdown. With the 62-59 victory, WSU defeated the Grizzlies for the first time with a ticket to March Madness on the line in Rahe’s 10 seasons at the helm. Rahe lost championship bouts with Montana in 2010, 2012 and 2013.
Weber State head coach Randy Rahe
“We have nothing but great respect for Montana,” said Rahe, who’s Wildcats have won five regular-season conference titles and three Big Sky Tournaments in his tenure. “These kids showed great toughness, resiliency and really, really terrific togetherness when times get tough. I’m proud of their effort and I’m proud to be their coach. I’m really glad for these guys to get a chance to celebrate.”
The Big Sky Tournament title earns Weber State its 10th trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Big Sky champions received the No. 15 seed in the East bracket and will play second-seeded Xavier (27-5) in St. Louis on Friday evening. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:20 p.m. MST.
“It’s a lifelong dream,” Weber State sophomore Ryan Richardson said after scoring 15 points in the championship game. “Going dancing, it couldn’t be with any better people. All of my teammates around are the best people to do with.”
Weber State earned the Big Sky’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in 2014 with a championship game victory over Northern Colorado. The Wildcats earned a 16-seed but did not fold in a 68-59 loss to top-seeded Arizona. Big Sky MVP Davion Berry scored 24 points and Joel Bolomboy, then a sophomore, scored 11 points and grabbed 16 rebounds playing against future NBA lottery draft pick Aaron Gordon, most recently of Slam Dunk Competition fame.
Weber State forward Joel Bolomboy celebrates after the BSC Championship win
Since that coming of age showing, Bolomboy has seen his stardom grow. The 6-foot-9, 230-pounder could be an NBA Draft pick himself. This season, he posted 25 double-doubles while averaging 12.8 rebounds per game, the third-most in Division I. Weber State’s lone senior became the Big Sky’s all-time leader in career rebounds earlier this season and capped his final year with Big Sky MVP and Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year honors along with a trip to the Big Dance.
“It’s special,” Rahe said. “We all love Joel to death and he’s meant a whole bunch to our program. He’s a phenomenal player but he’s a much better person. He’s worked so hard for this. It’s really, really rewarding to be able to celebrate a championship, two championships to be honest with you in the same year with him.”
Bolomboy came to Weber State as a 200-pound prospect with raw athleticism but nary a developed skill. Four years later, some scouts think he could be a first-round pick if he performs well at the pre-draft camps. He has added 30 pounds to his frame and his offensive game has developed to the point where he can make 3-point shots as well as work out of the high post. He will get a chance to put his skills on display on the national stage at least one more time.
Kyndahl Hill celebrates after the BSC Championship win
“He works harder than anybody you can imagine,” Weber State strength coach John Henderson said on the court as Weber celebrated its win over Montana. “He comes in every day. He asks for extra. He’s just a hard working guy, a typical Weber State guy.
“After the first year, I noticed he recovered fast and he really responded to the training and he was hungry. He came and worked out extra. He always wanted more. I knew he had a really high ceiling. And now he is absolutely an NBA player.”
The return to the NCAA Tournament completes a revival season for WSU. After never finishing outside the top three of the regular season standings under Rahe, Weber finished eighth last season. The Wildcats lost in overtime to Montana in the first round of the Big Sky Tournament in Missoula.
“What we had to go through last year was not easy,” Rahe said. “Those kids fought like crazy last year. To come back and do what we did this year was pretty special. We weren’t very happy with what happened last year. I’m really happy for those guys who went through it, fought hard, got better all summer, stuck together and then did what they did this year. To me, that’s special.”
Weber State guard Jeremy Senglin celebrates after the BSC Championship win
This season, Weber won 24 games as Bolomboy and junior guard Jeremy Senglin took the next step in their progressions. Senglin, the Big Sky Freshman of the Year and Weber’s point guard when Barry was the primary scorer, suffered a broken jaw that cost him six weeks last season. This season, he moved off the ball and flourished, averaging more than 18 points per game and shooting nearly 47 percent from beyond the arc. He scored 31 points in an overtime victory over North Dakota in the semifinals. He poured in 20 more points in the championship to earn league MVP honors and another chance to be a part of the madness.
“It feels like the first time,” Senglin said. “Every time you win a championship, it’s a great feeling. I love winning. We love winning as a team. That’s what we do and that’s what we want to continue to make this program known for.”
Photos by Brooks Nuanez. All Rights Reserved.
