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The way, way too early 2023 Big Sky Predictions

GrizBall

Well-known member
This is based on Barttovik.com 2023 predictions.

A few caveats: 1) Rosters are not complete or completely accurate. For example, he assumes Johnson and Kountz aren’t coming back for NCU. 2) Incoming freshmen are not included in the calculations. 3) It’s just for fun to try to spice up this part of the boring off-season, don’t take it too seriously.

1. MSU (111 in the country)
2. Griz (157)
3. EWU (194)
4. Sac (254)
5. Weber (259)
6. NAU (266)
7. PSU (275)
8. ISU (306)
9. NCU (343)
10. Idaho (354)


2023 Top 10 players in Big Sky based on Torvik’s player performance calculation (PRPG!):

1. Acliese (EWU) 3.7
2. Battle (MSU) 3.6
3. Belo (MSU) 3.5
4. D.Thomas (Mont) 3.3
5. Jones (WSU) 3.3
6. Cone (NAU) 3.2
7. Venters (EWU) 3.1
8. Bannan (Mont) 3.0
9. Parker (PSU) 3.0
10. Marks (Sac) 2.9

Others
Beasley (UC-Davis) 2.1
Owens (Riverside) 0.2
Whitney (Griz) 2.5
DCH (Griz) 1.7

I think his formulas place too much emphasis on a player’s last season. For example, I don’t think Owens is a player that is barely a positive contributor but based on his last year’s stats I can see why the formula lists him that way. Gianni Hunt (1.5) at Sac St via OSU and Keith Dinwiddie (1.0) at Weber via San Diego St are just a couple of Big Sky newcomers that I feel will outplay their predictions that were largely based on their last year’s contributions.
 
This is pretty accurate. I think even without Johnson and Kountz, UNC could still do better than 9th. Idk if I would have Eastern 3rd since it seems like they're overhauling the roster every year. I'd have no bitch with ranking SAC at third. Weber should be slightly higher despite the loss of Sisoho-Jawara, but this isn't a bad poll.
 
Griz til I die said:
This is pretty accurate. I think even without Johnson and Kountz, UNC could still do better than 9th. Idk if I would have Eastern 3rd since it seems like they're overhauling the roster every year. I'd have no bitch with ranking SAC at third. Weber should be slightly higher despite the loss of Sisoho-Jawara, but this isn't a bad poll.

And Montana is second because.......?
 
Mousegriz said:
Griz til I die said:
This is pretty accurate. I think even without Johnson and Kountz, UNC could still do better than 9th. Idk if I would have Eastern 3rd since it seems like they're overhauling the roster every year. I'd have no bitch with ranking SAC at third. Weber should be slightly higher despite the loss of Sisoho-Jawara, but this isn't a bad poll.

And Montana is second because.......?

.... Someone has to be. If not Montana, then who?

Unless some schools start scoring in the portal, I am concerned about the Big Sky next year. Last year KenPom ranked the Big Sky 25/31 D-1 conferences. The conference lost its best team over the last two years (SUU), at this point Weber doesn't seem like they are going to be as good as last year. On paper, the only team that looks poised to make a decent improvement is Sac St.
 
It probably is too early for a lot of reasons. Last year, EWU picked up one of their best players in August. This year it looks like Weber and Idaho are playing the late transfer game. Although, I'm not sure that Idaho is doing it for the same reasons we are.

From what I can see, so far, It looks like MSU, PSU, NAU, UNCo, and EWU will stay about the same, Sac, UM, and ISU seem to have improved themselves, and the book is still out on WSU and UI. Sac and ISU seem to be making the biggest jumps.

I feel that the waters are still quite muddy and probably won't clear until next December. It's always interesting. :coffee:
 
oldrunner said:
It probably is too early for a lot of reasons. Last year, EWU picked up one of their best players in August. This year it looks like Weber and Idaho are playing the late transfer game. Although, I'm not sure that Idaho is doing it for the same reasons we are.

From what I can see, so far, It looks like MSU, PSU, NAU, UNCo, and EWU will stay about the same, Sac, UM, and ISU seem to have improved themselves, and the book is still out on WSU and UI. Sac and ISU seem to be making the biggest jumps.

I feel that the waters are still quite muddy and probably won't clear until next December. It's always interesting. :coffee:

Agree there are more additions coming that will impact the conference.

If you look at it like the NBA, Montana traded Owens, DCH, Parker and Beasley for D. Thomas and Oke. Not sure that makes them better at this point. However, guards are the easiest thing to get in the portal, so there is still room for improvement.
 
I think its a crapshoot at this point, the portal has thrown conferences like the Big Sky into chaos. I think EWU will be a top 4/5 team this year and Venters will be a player of the year candidate...

I like the Griz roster coming in, I'd pick them top 3...
 
UNC is in a position right now with recruiting where they don’t rebuild, rather they reload. I think the Bears are still a top 3 team, certainly not 9th. Hume and Kountz might still be back, if so we might just win the conference.
 
BigSkyBears said:
UNC is in a position right now with recruiting where they don’t rebuild, rather they reload. I think the Bears are still a top 3 team, certainly not 9th. Hume and Kountz might still be back, if so we might just win the conference.


"UNC is in a position right now with recruiting where they don’t rebuild, rather they reload." Come on man...Duke, Villanova, Gonzaga etc.. can say that. No Big Sky Team can really say that. Especially one that has won one Big Sky Tournament...11 years ago.
 
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