­­­­­­­Eastern Washington University "Eagles" Men's Basketball (8-5/0-0 Big Sky) Dec. 30 – at Idaho, 7:05 p.m., Moscow, Idaho Jan. 5 – Montana State, 6:05 a.m., Cheney, Wash. all times Pacific
Radio:	700-AM ESPN in Spokane, with Larry Weir calling the play-by-play. Broadcasts begin a half-hour prior to tipoff
Internet Radio:	http://www.700espn.com or http://www.tunein.com
Radio iPhone App:	Search for "700 ESPN" and download app. An app is also available for tunein radio.
TV:	None
­­­Webcast:	All EWU home games and all Big Sky Conference games available via http://goeags.com/sports/2016/1/5/watchbigsky.aspx?id=73 or http://watchbigsky.com
Live Stats:	Idaho http://ewustats.com for all EWU home games.
Weekly Coaches Show:	Resuming Jan. 3, 6 p.m. at the Swinging Doors in North Spokane (Jan. 3, Jan. 10 and then Mondays Jan. 16 through at least Feb. 27) . . .  700-AM ESPN, http://www.700espn.com & via iphone app. (search for "Spokane Radio" and download app).

The Eastern Washington University men's basketball team has done a splendid job to build their resume. Now they have to get the job done in the Big Sky Conference.
 
The Eagles open league play this week at Idaho on Friday (Dec. 30) at 7:05 p.m. in is what expected to be another entertaining game in the rivalry between schools located less than 100 miles apart. The Eagles enter with an 8-5 record while Idaho is 5-6.
 
Fans can listen to the game on 700-AM ESPN and via the web at www.700espn.com, with pre-game coverage starting a half-hour prior to tipoff. All Big Sky games will also be broadcast via www.watchbigsky.com.
 
Idaho returned to the Big Sky in the 2014-15 season, and the five of the six EWU-UI meetings since then have been decided by eight points or fewer. Eastern won the first four games by margins of three, three, eight and 14, and Idaho has won the last two games by four points apiece. Two of the meetings have come at the Big Sky Conference Championships.
 
"They've all been great games with Idaho, win or lose," said Eastern head coach Jim Hayford of the six recent games, featuring an average score of 81-77 in favor of EWU. "They have our utmost respect – coach (Don) Verlin and his staff does a great job and they have a lot of players back. This game is looming large."
 
The Eagles were picked to finish fifth by the media and seventh by the coaches in the league's preseason basketball polls released Oct. 14, and open against an Idaho team picked second by the coaches and third by the media. Eastern, which hasn't played at home since Dec. 13, hosts Montana State on Jan. 5 following the conclusion of EWU's current stretch of four-straight road games.
 
Eastern enter league play with a winning record – only the fifth time that has happened in 30 years in the Big Sky. The impressive start for EWU equals the NCAA Tournament team of 2014-15 (9-4) and the 1985-86 team (9-4) as the only teams to start 8-5 or better in 34 years in NCAA Division I. This year's Eagles were just the sixth team in 34 years to start 5-2 or better, including three under Hayford.
 
As a result of their early success, the Eagles are the top team in the Big Sky Conference with an RPI of 78 (EWU was a season high 57th on 12/13 in the official NCAA RPI ratings), with Portland State next at 130th. Eastern joined Portland State at 7-4 as the only other league team above the .500 mark. Idaho is currently No. 248 in the RPI. Plus, the Eagles received 10 votes on in the Collegeinsider.com Mid-Major top 25 on Dec. 12 when the Eagles were 7-2.
 
After home triumphs to the tune of a perfect 7-0 record, the true road challenges of the season commenced with a trio of games, with EWU taking first-half leads in each before falling. Following the last of those losses on Dec. 22, the combined record of those three teams was 29-8 -- Xavier 10-2, Colorado 10-3 and Northern Kentucky 9-3. Through games of Dec. 26, the Musketeers have the fourth-highest RPI in the nation at No. 4, with Colorado currently at No. 69 and Northern Kentucky at 138th.
 
Eastern lost at Northern Kentucky on Dec. 18 by a 70-48 score in an afternoon game in the Eastern time zone that actually started at 10 a.m. Pacific time. Northern Kentucky out-shot Eastern 45 percent to 33 percent in the game, and the Norse outscored Eastern 49-24 after the Eagles had taken a three-point lead late in the first half. Eastern then held 22-11 lead in the first half in its first-ever game against 17th-ranked Xavier, but the Musketeers roared back to beat the Eagles 85-56 on Dec. 20 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Eastern used an 11-0 run in the first half to forge its 11-point lead, including a trio of 3-pointers, and led for 11:05 in the first half, compared to just 4:50 for XU. Eastern followed that with a 19-2 opening run versus Colorado, and led for 26 minutes versus the Buffaloes. A 17-3 run gave Colorado the lead for good, but Eastern had a furious 10-2 run in the last four minutes to nearly pull off the upset of the Pac-12 Conference opponents.
 
 
 
 

Team Notes

 
Eagles Picked as High as No. 5 in Preseason Polls
 
The Big Sky Conference men's basketball race is going to be a dogfight, and 2016-17 preseason predictions bear that out. Coming off its best back-to-back seasons in its NCAA Division I history, Eastern has been picked fifth by the media and seventh by the coaches in the league's preseason basketball polls released Oct. 14.
 
While the Eagles appear loaded and ready for another Big Sky title run, the rest of the league is as well. Weber State was picked to win the title in both polls, while the media picked Montana at No. 2, Idaho third and North Dakota to finish fourth just ahead of the Eagles and Idaho State at No. 5. After Weber State, the coaches picked the order of finish as Idaho, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho State, Montana State and then EWU.
 
"This is my sixth year as the head coach of Eastern and I anticipate this to be the most balanced and competitive conference season we have seen yet," said Eastern head coach Jim Hayford.
 
The Eagles will begin Big Sky play on Dec. 30 with a visit to Idaho, followed by the team's league home opener against Montana State on Jan. 5. Eastern also hosts Montana (Jan. 7), Northern Arizona (Jan. 19), Southern Utah (Jan. 21), Sacramento State (Feb. 2), Portland State (Feb. 4), Idaho (Feb. 17), Weber State (Feb. 23) and Idaho State (Feb. 25) before the regular season comes to a close on March 4 at Northern Arizona.
 
The 2017 Big Sky men's basketball championship will take place March 7 through 11 at the Reno Events Center in Reno, Nev. Tickets for the 2017 Big Sky Basketball Championships are now on sale. Visit http://RoadtoReno.com for more information.
 
 
Two-Time Big Sky Player of the Week Bogdan Bliznyuk Ranked 27th Nationally in Scoring
 
Already a two-time Big Sky Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week, after 13 games Bogdan Bliznyuk is ranked in the top 10 in five different statistical categories in the league, ranking third in points (20.9 per game), 10th in rebounds (6.3), fourth in assists (4.4), second in free throw percentage (.900) and 3rd in field goal percentage (.498). He ranks 27th nationally in scoring and is 30th in free throw percentage.
 
He had his eighth 20-point performance in 13 games this season when he finished with 25 in a 76-68 loss at Colorado on Dec. 22. He had 21 in the first half, scoring 18-straight Eastern points at one point. He had a career-high 34-point effort in EWU's 88-86 win over Morehead State on Dec. 13, making 13-of-19 field goals and 7-of-10 free throws. Bliznyuk had a double-double with 31 points and 12 rebounds in EWU's 93-88 double-overtime non-conference victory over Seattle on Dec. 4 to earn his second of two Big Sky Conference Player of the Week honors. Formerly from Lutsk, Ukraine, and a 2014 graduate of Todd Beamer High School near Seattle, he had 12 rebounds to finish with the 11th double-double in his career, including the school's first and only triple-double last season. The previous week, after helping EWU win three home games, Bliznyuk was also the Big Sky Conference Player of the Week.
 
He came a rebound away from the second triple-double in school history (he had the first as a sophomore last year) with 22 points, a career-high 11 assists and nine rebounds in an 85-80 win over Denver. The next night, he equaled what was then his career-high with 32 points, and added seven rebounds and seven assists in a 96-90 shootout win against San Francisco. He made 9-of-16 shots from the field, both of his 3-pointers and 12-of-13 free throws in the win over the Dons, which equaled the career high of 32 he had on Nov. 21 in a win over Bryant. In that game, Bliznyuk made 11-of-15 shots overall, both of his 3-point attempts and all eight of his free throws, to go along with seven rebounds and four assists.
 
Bliznyuk's 22 points, career-high 11 assists and nine rebounds against Denver on Nov. 26 was the fourth time since Jan. 11, 2014, that an Eagle had come one stat from a triple-double. The other three were by Drew Brandon. Bliznyuk had 11 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists against Northern Arizona on Jan. 16, 2016, for the first triple-double in school history. The closest former Eagle Rodney Stuckey – now playing in the NBA for Indiana – came was 14 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists on Nov. 19, 2005, versus Pacific Lutheran.
 
Bliznyuk compiled some big numbers during Eastern's seven-game winning streak from Nov. 21 to Dec. 13, including four performances of at least 31 points. He averaged 25.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.0 steals per game in that stretch, making 53.0 percent of his field goals, 37.5 percent of his 3-point shots (9-of-24) and 89.6 percent of his free throws (43-of-48). Until falling 70-48 to Northern Kentucky on Dec. 18, Eastern hadn't lost since falling at Texas 85-52 on Nov. 17.
 
 
Averaging Nearly a Double-Double in His Last Three Games, Wiley's Numbers Stack Up Well Against Those of EWU's All-Time Leading Scorer
 
Senior graduate transfer Jacob Wiley has already compiled some impressive numbers 13 games into what will be a one-year career at EWU, and is nearly averaging a double-double in his last four outings. In EWU's last four games he's averaging 13.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.0 blocked shots and 1.8 assists while making 58.3 percent of his field goal attempts (21-of-36) and 76.9 percent of his free throws (10-of-13).
 
He had 16 points, six rebounds, five blocks and four assists versus 17th-ranked Xavier on Dec. 20, then had 10 points, eight rebounds and two more blocks against Colorado two nights later. Prior to that he had back-to-back double-double performances, with 12 points and 12 rebounds against Morehead State on Dec. 13 and 14 points and 12 more boards against Northern Kentucky on Dec. 18. He's scored in double figures in 11 of 13 games this season, and has had a pair of double figure rebounding performances.
 
He's averaging 13.6 points (13th in the Big Sky), 7.6 rebounds (fourth), 3.2 blocked shots (first) and 2.0 assists per game, while making 58.9 percent from the field (second) and 86.5 percent from the free throw line (fourth). He leads the Big Sky in blocked shots per game by more than double the next player (1.4), and is ranked eighth in NCAA Division I. As a team, Eastern is 34th nationally with an average of 5.4 per game. Wiley is also 32nd nationally in field goal percentage and 61st in free throw percentage.
 
Earlier this season, Wiley was the MVP of the Legends Classic sub-regional round in Cheney, Wash, finishing with 20 points, nine rebounds, five blocked shots, five assists and a pair of steals in an 80-76 double-overtime victory over Seattle in the championship game. The previous night in an 81-77 win over Bryant, he scored 18 points and had a team-high nine rebounds, sinking 10-of-12 free throws and four of seven shots from the floor.
 
Wiley's numbers compare favorably with those of the forward he's replacing in the starting lineup – all-time leading scorer Venky Jois. Now playing professionally, Jois averaged 14.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 2.3 assists in his 122-game career, and made 58.3 percent from the field. However, Wiley has a significant advantage at the free throw line where Jois made only 55.0 percent in his career.
 
Wiley capped a spectacular junior season for Lewis-Clark State in 2015-16 by earning first team NAIA All-America honors after averaging 14.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.4 blocked shots per game. He led L-C State to a 29-5 record and was the fourth-most accurate shooter (.604) in the NAIA, as well as ranking 20th in blocks per game and 43rd in rebounds per game. An Academic All-Frontier Conference selection while at L-C State, Wiley originally played 20 games at Montana in the 2012-13 season. He is 2012 graduate of nearby Newport (Wash.) High School.
 
 
With Over 200 3-Pointers in His Career, Felix Von Hofe Ranks 31st Nationally
 
With a team-leading 41 3-pointers this season, senior Felix Von Hofe ranks 31st in NCAA Division I with an average of 3.15 3-pointers per game, helping EWU rank 80th as a team in makes per game (8.8) and 155th in percentage (35.5). During EWU's seven-game winning streak, he averaged 16.1 points and made 25-of-63 3-pointers and 20-of-24 free throws. He had a pair of 20-point performances in that stretch – 23 with six 3-pointers against Denver and 21 with five more treys versus San Francisco – then had 19 in EWU's double-overtime win at Seattle.
 
Von Hofe has moved into third in school history in 3-pointers made with 207. He recently moved past the 184 of Marc Axton (2002-05) and is now just three from the No. 2 position (210, Parker Kelly 2012-15). Von Hofe is 53 from the record set by his former teammate Tyler Harvey from 2013-15 with 260. He also moved into third in school history with 514 attempts, and his percentage of .403 is 13th (teammate Bogdan Bliznyuk is 12th at .407). Von Hofe now has had 10 performances of at least 20 points in his Eastern career, including seven as a junior in 2015-16 when he had the fourth-most 3-pointers in school history with 105. He has scored in double figures seven times this season and 33 times in his career (20 as a junior), and has led EWU in scoring on 11 occasions (eight in 2015-16).
 
 
Ty Gibson Has Career Day Versus Argos
 
Sophomore Ty Gibson scored 13 points in a less than four minute span in the first half and finished with a career-high 19 points in EWU's 103-76 victory over Great Falls on Dec. 8. In helping Eastern open leads of 27-2 and 39-4, he played only 15 minutes and still nearly doubled his previous high of 10 last year versus Southern Utah and on Nov. 27 this season versus San Francisco. He scored 13 points in a 3:43 stretch in the first half with four three-pointers and a free throw. Gibson made 6-of-7 shots from the field – all 3-point attempts – and made all three of his free throws. For the season, he is averaging 4.5 points on 51.5 percent shooting from the field, including 17-of-32 3-pointers (51.5 percent to rank third in the Big Sky). He is a 2015 graduate of Issaquah (Wash.) High School.
 
 
Eagles Starting Pair of True Freshmen
 
A pair of Eagle true freshmen have been in the starting lineup the last two games, including point guard Luka Vulikic from Belgrade, Serbia, and forward Mason Peatling from Melbourne, Australia. Vulikic has started nine of 13 games, and is averaging 3.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. In his last two games he has just two turnovers in 58 minutes, and in his last outing versus Colorado he equaled his season high with 12 points. Peatling made his starting debut versus 17th-ranked Xavier on Dec. 20, and is averaging 3.2 points and 2.9 rebounds, with a high of 10 points versus Northwestern on Nov. 14.
 
 
Eastern 14th in the Nation in Free Throw Percentage
 
A big reason why EWU is 6-0 this season in games decided by six points or less is the team's clutch free throw shooting. Eastern has made 77.6 percent thus far to lead the league and rank 14th in NCAA Division I (Notre Dame leads at 85.6 percent). Bogdan Bliznyuk is 30th at 90.0 percent (54-of-60) and Jacob Wiley is 61st at 86.6 percent (45-of-52). They are ranked second and fourth, respectively, in the Big Sky. Felix Von Hofe is not ranked, but has made 24-of-29 thus far (82.8 percent) and Sir Washington has made 25-of-34 (73.5 percent). A season-low 50 percent performance against Xavier on Dec. 20 (9-of-18) dropped EWU from second to seventh in the nation, and a 15-of-24 performance at Colorado dropped the Eagles to 14th.
 
 
Eagles Set School Record Already for Overtime Periods
 
The Eagles are finding a way to win games, and have already set a school record with six extra periods this season. Eastern defeated Seattle 80-76 in double overtime on Nov. 22 and then beat Denver in its next game in overtime by an 85-80 score. Two games later, the Eagles played at Seattle in another double-overtime thriller, winning 93-88. In its most recent OT game, Eastern beat Morehead State 88-86 on Dec. 13. The previous record for overtime periods in a single year was five in the 1998-99 season, including four extra periods in a 101-100 loss to Weber State on Jan. 16, 1993. The Eagles had no overtime games last season, two in 2014-15, one in 2013-14 and four in 2012-13
 
 
Julian Harrell Will Miss Rest of Season With Shoulder Injury
 
The collegiate career for Julian Harrell will end with surgery to repair a disabling shoulder injury, head coach Jim Hayford announced Nov. 21. With a 3.89 grade point average, Harrell saw action in two of Eastern's three games this season, but played just 36 total minutes. In his 23-game career as an Eagle he averaged 7.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists, making 47.1 percent of his shots from the field. He transferred to Eastern from City College of San Francisco after originally playing at Penn in the 2012-13 (redshirt) and 2013-14 seasons.
 
"This is terrible news, and very disappointing for Julian, his family and his teammates," said Hayford of the 2012 graduate of Loyola High School in Los Angeles. "Julian has giving everything he can to our program for two years, and will graduate winter quarter as an honors student. Though not replaceable, our team will work very hard to step up and honor Julian with our work this season."
 
Harrell will graduate from Eastern with an interdisciplinary studies/liberal arts degree. He was a Big Sky Conference All-Academic selection last season, and entered this year as a preseason fourth team All-Big Sky selection by College Sports Madness.
 
 "The hardest thing for me to do is to accept that I won't be able to play this season," said Harrell. "This team has something special brewing, and I wanted to be out there playing with my brothers. There isn't a doubt in my mind that they will be successful this year. Though I'm expected to make a full recovery, it truly hurts that I can't be on the court during the special season that this team will have. Thank you to the EWU community for the love and support since I first arrived on campus -- it means a lot. Go Eags!"
 
 
Quartet Sign Letters of Intent With Eagle Basketball
 
A quartet of high school players, including 6-foot-9 forward Tanner Groves from Shadle Park High School in Spokane, Wash., have signed letters of intent to play basketball and attend Eastern Washington University, EWU head coach Jim Hayford announced Nov. 9.
 
The others signed include 6-6 forward Brendan Howard, who was Montana's Gatorade Player of the Year as a junior at Great Falls High School. The third signee was Australian Jack Perry, a 6-2 guard who joins a group of five Aussies currently on EWU's roster. The fourth was 6-7 guard/forward Kim Aiken, an All-CIF selection from East Valley High School in Redlands, Calif.
 
More on the signing class, including comments from head coach Jim Hayford, is available at: http://goeags.com/news/2016/11/9/mens-basketball-quartet-sign-letters-of-intent-with-eagle-basketball.aspx?path=mbball
 
 
 
Rodney Stuckey in 10th Season in NBA; Former Eagle Drew Brandon Signs with Romania Pro Team
 
Former Eastern men's basketball player Drew Brandon recently signed with the CS Phoenix Galati in Romania after playing previously in Germany, and is one of 14 former Eagles currently playing professionally. The most famous is Rodney Stuckey, who is in his 10th season in the NBA (now with the Indiana Pacers after seven years with the Detroit Pistons) after earning honorable mention All-America honors for Eastern in the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons.
 
Brandon was a member of EWU's 2015 NCAA Tournament team, and CS Phoenix is a member of the Romania Liga Nationala League. In 30 games as a rookie for Bayer in Germany last season, Brandon averaged 10.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.4 steals per game. He was named to the Eurobasket.com All-German 2.Bundesliga Pro A squad as an honorable mention selection, and was on its All-Defensive Team.
 
Former Eagles Venky Jois and Tyler Harvey are also currently playing overseas. In his first four games with Tartu Ulikool/Rock in Estonia in the 2016-17 season, Jois was averaging 7.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 0.8 blocked shots per game, including 17 points and 13 rebounds in an 88-57 victory over Audentese in Estonia.
 
In his first five games with Auxilium Torino in Italy in the 2016-17 season, Harvey was averaging 6.2 points, 1.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game, and made 8-of-29 3-point shots. He averaged 11.9 points in 37 games as a rookie for the Erie Bay Hawks in the NBA's Developmental League, making 80-of-231 three-pointers for 34.6 percent.
 
In addition, former Eagle Laron Griffin recently signed with KB Trepca Mitrovice (SuperLeague) in Kosovo. Most recently, Griffin played for San Miguel in Liga MB in Salvador where in 18 games he averaged 16.3 points, 14.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.3 blocks per game.

Eastern has 14 former players who have played in the pro ranks within the last year. The complete list of current and former professionals is located at: http://goeags.com/sports/2016/6/27/eagles-in-the-pros.aspx
 
 
Trio of Eagles Earn Preseason Honors
 
Junior forward Bogdan Bliznyuk was selected as a first team selection on the College Sports Madness preseason All-Big Sky Conference team. Seniors Felix Von Hofe and Julian Harrell were both picked as fourth team selections. All three were starters last season on a team that featured a pair of All-Big Sky Conference and All-District 6 selections in Venky Jois and Austin McBroom. 
 
"We lost two great starters from last year's team to graduation. It's nice to see the other three guys who started recognized for what they have done," said Eastern head coach Jim Hayford. "I am excited about what they will do as leaders of this year's team."
 
Last year, Bliznyuk averaged 12.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game, and registered the first triple-double in school history. Von Hofe averaged 13.0 points and 3.1 made 3-pointers per game, and Harrell chipped in 8.3 points and 2.8 rebounds after missing 13 games with a hand injury.
 
 
Eagles Coming Off First Postseason Victory as a Member of NCAA Division I
 
The Eagles finished the 2015-16 season with an 18-16 record and advanced to the second round of the College Basketball Invitational, including the school's first NCAA Division I postseason win with a 79-72 victory over Pepperdine. Eastern finished fourth in the Big Sky Conference with a 10-8 league mark, then beat Northern Arizona 74-52 in the first round of the league tournament. Eastern was the Big Sky's 2014-15 regular season and tournament champion, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
 
The 44 combined victories the last two years are the most in since EWU became a member of NCAA Division I in the 1983-84 season. They are the most overall in 39 years since EWU won a combined 45 in the 1976-77 and 1977-78 seasons as a member of the NAIA.
 
Eastern finished the season ranked fifth in NCAA Division I with an average of 10.5 3-pointers made per game. Eastern also ranked 15th in NCAA Division I in scoring offense (81.4 points per game), 16th in overall field goal accuracy (48.3 percent) and 25th in accuracy from the 3-point stripe (38.5 percent).
 
 
Schedule Features Four Teams from 2016 NCAA Tourney
 
The Eagles will again travel the nation by playing teams from 13 different leagues. Eastern's schedule includes four teams which appeared in the NCAA Tournament a year ago, and four others who joined EWU last year in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI). One opponent played in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT). But the best part of the season is 16 home games at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash.
 
 "The schedule gives us many great opportunities to play in front of our home fans during the non-conference season," said Hayford. "We are playing a very good group of teams which will challenge and prepare us for Big Sky Conference play."
 
Eastern picked up an 80-69 exhibition victory on Oct. 30 against Saint Martin's, which is coached by former Eastern assistant Alex Pribble. The Eagles officially opened the regular season in Cheney with a 70-47 victory against Linfield, a NCAA Division III school in the Northwest Conference.
 
Eastern then took part in the Legends Classic, falling to Northwestern 86-72 on the road on Nov. 14 and 85-52 at Texas on Nov. 17. Still looking for its first-ever NCAA Tournament berth, Northwestern finished with an overall record of 20-12 and 8-10 in the Big 10, losing to Michigan in the first round of the Big 10 Tournament. Texas (20-13 overall and 11-7 in the Big 12) lost to Baylor in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament and went on as a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament where it lost to Northern Iowa in the first round. The Longhorns were ranked 21st and 23rd in the two national polls prior to playing the Eagles.
 
The Eagles returned home and won the title in the Legends Classic Sub-Regional round in Cheney. Eastern beat Bryant (8-23/5-13 Northeast Conference) 81-77 on the first day, then edged Seattle 80-76 in double-overtime the next night. Bryant beat Louisiana Monroe in the consolation game, with Eastern's Jacob Wiley earning tournament MVP honors. Seattle was in the CBI a year ago and Louisiana Monroe played in the CIT.
 
Next, Eastern swept two games in the EWU Classic in which they beat Denver (16-15/7-9 Summit League) 85-80 on Nov. 26 and then defeated San Francisco (15-15/8-10 West Coast Conference) in a 96-90 shootout on Nov. 27. San Francisco lost in the first round of the WCC Tournament last season to Pepperdine, which fell to Eastern 79-72 in the first round of the CBI. The Eagles beat the Dons for the second-straight year in San Francisco in 2015-16, winning 81-77.
 
On Dec. 4, Eastern had yet another double-overtime victory (93-88) over Seattle (13-15/7-7 Western Athletic Conference), which lost in the second round of the last year's WAC Tournament. Seattle made it to the second round of the CBI before falling to Vermont. Eastern and the Redhawks split two games last season, with EWU winning 76-70 at home and losing on the road six days later 58-52.
 
The Eagles returned home for a pair of games against Great Falls (13-16/5-13 Frontier Conference) on Dec. 8 and Morehead State (23-14/11-5 Ohio Valley Conference) on Dec. 13. Eastern beat the Argos 103-76 and downed Morehead State 88-86 in overtime. Morehead State had a successful postseason in 2015-16, making it to the finals of the CBI before losing to Nevada in three games. Nevada ended EWU's season last year with an 85-70 victory in Reno in the quarterfinals of the CBI.
 
"A lot of years we only get three or four home games in November and December, but this year we'll actually play at home more than on the road," said Hayford, whose team will play seven of its 13 non-conference games at home. "We really want Eastern fans out here supporting our team at Reese Court."
 
Eastern will hit the road for its three final non-conference games before starting league play. The Eagles lost 70-48 at Northern Kentucky (9-21/5-13 Horizon League) on Dec. 18, then fell at 17th-ranked Xavier (28-6/14-4 Big East) by an 85-56 score on Dec. 20. The trip closed with a 76-68 loss at Colorado (22-12/10-8 Pac-12) on Dec. 22. The latter two teams participated in the 2016 NCAA Tournament -- Xavier as a No. 2 seed and Colorado at No. 8. Xavier defeated Weber State in the first round and then lost to Wisconsin in the second round. Colorado fell to UConn in the first round.
 
 
Coaches Shows Resume Jan. 3
 
The weekly Eastern Washington University Men's Basketball Coaches Show featuring head coach Jim Hayford and host Larry Weir began with a season preview on Nov. 8, and will return on Jan. 3 at 6 p.m. Pacific time at the Swinging Doors Restaurant in North Spokane (W. 1018 Francis). Additional interviews with players and other guests will also be featured. Fans may attend the one-hour shows live, or listen on 700-AM ESPN and via the web at www.700espn.com. Programming on 700-AM ESPN is also available via mobile phone aps (search for "Spokane Radio" and download app) and www.tunein.com (an app is also available for tunein radio).  Following the Nov. 8 show, the next two shows will take place on Tuesdays – Jan. 3 and 10. Thereafter, shows will be on Mondays from Jan. 16 through at least Feb. 27. The show on March 6 depends on team travel arrangements for the Big Sky Conference Tournament in Reno, Nevada. Shows on March 13 and March 20 are also possible and will be determined by EWU's postseason fate and availability of Hayford.
 
 
 

Series Notes

 
* In the six meetings since Idaho re-joined the Big Sky Conference in the 2014-15 season, EWU is 4-2. Included was last year's 77-73 loss at the Vandals in the quarterfinals of the Big Sky Conference Championships in Reno, Nevada. Eastern also lost 66-62 at Idaho on Feb. 27, but defeated Idaho at home earlier in the year by a 74-60 score. Since 1996 when Idaho left the Big Sky Conference, the two schools have now played 20 times, with Eastern winning 12 of them. Idaho leads the all-time series 54-27. Since EWU became a NCAA Division I member in the 1983-84 season, EWU is 15-33 against Idaho (8-14 home, 6-15 away, 1-4 neutral). Until falling 66-62 at Idaho on Feb. 27, Eastern had won the last four meetings against Idaho, and hadn't lost since falling 81-79 at home in overtime on Dec. 6, 2012.
 
* In last year's Big Sky Tournament, the sixth-seeded and defending champion Eagles fell to third-seeded Idaho 77-73 in a Big Sky Conference Tournament quarterfinal game March 10 at the Reno Events Center in Reno, Nevada. Despite two-time All-Big Sky Conference player Venky Jois finishing with the 39th double-double of his career, Eastern lost in the rubber game against the Vandals this season. The Eagles were held to a season-low 35.6 percent shooting night, including just 9-of-32 3-pointers for 28 percent. The game included six ties and six lead changes, identical to the previous meeting in Moscow. Jois made 6-of-11 shots to finish with 17 points, 12 rebounds and a pair of blocked shots. Felix Von Hofe made 4-of-12 3-pointers and finished with 17 points and six rebounds. In his 128th game as a collegian, senior graduate transfer Austin McBroom finished with 12 points on 12-of-14 shooting from the free throw line. However, the second team All-Big Sky performer finished 0-of-10 from the field and 0-of-6 from the three-point stripe. After making just 13 of its first 39 field goal attempts and 4-of-21 3-pointers, the Eagles had a hot stretch to knot the game at 62 on back-to-back 3-pointers by Julian Harrell. Eastern pulled to within 66-65 shortly after that. Eastern made 6-of-8 shots in that stretch, including all three of its 3-point attempts. But Eastern missed its next five shots and Idaho turned it into a 73-67 advantage with 3:10 left. The closest Eastern could get the rest of the way was three, as Idaho closed out the game by  making 4-of-6 free throws in the last 1:04.
 
* On Feb. 27 in Moscow, Idaho's defense, rebounding advantage and a timely run were the difference and helped the Vandals beat Eastern 66-62. Idaho used a 10-2 run to overcome a four-point Eagle lead, then hit four free throws in the final 1:27 to score its final points of the game. In finishing the afternoon at 43 percent, it was the first time EWU hadn't made at least half its shots since Feb. 4. The Eagles had five-straight performances of 50 percent or better and entered the game fifth in NCAA Division I at 50.1 percent. Eastern had won four-straight games versus the Vandals, including a 74-60 win in Eastern on Jan. 9 in Cheney in which EWU sank 53 percent to Idaho's 31 percent. The Vandals made 48 percent in the rematch, while holding EWU to 9-of-29 shooting from the 3-point stripe (31 percent). The game featured six ties and lead changes, making it the third-closest game EWU has played – win or lose – in the league season. Eastern's Venky Jois scored a team-high 16 points, and senior graduate transfer Austin McBroom scored 11 points with three assists. McBroom was just 4-of-15 from the field overall, including 3-of-11 from the 3-point stripe. Bogdan Bliznyuk finished with 12 points, eight rebounds and a pair of assists. Felix Von Hofe chipped in 10 with a trio of 3-pointers, and Julian Harrell also had 10 points to go along with four rebounds.
 
* Earlier this season in Cheney, Eastern jumped out to an early 16-point lead and had its best defensive field goal percentage of the season and picked up its first Big Sky Conference victory of the season with a 74-60 win on Jan. 9 in Cheney, Wash. Senior Austin McBroom had 26 points and seven assists, and Julian Harrell scored 14 in his starting debut as an Eagle. Eastern out-shot the Vandals 53 percent to 31 percent, with Eastern's defensive performance its best of the year by six percent. McBroom hit 8-of-14 shots from the field, including 6-of-10 3-point attempts. His seven assists were his most against a NCAA Division I opponent this season as he accounted for 45 of EWU's 74 points (31 of 46 in the first half). Felix Von Hofe added 19 points and five 3-pointers to help EWU to a 15-of-29 performance from the 3-point arc. Senior Venky Jois had four blocked shots, and was a perfect 4-of-4 with a pair of dunks to finish with nine points and eight rebounds. Bogdan Bliznyuk chipped in six points, a team-high nine rebounds and three assists. The Eagles ranked 344th out of 351 NCAA Division I teams in field goal percentage defense entering the game at 51.0 percent. But Eastern held Idaho to just 30 points in each half on 31.3 percent shooting from the field. Eastern continued its torrid shooting from the 3-point stripe, sinking 15-of-29 for what was then a season-best 51.7 percent. The Eagles made nine of their first 11 shots and jumped out to a quick 28-12 lead, with Julian Harrell scoring all 10 of his first-half points in that stretch on a trio of 3-pointers and a free throw. Eastern led by no less than nine the rest of the half as McBroom hit a pair of free throws with one second left to give EWU a 46-30 halftime lead. Eastern opened the second half on an 8-0 run to take its biggest lead of the night at 24, and the closest Idaho came was 11 with 1:01 left. Idaho never led, and EWU led for all but the game's first 12 seconds when it was 0-0.
 
* The Eagles and Vandals played three hard-fought battles in the 2014-15 season, with EWU pulling out an 89-86 victory in Moscow, Idaho, on Jan. 10. Eastern then rallied from 11 points down in the final 1:33 in the rematch at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash., for a 98-95 overtime victory on Jan. 31. The Eagles then won 91-83 in the quarterfinals of the Big Sky Conference Tournament in Missoula, Mont., when Tyler Harvey tied the Big Sky Conference Tournament record with a career-high 42 points. Harvey made 8-of-12 3-pointers and 13-of-20 shots overall, with Venky Jois adding his fifth-straight double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds.
 
* The meeting on Jan. 10, 2015, in Moscow was EWU's first-ever league victory over the UI, and was the first league meeting between the schools since Feb. 17, 1996. The Vandals rejoined the Big Sky Conference in the 2014-15 season after previously competing in the league from 1963-1996, winning tournament championships in 1980, 1981, 1989 and 1990. Eastern began playing in the Big Sky in 1987-88, and won the tourney title in 2004 and again in 2015. In those previous nine seasons of co-existence in the Big Sky, the Vandals won all 18 league meetings between the two schools, as well as the Big Sky Conference Tournament Championship game in 1990 won 65-62 by the Vandals on a shot at the buzzer by Ricardo Boyd. In all, Idaho had won 22-straight against the Eagles, who went nearly 14 years between victories (1/15/86 to 11/29/99).
 
 
 

Recent Game Recap

 
Bogdan Bliznyuk Blizzard Buries Buffaloes Early, But Colorado Prevails 76-68
 
Colorado got to taste a Bogdan Bliznyuk blizzard of points Dec. 22 at the Coors Event Center in Boulder, Colo. The Eagle junior scored 25 points, including 21 in the first half that featured a game-opening 19-2 run for the Eagles, but Colorado pulled away late for a 76-68 non-conference men's basketball victory. Eastern's fast start helped them lead for more than 26 minutes of the game, including a second half that featured five lead changes and five ties. But after holding a 55-53 advantage, Eastern allowed Colorado to go on a 17-3 run to take a 70-58 lead with 4:06 remaining. The Eagles rallied in the final four minutes with a 10-2 run and cut the lead to four with a 3-pointer by Felix Von Hofe with 1:17 left, but Colorado scored the final four points of the game. Bliznyuk scored his 25 points on 9-of-20 shooting from the field and 4-of-5 from the line, and also had a team-high five assists. True freshman Luka Vulikic equaled his best game as an Eagle, scoring 12 points on 3-of-9 shooting from the field and 5-of-8 free throws. Senior graduate transfer Jacob Wiley had 10 points in just 25 minutes, hitting 4-of-6 field goals and both of his free throws. He also had a team-high eight rebounds and a pair of blocked shots. Von Hofe chipped in nine points, but was just 2-of-10 from the 3-point line. True freshman Mason Peatling, making his second career start, had two points, six rebounds and a blocked shot.
 
 
 

Head Coach Jim Hayford Comments

 
On Colorado Loss & Road Trip: "It was our third game in five days, but we did a pretty good job of giving our players an emotional rest for 48 hours. Our players answered the bell great, a lot like we started the last two games. That certainly got Colorado's attention, and they played with a lot of intensity from that point on. I'm pleased with our team for coming out of that at 8-5 and with more wins than anybody else in the conference. We don't like losing three on a road trip, but our Big Sky Championship team two years ago lost three on road trip in December. Last year's team lost three on a trip in December. It's a beast, but it makes you better if you respond in the right way, and I think our team has."
 
On Player Performances: "Bogdan was really special in the first half and Jacob had a really good second half. Pretty soon this is all going to come together. Felix took a pretty big hit to his shoulder against Xavier, but was still able to give us 37 minutes which shows his senior leadership. We've committed to go with two freshmen, and Mason's six rebounds were huge. And Luka had a career-high 12 points, and he can be more efficient. But in these last two games he's played 58 minutes with only two turnovers from the point guard position, which is pretty good. Getting Jesse moving into a positive direction was really important to our team. Obviously he had some really good minutes."
 
On Free Throw Shooting: "We're a lot better at the line than our free throw shooting in the last two games. Some of that is who is getting fouled, but for us to win these close games we have to be better at the free throw line."
 
On Non-Conference Schedule: "Looking at the big picture, the non-conference season is to get you ready for conference play. We get to go play in these big games and it's economically important for our athletic department. I'm pleased with our team for coming out of that at 8-5 and with more wins than anybody else in the conference.  We've learned a lot about them. We lost Julian, which was a big hit, and then had to adjust another brand-new senior to the program adjusted during non-conference play. We moved Bogdan into the role as team captain, and we are starting two freshmen and have a young bench. You can look at the non-conference schedule as a whole and be really pleased with the work our team did. We don't like losing three on a road trip, but our Big Sky Championship team two years ago lost three on road trip in December. Last year's team lost three on a trip in December. It's a beast, but it makes you better if you respond in the right way, and I think our team has."
 
On Xavier Loss: "We played a really good team. For about 17 minutes we really held our scouting report and defensively we were who we needed to be and kept them off-balance on offense. We are going to get there and are a work in progress We started two freshmen, and we got up by 11 against Xavier in their building. We have to take that and put it into a 40-minute performance."
 
On Yet Another OT Win in Game Versus Morehead State: "Our team really loves one another – we have a really close-knit group and they really like playing together. That's why we keep playing overtimes, they just can't get enough and want to keep playing longer and longer. There was a sense in our huddle going into overtime that we were going to win – we win in overtime. But you have to go do it. We put together a stop and two scores together, got the lead and never relented. I'm just really proud and happy for our guys."
 
On MSU Victory: "This was a really good win. If you would have asked if our team could go 0-of-13 in the second half and still win a game, I would have said that was going to take a lot of growth. As many people know, our team has kind of lived and died by the three. But we held them to 42 percent from the field, and maybe a lot of coaches aren't proud of that number. It was 33 percent in overtime. We just kind of gritted it out and executed our way through it. We had a few turnovers and missed some free throws that we had been making, and that's why it went to overtime. Credit them, they hit made some really good shots.
 
On Stretch of Six of Seven Games at Home: "The schedule was an opportunity. When you look at the previous five years, we were pretty much out on the road having to develop our team during this time. This year we were at home and won four close games. Maybe on the road it's different, and we lose a close game and we have to encourage our team. We have to tell them they are almost there and it's about the development of the team. Win or lose, you stay in the mindset that you have to keep growing and keep getting better. But let's be honest, for 18 to 22 year olds it's easier when you are winning to keep hearing that. We made great use of it, and now we have a whole week at home to prepare for Seattle. We'll go over there for a day, then we have another 11 days at home. I think it's 26 of 29 days where we are actually here getting to practice. Sir was the player who said we get to take shots in the gym and get individual work with our excellent assistant coaches. The opportunity to develop a team here is a huge advantage that normally we don't have. What you do with opportunities is the question we all have in life. Our guys made great use of the opportunity."
 
On Defense/Offense: "We aren't going to be the team that just scores points in droves and all of the sudden there is a 15-0 run. We are going to have to put stops together and keep chipping away. We are going to be a tough team that has to work and probably won't put points on the board as fast as we have."
 
On Big Sky Race: "We think this is going to be the toughest Big Sky Conference race yet. I think 20 of the top 30 leading scorers in the conference are returning. We have three of the top returning starters in the conference, and that's the veteran experience of our group. We are going to lean on them, but it's going to be a very, very tough conference schedule."
 
On Big Sky Tournament in Reno: "Ultimately, you are playing for a three or four game winning streak. If you can do that in Reno, you can get the crown jewel. Playing it in Reno is a great experience because every team knows they are coming, you can plan ahead and families can see you play. I thought the environment is great. I'm glad the conference made this move to a neutral site, and I think it is only going to get better and better. It's nice to have experience there, but ultimately you have to build depth for your team to be at its best for those games."