Eastern Washington University "Eagles" Men's Basketball (8-6/7-2 Big Sky) Thursday, Feb. 11 – at Montana State – 4:05 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13 – at Montana State – 12:05 p.m. all times Pacific
Radio:	EWU games are on 700-AM ESPN & 105.3-FM in the Spokane/Cheney area with Larry Weir calling the play-by-play. Broadcasts begin a half-hour prior to tipoff.
Internet Radio:	https://tunein.com/radio/Eastern-Washington-Basketball-s308823/?_branch_match_id=723936718277085088
Radio  Mobile Phone App:	Via tunein radio
TV:	Both games will be televised on SWX, including live broadcasts in the Eastern Washington region. In Montana, the Feb. 11 game will be live but the Feb. 13 game will be broadcast on a tape-delay basis.
­­­Webcast:	Fans can watch this week's games via Pluto TV channel 1057 or via https://bigskyconf.com/watchbigsky
Live Stats:	Games at MSU and EWU Home Games: http://ewustats.com

The games keep getting bigger for the Eastern Washington University men's basketball team, and this week's opponent wants to take back what the Eagles now possess.
 
In a match-up between teams who swapped first-place positions in the Big Sky Conference standings last week, Eastern goes on the road to play Montana State in a pair of games at Worthington Arena in Bozeman, Mont. The two teams play Thursday (Feb. 11) at 4:05 p.m. Pacific time and then play again Saturday at 11:05 a.m. Pacific time.
 
Last week, Eastern swept Idaho to improve to 7-2 in the league standings and move into sole possession of first place in the league standings. The Bobcats were 6-0 entering last week, but dropped a pair of games versus Weber State to fall to 6-2 and in a second-place tie with both the Wildcats and Southern Utah.
 
"We're heading to Montana State for some really big games," said Eastern head coach Shantay Legans. "It's going to be tough and we are playing against a really good team. They lost both to Weber State, but they'll be ready and prepared to go."
 
Both games will be televised live regionally on SWX – both in Eastern Washington and in Montana. Both games will be available via PlutoTV on channel 1057, as well as via https://bigskyconf.com/watchbigsky. Eastern games are also aired live on radio on 700-AM ESPN, 105.3-FM, via the web at tunein.com and via mobile phone app, with pre-game coverage starting a half-hour prior to tipoff. Larry Weir serves as the play-by-play broadcaster. Live statistics from all Eastern home games are available via http://ewustats.com.
 
Eastern had a busy seven-day stretch from Jan. 31 to Feb. 6, winning all four games it played after a positive Covid-19 within its program caused a postponement of two home games versus Sacramento State. Eastern won those two games – 68-60 on Jan. 31 and 94-79 on Feb. 1, then quickly turned around to win at Idaho 89-75 on Feb. 4. Eastern then beat the Vandals 90-64 two days later at home. Runs and balance told the stories of those four victories.
 
In the Sac State sweep, EWU utilized an 18-1 run of the first win and runs of 16-2 and 16-0 in the rematch to register the sweep. Versus Idaho, a total of 11 Eastern players scored in the second meeting, with seven hitting at least one of the team's 10 3-pointers made. In the first game versus the Vandals, 10 players scored and eight combined for 11 treys. And the Eagles did all that without the services of senior Jack Perry, who has missed the last four games but has 103 career games of experience for EWU.
 
 "Getting Jack back will be good for us too," added Legans of the match-up versus the Bobcats. "We have to make sure our team is up for those games. It's going to be a lot of fun and as great of an environment as it can be during the pandemic. Our team will be excited and ready for the challenge."
 
The Eagles, 8-6 overall and with a five-game winning streak, are on the roll they had a year ago en route to the regular season league title. Last year after five games of the league season, the Eagles were 3-2 (like this year's team), and had won the first game of what would become a six-game winning streak. Eastern ended the regular season with a streak of seven-straight victories to win the league title with a 16-4 mark.
 
Entering action this week, Eastern is 7-2, followed by Montana State (6-2), Southern Utah (6-2), Weber State (6-2), Idaho State (5-3) and Sacramento State (4-4). Northern Colorado is at 5-6, followed by Northern Arizona (4-6), Montana (4-6), Portland State (3-5), and Idaho (0-12).
 
Besides the two road games in Bozeman, Eastern's remaining schedule includes a home game versus Montana (Feb. 18), a road game at the Grizzlies (Feb. 20), and games versus Idaho State on March 3 and 5 at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash.
 
All 11 league teams will advance to the Big Sky Conference Basketball Championships, to be held for the third consecutive year at recently re-named Idaho Central Arena (formerly CenturyLink Arena) in Boise, Idaho. The neutral-site tournament will run from March 10-13, 2021, and begins two days earlier for the women.
 
 
 
 
 

Game Notes

 
More About the Bobcats
 
In their second season under former Bobcat player Danny Sprinkle, the Bobcats are now 6-2 in the Big Sky and 9-4 overall after a 82-74 loss at Weber State on Feb. 6. The Bobcats dropped their first conference game at Weber State 96-88 on Feb. 4 after having not lost since falling to 2-3 with a 62-59 loss at Portland on Dec. 22. Montana State is now 9-5 overall.
 
Senior guard Xavier Bishop paces MSU with averages of 15.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. Bishop is a transfer from UMKC, and played versus the Eagles in Cheney, Wash., on Nov. 17, 2018. He scored 28 points and had five rebounds, five assists and three steals in a losing effort in a game won by the Eagles 87-80. Current Eagles Jack Perry, Jacob Davison, Austin Fadal, Tanner Groves and Kim Aiken Jr., all played in that game, with Perry scoring 11.
 
Six-foot-5 senior guard Amin Adamu has a similar stat line with averages of 15.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.4 steals. Jubrile Belo, a 6-9 junior forward, averages 12.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocked shots per outing. Bishop and Adamu are ranked sixth and seventh, respectively, in the league in scoring, with Bishop fifth in assists and Belo ninth in rebounding. In league-only statistics, Belo is tops in the league in blocked shots (1.6) and offensive rebounds (2.6), and Bishop is second in assists (4.3).
 
 
More About the Eagles
 
Although Idaho did a good job of slowing him down, junior forward Tanner Groves continues to lead the Big Sky Conference in rebounding (8.6 per game) and field goal percentage (.571). He is also fifth in scoring (16.5), fifth in blocked shots (1.1) and seventh in free throw percentage (.803). In Big Sky games only, he is second in scoring (18.9) and rebounding (8.3) and field goal percentage (.598), and is also seventh in free throw percentage (.872) and ninth in blocked shots (0.9).
 
Preseason All-Big Sky MVP Jacob Davison is averaging 12.6 points to rank 16th in the league, and is fifth in 3-pointers made per game (2.0). He scored 31 versus Southern Utah on Jan. 16 when he hit nine 3-pointers to come one from the school record of 10. In league games only, he is 16th in scoring (12.6) and fourth in treys per game (2.44).
 
Pre-season All-Big Sky Conference selection Kim Aiken Jr. is third in the BSC in rebounding in the league at 7.8 per game overall, and averages 8.5 in league play to lead the Big Sky. Overall, he is sixth in the BSC in blocked shots (1.07), and in league games only he is third in blocked shots (1.33). He is averaging 10.1 points as one of four Eagles averaging in double figures for the season (10.9 in league games only).
 
Sophomore Tyler Robertson is also averaging in double figures for EWU at 11.6 points per game to rank 18th in the league overall, and is ninth in assists (2.92) and 12th in 3-pointers per game (1.69). In league games only, he is tops in the Big Sky in assist-to-turnover ratio (+4.14 with 29 assists and seven turnovers) and ninth in assists (3.22). He's averaging 11.2 points per game during Big Sky play, with sophomore Michael Meadows averaging 10.0 points in the six league games he's played thus far.
 
The Eagles have won five league games by at least 12 points (16 twice, 15 twice, 12), plus victories by six and eight points. Their two losses have come by a combined seven points (5, 2). Their biggest margins of the season of 16 came in a relatively easy 80-64 victory at Northern Arizona on Dec. 19 in Flagstaff, Ariz., and 90-64 over Idaho on Feb. 6. Eastern took a 32-28 lead at halftime at NAU, then used a 48-point second half to pull away. Eastern led 34-28 against the Vandals before having its best half of the season with 56 points to surge ahead. The Eagles had entered the NAU game averaging just 29.0 points in the second half through its first five games (145 total), but in the nine games since have averaged 46.1 with six performances of at least 43 points and four with at least 51.
 
On the same road trip as the NAU victory, Eastern fell 80-75 at Saint Mary's in a game in which the Eagles led for 28 1/2 minutes. The first victory for the Eagles came on Dec. 11 when they took a 17-4 lead over The College of Idaho and cruised to an 80-56 win. Previously, Eastern fell to Oregon 69-52 on Dec. 7, just two days after a heart-breaking 70-67 loss at Arizona. Eastern opened the season with a 71-68 loss at Washington State on Nov. 28.
 
Eastern has had a trio of losses to top-notch NCAA Division I competition by a total of just 11 points after leading at halftime and with 10 minutes left in each.  One of those was an 80-75 loss on Dec. 15 at Saint Mary's, which had entered the game ranked fourth in the CollegeInsider.com top 25 poll of mid-major teams. Two of those losses were versus Pac-12 Conference foes Washington State and Arizona.
 
In each of EWU's first two games, Eastern led at halftime, led with 10 minutes left and led with five minutes remaining. Eastern led for 33:09 versus WSU, but a late 13-5 run by the Cougars was the difference; a 14-4 run by Arizona cost the Eagles that win after they led for 13:49 in the game. Eastern also led by as many as six in the first half against Oregon and trailed by just four at halftime. Against Saint Mary's on Dec. 15, the Eagles led for 28:30 and had the lead at halftime and with 10 minutes to play.
 
A year ago, Eastern was 23-8 overall and 16-4 in the Big Sky Conference to win the outright regular season title. The Covid-19 Pandemic resulted in the cancellation of the season, including the conclusion of the Big Sky Conference Tournament and the entire NCAA Tournament. Eastern was on site for their league tournament opener on March 11, 2020, when the news hit. The Eagles entered the 2020-21 season with four starters back from last year's squad.
 
Eastern's school-record 16 Big Sky wins a year ago included sweeps over seven of the league's 10 other teams, and a split versus Idaho State and Idaho. Eastern was swept by Montana, which had won the two previous regular season and tournament titles. The Eagles had just two seniors – Mason Peatling and Tyler Kidd – so EWU has high aspirations for 2020 and beyond.
 
Eastern won its fourth Big Sky regular season title in school history (2000, 2004, 2015, 2020), but now joins the 2004 team with the only outright titles. Eastern has gone on to win two Big Sky Tournament titles (2004 and 2015) to advance to the NCAA Tournament. The Eagles also have national postseason appearances in the NIT (2003) and the College Basketball Invitational (2016, 2017, 2018).
 
 
Eagles Has +13.8 Winning Margin During Winning Streak
 
Eastern has averaged 84.6 points per game during its five-game winning streak, while allowing 70.8 for an average winning margin of 13.8 points per game. In the second half alone, Eastern is outscoring opponents by 10 – 48.8 points to 38.8.
 
During the streak, EWU has out-shot opponents 49.8 percent to 43.3 percent overall, and 37.1 percent to 35.5 percent from the 3-point stripe. Eastern also has a plus 9.4 rebounding margin in those five games, averaging 38.2 per game. The Eagles are 6-0 this season when they out-rebound their opponent, and 6-1 when they have at least 36 boards.
 
 
Legans Currently Ranked No. 6 in Winning Percentage in Big Sky History
 
Legans, the reigning Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year, is currently No. 6 in winning percentage in the 58-year history of the Big Sky Conference – No. 4 among those who coached at least four seasons. Entering this week, he's 48-19 in four seasons for a percentage of .716. He only ranks behind Phil Johnson (Weber State 1968-71, .886, 39-5), Kermit Davis (Idaho 1989-90, .813, 26-6), Dick Motta (Weber State, 1963-68, .727, 40-15), Travis DeCuire (Montana 2014-present, .724, 89-33) and Ron Abegglen (Weber State, 1991-99, .717, 86-34).
 
Overall, Legans enters this week 67-47 overall (.588) in four seasons. In school history, Ray Giacoletti (four seasons, 2000-04) currently ranks just behind Legans in winning percentage overall (.580, 69-50) and is No. 2 in league games only (.707, 41-17).
 
Legans led EWU to a final record of 23-8 overall and 16-4 in the league in the 2019-20 season. Legans entered the 2020-21 season 59-41 in his three years as head coach for a .590 winning percentage. In league games, he directed EWU to 13, 12 and 16 victories, winning 71 percent for a record of 41-17. His 41 league wins is the best three-year stretch in school history.
 
In the spring of 2020, Legans was selected to ESPN's "40 Under 40" list of the top NCAA Division I basketball coaches under the age of 40. He was selected No. 11 -- eighth among head coaches -- in the list of coaches ranked by achievement and potential.
 
 
 
Eastern Has Eighth-Toughest Strength of Schedule in Initial NCAA NET Rankings
 
While ranking 110th in the nation overall and tops in the Big Sky Conference, the ranking that popped out most in the initial NCAA NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool) rankings released on Jan. 4 was No. 8. That was the team's national ranking in strength of schedule, which was aided by pre-conference games versus three Pacific-12 Conference foes (Arizona, Oregon, Washington State) and another powerhouse from the West Coast Conference (Saint Mary's).
 
The second-highest Big Sky Conference school in the initial rankings was Southern Utah at 135, followed by Weber State (162), Sacramento State (188) and Montana (190) in the top 200. The remainder of the league ranked from No. 224 (Montana State) to No. 333 (Idaho) among the 340 NCAA Division I programs who had played at that point of the season. Among EWU's non-conference foes, Oregon (19), Arizona (21), Saint Mary's (53) and Washington State (101) were all in the top 101.
 
The NET rankings serves as the primary sorting tool for the selection and seeding process for the NCAA tournament. The NET is in its third season for men's basketball and was modified in the offseason when it was simplified to a two-component system. The two components are the Team Value Index, which rewards teams for beating quality opponents, especially away from home, and a team's efficiency rating, which is adjusted for the strength of an opponent and the location of a game.
 
Through games of Feb. 9, Eastern is second among Big Sky schools with a ranking of 153rd, and is 181st in strength of schedule (tops in the league). Weber State is No. 1 in the league at 107th, followed by EWU, Montana State (180), Southern Utah (182), Montana (226), Sacramento State (241), Portland State (259), Northern Colorado (267), Idaho State (281), Northern Arizona (324) and Idaho (344) among the 347 schools who have now played.
 
 
Eagles Nearly Set 3-Point Records Versus SUU
 
With 10 3-pointers in the first half and nine in the second, the Eagles as a team and Jacob Davison as an individual flirted with school records for 3-point shooting in EWU's 99-94 loss to Southern Utah on Jan. 16. Eastern came one make from the team record of 20 set against Portland State on Jan. 28, 2016. Eastern finished the SUU game with 43 3-point attempts, and the school record of 45 came against Oregon on Nov. 9, 2018. Eastern's high through the first seven games of the season was 10 3-pointers made on two occasions, and 35 attempts versus The College of Idaho on Dec. 11.
 
Davison sank nine of 18 3-point attempts, and his previous high for 3-pointers made was seven. The school record is 10 set previously by Tyler Harvey (2/1/14 vs. Northern Colorado) and Kevin Winford (12/4/10 vs. New Hope). The record for 3-pointers attempted is 23 (Winford versus New Hope).
 
 
On the Horizon
 
Montana will visit Eastern on Feb. 18 in a game that starts at 6:05 p.m. Pacific time at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash. The two rivals will play again two days later (Feb. 20) in Missoula in a game that will begin at 11:05 a.m. Pacific time.
 
Former Montana player Travis DeCuire is in his seventh season as head coach of the Grizzlies, and his team is 8-9 overall this season and 4-6 in the Big Sky. The Grizzlies will host Weber State in a pair of games this week.
 
Kyle Owens, a 6-foot-8 sophomore forward, leads Montana with averages of 11.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. Freshman guard Brandon Whitney is averaging 11.2 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, while 6-10 senior forward Michael Steadman adds 10.4 points and 5.7 boards per game.
 
 
 
 

Player Notes

 
MVP Davison and Aiken are on Preseason All-Big Sky Team
 
Senior Jacob Davison was selected as the MVP as he joined junior Kim Aiken Jr. on the 2020-21 Big Sky Conference Preseason All-Conference Team announced by the league office on Nov. 10. Davison earned second team honors a year ago and Aiken was on the third team as they led Eastern to the regular season Big Sky Conference title.
 
"I love seeing our players receive accolades because I see all the hard work they put in behind the scenes to get there," said Eastern head coach Shantay Legans. "Both on and off the court, our guys work harder than any group I've ever been around, and I am so proud of all they have achieved, and eager for all that is to come."
 
Davison was a unanimous selection on the preseason squad. The Eastern duo was joined on the all-conference team by Bodie Hume of Northern Colorado, Jubrile Belo of Montana State, Cameron Shelton from Northern Arizona and Michael Steadman of Montana. Steadman is a 6-foot-10 transfer from San Jose State.
 
In the 2019-20 season, Davison was 70th nationally and fourth in the Big Sky in scoring (18.4), to go along with averages of 4.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.4 steals per game.  In league-only statistics, Davison was fourth in the league in scoring (18.7), as well as ranking 11th in field goal percentage (.439), 10th in free throw percentage (.752), 12th in steals (1.2) and 14th in assists (2.7).
 
"A lot of times teams have to pick their poison with us," said Legans. "Jacob is such a talented scorer and does so many things on offense which makes him hard to guard. He can drive, he can hit the mid-range jump shot and he shoots the three well. We watch the way teams defend him in games and then we adjust."
 
Davison is Eastern's newest member of the 1,000-point club, going over that mark with a 21-point effort versus Idaho on Feb. 13, 2020. He now has 1,326 career points to rank 11th on EWU's all-time list of 1,000-point scorers, joining 2019-20 Big Sky MVP Mason Peatling as one of 23 in the club. After playing in his 100th Eastern game on Feb. 4, two days later Davison moved past Marc Axton into 11th on EWU's all-time scoring list. Axton, who was the analyst for the television broadcast on SWX that day, had 1,319 points from 2002-05.
 
In his now 101-game career (66 as a starter), Davison has averaged 13.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.1 steals while sinking 44.9 percent of his shots from the field, 35.3 percent from the 3-point stripe (134-of-380) and 77.3 percent of his free throws. In his career, Davison now has 24 performances with at least 20 points (14 in the 2019-20 season and one in 2020-21) and five with at least 30 (three in the 2019-20 season and one in 2020-21).
 
So far this season, Davison is averaging 12.6 points, 1.8 assists and 3.0 rebounds, making 39.6 percent from the field and 37.8 percent from the 3-point stripe (28-of-74). He's also made 26-of-32 free throws (81.3 percent) and has 10 steals and seven blocked shots. He more than doubled his season-high of 15 points when he had 31 points in loss to Southern Utah on Jan. 16. He hit nine 3-pointers in that game, coming one from the school record.
 
Aiken, meanwhile, has averaged 10.1 points and 7.8 rebounds, while making 44.3 percent from the field and 29.3 percent from the arc (17-of-58). He's also made 30-of-39 free throws (.769) and has 12 steals, 15 blocked shots and 28 assists. He scored 19 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the 3-point stripe in EWU's 80-64 win at Northern Arizona, and also had nine boards. He had his first double-double of the season and 17th of his career with 23 points and 12 rebounds versus Southern Utah on Jan. 16. He had 11 rebounds versus Idaho on Feb. 6.
 
Aiken averaged nearly a double-double in the 2019-20 season, finishing fourth in NCAA Division I in defensive rebounds per game (8.2) and 36th in rebounding overall (9.7). He led the Big Sky in both categories, and was also 38th in the nation with 12 double-doubles and averaged 13.3 points per outing.
 
Aiken's overall rebound average was Eastern's best since Ron Cox averaged 12.3 in the 1976-77 season when the school was affiliated with the NAIA. Aiken's average broke the school's previous DI record of 9.1 in the 2016-17 campaign, and his single-game high of 22 is the second-most in school history and EWU's DI record.
 
The 6-foot-7 Aiken also finished his sophomore season third in the league and 85th in the nation in steals (1.74). In league games only, Aiken finished second in rebounding (9.0), first in defensive rebounds (7.5), third in 3-pointers made per game (2.3), fifth in steals (1.7), 12th in blocked shots (1.1) and 21st in scoring (12.1).
 
At times his shooting was inconsistent, but he still managed to sink a team-leading 76 3-pointers on 229 attempts for 33.2 percent. Overall, he shot at a 39.8 percent clip from the field and 78.7 percent from the free throw line (59-of-75).
 
He had a career-best 26-point effort at Washington on Dec. 4, 2019, and had five total performances of 20+ points (eight in his career). Against Belmont in a huge 87-82 victory, he scored eight of EWU's last 12 points and had four defensive boards in the final 44 seconds on his way to final tallies of 11 points and 11 boards.
 
Aiken had 14 double-figure rebounding performances as a sophomore (20 in his career), and thus far in his 75-game career (56 as a starter), he is averaging 10.0 points and 7.4 rebounds with 17 career double-doubles (12-5 record). He has 83 career steals, 66blocked shots and 84 assists. His 557 rebounds currently rank ninth in school history, his 7.4 average is 10th) and his 64 blocks are 10th.
 
 
The Elder of the "Groves Bros" Tandem, Tanner Groves on Mid-Season Henson Award Watch List
 
Junior Tanner Groves has had a stellar 2020-21 men's basketball season, and has been rewarded on four occasions thus far. On Jan. 26, he was selected on the mid-season watch list for the 2020-21 Lou Henson National Player of the Year Award. He is one of 40 players listed as a candidate for the award, which is presented annually to the top mid-major player in NCAA Division I college basketball. This year's recipient will be announced in April, and the award honors the former Illinois and New Mexico State head coach who won 775 games in 41 seasons.
 
Groves was rewarded Dec. 31 by being selected to the HoopsHD.com mid-season All- Big Sky Conference team. Other players selected to the team included guards Bodie Hume (Northern Colorado), Cameron Shelton (Northern Arizona) and Isiah Brown (Weber State), as well as forward Maizen Fausett (Southern Utah). Brown was selected as the mid-season "Player of the Year So Far."
 
Twice he has earned Big Sky Conference Player of the Week honors – the first honor coming on Dec. 21 and the second on Feb. 1 after registering a double-double with 23 points and a career-high 15 rebounds in a win over Sacramento State one day earlier. He received the same honor the same weeks from College Sports Madness.

Groves leads the Big Sky Conference in rebounding (8.6 per game) and field goal percentage (.571). He is also fifth in scoring (16.5), fifth in blocked shots (1.1) and seventh in free throw percentage (.803). In Big Sky games only, and is second in scoring (18.9) and rebounding (8.3) and field goal percentage (.598), and is also seventh in free throw percentage (.872) and ninth in blocked shots (0.9).
 
He registered a pair of double-doubles in EWU's split against Northern Colorado, with the Eagles falling 78-76 in the first game on Jan. 21 and winning the second 82-76 two days later. In the second meeting with UNC, he missed his first free throw of the game, snapping his streak of 27 made free throws in a row dating back to making his last seven at Northern Arizona on Dec. 19. He made 8-of-14 to start the year, but went on a 33-of-36 tear (91.7 percent) and has sank 80.3 percent for the year (53-of-66). Groves now has five double-doubles this season and seven in his career.
 
In December, Groves sank 82 percent of the shots he took in a pair of games for the Eagles, and for his efforts he was selected Dec. 21 as the Big Sky Conference Player of the Week. He earned the same honor from College Sports Madness. Groves averaged a double-double as he equaled, then broke, his career-high in scoring in two games – a narrow 80-75 loss at Saint Mary's on Dec. 15 and then an 80-64 win at Northern Arizona on Dec. 19 to open the league season. In the two games combined, Groves averaged 21.5 points and 10.0 rebounds, while also contributing four assists and two blocked shots. He sank 16-of-23 field goals for 69.6 percent and 11-of-13 free throws for 85 percent – a combined 27-of-33 for 81.8 percent.
 
Groves hit 7-of-10 shots and 3-of-4 free throws at Saint Mary's to finish with 17 points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots. The 6-foot-9 junior had the fourth double-double of his career, hitting 9-of-13 field goals and 8-of-9 free throws to finish with 26 points and 13 rebounds at NAU. That eclipsed his previous high of 17 on three occasions, including twice this season. His 13 boards equaled the 13 he had earlier this season at Oregon, and he also had three assists.
 
 "Tanner is a stud and our players did a great job looking for him," said Eastern head coach Shantay Legans after the NAU game. "He scored 26 but didn't shoot any threes, and he loves to shoot threes. He did a great job of getting the ball and making himself available. He's got a lot more games like that in him. I saw him go against (2019-20 Big Sky MVP) Mason Peatling in practices and we saw the flashes of what he is capable of. He's playing really, really good basketball and is very confident. You love to see that, especially out of a player with so much character, how hard he plays, how much he loves his teammates and how much he gives his team every game."
 
The aptly named "Groves Bros" – including sophomore Jacob Groves – have given Eastern a boost this season. Jacob has averaged 8.9 points and 4.1 boards as a sophomore and has made 49.1 percent of his shots. Jacob added seven points and seven rebounds in the road victory at Northern Arizona, and had 10 points in a loss at Northern Colorado on Jan. 21. He has started every game for EWU since Jan. 23, and had 11 points and a career-high three assists versus Sacramento State on Feb. 1. He scored 12 versus Idaho on Feb. 4, then had a career-high 17 points and seven boards two days later versus the Vandals.
 
Tanner scored 13 at Arizona on Dec. 5, a week after equaling what was then his career high of 17 versus Washington State. He also had nine rebounds and three assists versus the Cougars as he equaled the career high for scoring he had as a sophomore with 17 points. Jacob chipped in 10 points – all in the first half at Arizona after having a career high with 16 points at WSU. He sank 6-of-16 shots in the first start of his career, and had eight rebounds, as he eclipsed his previous high of eight points as a freshman, and his eight rebounds was also a career high as well. Versus Oregon on Dec. 7, Tanner pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds, eclipsing his previous high of 11 as a freshman.
 
Tanner came off the bench to average 5.4 points, 3.1 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in his sophomore season, and this year helps fill the role left by 2019-20 Big Sky Conference MVP Mason Peatling. Tanner scored a career-high 17 points versus Multnomah on Dec. 13, 2019, including a rebound dunk that was the No. 1 play by ESPN's Sportscenter that night and had 2 1/2 million views. Groves also came off the bench to score 16 versus Montana State on Feb. 8, hitting 4-of-5 3-pointers.
 
Thus far in his 73-game career (17 as a starter) he's averaged 6.5 points, 3.8 boards and has 52 blocked shots, while sinking 54.6 percent from the field.
 
Jacob averaged 2.5 points and 1.5 rebounds in the 24 games he played as a freshman in the 2019-20 season. His first two appearances came in victories against High Point and Belmont, and he had his high game with eight points versus Multnomah. In his 38-game career (six as a starter), he's averaging 4.9 points and 2.5 rebounds, and has 16 steals and 16 assists.
 
Both Groves brothers are graduates of Shadle Park High School in Spokane, Wash. Tanner stands 6-foot-9 and graduated in 2017, and Jacob is 6-7 and graduated two years later. Their parents are Randy and Tara Groves. Randy played basketball at Shadle Park HS and Community Colleges of Spokane, and Tara (formerly Tara Flugel) still owns the Whitworth scoring record of 2,040 points and is in the school's Hall of Fame. She's formerly from Colville, Wash.
 
 
Meadows Catches Fire as Starter in Last Five Games
 
Recently, sophomore Michael Meadows has provided a boost as a starter, and has started each game since Jan. 23rd – all Eastern wins. He's averaged 11.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists in those five games, and those totals of 58 points, 12 rebounds and 13 assists during the winning streak compare to the 10/3/5 he had in the first four games he played.
 
In three games in a six-day span from Feb. 1-6 -- all victories for EWU -- Meadows led Eastern with a 14.7 scoring average and was second on the team with 10 assists (3.3 per game). He also had four steals and six rebounds, and sank 53.1 percent of his shots from the field (17-of-32 overall, 3-of-8 from the 3-point stripe) and all seven of his free throws.
 
Most recently in a 90-64 Eastern victory over Idaho, Meadows had 16 points as EWU finished with a total of 11 players scoring and seven with at least one 3-pointer made. He made 5-of-11 shots from the field and all five of his free throws, and also had a career-high five assists with a pair of steals. His previous high for dimes was three.
 
Two days earlier when Eastern won at Idaho 89-75, Meadows hit 7-of-10 shots to finish with 17 points, eclipsing his previous career high of 11. He also had three rebounds and a pair of assists, and 10 Eagles scored and eight players hit 3-pointers.
 
On Feb. 1 in a 94-79 romp over Sacramento State, Meadows equaled his career high with 11 points, and also had three assists. He started for the third-straight game as he equaled the 11 points he had as a freshman versus Portland Bible.
 
Prior to the Sac State game, Meadows had played in six of EWU's 11 games and was averaging 4.0 points, 1.5 rebounds and shooting just 6-of-25 from the field (24 percent) and 1-of-7 from the 3-point stripe (14.3 percent). Through 14 games for EWU this season, Meadows has played nine games (five starts) and is averaging 7.6 points, 1.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists and is shooting 40.4 percent from the field (23-of-57), 26.7 percent from the 3-point stripe, (4-of-15) and 90.0 percent from the line (18-of-20). In his 28-game career (five as a starter), Meadows is averaging 3.7 points, 0.9 rebounds, 0.9 assists and is shooting 40.7 percent from the field, 34.4 percent from the 3-point stripe and 90.0 percent from the line.
 
 
Robertson Continues Solid Contribution as One of EWU's Talented Sophomores
 
Sophomore Tyler Robertson has provided a huge boost this season for the Eagles, registering eight double-figure scoring performances, including four in EWU's last seven games. He had his best performance of the season on Feb. 1 versus Sacramento State when he came off the bench to score a career-high 20 points to go along with team highs of six rebounds and six assists. He hit his first seven shots in the game, including four 3-pointers, and finished 7-of-8 overall for the day.
 
Robertson's previous career high was 17 points with five 3-pointers in seven attempts at Saint Mary's on Dec. 15 in the second start of his career. In his first start against The College of Idaho on Dec. 11, he assisted on four of Eastern's first five baskets en route to a 17-4 lead. He finished the game with 12 points, a career-high six rebounds and five assists.
 
Robertson made 5-of-7 shots from the floor to finish with a career-high 15 points in his first game of the season versus Arizona, eclipsing his previous high of nine set as a freshman. He also had five rebounds, and drew the foul that disqualified Arizona 6-11 forward Jordan Brown from the game.
 
In 13 games played thus far, Robertson is averaging 11.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists while sinking 47.1 percent from the field (22-of-59 3-pointers for 37.3 percent) and 75.0 percent from the free throw line (21-of-28).
 
Robertson played in 26 Eastern games a true freshman in 2019-20, averaging 8.1 minutes, 2.2 points and 1.4 rebounds per game. He scored a season-high eight points at Boston College and one game later had his high for rebounds with three at High Point. In a 68-64 victory at Northern Colorado in a battle for first place in the league standings, Robertson came off the bench to provide some of the defense on UNC's Jonah Radebaugh, who needed 24 shots to score 21 points. In his career thus far, Robertson has played 39 games (six as a starter) and has averaged 5.5 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists while sinking 33-of-90 3-pointers for 36.7 percent.
 
Fellow sophomore Casson Rouse joined Robertson in making his season debut against Arizona on Dec. 5, and that duo combined for 28 points in the narrow three-point loss. They followed that with a combined 21 points at Oregon on Dec. 7. Rouse is averaging 3.4 points and 1.3 assists this season, and has made seven 3-pointers (in 33 attempts for 21.2 percent, 28.6 percent overall).
 
Rouse, who also didn't play in EWU's opener at Washington State, had 13 in his first game of the season against Arizona. He sank a trio of 3-pointers and had four assists to share team-high honors. Robertson and Rouse both hit 3-pointers in a 9-1 run as the Eagles took their biggest lead of the half at 56-48 with 8:42 remaining. In the next game, Robertson scored 11 points and Rouse had 10.
 
 A year ago as a redshirt freshman, Rouse started seven games and chipped in 6.5 points and 1.7 assists while making 37-of-96 3-pointers (38.5 percent). He exceeded his previous career best by seven points when he scored 21 points in a 100-75 victory over Idaho State on March 5 to help EWU wrap-up at least a share of the Big Sky title. So far in his career, he's played in 44 games (12 as a starter) and is averaging 5.5 points, 1.6 assists and 1.8 rebounds while sinking 44-of-129 3-point attempts (34.1 percent).
 
"Casson and Tyler are really good, and they are two reasons why I'm so high on this team," said Eastern head coach Shantay Legans after the Arizona game. "We have a lot of depth on this team and we can call on a lot of players when we need to."
 
 
Senior Jack Perry Continues Marksmanship from 3-Point Line
 
With more than 100 games of experience as an Eagle, so far this season senior Jack Perry has averaged 3.7 points, 156 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game while sinking 9-of-21 3-point shots (.429). He's missed EWU's last four games but is expected to return to play at Montana State on Feb. 11.
 
In an 82-76 win at Northern Colorado on Jan. 23, he helped spark the Eagles in the second half with eight points as he sank both of the 3-pointers he attempted and had a team-high three steals in the game.
 
He adds senior leadership in the back court after averaging 6.2 points and 2.5 assists during a junior campaign that was limited to 26 games because of a high ankle sprain. In league-only statistics in the 2019-20 season, Perry was 14th in assists (2.7) and 11th in 3-pointers made per game (1.7). He has also provided some clutch moments through the years for EWU, including the 100th 3-pointer of his career to give EWU the lead for good in a 78-75 victory at Idaho on Jan. 16, 2020.
 
Perry has played in 103 games (64 as a starter) to become just the 24th player in school history to hit the century mark (he now ranks 23rd). He is currently 12th on EWU's all-time career 3-point percentage list at 40.3 percent (137-of-340), and has averaged 5.5 points, 1.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game with 52 total steals.
 
 
Ellis Magnuson, a 31-Game Starter from a Year Ago, Makes Debut Versus Oregon
 
Ellis Magnuson started all 31 Eagle games as a true freshman in the 2019-20 season, but missed the first two games of his sophomore season because of the Covid-19 pandemic. He made his season debut versus Oregon on Dec. 7 and finished with two assists and no points in eight minutes of action. In 12 games thus far, he's averaged 17.8 minutes, 4.6 points, 1.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists. He is coming off his first back-to-back double figure scoring games of the season with 15 at Idaho on Feb. 4 and 10 at home versus the Vandals two days later. His father, Josh, lettered as a linebacker at Idaho from 1991-93.
 
A year ago, Magnuson finished 118th in the nation in assists (4.2 to rank fifth in the Big Sky) and was 112th in assist-to-turnover ratio (+1.84 per game to rank fifth in the league). In Big Sky-only statistics, he was eighth in assists (3.4), and was the only freshman ranked in that category in the top 15. He was also the only freshman in the top 11 in assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking seventh (+1.5).
 
In his 43-game career (39 as a starter), Magnuson is averaging 3.6 assists, 5.1 points and 1.5 rebounds per game. He's made 37.6 percent of his field goal attempts, including 26-of-87 (29.9 percent) from the 3-point arc. He's also made 39-of-49 career free throws for 79.6 percent.
 
 
 

Series Notes

 
* Eastern has won 13 of the last 17 meetings against Montana State, including a sweep last season with a 71-58 victory in Bozeman and a 74-49 triumph in Cheney to give EWU a three-game winning streak in the series. The year prior in the 2018-19 season, Eastern won two of three games – a 90-84 victory in the Big Sky Conference Tournament quarterfinals, a 74-66 loss in Bozeman and an 85-81 victory in Cheney. Eastern has won 24 of the last 37, and is 13-3 at home in that span. Eastern, in fact, has not lost to the Bobcats at Reese Court since a 60-56 Bobcat win on Feb. 24, 2011 for an eight-game winning streak. The Eagles are 44-46 all-time against MSU, including a 36-37 record as a member of NCAA Division I (24-12 in Cheney, 11-25 in Bozeman, 1-0 on neutral courts). The records include two MSU forfeits in the 1993-94 season.
 
 
 

Recent Game Recaps

 
Eagles Heat Up to Down Vandals 90-64 and Move Into First
 
Eastern sank 57 percent of its shots in the second half – including nine 3-pointers -- to roar past Idaho 90-64 on Feb. 6 at Reese Court in Cheney, Wash., to complete a two-game sweep of the Vandals and move into first place in the Big Sky standings. The Eagles bounced back from shooting starts of 1-of-12 overall and 1-of-14 from the 3-point line to finish at 48 percent for the game and 36 percent from the 3-point arc (10-of-28). Runs of 11-0 and 10-0 in the second half helped the Eagles score a season-best 56 points in the half to pull away for their fifth-straight victory. Sophomore Jacob Groves led four players in double figures with a career-high 17 points, and fellow sophomore Michael Meadows had 16 as EWU finished with a total of 11 players scoring and seven with at least one 3-pointer made. Groves, the younger brother of junior Tanner Groves, led hit 7-of-12 shots from the field and also had seven rebounds and a pair of assists. Meadows made 5-of-11 shots from the field and all five of his free throws, and also had a career-high five assists with a pair of steals. Tanner Groves scored eight of his 11 shots in the second half as he finished the game 3-of-9 from the field and 5-of-5 from the free throw line. He also had three rebounds, an assist and a blocked shot. Sophomore Ellis Magnuson was the fourth Eagle in double figures with 10, making 4-of-6 shots from the field and also finishing with two assists and two steals. Senior Jacob Davison, the preseason MVP in the Big Sky Conference, scored nine points as he moved past Marc Axton into 11th on EWU's all-time scoring list with 1,326 career points. Axton, who was the analyst for the television broadcast on SWX, had 1,319 points from 2002-05. Davison also had five rebounds and three assists versus the Vandals. Junior Kim Aiken Jr., a preseason All-Big Sky selection, had just five points, but he had his third double-figure rebounding performance of the season and 21st of his career with 11. Eastern hit just one of its first 12 shots in the game, but Idaho was only able to convert that tough Eagle start to a 10-5 lead. Jacob Groves eventually hit four shots – in a stretch in which he attempted six-straight shots for Eastern – and EWU took a 15-14 advantage with 8:55 left in the half. Back-to-back baskets by Magnuson gave EWU its biggest lead at that point of 23-19, and the Eagles eventually led 34-28 at intermission despite going just 1-of-13 from the 3-point stripe. Eastern led by eight on several occasions in the second half, but led by just two when the Eagles went on an 11-0 run. Magnuson scored the first five, Robertson then hit a 3-pointer and Meadows capped the run with a 3-point play to put EWU ahead 55-42 at the 13:36 mark.  Idaho was able to cut the lead to five, but EWU followed with a 3-pointers by Venters, Robertson and Davison during a 10-0 run. A free throw by Davison gave EWU a 70-55 lead with 7:05 left. Eastern led by as many as 26 – the final margin -- and no less than 12 the rest of the way.
 
 
Balanced Eastern Beats Idaho 89-75
 
Five Eagles scored in double figures – including four sophomores or freshmen – as Eastern beat Idaho 89-75 on Feb. 4 at Memorial Gym in Moscow, Idaho.  A total of 10 Eagles scored, and eight different players combined for EWU's 11 3-pointers made. A 13-5 run – with all of them scored by freshmen or sophomores – helped open a 13-point lead for EWU in the second half. A quartet of players – three sophomores and a freshman – combined for 54 points and two of them had career highs. Sophomore Michael Meadows hit 7-of-10 shots to finish with 17 points, eclipsing his previous career high of 11. He also had three rebounds and a pair of assists. Sophomore Ellis Magnuson scored a season-high 15 for EWU on 4-of-8 shooting from the field and 5-of-6 from the free throw line. He made a pair of 3-pointers and had four assists. Junior Tanner Groves had 12 points and six rebounds, but played only 22 1/2 minutes because of foul trouble. He also had three blocked shots and a pair of assists. Redshirt freshman Steele Venters hit 4-of-7 shots from the field with a pair of 3-pointers to finish with a career-high 10 points. He also had a career-high eight boards as he eclipsed his previous highs of nine points and three rebounds. Sophomore Jacob Groves, the younger brother of junior Tanner Groves, scored 12 points with a pair of 3-pointers and had four rebounds. Senior Jacob Davison played in his 100th game as an Eagle and had five points, two assists and a steal. Sophomore Tyler Robertson chipped in eight points and also contributed four rebounds and four assists. The Eagles scored the first five points of the game, and that helped them lead for the entire half. Eight different Eastern players scored in the half, and EWU led by as many as nine with 8:57 to play at 23-14. Idaho hung tough, however, and a 3-point play by Robertson on a rebound basket helped EWU lead by four at intermission, 38-34. It was much of the same in the second half as the Vandals forged an early 43-all tie, and two other ties after that. But EWU kept hold of the lead, and then used a 7-1 run to open a 67-56 lead with 8:09 left. Freshman Victor Radocaj came off the bench and quickly hit a basket, and then Venters scored the next eight to give EWU its biggest lead of the night. Sophomore Casson Rouse then joined the party with a 3-pointer to give EWU a 73-60 advantage with 7:14 to play. All of EWU's points in the 13-5 run were scored by freshmen or sophomores – Venters, Radocaj and Rouse. Eastern led by no less than nine the rest of the way.
 
 
 
 

2019-20 Highlights

 
* The Eagles had their-second highest win total in 37 years as a NCAA Division I member with 23 victories.
* Their 16 league triumphs were the most in their 33 years as a member of the Big Sky Conference.
* The Eagles finished sixth in the nation in scoring offense (80.9 per game) and were fourth in assists (17.5).
* Eastern was able to celebrate heartily on March 7, 2020, after the Eagles beat Weber State 78-69 to wrap-up the outright Big Sky Conference title.
* The Coronavirus pandemic resulted in cancellation of the Big Sky and NCAA Tournaments, and ended a historic run by EWU and senior Mason Peatling, who won the league's MVP award after averaging a double-double in 20 league outings.
Mason Peatling also was a first team Academic All-America selection, and finished his career with 118 games played, 1,250 points, 725 rebounds, 112 blocked shots and a .555 field goal shooting percentage – all marks which rank in the top 12 in EWU history.
* Mason Peatling and Jacob Davison were rewarded for the historic season by receiving All-District 6 honors by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).
* Peatling was a first team All-Big Sky selection, while junior Jacob Davison was picked for the second team and sophomore Kim Aiken Jr. was on the third squad.
* Head Coach Shantay Legans himself was the Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year after leading EWU to a final record of 23-8 overall and 16-4 in the league.
* Legans is now 59-41 in his three years as head coach for a .590 winning percentage. In league games, he has directed EWU to 13, 12 and now 16 victories, winning 71 percent for a record of 41-17. Both percentages are currently the best among the eight men who have been head coaches in EWU's tenure in the league, and his 41 league wins is the best three-year stretch in school history.
* Mason Peatling was on fire during the league season, closing with averages of 18.5 points on 56 percent shooting from the field, 10.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.7 blocked shots and 0.8 steals. He had 11 double-doubles in his last 15 games.
* Mason Peatling was honored three times during the year as Big Sky Conference Player of the Week, and Jacob Davison earned the honor twice.
* Eastern's school-record 16 Big Sky wins included sweeps over seven of the league's 10 other teams, and a split versus Idaho State and Idaho. Eastern was swept by Montana, which had won the two previous regular season and tournament titles.
* The Eagles had just two seniors – Mason Peatling and Tyler Kidd – so EWU has high aspirations for 2020 and beyond.
Eastern won its fourth Big Sky regular season title in school history (2000, 2004, 2015, 2020), but now joins the 2004 team with the only outright titles. Eastern has gone on to win two Big Sky Tournament titles (2004 and 2015) to advance to the NCAA Tournament. The Eagles also have national postseason appearances in the NIT (2003) and the College Basketball Invitational (2016, 2017, 2018).
* A Big Sky Conference-best eight players were named to the league's All-Academic squad, including four-time recipient Mason Peatling. The others were Kim Aiken Jr., Jacob Groves, Tanner Groves, Ellis Magnuson, Michael Meadows, Jack Perry and Tyler Robertson.
* A trio of Eagles – Kim Aiken Jr., Jacob Davison and Mason Peatling – were honored during the year as the EWU Scholar-Athletes of the Month.
* Six different players earned team awards at the conclusion of the season. Mason Peatling was chosen as the MVP after earning the same honor from the league. Sophomore Kim Aiken Jr., received the team's Best Defender award, and Peatling, Aiken and junior Jacob Davison were recognized as EWU's co-captains for the 2019-20 season. In addition, junior Jack Perry received the team's Most Improved award, true freshman Ellis Magnuson was the Top Newcomer and sophomore Tanner Groves out of Spokane's Shadle Park High School was Most Inspirational.
 
 
 
 

More Comments from Head Coach Shantay Legans . . .

 
On Second Idaho Win: "In the second half we really got the ball moving. That put us in an advantage offensively – every time we got a stop we pushed it and played with a lot more pace in the second half. And obviously we made some open shots – when you make those it really opens up everything. Then we were able to go to Tanner Groves on the low block, and he was able to make some big plays and some adjustments down there to score the ball."
 
On First Half at Home Versus UI: "It was very ugly, but you have to give our team a lot of credit. Usually our team is an offensive team that gets our defense going, but today I think our defense got our offense going. We did a great job in that first half of really slowing them down. We slowed them down even more than usual and we made them take shots we wanted them to take. We did a really good job of forcing them into some tough shots in that first half."
 
On 1-of-12 Shooting Start: "We're a team of shooters so you have to keep shooting – I'm going to tell them that if they are open they have to shoot it. Our players will take some shots, and I kept telling them to keep shooting and they'll fall. We ended up making nine 3-pointers in the second half which really separated the game. We were getting the same shots in the first half, we just didn't knock them down. In the second half we did and that's why we had the explosion by our team with 56 points."
 
On Having 11 Players Score: "We have multiple players getting a lot of baskets and shooting a lot of shots. The ball is getting moved around well -- we had 19 assists which is huge. That means we are playing well and everybody is touching the ball. When you touch that basketball it makes you feel like you are really involved. We had players that didn't have big scoring games against Idaho, but they contributed in other ways. When you get contributions like that from your team – especially from your leaders – it's really good."
 
On First Idaho Win: "We can play multiple styles of basketball, and that's the best part about our team. We have players who can step up and we have players who can defend – they do a lot of different things to help us win games. Everybody wants to do great for themselves, but everybody wants to come together and win. That is something our leaders on our team really push. As we keep moving forward these guys keep understanding what we need to do to win."
 
On Win Over Sac State on Feb. 1: "Our offense in the second half was amazing. We took it strong to the hole, and we had 46 points in the paint. We kept going after them and kept going after them. They had to pick one or the other in terms of defending us inside or outside – we ended up making some shots from everywhere. We had 47 bench points and that's hard to guard when you have players coming off the bench doing that. That really helped us out and got us in the flow."
 
On Scoring Inside the Paint: "That's a huge key for us. We have some players who can really get into the paint and make some plays, and we're finally doing that. When we are able to do that and get downhill, it makes the game that much easier. Tanner can score in any way, and Jacob Davison is hitting his threes and can drive it to the basket. Mike Meadows is driving it now, and Kim Aiken can too. We have a lot of threats out there and it puts us in a good position. When we can score that way it really helps us become an efficient team."
 
On Rebounding: "Teams are going to try to out-physical us and try to pressure us. We have to be tougher and be able to drive the ball to the basket and make plays. We just have to be smart, because in certain situations we can make teams pay. We have some size, but if teams play us on the outside we'll have inside position for rebounds. You have to really fight for them all the time because that is going to help us down the stretch. We have some size and quickness and we have to use that to our advantage."
 
On Tyler Robertson in Second Half on Jan. 31: "He was huge and clutch – he really made some really, really good buckets. He has a lot of flair in his game. He had the utmost confidence when he's out there playing, and we're happy for him. He's been under quarantine more than anybody else on our team. You feel for him, so when he plays a game like this you are very happy for his performance."
 
On Target on Their Backs as Preseason Picks: "We need to understand we are the guys being hunted now, and we have to have a different mentality for every game. We'll get there because we have guys stepping up all over the place and they are giving us great contributions and great toughness. That's what's going to win games. We'll always recruit players who can score, but we need to play tough, defend and rebound the ball well. When you do that and not give up easy baskets, you put yourself in a great position to win games."
 
On Rebounding: "Rebounding is toughness. We have talent, but if you have toughness to go along with that talent you will win a lot of games. That's what we did last year and that's what we'll do this year."
 
On League-Opening NAU Win: "Sitting in the hotel and not doing anything for 50 hours and then coming out and playing that way was amazing. For this group of players it shows mental toughness. They were really excited to play this game. I couldn't be happier to watch them get out and play. Everybody on the roster played and they deserved it. I was proud of their effort for what they had to go through. We tried to make it as normal as possible, but it's not normal. We got punched in the mouth early because they were playing really good basketball. But our team battled through it and made all the right plays and took the easy baskets. When you shoot that well on the road, you have to be proud. Our players defended well and held them to 37 percent."
 
On Kim Aiken Jr. at NAU: "It was great to see his scoring, but it was great to see him rebound and get offensive boards. It's good to see him shoot with confidence, and play upbeat and happy. And when he's defending like he did, I think he's the best defender in the league. He did a great job. He got seven 3-point attempts and made five – that's a big-time game for him."
 
On Depth: "We have a lot of depth, and we like to give players opportunities to see what they can do and see if they run with it. We have a lot of players, and we have to figure out who can get in there and do certain things and play roles. That's the fun of coaching to figure that part out."