Notes From The Past Few Days

Over the past week I have had the pleasure of both being really sick (I missed two days of work and should have missed more... I am still fighting it), and having a really busy week of work (hence why I did not miss more time), which has led to slower posting here than I would normally like. So, let's get caught up on some of the action over the past few days that I have missed.

- The one thing I didn't miss was Sacramento State's 3-0 start, including two wins over Division I teams. Dylan Garrity is making an early case for All-Conference honors, with 15.3 ppg and seven assists per contest early in the year.

- Northern Colorado turned in a historically great offensive performance in their first game of the year, but couldn't replicate that in their second game, losing 64-53 to Cal Poly. They shot just 3/18 from downtown, which is a big stat for them. The difference in the game was the free throws... UNC was 6/13, Cal Poly was 22/30.

- I predicted Derrick Barden to be the rebounding champ in the conference, and he pulled down nine in the game. However, he was just 2/6 from the field for seven points. They will need some more offense from him, and I expect he will be just fine. It just takes a little time to find your place in the offense.

- Weber State lost 68-67 in OT to San Jose State, with two guys widely expected to be all-conference players struggling for them. Kyle Tresnak was 0/8 with two points, and Scott Bamforth was 3/10 for 11 points. Needless to say, they need those guys.

- Two newcomers did step up for WSU... Davion Berry scored 21 points on 8/17 shooting, while Joel Bolomboy had 11 rebounds. Everyone expected Berry to be good, but he looks like he will lead the team in scoring easily. Bolomboy was expected to be more of a role player this year, but he might be too talented not to get a bunch of minutes.

- Nick Robinson may have a bigger rebuilding job on his hands than he might have expected. Southern Utah lost 66-54 to Green Bay, and 112-69 to CS Fullerton. None of their three games have been easy, but they haven't been particularly competitive either.

- It wasn't always pretty, but Montana got a 66-63 win over Idaho. The young guards are showing they are talented but inconsistent (Gregory/DeShields: 14 points, 3 assists, 4 turnovers), but the Grizzlies got enough from their stars. Kareem Jamar had 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists, while Mathias Ward pitched in 16. Spencer Coleman had nine points and five rebounds, including a big three late. At this stage of the year, a win is a win.

- North Dakota continued their road struggles, getting blown out 72-47 at Northern Iowa. They were playing with Troy Huff, missing his second straight game after breaking his jaw. Aaron Anderson led the team with 12 points, but he was unusually inefficient doing it. Alzono Traylor had nine points and four rebounds, and I was impressed with him. He had a nice move near the basket, and showed good touch on a 15 footer. It will be big for them if he is able to become a consistent contributor.

- We went to the Nuggets/Heat game last Thursday night, and I would recommend for any basketball fan to go watch LeBron James play in person. He is incredible to watch. The athleticism, the presence, the passing ability.... it is incredible how many wide open looks his teammates get after passes from him. If you get the chance to watch him, you should take the opportunity.

Anything I missed?

Follow me on Twitter @bigskybball