Top-seeded Idaho defeated Nevada in the championship game, 85–80, to clinch their second consecutive (and second overall) Big Sky men's basketball tournament.[3] Entering the conference tournament, Idaho was 24–2 and ranked sixth in both national polls (AP, UPI),[4] then fell to eighth in both final polls the following week.[5]
Format
First played in 1976, the Big Sky tournament had the same format for its first eight editions. The regular season champion hosted and only the top four teams from the standings took part, with seeding based on regular season conference records. Idaho's sole conference loss was to Montana in Missoula.[6]
Nevada–Reno made their first Big Sky tournament appearance in their third season in the conference.
As Big Sky champions, the Vandals received an automatic bid to the 48-team NCAA tournament and were the third seed in the West region,[10] behind Georgetown and Oregon State. Idaho received a first round bye, then played #16 Iowa in the second round in neighboring Pullman, winning in overtime.[11] Four days later in the Sweet Sixteen in Provo, Utah, the Vandals fell to fourth-ranked and second seed Oregon State and finished with a 27–3record.[12][13]
The Big Sky has had a berth in the NCAA tournament since 1968, then a 23-team field; Idaho was the conference's sixth team to advance and the fifth to play in the Sweet Sixteen. Since the 1982 Vandals, only three Big Sky teams have advanced past the first round (Weber State (1995, 1999) and Montana in 2006), and none went past the Round of 32.
