1973–74 Idaho State Bengals men's basketball team

1973–74 Idaho State Bengals men's basketball
1973–74 Idaho State Bengals men's basketball
Big Sky Champions
NCAA tournament, First round
Conference	Big Sky Conference
Record	20–8 (11–3 Big Sky)
Head coach	Jim Killingsworth (3rd season);
Home arena	ISU Minidome
	Seasons ← 1972–73 1974–75 →

1973–74 Big Sky men's basketball standings
v t e	Conf				Overall
Team	W		L	PCT	W		L	PCT
Idaho State †	11	–	3	.786	20	–	8	.714
Montana	11	–	3	.786	19	–	8	.704
Weber State	8	–	6	.571	14	–	12	.538
Gonzaga	7	–	7	.500	13	–	13	.500
Boise State	6	–	8	.429	12	–	14	.462
Idaho	5	–	9	.357	12	–	14	.462
Montana State	5	–	9	.357	11	–	15	.423
Northern Arizona	3	–	11	.214	3	–	18	.143

† One-game playoff winner

The 1973–74 Idaho State Bengals men's basketball team represented Idaho State University during the 1973–74 NCAA Division I men's basketball season.

The Bengals were led by third-year head coach Jim Killingsworth and played their home games on campus at the ISU Minidome in Pocatello. They finished the regular season at 19–7 overall, with a 11–3 record in the Big Sky Conference, as did the Montana Grizzlies, and the teams split their season series.^[1]^[2]

With two years until the conference tournament was introduced, the Big Sky title was decided with an unscheduled one-game playoff at Missoula on Tuesday night. A coin flip eleven days earlier determined the host.^[3] Before a record crowd at Dahlberg Arena, the visiting Bengals won 60–57 and advanced to the 25-team NCAA tournament, their first appearance in fourteen years.^[4]^[5]^[6]

ISU hosted the first round (subregional) of the West regional, and met #17 New Mexico (20–6)^[7] in the nightcap on Saturday night.^[8]^[9] The visiting Lobos, WAC champions, won by eight to end the Bengals' season at 20–8.^[10]

Senior forward Jim Anderson was named to the all-conference team; senior center Dan Spindler and junior guard Kevin Hoyt were honorable mention.^[11]^[12]

Idaho State returned to the NCAA tournament three years later and advanced to the Elite Eight, which remains the best-ever showing for a Big Sky team.

Postseason results

Date time, TV	Opponent^#	Result	Record	Site (attendance) city, state
Big Sky Playoff
Tue, March 5	at Montana Playoff	W 60–57	20–7	Dahlberg Arena (8,343) Missoula, Montana
NCAA tournament
Sat, March 9* 9:10 pm	vs. No. 17 New Mexico First round	L 65–73	20–8	ISU Minidome (9,000) Pocatello, Idaho
*Non-conference game. ^#Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Mountain time.

References

^ "ISU, Montana win, share Sky crown". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. March 2, 1974. p. 14.
^ "Big Sky loser may be winner". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. March 4, 1974. p. 15.
^ "Big Sky playoff at Missoula March 5". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. February 25, 1974. p. 11.
^ "ISU holds off Grizzlies". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. March 6, 1974. p. 13.
^ "Growing rookie key for Bengals". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. March 6, 1974. p. 17.
^ "ISU wins Big Sky; Montana waits NIT". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). UPI. March 6, 1974. p. D1.
^ "SC climbs to seventh; UCLA third". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. March 5, 1974. p. 3B.
^ "NCAA regionals". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). March 9, 1974. p. 2B.
^ "NCAA pairings". Milwaukee Sentinel. March 9, 1974. p. 1, part 2.
^ "New Mexico edges ISU". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. March 10, 1974. p. 14.
^ "Montana's McKenzie favorite Big Sky all-star team pick". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. March 8, 1974. p. 17.
^ "Zags' Morrill Big Sky pick". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. March 8, 1974. p. 17.