Idaho State lost to Utah Valley 82-73 in Orem last night, which I guess is not a shock, given ISU's struggles on the road over the years. But the weird part was ISU's effort at the free throw last night -- in particular Ethan Telfair's. ET, who shot 87 percent from the foul line on 236 attempts last season, was a miserable 5 of 13 (38 percent) last night. That contributed to a 12 for 27 performance (44 percent) as a team and that sealed the Bengals' fate.
Other noteworthy items:
--Hayes Garrity continues to battle balky knees and missed his second straight game. Garrity has a history of knee issues and you start to wonder how much of a contribution he'll be able to make.
--we continue to watch the evolution of Novak Topalovic, who battled 6-11 BYU transfer Isaac Neilson to a standoff. Topalovic had his first career double-double with 15 points and 16 rebounds. He still needs to finish more efficiently (he was 7 of 16 from the field, 1of 4 from the foul line), and he needs to learn to be more of a rim protector (no blocked shots). But for somebody who averaged a point a game as a senior in high school, his growth has been remarkable.
--Robert Jones had an impressive debut against New Mexico but he was back on the JUCO merry-go-round last night. He played only 15 minutes, committed three fouls and didn't score. Jones can play, but consistency remains elusive.
--Gary Chivichyan appears to be in the doghouse, barely seeing the floor last night. He was a starter much of last season.
--Brandon Boyd's suspension is over and he played 23 minutes off the bench last night. Boyd was a bit rusty, hitting just 2 of 10 from the field, 1 of 5 from 3.
--Freshman Balint Mocsan, who had a nice debut against New Mexico, was rewarded with a start last night, but struggled, going 0 for 3 from three and scoring just two points in 15 minutes.
--Jared Stutzman from Idaho Falls, who the Bengals pursued, had a nice game for UVU, hitting 4 of 5 shots, including 3 for 3 from 3 for 11 points. Stutzman, who signed with San Francisco out of high school, was one of four, four-year transfers who combined for 54 points for the Wolverines last night.
PS--the Big Sky is currently 1-18 vs D-1 opponents so far, the only win being MSU's 84-83 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette.
Other noteworthy items:
--Hayes Garrity continues to battle balky knees and missed his second straight game. Garrity has a history of knee issues and you start to wonder how much of a contribution he'll be able to make.
--we continue to watch the evolution of Novak Topalovic, who battled 6-11 BYU transfer Isaac Neilson to a standoff. Topalovic had his first career double-double with 15 points and 16 rebounds. He still needs to finish more efficiently (he was 7 of 16 from the field, 1of 4 from the foul line), and he needs to learn to be more of a rim protector (no blocked shots). But for somebody who averaged a point a game as a senior in high school, his growth has been remarkable.
--Robert Jones had an impressive debut against New Mexico but he was back on the JUCO merry-go-round last night. He played only 15 minutes, committed three fouls and didn't score. Jones can play, but consistency remains elusive.
--Gary Chivichyan appears to be in the doghouse, barely seeing the floor last night. He was a starter much of last season.
--Brandon Boyd's suspension is over and he played 23 minutes off the bench last night. Boyd was a bit rusty, hitting just 2 of 10 from the field, 1 of 5 from 3.
--Freshman Balint Mocsan, who had a nice debut against New Mexico, was rewarded with a start last night, but struggled, going 0 for 3 from three and scoring just two points in 15 minutes.
--Jared Stutzman from Idaho Falls, who the Bengals pursued, had a nice game for UVU, hitting 4 of 5 shots, including 3 for 3 from 3 for 11 points. Stutzman, who signed with San Francisco out of high school, was one of four, four-year transfers who combined for 54 points for the Wolverines last night.
PS--the Big Sky is currently 1-18 vs D-1 opponents so far, the only win being MSU's 84-83 victory over Louisiana-Lafayette.
