Latest news with #BigSkyTournament
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Xavier basketball lands commitment from Montana transfer guard Malik Moore
Xavier's big weekend rolls on as Montana transfer guard Malik Moore is the latest to join the Musketeers. After primarily focusing on size and defense early on in the transfer portal madness, Xavier has loaded up the backcourt with the addition of Moore, who joins Roddie Anderson and All Wright at guard. Advertisement Moore, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard, averaged 12.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game last season to help lead Montana to regular season and conference tournament titles in the Big Sky. Moore scored 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting in Montana's 91-83 win over Northern Colorado in the Big Sky Tournament title game, helping lift the Grizzlies to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019. More: Breaking down the good, bad and remaining needs of Xavier Musketeers' roster reload New Xavier commit Malik Moore (3) shot 40.9% from 3-point range last season at Montana. No. 3 Wisconsin beat No. 14 Montana in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Denver, 85-66. According to 247Sports, Moore is a four-star prospect transfer (No. 73 overall) and the No. 15 shooting guard in the portal. Advertisement Moore began his career with two seasons at Pepperdine, where he started 28 of 64 games and averaged 7 points per night. Xavier has been active in the transfer portal with several additions with potential and multiple years of eligibility, but Moore is a veteran guard and a proven scorer who will spend his final year with the Musketeers. Last season, Moore attempted five 3-pointers per game and connected at a 40.9% clip from downtown to go with an 82.2% rate from the free-throw line. According to KenPom, Moore ranked 260th in the country and 12th in the Big Sky in effective field goal percentage. He also took care of the ball well with just 1.3 turnovers per game and the No. 20 turnover percentage in the Big Sky. Xavier has now added eight players through the portal so far as Moore joins Wright (Valparaiso), Filip Borovicanin (New Mexico), Anthony Robinson (Virginia), Jovan Milicevic (New Mexico), Pape N'Diaye (UNLV), Tre Carroll (Florida Atlantic) and Gabriel Pozzato (Evansville). This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Xavier lands commitment from Montana guard Malik Moore
USA Today
19-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
March Madness: Wisconsin vs. Montana odds, picks and predictions
The No. 3 seed Wisconsin Badgers (26-9) and the No. 14 Montana Grizzlies (25-9) meet Thursday at Ball Arena in Denver in an NCAA Tournament East Region first-round Game. Tip-off is scheduled for approximately 1:30 p.m ET (TNT). Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's lines around the Wisconsin vs. Montana odds, and make our expert college basketball picks and predictions. The Badgers lost 59-53 in the Big Ten Tournament final against the Michigan Wolverines, halting a 3-game win streak. Wisconsin is just 5-4 straight up (SU) in the past 9 games since Feb. 22, while going 4-5 against the spread (ATS). The Under has a slight 5-4 edge in the 9-game span. Badgers G John Tonje averaged 21.3 points per game (PPG) in 4 Big Ten Tournament games while averaging 7.5 rebounds per game (RPG). G John Blackwell was good for 14.5 PPG and 4.3 RPG in 4 games. Wisconsin faced a Big Sky Conference team this season, topping the Montana State Bobcats 79-67 on Nov. 7. It failed to cover as a 17-point favorite as the Over (144.5) cashed. Montana topped the Northern Colorado Bears 91-83 last time out last Wednesday, capping off a 3-0 SU/ATS run in the Big Sky Tournament. The Grizzlies have posted an impressive 11-2-1 ATS mark in the past 14 games. G Money Williams led the team with 13.3 PPG in the regular season, while G Joe Pridgen had 11.5 PPG and a team-best 6.9 RPG in 34 games. The Griz faced a Big Ten Team on Nov. 8, losing 79-48 at the Oregon Ducks as an 18.5-point underdog as the Under (152) cashed. – Rankings: USA TODAY Sports Men's Basketball Coaches Poll THE BRACKETS ARE BACK! The USA TODAY Sports Bracket Challenge is back! $1 MILLION grand prize for a perfect bracket, $25,000 prize for top bracket. Free to enter, 21+. Terms apply, void where prohibited by law. See Official Rules. Play now! Wisconsin vs. Montana odds Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday at 6:37 p.m. ET. Moneyline (ML) : Wisconsin -2500 (bet $2,500 to win $100) | Montana +1050 (bet $100 to win $1,050) : Wisconsin -2500 (bet $2,500 to win $100) | Montana +1050 (bet $100 to win $1,050) Against the spread (ATS) : Wisconsin -17.5 (-102) | Montana +17.5 (-118) : Wisconsin -17.5 (-102) | Montana +17.5 (-118) Over/Under (O/U): 151.5 (O: -115 | U: -105) Can you survive? USA TODAY Sports' Men and Women's Basketball Tournament Survivor Pools are here with a $2,500 prize for each contest! Free to enter, 21+. Terms apply, void where prohibited by law. See Official Rules. Play now! Wisconsin vs. Montana picks and predictions Prediction Wisconsin 86, Montana 67 Wisconsin (-2500) will set you back $100 for every $4 of profit, so that's obviously way too expensive for not nearly enough reward. The Badgers are looking to bounce back after losing to Michigan in the Big Ten final, and it should be able to do just that against a smallish Montana (+1050) team which ranked 213th in scoring defense (72.9 PPG) and 269th in defensive field-goal percentage (45.5%). PASS, though, as it is too much risk for no value whatsoever. MONTANA +17.5 (-118) is worth taking with the large amount of points. While the Badgers are a solid 9-5 ATS in the past 14 games since Feb. 1, and 12-6 ATS in the past 18 games, Wisconsin is just 3-5-1 ATS in 9 games this season as a double-digit favorite, and it failed to cover in its only previous game this season against a Big Sky foe. The Grizzlies enter on a 4-game cover streak, while going 11-2-1 ATS across the past 14 outings. For what it's worth, Montana is 0-4 ATS in the past 4 NCAA Tournament trips since 2012, including a 73-49 loss to Wisconsin in 2012. Three of those losses and non-covers were against Big Ten foes, too, so don't go overboard. But, those losses and non-covers were also with kids long gone from the program, so it's worth noting, but not necessarily applicable to this season's squad. OVER 151.5 (-115) is the lean, but go with a half-unit play at most. The Over cashed in the Big Sky title game for Montana, but scoring against Northern Colorado versus Wisconsin is a totally different animal. Still, the Badgers hit the Over in all 2 of the 3 final Big Ten tourney battles, while holding a slight 6-5 edge to the Over in the past 11 outings. Go lightly. Play our free daily Pick'em Challenge and win! Play now! For more sports betting picks and tips, check out and BetFTW. Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook. College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group: Alabama / Auburn / Clemson / Colorado / Duke / Florida / Florida State / Georgia / Iowa / Kentucky / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Nebraska / North Carolina / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Tennessee / Texas / Texas A&M / UCLA / USC / Washington / Wisconsin / College Sports Wire / High School / Recruiting
USA Today
17-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Tip time, TV channel announced for Wisconsin basketball March Madness opener vs. Montana
Tip time, TV channel announced for Wisconsin basketball March Madness opener vs. Montana The No. 3-seed Wisconsin Badgers will open their 2025 NCAA Tournament quest on Thursday afternoon against No. 14-seed Montana. Wisconsin enters March Madness after a disappointing loss to Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament championship game. Still, the team will carry significant momentum into the big dance after a successful conference tournament run, with victories over Northwestern, UCLA and Michigan State. The 26-9 Badgers are KenPom's No. 13-ranked team in the sport and the tournament's No. 12 overall seed. Their opponent, the Montana Grizzlies, finished the season at 25-9, winning three straight postseason contests to capture the Big Sky Tournament title. Montana is KenPom's No. 157 overall team and the NCAA Tournament's No. 58 overall seed. As recently announced, the Badgers and Grizzlies will tip off at 1:30 p.m. ET, 12:30 p.m. CT on Thursday afternoon. TNT will broadcast the game as part of its wire-to-wire March Madness coverage. Watch Wisconsin vs. Montana live on Sling TV Stay tuned throughout the week for specific previews and predictions for Wisconsin's opening matchup and broader NCAA Tournament quest. To start, here are major takeaways from the team's draw, seed and path. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion Get your Brackets for 2025 NCAA men's basketball tournament
Fox Sports
13-03-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Montana will head to NCAA Tournament for first time since 2019 with 91-83 win over Northern Colorado
Associated Press BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Kai Johnson scored six of his 23 points late to help No. 2 seed Montana pull away and beat top-seeded Northern Colorado 91-83 in the Big Sky Championship title game on Wednesday night. Montana lead by as many as 14 points early in the second half, but Northern Colorado later used an 18-9 surge to pull within 74-73 with 3:35 remaining. Johnson answered with a three-point play and a 3-pointer to stretch the Grizzlies' lead to 80-73 with 2:24 left. The Bears got within five points twice but didn't get closer. Montana (25-9), which has won 14 of its last 15 games, collected its first NCAA Tournament bid since 2019 and its 12th overall to extend its conference record. The Grizzlies also won their 51st Big Sky Tournament game, surpassing Weber State for the most in league history. Brandon Whitney added 18 points for Montana, which shot 65% (30 of 46) overall and 24 of 28 (86%) from the free-throw line. Joe Pridgen chipped in with 17 points and Malik Moore had 15. Jaron Rillie scored 24 points and had six assists to lead Northern Colorado (25-9). Langston Reynolds added 18 points, Brock Wisne had 15 and Isaiah Hawthorne had 14. Montana took the lead for good midway through the first half and led 48-39 at the break. Moore scored seven points during an 11-6 spurt to give the Grizzlies a 59-45 advantage with 16:22 to play. Northern Colorado's last NCAA Tournament appearance was in 2011. __ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college basketball: and recommended
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Montana will head to NCAA Tournament for first time since 2019 with 91-83 win over Northern Colorado
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Kai Johnson scored six of his 23 points late to help No. 2 seed Montana pull away and beat top-seeded Northern Colorado 91-83 in the Big Sky Championship title game on Wednesday night. Montana lead by as many as 14 points early in the second half, but Northern Colorado later used an 18-9 surge to pull within 74-73 with 3:35 remaining. Johnson answered with a three-point play and a 3-pointer to stretch the Grizzlies' lead to 80-73 with 2:24 left. The Bears got within five points twice but didn't get closer. Montana (25-9), which has won 14 of its last 15 games, collected its first NCAA Tournament bid since 2019 and its 12th overall to extend its conference record. The Grizzlies also won their 51st Big Sky Tournament game, surpassing Weber State for the most in league history. Brandon Whitney added 18 points for Montana, which shot 65% (30 of 46) overall and 24 of 28 (86%) from the free-throw line. Joe Pridgen chipped in with 17 points and Malik Moore had 15. Jaron Rillie scored 24 points and had six assists to lead Northern Colorado (25-9). Langston Reynolds added 18 points, Brock Wisne had 15 and Isaiah Hawthorne had 14. Montana took the lead for good midway through the first half and led 48-39 at the break. Moore scored seven points during an 11-6 spurt to give the Grizzlies a 59-45 advantage with 16:22 to play. Northern Colorado's last NCAA Tournament appearance was in 2011. __ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college basketball: and
