Bobcat basketball reaches season midway point: an Exponent analysis

At the beginning of the basketball season, I predicted that the men’s team would finish  27-7 with a .794 winning percentage, and that the women’s team would end with a 21-13 and .618 mark. Looking back on those expectations, MSU Basketball as a whole has left me with a mixed bag of feelings. 

Currently the women’s team is 13-7 after their first twenty games, a couple wins above where I many thought they might be at this point. It’s also relevant to point out that the team is solidly into the conference play portion of the schedule where they have thrived in the past. Through its first eight Big Sky contents, the team is 6-2, a record good second place in the current conference standings only half a game behind Sacramento State.

For comparison, the team was 12-8 through twenty last season, meaning the year-to-year consistency seems to be there. The Cats have established themselves, once again, as serious contenders within the conference. A top three finish in the standings would be the fourth straight year earning that title. All signs currently point toward this streak continuing. The team is doing slightly better than might have been expected, and Cats fans ought to be quite content. 

It’s been no secret that star guard Darian White was going to be a key part in determining the team’s level of success. White, not unlike in past years, has been the team’s driving force on the court. White currently leads the Cats in scoring, rebounds, minutes and assists by a healthy margin in all four categories. However, it should be noted that White’s scoring has dropped roughly 20% from last year’s mark of 15.6 points per game to her current season average of 12.4. In the 2021-2022 campaign, she was third in the Big Sky conference in points per game. This year, she’s dropped out of the top ten. 

The Cats as a team have seen a slight increase in total offensive production relative to last year. The load on White to produce points at the insane rate that she does has lightened as more contributors have stepped up on the offensive side of things. One of the more impressive showings is that of Lexi Deden, a junior forward. Deden has seen a significant increase in playing time this year, and has emerged as a top five scorer for the team, as well as the number two rebounder behind White. 

Moving forward, it’s not entirely unrealistic to look for the Cats to make another deep run into the postseason. This looks to be a fundamentally more sound and markedly deeper team than last year. 

A few keys moving forward: These past few years will undoubtedly go down in Bobcat history as those of Darian White, but as far as immediate success goes, the team around her needs to keep up with the strong showing it’s had to this point. An important game to watch will be on February 18 when the University of Montana comes to play in Bozeman. When the Griz and Cats go at it, no matter the sport, the atmosphere is electric. 

Updated Prediction:  I’m shamelessly hedging my bets and re-upping with the crystal ball. I’m optimistic as the Bobcats head into the rest of their conference schedule. 

Final Record: 23-11

In contrast to the steadiness of their counterpart, the men’s season at first glance hasn’t been as stellar. I picked the Cats to finish the year at 27-7. In twenty games, the team has already amassed seven losses, and something tells me that a 14-game win streak is not in the cards. However, to quickly dismiss this season as a failure is a gross oversimplification. 

At this same point last season, the Bobcats were 15-5, or only two games better. Furthermore, the Cats strength of schedule this year has been of a much higher caliber. A 6-2 showing in early conference play means they are good enough for second in the Big Sky and provides another reason for fans to hold off on waving the white flag this early.  

Eastern Washington leads the conference at 8-0, a record that includes a New Years’ Eve win over the Bobcats in Bozeman. In spite of this, MSU is still ranked a full thirty spots above EWU in the NCAA NET rankings (111 and 141, respectively). 

Superb defensive play seems to be the calling card for this year’s squad. The Cats lead the conference in scoring defense, having only allowed an average of 66.4. Jubrile Belo, reigning conference MVP and defensive player of the year, is leading the charge on that side of things, pacing the Cats in rebounds (both offensive and defensive) as well as blocks. While his stats may not be quite as impressive as last year, Belo is still a core part of this team. 

On the offensive side of things, RaeQuan Battle has emerged as a standout performer. After not starting in a single contest last year, Battle has started in every game this season and leads the team in minutes. The junior from Tulalip, Washington, has essentially doubled his offensive output and is currently a top 10 scorer in the Big Sky Conference. When it comes down to it, there is only one way to describe his ascension: spectacular.

Overall, the Cats look solid. There’s no one area that poses a glaring issue, and the roster has players who look to be on the verge of a breakout (Great Osobor, Tyler Patterson, and Sam Lecholat, to name a few). If the Cats manage to get hot, it’s hard to see anyone in the conference being able to stop them. 

Some keys moving forward: Improve the shooting consistency. Not to say that the Bobcats are showing signs of a great deficit in this area, but the key word here is consistency. The big losses the Cats have taken seem to have a common thread. Shoring up their shot-making abilities might help them finish strong. 

One game to watch will be the regular season finale for the Cats, an away-game rematch against Eastern Washington. A chance to upend the current pack leader heading into the Big Sky tournament is a can’t miss opportunity. 

Updated Prediction: I don’t see any reason to assume the Cats can’t repeat last year’s postseason triumphs. It just might be a slightly harder road getting to that same point. 

Final Record: 22-12. 

The men’s team recently played an electric game in Missoula and Coach Sprinkle said, “Our players showed toughness and character in a hard-fought victory over the Griz. As a competitor, there is nothing better than winning on the road — Our guys showed championship DNA by responding to adversity all night long.” 

About the season Coach Sprinkle stated, “ The season has been a good one so far as we are 6-2 and in second place in Big Sky play. Overall, we're 13-8 on the season, which is tremendous considering we only played two Division 1 non-conference home games. And we played probably the most challenging non-conference schedule in program history against the likes of Arizona, Oregon, and at Grand Canyon.”