Bobcat basketball tipoff

Women’s Basketball:

The Bobcats earned a second place ranking in Coaches’ and Media Polls and received a first-place vote in each. The Cats are led by junior point guard Darian White, who won last season’s Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Year award and was named to the preseason Big Sky All-Conference Team. White led the Bobcats in several offensive and defensive statistical categories last year, including points, rebounds, assists and steals. The Bobcats made it all the way to the Big Sky Conference Semifinal last season, and there is reason to believe that success could be repeated — if not expanded upon — this season. Bobcat women’s basketball Head Coach Tricia Binford has high expectations for the team and says her main focus this season is “building championship habits as a team and by position groups.” “One point of emphasis is improvement in our overall defensive rebounding,” Binford said. The women’s team plays its final preseason game this Saturday against South Dakota Mines before hosting Carroll College for the Cats’ first regular-season matchup.

Men’s Basketball:

The men’s basketball team is ranked third in the Big Sky Conference by both the Coaches’ Poll and the Media Poll going into the season. The Cats’ Jubrile Belo and Xavier Bishop were both selected to the preseason Big Sky All-Conference team, which recognizes the best player at each position in the conference. Bishop, a guard in his senior year, was selected to the All-Conference Second Team last season. Bishop played more minutes per game than any other Bobcat last season and led the Cats in assists with an average of 3.9 assists per game. Belo, a forward from London, England, is entering his junior season at Montana State. Belo was selected to the All-Conference Third Team for the past two seasons before earning a spot on the first team this season. Belo’s consistent play has landed him a top-ten all-time spot in both blocks and field goal percentage for the Bobcats. The men’s team kicks off its season on Tuesday, Nov. 9, against Pac-12 foe Colorado before heading to Texas for the Cardinal Thanksgiving Invitational, hosted by Incarnate Word, later this month. Last season, the men’s team reached the Big Sky Conference Championship, falling to Eastern Washington, 65-55. The Cats’ first shot at revenge will arrive on Jan. 27 when they face the Eagles at home.

As the Bobcats gear up for a brand new season of hoops, make sure to show your support by showing up and cheering loud at the Cats’ home games this season. Tickets are available on the MSU Athletics website. Go Cats!