Men’s basketball looks past recent poor performance

The MSU men’s basketball team is 12-16 heading into their final three games of the regular season. Playing Idaho, Eastern Washington and Weber State over the last stretch of the season, these games are crucial in order to build momentum heading into the Big Sky Conference Championships. 

“As we enter the end of conference play and look ahead to the postseason, I don’t think there is that one game for us that is a must-win. Our goal is to keep getting better every game because we are a team that can be dangerous in the postseason. If we can string some momentum together going into the Big Sky tournament, I think we will be a matchup that not a lot of teams in our conference want to face,” guard Jed Miller said. 

The ‘Cats are coming out of a rough stretch, having gone 2-6 over their last eight games, including a run of four losses in a row. Looking past the recent poor performances, Miller is confident the team can figure things out. 

“I think we are very capable of making a deep run in the playoffs. Despite our record and some of our losses, we have also had some amazing games that have shown our team’s full potential,” Miller said. “For a successful end to the season, our team needs to have an attitude that we are one of the best teams in the conference. Everyone needs to be ready to go every single game. For me, I need to be ready at any moment in the game and be able to step up when my name gets called.”

When going through ups and downs during a season, it’s crucial to look up to more experienced players to help the team get out of a slump. Miller said senior Robert Ford III has been that guy.

“A good leader for our team this season has been our point guard Rob Ford. He’s a very mature and smart player, and celebrates others' success just as much as his own,” Miller said. 

The team got a new head coach, lost guard Darius Brown II, forward RaeQuan Battle, defensive powerhouse Jubrile Belo and only had six returners ahead of the 2023-24 season. It called for a bit of extra work to get the team back into the form they were in last season which led them to an NCAA tournament berth. 

“This year has been a rollercoaster for me personally and my team. We are a roster full of new guys as well as a new coaching staff, so nobody knew what to expect this year but it’s been an exciting season full of ups and downs,” Miller said. “Getting a new coach and basically a whole new team except for six guys, it has been challenging for us to create chemistry amongst each other. It was really difficult over [the] summer for our team to learn how to play with each other and learn how to play through our new coach’s concepts because it was all brand new to everyone.”

Regardless of the season so far, the ‘Cats are positive they can be a team to look out for ahead of the 2024 Big Sky Conference Championships. 

To follow along with the men’s basketball team, check out their Instagram at @msubobcatsmbb. For more information about the team, check out: https://msubobcats.com/sports/mens-basketball.