MOSCOW, Idaho -- Idaho men's basketball (5-8) hosts reigning Big Sky Tournament Champions Montana State (5-8) on Thursday, January 2nd at 6 p.m. in the ICCU Arena. The contest opens Big Sky play for both teams.

How to Follow
Idaho vs. Montana State // Jan. 2nd at 6 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: SIDEARM Live Stats
Listen: The Varsity Network or GoVandals.com/Listen
Tickets: GoVandals.com/Tickets

Notables
Offense has been a group effort for Idaho this season, as the Vandals have had five games with four or more players in double-figures.

The Vandals have been the most productive team from three in the Big Sky this season, leading the conference in three point percentage (37.1) and made threes a game (9.7).
Idaho has made five or more threes in 24 straight games, the longest streak in the Big Sky.

The Vandals got a major contribution from Idaho natives in the non-conference portion of the season. Coeur d'Alene native Kolton Mitchell leads Idaho in points per game (11.4), assists per game (2.9), and steals per game (1.7). Mitchell also earned a Big Sky Co-Player of the Week award following his back to back 25-plus point performances to close out non-conference play. Boise native Jack Payne ranks second on the team in rebounds per game (5.2) and steals per game (1.5). Payne has added four double-figure scoring efforts and led the team in rebounds on four occasions. 

Idaho continues to be powered defensively by Julius Mims, as the Billings, Mont. native ranks fourth in the Big Sky with 12 blocks and leads Idaho with 5.8 rebounds per game. 

Head coach Alex Pribble is one win away from 100 in his career. The Cal graduate grabbed 83 wins in his four seasons at DII Saint Martin's and has added 16 so far at Idaho.

Idaho is looking to win back-to-back conference openers for the first time since the 2014-15 and 2015-16 season, the Vandals first two seasons back in the Big Sky. 
 
Last Time Out 
Idaho was victorious at Pacific on Dec. 21, 95-72. For the second time this season against a DI opponent, the Vandals led from start to finish. Idaho jumped out to a 8-0 lead less than three minutes into the game, led by 16 at halftime, and as much as 27 late in the game, as they rolled to their fifth win of the year.

Kolton Mitchell scored 32 points, the most by any player in the Big Sky this season, on his way to his first career conference player of the week honor. Mitchell added a career-high six assists, as fellow Idaho native Jack Payne also set his career-high assist mark at eight. 

Three more Vandals finished with double-digit points; Kristian Gonzalez scored 20 and Julius Mims and Tyler Linhardt added 14 each.

Scouting the Bobcats
Montana State begins conference play with a 5-8 record, finishing 1-7 on the road against non-conference opponents. The Bobcats are on a three game losing streak, with their last win coming at home against Kansas City on Dec. 7, 74-62. MSU faced four power conference teams on their difficult non-conference slate.
 
Like Idaho, Montana State gets much of their offensive production from beyond the arc. The Bobcats lead the Big Sky in three point attempts per game, averaging 26.8, and rank second behind the Vandals in made threes, at 9.4, and three point percentage, converting 35.1 percent of their long balls. Montana State has been one of the best teams in the nation in guarding against the three, allowing opponents to shoot only 28.6 percent from downtown, the 28th best mark in the nation. 
 
Brandon Walker leads the Bobcat attack, averaging 15.1 points per game, while converting 52.8 percent of his field goals. The forward from Oak Cliff, Texas has been the model of consistency, scoring 10 or more points in all but two games this season. Jabe Mullins has steered the ship offensively, averaging 3.6 assists, eighth-most in the Big Sky. Max Agbonkpolo has been the second scoring option for the Cats, averaging 12.7 points a game on a 46.8 percent clip.  

Series History vs Montana State
Thursday night will be the 125th meeting between the Vandals and Bobcats. The two squads split the season series a year ago, with each winning the away leg. Idaho is looking for their first win against Montana State in Moscow since January 16, 2023, when the Vandals pulled out a 74-70 victory in the ICCU Arena.

Up Next
Idaho continues Big Sky play when they host Montana on Saturday, January 4. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m.

Tickets
Single-game and season tickets are available now. For more information, call the Vandal ticket office at (208) 885-6466 or visit GoVandals.com/tickets. 

Follow
Fans can follow the Vandals all season long on X, Facebook and Instagram, @VandalHoops, and with the Voice of the Vandals, Dennis Patchin, at GoVandals.com/Listen. All home and conference contests will be streamed live through ESPN+.