Idaho (4-2, 0-0) vs. CSUN (4-2, 0-0)
BOISE, Idaho – After securing the first regular season win in the City of Trees in eight years, Idaho Basketball will return to action for the second half of the Holiday Hoops Classic.
The Vandals secured a win over a strong CSUN squad by winning the rebounding battle for the sixth time in as many opportunities and converting quality shot opportunities to go 1-0 on the week. Biko Johnson put up points in bunches, knocking down five threes and Kolton Mitchell shared the rock to the tune of five assists, forcing the Matadors to pick their poison.
On Friday, Idaho will return to action in Idaho Central Arena for a 7:00 PM tip-off with Sam Houston of Conference USA.
The Bearkats edged out Idaho State, 84-81, on the first day of action in Boise. Three players crossed double-digits in scoring while 6-10 F Veljko Ilic brought down a dozen rebounds. Third-year head coach Chris Mudge's squad recorded 13 steals and forced 17 turnovers by the Bengals in what proved to be a neck-and-neck contest with 23 total lead changes.
IDAHO NOTES
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Idaho features five players on the roster that hail from the Gem State for the first time since the 1971-72 season
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Idaho's February 19, 2026 game at Portland State was selected to air on ESPNU as part of the Big Sky's distribution deal with the Worldwide Leader in Sports.
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Idaho has found points from their entire roster this season with four or more Vandals finishing in double-figures in four of UI's first five games
NUMBERS TO KNOW
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120: The 2025-26 season marks the 120th year of Idaho men's basketball. In the first 119 seasons, the Vandals won five conference titles, made four NCAA tournament appearances, and had five All-American players
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100: All season long, Idaho Basketball is remembering the life and legacy of the legendary Vandal, Don Monson. Monson was a three-time basketball letterman as a student, but his biggest honor was as head basketball coach from 1978 to 1983, where he led the Vandals to a Sweet Sixteen appearance and earned 100 wins over five seasons
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5: Five Idaho natives are on this season's roster, the most since the 1971-72 season
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51: Idaho has made five or more threes in 52 straight contests, tied for the 10th-longest streak in the nation
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5: Following Kolton Mitchell's 14 point performance against Eastern Oregon, five Vandals now have crossed over the 500 point mark in their careers (Mitchell, Kristian Gonzalez, Brody Rowbury, Biko Johnson, Isaiah Brickner)
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4: Idaho's preseason ranking in both Big Sky Preseason Polls, its highest since 2017
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62.7: The Vandals return the most minutes in the Big Sky, with three out of their five most common starters staying in Moscow for the 2025-26 season
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14: Head Coach Alex Pribble led Idaho to 14 regular season wins last year, the most since the 2017-18 season.
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2: Two of Idaho's regular season games are set to take place in Boise this season, the first time the Vandals will play a regular contest in the state capital since the fall of 2018.
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308: The 2024-25 Vandals relied heavily on play from beyond the arc, setting a new school record for made triples at 308.
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6: Idaho has outrebounded its opponent in six straight games, the most in the Pribble era
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9.3: Idaho currently holds an average rebounding margin of 10.6, second-best in the Big Sky.
UP NEXT
UI returns home to commence their slate of the third-annual Big Sky-Summit Challenge, in which the Vandals will host the Fighting Hawks of North Dakota before traveling to Brookings for a matchup with South Dakota State.
TICKETS
Tickets are available for Idaho's Holiday Hoops Classic on November 26 and 28. Watch the Vandals and Idaho State take on CSUN and Sam Houston State in downtown Boise. Tickets can be purchased through the Idaho Central Arena box office today!
Season tickets are on sale now! For more information, call the Vandal ticket office at (208) 885-6466 or visit govandals.com/tickets.
FOLLOW THE VANDALS
To stay up to date with Vandal Hoops, follow the team on Instagram (vandalhoops), X (VandalHoops), and by visiting govandals.com.
