Idaho (9-6, 1-1) vs. Montana State (9-7, 3-0)

• ICCU Arena (4,200) | Moscow, Idaho

• 2 p.m. PT: Tip-off on ESPN+

• Listen: Vandal Radio Network | The Varsity Network App (Dennis Patchin)

• Live Stats

• Game Notes

• Tickets

MOSCOW, Idaho - After dropping the first home game of the season, Idaho Basketball has to reset and recoup for another big challenge in the ICCU Arena, hosting Montana State. Coach Alex Pribble has been adamant in his tenure that the parity of the Big Sky Conference is as even as it's ever been, and that any game on any given day can be decided by one or two possessions, regardless of record.

This has rung true for both teams so far this year. In the five combined conference games that the Vandals and Bobcats have played, only one has been decided by a double digit margin, MSU's 89-75 win over Northern Colorado. To further this narrative, the visitors are coming off of a gritty 68-64 road win over Eastern Washington on Thursday night in which neither team could get into a rhythm in the first half.

Montana State poses one of the most physical teams in the conference, leading the league in defensive PPG (69.2). This has led to the largest scoring margin in the conference as well, as the 'Cats have knocked off their foes by an average of 9.5 points per game. While they did not have a player named to the All-Big Sky team in the preseason, senior G Patrick McMahon has certainly looked the part, leading his team with 14.5 PPG and shooting at a 48.5% clip. 

History favors the Vandals in the first matchup of the season against Montana State, as coach Pribble is 2-0 so far in the first of the two contests. Under the third year leader, Idaho knocked off MSU in Bozeman for the first time since 2015 in his first season at the helm and opened Big Sky play with a win over the 'Cats in ICCU Arena in the 24-25 campaign.

IDAHO NOTES

• Idaho features five players on the roster that hail from the Gem State for the first time since the 1971-72 season

  • Brody Rowbury (Meridian), Jack Payne (Boise), Titus Yearout (Lapwai), Kolton Mitchell (Coeur D'Alene), and Jackson Rasmussen (Meridian)

• 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.

  • This will mark the first time the Vandal men have had a regular season game appear on a linear ESPN channel since the 2010-11 season.

• Idaho has found points from its entire roster this season with four or more Vandals finishing in double-figures in nine of fifteen games so far.

• The Vandals have started 5-0 at home for the first time since the 2017-18 season. 

NUMBERS TO KNOW

• 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

• 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

• 5: Five Idaho natives are on this season's roster, the most since the 1971-72 season

• 60: Idaho's streak of games with 5+ made threes came to an end vs. Montana, having previously accomplished the feat in 60 straight contests

• 137: Idaho was 137th in the Dec. 8 NET rankings, the highest mark in program history since the rankings debuted in time for the 2018-19 season.

• 5: Following Kolton Mitchell's 14-point performance against Eastern Oregon, five Vandals have now crossed over the 500-point mark in their careers (Mitchell, Kristian Gonzalez, Brody Rowbury, Biko Johnson, Isaiah Brickner)

  • Jack Payne is also rapidly approaching this milestone, needing 55 points to hit 500.

• 1000: Senior forward Brody Rowbury is closing in on 1,000 career points in his final collegiate season. With 922 under his belt so far, he needs 78 to hit that margin.

  • Rowbury would be the first to hit that milestone in black and gold since Kyson Rose did the same in the 2024-25 season. 

• 4: Idaho's preseason ranking in both Big Sky Preseason Polls, its highest since 2017

• 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

• 14: Head Coach Alex Pribble led Idaho to 14 regular season wins last year, the most since the 2017-18 season.

• 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

• 308: The 2024-25 Vandals relied heavily on play from beyond the arc, setting a new school record for made triples at 308.

• 11: Idaho is averaging 11.0 made threes per contest, the seventh-highest mark in the nation. 

UP NEXT
Idaho will hit the road for the first time in Big Sky play, traveling to Idaho State for the first rendition of the King Spud rivalry on Jan. 15 and taking on Weber State in the Dee Events Center on Jan. 17

TICKETS 
Season tickets are on sale now! For more information, call the Vandal ticket office at (208) 885-6466 or visit govandals.com/tickets. 

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