Idaho (13-9, 5-4) vs. Montana State (13-10, 7-3)

• Worthington Arena (6,772) | Bozeman, Mont.
• 6 p.m. PT: Tip-off on ESPN+
• Listen: Vandal Radio Network | The Varsity Network App (Dennis Patchin)
• Live Stats
• Game Notes

MOSCOW, Idaho – Thursday's matchup against Montana State marks the beginning of the second half of Big Sky play for Idaho, as the Vandals look to maintain their top-five spot in the league over the final five weeks of the regular season. Idaho's second showdown with the 'Cats is set to begin at 6 p.m. PT, and will air on ESPN+, the Vandal Radio Network, and the Varsity Network app.

The first meeting in 2026 between the two sides featured a historical 21-point comeback win for the Vandals, the largest by an Idaho team since 2000. Under Coach Pribble, UI has found success against MSU, winning three of the five games against the Bobcats and splitting the two trips Idaho has taken to Bozeman under Pribble. 

After their trip to Moscow, Montana State rattled off four straight wins, including a nine-point victory over in-state rivals Montana, before dropping both games last weekend at Sacramento and Portland State. 

Jed Miller has continued to drive the 'Cats attack, scoring 14.4 points a game, and ranks second in the conference in both three point percentage and made triples, splashing just shy of three a night. The Agoura Hills, Calif. native has posted six 20-point performances in Montana State's first 10 conference contests, and his solid play on the offensive end has earned him an offensive rating that ranks in the top-35 nationally, according to KenPom.

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.

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 17 points to hit 500.
• 1000: Senior forward Brody Rowbury is closing in on 1,000 career points in his final collegiate season. With 975 under his belt so far, he needs 25 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.
• 16: Kolton Mitchell has put up double-figures in 16 of Idaho's 21 games so far.
• 20: Biko Johnson has put up 20 or more points in seven games this season. The Vandals are 6-1 when he crosses that threshold.
• 21: The Vandals earned the program's largest comeback win of the 21st century vs. Montana State in January, trailing by 21 points just before halftime and coming back to win 92-89 at the final buzzer.

UP NEXT
Idaho's four-game road trip will close on Saturday at Montana. Tip is set for 4 p.m. PT. 

TICKETS 
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.