2012-13 Big Sky Conference Basketball Countdown: Northern Colorado

The countdown continues with the teams from Northern Colorado.  Both teams had opposite seasons in 2011-12, with the women's team being the conference runner-up and making an appearance in the WNIT, while the men's team struggled for much of the season.

WBB: The Northern Colorado women's basketball program has been knocking on the door to win the Big Sky tournament, but they just haven't gotten over the hump yet.  Last year they came up one win short of making the big dance for the first time by falling to eventual conference champion Idaho State in the Big Sky championship game.  They instead settled for a WNIT berth, only to fall to Colorado 54-42 in Boulder.  This program has steadily improved under Janie White, who is entering her 7th season as head coach (and one win away from becoming the school's all-time leader in victories by a head coach).  Among top players coming back include senior forward Lauren Oosdyke (pictured above), who was second on the team in scoring (12.8 ppg) and rebounding (6.2 rpg).  Also back is junior D'shara Strange, who not only lead the team at 13.8 ppg and 8.2 rpg, but also enters the season as the reigning Defensive Player of the Year as well.  Other key players back this season include senior guard Victoria Timm and junior forward Kim Lockridge.

VERDICT: The Bears' chances of winning the Big Sky title and making the NCAA tournament look very good.  During White's tenure as head coach, this team has gotten better every year.  If history stays true to itself like it has the past two seasons, the Bears might have their dancing shoes on the ready come March.

MBB: The 2011-12 season was not very kind to the men's basketball team, one year removed from making the NCAA tournament for the first time in program history.  The 9-19 record the team recorded last season was far from the more respectable 21-11 mark the 2010-11 team posted.  But last year's team was a mostly young squad, and the same will hold true for this year's team coached by third-year skipper B.J. Hill (pictured right).  The team lost only one player from last year's team in forward Mike Proctor (led the team in rebounding at 6.8 rpg), but with no seniors on this year's team, the potential for improvement is there.  The team's top two scorers are back in junior guard Tatum Unruh (11.3 ppg) and sophomore guard Tevin Svihovec (10.8 ppg), along with junior center Connor Osbourne, who was second on the team in rebounding at 4.2 rpg.

VERDICT: This Bears team will bounce back in 2012-13.  They're far from a 20-win team at this point in time.  But if this team can play to their potential they just might compete for a conference tourney berth.

UP NEXT: Sacramento State

Photo credits: University of Northern Colorado athletics