2012-13 Big Sky Conference Basketball Countdown: Sacramento State

The 2011-12 seasons for the Sacramento State basketball teams were almost identical in regards to where their records stood.  The men's team concluded their 2011-12 campaign with a 10-18 record under Brian Katz, who is entering his 5th season at the helm.  On the other hand, the women's team made the 2012 Big Sky tournament and pulled off a mild upset against Eastern Washington (first conference tournament game in school history) before losing in the semifinals to eventual league champion Idaho State.

WBB: Fourth-year head coach Jamie Craighead utilizes an up-tempo style of basketball to her squad, which is run & gun offensively and utilizing a full-court press defensively--a style that has helped the Hornets become one of the most explosive teams in the conference.  One of the key cogs on the Hornets' roster is senior forward Kylie Kuhns (above right), who averaged a double-double per game last season (13.6 ppg & a league-best 11.6 rpg) and finished 3rd in the nation with 21 double-doubles.  The Hornets' second-leading scorer is back as well, as junior guard Alle Moreno finished last season with 13.3 ppg, and finished just 10 points behind Kuhns in total points scored (413 to Kuhns' 423).  Also back are two more starters: sophomore guard Fantasia Hilliard and senior forward Mallorie Franco.

VERDICT: The Hornets under Craighead have a penchant for turning games into track meets, and while they're one of the best offensive-minded teams in the conference, the thing that just might keep them from being one of the best teams in the league overall is their defense--they coughed up 78.6 ppg last season.  Regardless, they're a very good basketball team with some talented players.  If they can bring their points against down this season, they could make the race for the top of the league interesting, because their offense just might be their golden horseshoe towards a potential conference championship.

MBB: The men's basketball team, as indicated earlier, concluded last season with a 10-19 record and did not make the conference tournament.  It marked the first time under Brian Katz the team recorded more than 10 wins in a season.  His team returns their five top scorers, including senior forward John Dickson (left), who averaged 12.4 points a game, and senior guard/forward Joe Eberhard, who averaged 11.1 points and a team-high 5.9 rebounds per game.  Junior guard Jackson Carbajal finished tied for second with Eberhard in scoring, while senior center Konner Veteto (9.0 ppg and 4.7 rpg) and sophomore guard Dylan Garrity (8.1 ppg) round out the team's main point contributors.

VERDICT: With the Hornets' top five scorers back this season, this team is plenty capable of surpassing the team's 10-win total from last season.  The team went on a 5-3 run during the second half of conference play last season after going 0-8 to start.  As long as they can win the close games during league play this season, don't be surprised to see Sacramento State make a trip to the conference tournament.

UP NEXT: Portland State

Photo credits: Sacramento State athletics