2012-13 Big Sky Conference Basketball Countdown: Weber State

Talk about a tale of two different seasons at Weber State.  One team was one game away from playing in the NCAA tournament, the other was just playing for their lives.  The men's basketball team proved they're still a force in the conference as they played to a 25-7 record and an appearance in the CollegeInsider.com postseason tournament.  The women's team, under first-year head coach Bethann Ord, went a dismal 2-27 and failed to record a single victory in conference play.

MBB: Oh, Damian Lillard will be missed in Ogden this season.  One of the greatest scorers in conference history was drafted 6th overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2012 NBA Draft, after deciding to forgo his senior season with the Wildcats.  With Lillard in the NBA now, the Wildcats return just two seniors, one of them being guard Scott Bamforth (left).  As Lillard led last year's team in scoring at 24.5 PPG, Bamforth was second at 14.5 PPG.  The other senior returning to the Wildcats is forward Frank Otis, who battled injuries throughout last season.  Otis, along with junior center Kyle Tresnak, are the top returning rebounders for an otherwise young but always talented Wildcats team.

VERDICT: Seventh-year head coach Randy Rahe again has a solid team, but with the loss of Lillard to the NBA, it remains to be seen if the Wildcats will remain one of the best in the conference.  Rahe-coached teams have traditionally been very strong, winning 20 or more games in four of his six years in charge.  Another 20-win campaign by Weber State and conference tournament appearance shouldn't be out of the question.

WBB: There's only one way to go but up for the Weber State women's basketball team.  The 2011-12 season was a rather forgettable campaign, as they failed to record a win in conference play.  And this year's team will have a lot of inexperience to fall back on, as there are more freshmen on the roster (nine) than there are upperclassmen (two seniors and three juniors).  One of the upperclassmen back for the Wildcats this season is senior forward Amanda Hughes (right), who was second on the team in scoring at 10.2 PPG and led the team in rebounding at 9.1 RPG, so the potential of her averaging a double-double per game is there for her senior season if everyone else can play well.

VERDICT: This team returns only five players from last year's team. That's right--FIVE.  It may be looking to be another long season in Ogden with a very young and inexperienced team, as they have a ways to go before they become a tournament team again.

UP NEXT: Idaho State

Photo credits: Weber State athletics