POCATELLO, Idaho – Idaho State men's basketball begins postseason play this week as the No. 9 seed in the 2026 Big Sky Conference Tournament. The Bengals will face No. 10 seed Northern Arizona on Saturday, March 7 at 5:30 p.m. inside Idaho Central Arena in Boise, Idaho.
Saturday's matchup marks the third meeting this season between the Bengals and Lumberjacks. The teams split the regular season series, each winning on the opposing team's home floor.
Idaho State enters the tournament with a NET ranking of 237, while Northern Arizona sits at 313 in the latest NCAA NET rankings.
The Bengals enter this year's conference tournament with a 3-5 postseason record under Head Coach, Ryan Looney, with 2 of those victories coming against the Lumberjacks.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Tipoff: 5:30 p.m.
Location: Idaho Central Arena – Boise, Idaho
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: KISU 91.1 FM – Scott Gross
Live Stats: isubengals.com
Idaho State Overview
Idaho State enters the Big Sky Tournament having shown strong defensive production and depth throughout the season.
The Bengals lead the Big Sky Conference in bench points per game (31.42) and blocks per game (4.3) while ranking second in the conference in fouls per game (17.2). Idaho State also sits third in the league in free throws made per game (15.8) and free throw attempts per game (21.1) while ranking fourth in free throw percentage (75.0%) and offensive rebounds per game (10.77).
Individually, several Bengals rank among the conference leaders.
Evan Otten has anchored the Idaho State defense, leading the Big Sky in total blocks (56) and blocks per game (1.81).
Caleb Van De Griend continues to be one of the conference's most consistent interior players. He ranks third in the Big Sky with seven double-doubles, sixth in total rebounds (198), and fourth in offensive rebounds per game (2.55).
Jamison Guerra ranks second in the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.54) while sitting sixth in total assists (122).
Connor Hollenbeck has also been strong at the free throw line, ranking sixth in the Big Sky in free throw percentage (81.5%) and ninth in both free throws made (110) and free throw attempts (135).
From the perimeter, Martin Kheil ranks third in the conference in three-point attempts (177) and fifth in both three-pointers made (64) and three-pointers per game (2.21).
Scouting Northern Arizona
Northern Arizona enters the Big Sky Tournament as the No. 10 seed with a NET ranking of 313.
The Lumberjacks have been one of the top three-point shooting teams in the conference this season. Northern Arizona leads the Big Sky in three-point percentage (37.2%), ranking among the top marks nationally.
Offensively, the Lumberjacks shoot 46.6 percent from the field and average 71.5 points per game this season.
Northern Arizona has also taken care of the basketball well throughout the year, ranking third in the Big Sky in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.25) and turnovers per game (10.5).
Ryan Abelman leads Northern Arizona offensively, averaging 10.7 points per game while ranking seventh in the Big Sky in minutes per game (32:24).
Defensively, Traivar Jackson leads the Lumberjacks in rim protection with 29 blocks this season while averaging 0.94 blocks per game.
Series History
Saturday's contest will be the 125th all-time meeting between Idaho State and Northern Arizona.
The Bengals lead the all-time series 65-59, including a 38-17 record in Pocatello, 23-31 record in Flagstaff, and 3-2 record in neutral-site games.
The teams have played several close games in recent seasons.
Recent meetings include:
Feb. 5, 2026 – NAU 79, ISU 73
Jan. 10, 2026 – ISU 81, NAU 79
Mar. 3, 2025 – NAU 82, ISU 79
Jan. 2, 2025 – ISU 72, NAU 67
Mar. 9, 2024 – ISU 68, NAU 60 (Big Sky Tournament)
Feb. 29, 2024 – NAU 92, ISU 88 (2OT)
Feb. 3, 2024 – ISU 81, NAU 79
Tournament History
Idaho State and Northern Arizona have met five times in the Big Sky Conference Tournament, with the Bengals holding a 3-2 advantage in postseason matchups.
Idaho State has won the last two tournament meetings between the programs. The Bengals defeated Northern Arizona 68-60 in the 2024 Big Sky Tournament in Boise to advance in the opening round.
The previous postseason matchup between the teams came during the 2019-20 Big Sky Tournament, where Idaho State also defeated the Lumberjacks.
Saturday's game will mark the sixth Big Sky Tournament meeting between the programs and the second in the last three seasons. And the 3rd time while the Bengals have been led by Ryan Looney.
The winner of Saturday's contest will advance to the Big Sky Tournament quarterfinal round where the No. 1 overall seed and regular season champions, Portland State,
