1987 Big Sky Conference men's basketball tournament

1987 Big Sky Conference men's basketball tournament
ClassificationDivision I
Season1986–87
Teams8
SiteWalkup Skydome
Flagstaff, Arizona
ChampionsIdaho State (2nd title)
Winning coachJim Boutin (1st title)
MVPJim Rhode (Idaho State)
← 1986
1988 →
1986–87 Big Sky men's basketball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Montana State 12 – 2   .857 21 – 8   .724
Boise State 10 – 4   .714 22 – 8   .733
Montana 8 – 6   .571 18 – 11   .621
Nevada 7 – 7   .500 15 – 15   .500
Northern Arizona 5 – 9   .357 11 – 17   .393
Idaho 5 – 9   .357 16 – 14   .533
Idaho State † 5 – 9   .357 15 – 16   .484
Weber State 4 – 10   .286 7 – 22   .241
† Conference tournament winner


The 1987 Big Sky Conference men's basketball tournament was the twelfth edition, held March 5–7 at the Walkup Skydome at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona.[1]

Seventh-seeded Idaho State upset fourth-seeded Nevada in the championship game, 92–81, to clinch their second Big Sky tournament title (first was a decade earlier).[2]

The top three seeds (Montana State, Boise State, Montana) lost in the first round,[3] which led to a revised format the following year.[4][5] ISU had entered the tournament with a 5–9 conference record, 12–15 overall.[6]

  1. ^ "1986-87 Big Sky Conference Season Summary". sports-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. 2016. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  2. ^ Boling, Dave (March 8, 1987). "Idaho State takes a surprising Rhode to NCAA". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. D5.
  3. ^ Boling, Dave (March 6, 1987). "Idaho cures free-throw blues, upsets Griz". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). p. 25.
  4. ^ Jacobson, Bryan (March 8, 1988). "Will Big Sky send another loser to NCAA tourney?". Idahonian. (Moscow). p. 8A.
  5. ^ "New format may favor top seeds". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. March 9, 1988. p. 1D.
  6. ^ "Big Sky Conference final standings". Spokane Chronicle. March 2, 1987. p. C4.