Big Sky Conference report

SportsLine.com Report
April 10, 2000

The Wildcats get the underachieving tag slapped on them.

After winning a first-round NCAA Tournament game in 1999 and nearly upsetting Florida in the second round, the Wildcats returned the nucleus of that team in Harold Arceneaux and Eddie Gill.

Yet the Wildcats dropped their first game of the Big Sky Conference Tournament to Cal State Northridge and didn't get an invitation to the NIT.

Weber State had a six-game win streak early in the season and won eight of nine in the run, including winning four of its first five Big Sky games.

But the Wildcats lacked consistency and had home losses to Montana, Eastern Washington, and barely beat last-place Idaho State by two points, also on their home floor.

They picked up a big win at Northern Arizona near the end of the season, but followed that with a loss in the Big Sky Tournament.

A glance at 2001

Coach Joe Cravens will enter his second year as head man at Weber State and he'll have to do it without two-time Big Sky MVP Harold Arceneaux and fabulous point guard Eddie Gill.

On the upside, nearly everyone else returns, including Italian big men Ivan Gatto (6-10) and Stephan Bachmann (6-10).

No one has the star quality of Arceneaux, so other players like Quyn Tebbs and Chris Woods need to step up.

The coach

Cravens was hired to replace long-time coach Ron Abbegglen and did a solid job. The former University of Utah and Idaho head coach, however, did not quiet critics, who were enamored with Abbegglen, despite his being forced to leave after a domestic dispute with his wife on the campus. Abbegglen never posted a losing season in his collegiate career.

Cravens will get his chance to put his own stamp on the program in the next few years as Abbegglen's players are starting to file out.

Who'll be back

Stephan Bachmann (6-10, 230), a native of Switzerland, had a fine freshman season, averaging 10.8 points. But he only averaged 3.8 rebounds, so he needs to assert himself inside more.

Ivan Gatto (6-10, 215) is another fine import. The Italian had a fine junior season, averaging 7.3 points a game. But like Bachmann, he doesn't like to mix it up underneath, despite his size. He averaged just 4.4 rebounds. The duo, however, are a nice base to build from.

Quyn Tebbs (6-1, 185) is back for his senior season after averaging 4.9 points, and Chris Woods (6-5, 215) has potential on the wing.

Cravens came away with one player -- John Hamilton (6-4, 185) -- in the early signing period. He's a guard from in-state.

Who's gone

Replacing Harold "The Show" Arceneaux, will not be easy. He's the two-time Big Sky player of the year, he averaged a team and conference leading 23.3 points, and led the squad in rebounds at 7.3 per contest.

In addition, he was nominated for the John Wooden Award, which goes out to the nation's top collegiate basketball player. He's truly one of the top players in the history of the conference and his loss is huge.

Eddie Gill was a fabulous point guard. Gill was second on the team in scoring at 16.3, and was an excellent rebounder for being just 6-0 as he averaged 6.4 boards a game, good for second on the team. He was lightening quick, a leader, good defender and a great playmaker, averaging 6.9 assists. Like Arceneaux, he'll be playing for money somewhere next year.

Shawn Moore (6-4, 195) was the only other senior on the team and he averaged 4.5 points.