2012-13 Preview: Big Sky

Losing the No. 6 overall pick in last year’s NBA Draft — Damian Lillard — won’t be easy to replace. Part of that will fall on Scott Bamforth, a two-time all-conference selection. The Wildcats were 20-3 last season in games he scored in double figures, and was ranked 21st in the nation in free-throw percentage.

Collin Chiverton is what many coaches would describe as a winner. In the five seasons he has played since his junior year in high school, teams that Chiverton has played on have won 129-163 games for a .791 winning percentage. In his first season since transferring from junior college, Chiverton’s 88 3-pointers are only 10 away from a spot on EWU’s top 10 career list, and his 217 attempts are 57 away.

The Griz are hoping to get Will Cherry back after breaking his foot recently, and here’s why. He begins his senior year as the all-time leader in school history with 233 career steals, is 11th in career assists, and 14th in career scoring with 1,191 points. Cherry has scored in double figures in 60 games and has been a member of two Griz teams (2009-10 and 2011-12) that have advanced to the NCAA tournament. Cherry was one of the best defensive players in the nation last season, finishing sixth in steals per game with 2.6.