by Zachary Knecht
Featured Image: Photo by Weber State Athletics
The Weber State Wildcats have been rolling on their way to a 2-0 conference record and will hope to continue this streak as they host the Idaho State Bengals. Both teams are undefeated in conference play, but only one will leave the Dee Events Center as such.
Although the ‘Cats currently enter play as 73.2% favorites according to ESPN analytics, these two teams have eerily similar statistics. And don’t let the Bengals’ 5-10 record fool you because they’ve been playing better basketball as of late.
Offensive Depth
The Wildcats and Bengals produce similarly on both ends of the floor. The Bengals outscore Weber State 70.3 to 68.1 on the year, but the ‘Cats are slightly better defensively, holding opponents to 68.3 to 69.3 of Idaho State. Given the stats, it looks like this game will come down to the wire, but the greater depth that Weber State possesses could give them the edge Thursday night.
Dillon Jones and Steven Verplancken Jr. have been two stars Weber State can consistently rely on to produce on a nightly basis. Jones’ and Verplancken’s 14.9 and 12.3 PPG, respectively, have been a vital part of the resurgence of the Wildcats this season, but it should be the depth of this offense that will make the difference in the contest.
Junior Ballard led the team in points (16) in the previous contest against Northern AZ, and his hot hand will help boost this team’s offense. Alex Tew and KJ Cunningham have been the top performers out of the top three of this ‘Cats team, but this game will also come down to the likes of Dyson Koehler, Zahir Porter, and company. Koehler and Porter combined for 11.4 PPG, with other players like Keith Dinwiddie and Daniel Rouzan ready to make an impact.
Idaho State’s charge is led by Brock Mackenzie and his 14.6 points per game. Miguel Tomley (12.8 PPG), Jared Rodriguez (10.5 PPG), and Brayden Parker (9.6 PPG) are the three-headed beast behind Mackenzie, but only two other Bengal players eclipse the five-point per night mark. The ‘Cats need to take advantage of their greater offensive depth to pull away.
Rebounding Battle
While the Wildcats win the battle in offensive depth, the Bengals win in rebounding depth. Weber State mainly rides the 9.8 rebounds per night off Jones, but more players will need to step up and attack the ball.
The Bengals don’t have a top performer like Jones, who will grab nearly double-digit boards a night, but they have five players who will snag at least four. Jones is the only Wildcat who exceeds that mark, so Weber State will need more players to assert themselves to pull away.
Limiting Mistakes
As has been mentioned already, the Wildcats and Bengals size up well against each other, but when looking at Idaho State’s game history in the young season, limiting turnovers becomes that much more crucial.
Nine of the Bengals’ 15 games have been within three possessions, including seven of their losses. They are 5-10, but they play with all of their opponents, and they play well. Idaho State has won the turnover battle this season with 12.4 to 13.5 of Weber State, so the ‘Cats will need to be mindful with the ball in their hands. They have taken care of the ball well recently, which has been a big part of their streak, so they will need to continue to play safe basketball.
The Bengals come to the Dee Events Center Saturday at 7 pm MST to play the Wildcats in a battle of the undefeated conference teams.
The Hive Sports 
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