If you walked into Idaho Central Arena last March thinking you knew exactly how the Big Sky basketball tournament 2025 would play out, well, you probably lost a few bucks or a lot of pride. Most people call it "Starch Madness" because it’s held in Boise, and honestly, the name fits. It was pure, starchy chaos. For five days, the blue and orange seats in downtown Boise weren't just a backdrop; they were a pressure cooker for ten teams desperate for one ticket to the Big Dance.
The narrative heading in was basically "Northern Colorado’s to lose." They had the efficiency. They had the shooting. But as anyone who’s ever spent a weekend at a conference tournament knows, momentum is a fickle friend.
The Montana Masterclass and Why Seeding is a Lie
Seeding tells you what a team did in January. It doesn’t tell you who they are when their season is on the line in mid-March. Montana came in as the #2 seed, but they played like a team with a massive chip on their shoulder. Coach Travis DeCuire has this way of getting his guys to peak right when the snow starts melting in the Rockies.
While Northern Colorado was busy lighting up the scoreboard during the regular season, Montana was quietly building a defensive shell that felt impossible to crack once they got to Boise. They didn't just win; they dismantled people. By the time they hit the championship game on Wednesday, March 12, the energy in the building was weirdly tense. You could feel the "Griz" fans—who travel better than almost anyone in the league—sensing that 12th tournament title before the ball even tipped.
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The Final Score That Shocked the System
The title game wasn't some defensive slog. It was a track meet. Montana put up 91 points on a Northern Colorado team that usually prides itself on outscoring its problems.
- Final Score: Montana 91, Northern Colorado 83
- Key Fact: This was Montana's 12th Big Sky title.
- The Hero: Money Williams. Remember that name. He was the "Top Reserve" during the year, but in the Big Sky basketball tournament 2025, he looked like the best player in the building.
Honestly, it kinda felt like Northern Colorado ran out of gas. They spent so much energy surviving the earlier rounds that by the second half of the final, their shots were hitting the front of the rim. Montana just kept coming. It was relentless.
Boise: The Neutral Site That Isn't
There is a lot of talk every year about whether Boise is actually "neutral." It’s the seventh year in a row the tournament has been at Idaho Central Arena. If you’re Idaho or Idaho State, you've basically got a home-ish crowd. But the reality? The Big Sky basketball tournament 2025 proved that "neutral" is just a word.
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The atmosphere in downtown Boise during March is something else. You've got fans from Missoula, Greeley, and Flagstaff all drinking at the same spots on 8th Street. It’s small-college hoops at its most authentic. The arena is tight. The noise stays in. When #6 Idaho knocked off #3 Portland State in the quarterfinals (80-70), the place sounded like a war zone.
That’s the beauty of this tournament. The gap between the #1 seed and the #9 seed is never as wide as the records suggest. Sacramento State was the #10 seed and only won three conference games all year, yet they gave Weber State absolute fits in the opening round.
Lessons Learned for the 2026 Cycle
If you’re looking ahead, don't just look at the points per game. Look at the roster continuity. Montana won because they had guys who had been in the fire before. Northern Colorado fell short because, despite their #1 rank and 15-3 conference record, they couldn't handle the physical toll of three games in four days.
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What to Watch Next Time
- Freshman Impact: Watch out for how Montana’s young core, like Kenyon Aguino, matures. They’re starting to look like the next dynasty.
- The Portal Factor: Teams like Portland State are living and dying by the transfer portal. It makes them explosive but sometimes inconsistent.
- The Boise Factor: Until the contract moves, Boise is the heart of the Big Sky. Teams that play well in high-altitude, loud environments will always have the edge here.
Basically, the Big Sky basketball tournament 2025 reminded us why we watch mid-major hoops. It’s not about the NBA prospects—though there are a few. It’s about the raw, unfiltered desperation of kids who know that if they lose, it’s over. There is no "at-large" bid coming for a Big Sky team. It's win the tournament or go home.
If you want to get ahead of the curve for the 2026 tournament, start tracking the defensive rebounding margins of the Montana schools now. That's usually the best indicator of who's going to survive the gauntlet in Boise. Check the updated schedules on the official Big Sky site as the new season approaches to see which teams are scheduling tough non-conference opponents to prep for that March intensity.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Audit the Rosters: Check the 2025-26 preseason polls to see how many starters Montana and Northern Colorado actually retained.
- Book Boise Early: If you're planning to attend the 2026 tournament (March 7-11), hotels near Idaho Central Arena fill up by January.
- Monitor "Money" Williams: Keep an eye on his stats; he’s the projected MVP for the upcoming cycle and the barometer for Montana's success.