BOISE, Idaho — In a historic season for the Montana State men's basketball team, Tuesday's news only added to that.
The Big Sky Conference announced that MSU men's coach Danny Sprinkle has been named the league's Coach of the Year.
Sprinkle, a native of Helena who is in his third year as head coach for the Bobcats, is the first Montana State men's basketball coach to win the award since Mick Durham in 2005.
Sprinkle's award came just minutes after MSU post Jubrile Belo was named the Big Sky MVP and Defensive Player of the Year. Belo and MSU guard Xavier Bishop were also named first-team All-Big Sky by the league.
Montana State won its first regular season title since 2002 until Sprinkle's tutelage this year as the Bobcats racked up a 24-7 record and 16-4 mark in league play. MSU's 24 wins are the most by a Bobcat team in over 70 years, and Sprinkle is the first MSU men's coach to achieve his 50th career win before the end of his third season in 84 years. He's also the first Bobcat coach to lead MSU to three winning seasons in his first three years since Brick Breeden from 1935-38.
MSU's 16 conference wins were also a program best in their Big Sky era. The Bobcats are 53-32 under Sprinkle during his time there.
The Bobcats, who played in the Big Sky Tournament championship game last season, are the No. 1 seed in Boise and await the winner of Idaho and Sacramento State in Thursday's quarterfinal round. That game will tip off at noon.
