EAGLE MEN’S BASKETBALL 2020-21 SEASON OUTLOOK: Eagles Ready to Defend League Title
Big Sky Conference champs hope MVP candidates and loads of experience can lead them to a NCAA Tournament berth, which was made more elusive in 2020 by Covid-19
Besides Davison and Aiken, the Eagles return two other starters in senior guard Jack Perry and sophomore point guard Ellis Magnuson. Eastern returns 10 total letterwinners and lost four, including 2019-20 league MVP and Academic All-American Mason Peatling, who will be replaced by junior post Tanner Groves.
The Eagles have the individual talent lined up to potentially garner the next two Big Sky Conference MVP awards. They also hope that translates to league titles.
“We have only two seniors this year, but they have been in the program for a while and they are excited about playing again,” said Legans, who was last year’s Big Sky Coach of the Year. “A lot of teams feel good about their chances of winning the league, but for us there is lot of unsettled and unfinished business left for this team to accomplish. At least that’s how we’ve been going about it since last March when our season was cut short.”
On the heels of one of the best seasons in Eastern Washington University men’s basketball history, the 2020-21 squad is ready to complete the task that was wiped out last year by a world-wide pandemic. With senior Jacob Davison and junior Kim Aiken Jr., leading the way, EWU hopes to add a Big Sky Tournament championship and NCAA Tournament berth to the regular season title the Eagles won in the 2019-20 campaign. And the league’s coaches and media agree. The Eagles were the overwhelming favorite to defend the Big Sky Conference title they won a year ago, garnering nine of 11 first-place votes cast by the coaches and 24 of 28 by the media in the preseason polls announced by the league office.
Davison and Perry are the lone seniors.
Last season came to a screeching halt on March 12, 2020, when cancellations of both the Big Sky Conference and NCAA Division I tournaments dashed EWU’s promising postseason hopes in the 201920 campaign. The Covid-19 virus wiped out the league tournament shortly before the Eagles were to play their first game versus Sacramento State. A few hours after that, the NCAA Tournament was canceled as well, ending EWU’s season.
The Eagles had “Our team is being their-second highest picked as the favorite win total in 37 years to win the Big Sky as a NCAA Division this year, which is a I member with 23 testament to all we victories, and their 16 accomplished last league triumphs were year and the culture of the most in their 33 success we’ve been years in the Big Sky. able to build here at The Eagles finished Senior All-Big Sky Conference Guard JACOB DAVISON EWU,” said fourth-year sixth in the nation in Eastern head coach scoring offense (80.9 Shantay Legans. “That said, we haven’t accomplished a single thing this per game) and were fourth in assists (17.5). year, and that is our approach to the season. After winning the Big Sky last EWU took solace in that it was able to celebrate heartily on March 7 year but having to stop short of our quest towards the NCAA Tournament, after the Eagles beat Weber State 78-69 to wrap-up the outright title. The our team is hungrier than ever. There is a lot of work to be done.” world changed dramatically shortly after that, and ended a historic run In addition, Davison was selected as the MVP as he joined junior Kim by Peatling, who won the Big Sky MVP award after averaging a doubleAiken Jr. on the six-person preseason All-Big Sky team announced by the double in 20 league outings. league office. “We have some guys with some big feet, so it’s going to fun to see “I love seeing our players receive accolades because I see all the who steps up to fill those shoes,” said Legans. “Jacob Davison is a great hard work they put in behind the scenes to get there,” added Legans. player, so I’m looking forward to see what he can do this year. We have “Both on and off the court, our guys work harder than any group I’ve ever been in situations where we have really good players and they have been around, and I am so proud of all they have achieved, and eager for graduated, but we have always had guys step up. That’s one of the things all that is to come.” that everybody loves about college sports.” 2018/2017/2016 CBI TOURNAMENT • 2015/2004 NCAA TOURNAMENT • 2003 NIT • 2020/2015/2004/2000 BIG SKY CHAMPIONS
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