The Bobcat Nation

Lot's of talk about the Height that MSU lost on the inside... So let's take a look at how MSU compares right now to the other Big Sky Teams (Some don't have updated Rosters, so this will change)

MSU-
2 Players 6' 2"

UM-
2 Players 6'3"

NAU-
Only has 2 players on 2025 Roster (Both under 6'1")

EWU-
4 Players 6' 2" or taller (1 at 6' 3" : 1 at 6' 4")

Weber State-
1 6' 2" or taller (6' 4")

ISU-
2 Players 6' 2" or taller

PSU-
1 Player at 6' 2 or Taller (6' 3")

Sac State-
1 Players 6' 2" or taller (6' 3")

UNC-
3 Players 6' 2" or taller ( 2 at 6' 2" and 1 at 6' 3")

Idaho
1 player 6' 2" or taller (She is 6' 5" !!!)


Point #1 : There aren't many teams that have a lot more height than MSU. NOW "Size" is different than height. So we will see how that plays out in the season.

Point #2 : The teams that MSU struggled against last year (IE close games) were the teams that could drive in and kick out to shooters. Your Sac State / EWU / UM's. To play the Cats last year, you almost had to pull any Bigs, because the Cats were going to run them out of the gym... That same issue is still there for the rest of the Big Sky teams. Hence why "I THINK" you are seeing smaller line-ups across the board.

Point #3 : The Cats have height but not a lot of "Size". That works well for the way that MSU plays Defense and Offense. Bigs can shoot from FT Line out, and are great at cutting off pass angles and disrupting with their length.

I feel like girls taller than 6'2 are like men above 6'8. Not many to go around and the power conferences scoop them up. Everyone else gets by with 6'2.

lutecat wrote: ↑

Fri Jun 06, 2025 5:00 am

I feel like girls taller than 6'2 are like men above 6'8. Not many to go around and the power conferences scoop them up. Everyone else gets by with 6'2.

Maybe: I also think that with the speed that MSU likes to play ( add ISU and Sac State) does not conform to a true center pace. The reason that the griz hung with MSU is because they decided to speed up the game, and try and play fast. To do that they took out their Center and went with a faster "Smaller" Line-up. Great move by Harris in the Championship. Look at the speed of the OSU line-up. There leading inside scorer was 6'. She was fast down the floor.

Last year the ‘Cat roster featured 10 players 6’ and taller — by far the most in the league. I know that number is going to drop a few, but I still doubt there will be any Big Sky teams with that much height throughout the lineup, especially in mobile “full-court” players. But it does appear that the Big Sky coaches have felt the pressure to try to assemble lineups that are a lot more like MSU’s than they were.

I wish Coach Binford could patent her lineup and style of play — she beat everyone else in the league at the transformation by several years. 30 wins is pretty attention getting! But it’s like any arms (or legs) race, it’s a lot harder to come from behind than it looks. The ‘Cats now have a record of success and a program that should keep attracting the best recruits in the league.

I’ve forgotten the mis-guided folks that took their games and went away grumpy — every time I look at the new lineup, I just shake my head and say “it’s gonna be the best one yet.” Hopefully Leon grabbed some crypto when it was dirt cheap, as it looks like the only fly on the horizon (clouds, ointment, whatever) is that we may have to buy our way to stay at the top.

Go, ‘Cats!

Binford has never recruited primarily for height in the frontcourt. While size is a consideration, her focus has always been on speed, quickness, footwork, versatility, and increasingly, perimeter shooting—a reflection of both her coaching style and broader trends in college basketball.

Throughout her tenure, only a handful of Bobcats have fit the mold of a traditional 6'3" interior bruiser. For years, I have often said that her ideal roster would be 6'1"–6'2" across the board, led by tough, a 5-6ish point guards. Even when she has had taller players—like Janssen and Martin in recent seasons—they’ve been mobile, skilled, and able to shoot, often outperforming bigger frontcourts in major conferences.

Binford's teams may not be the tallest in the Big Sky, but they’re consistently among the most talented and versatile. She avoids slower, bulkier players in favor of those who can run, stretch the floor, and create problems on defense. While that can occasionally lead to being outmuscled under the basket, more often the Bobcats turn that quickness into a distinct advantage.

mslacat wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 10, 2025 3:55 pm

Binford has never recruited primarily for height in the frontcourt. While size is a consideration, her focus has always been on speed, quickness, footwork, versatility, and increasingly, perimeter shooting—a reflection of both her coaching style and broader trends in college basketball.

Throughout her tenure, only a handful of Bobcats have fit the mold of a traditional 6'3" interior bruiser. For years, I have often said that her ideal roster would be 6'1"–6'2" across the board, led by tough, a 5-6ish point guards. Even when she has had taller players—like Janssen and Martin in recent seasons—they’ve been mobile, skilled, and able to shoot, often outperforming bigger frontcourts in major conferences.

Binford's teams may not be the tallest in the Big Sky, but they’re consistently among the most talented and versatile. She avoids slower, bulkier players in favor of those who can run, stretch the floor, and create problems on defense. While that can occasionally lead to being outmuscled under the basket, more often the Bobcats turn that quickness into a distinct advantage.

Yep....this is one of the things I love about watching Binford's teams. lots of great athletes with position versatility. Not to mention they give great effort on the court.

We offered a 6'4 player thats a friend of Brianna Bailey i see.

SACCAT wrote: ↑

Fri Jun 06, 2025 7:47 am

lutecat wrote: ↑

Fri Jun 06, 2025 5:00 am

I feel like girls taller than 6'2 are like men above 6'8. Not many to go around and the power conferences scoop them up. Everyone else gets by with 6'2.

Maybe: I also think that with the speed that MSU likes to play ( add ISU and Sac State) does not conform to a true center pace. The reason that the griz hung with MSU is because they decided to speed up the game, and try and play fast. To do that they took out their Center and went with a faster "Smaller" Line-up. Great move by Harris in the Championship. Look at the speed of the OSU line-up. There leading inside scorer was 6'. She was fast down the floor.

Good point. Not only that, but Harris went totally away from the bigger slower Zingaro by the last games of the season. And now she's transfered. He probably saw that in the speed athletic dominated Big Sky Conference the slower players are liabilities. Noone can move them around in the paint, but they dont get back on defense very quickly and of the floor gets spread out, they are exposed.

lutecat wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 11, 2025 7:37 am

We offered a 6'4 player thats a friend of Brianna Bailey i see.

Yes, Binford has recruited — and will continue to recruit — taller players. I remember her once saying that she likes to have at least one taller player (6'4" or above) on the roster. I’d guess that’s valuable both for match-up purposes and for practice. That said, you’ll notice all of those players can still could run the floor.

As I mentioned before, you’ll almost never see a slower, big-bodied post player in her system. However, if a talented athletic 6'6" or 6'8" player wanted to be a Bobcat, Binford would sign her in a heartbeat. Most of those players are going to "bigger" programs At the end of the day, it’s all about the right fit for her program.