Frontier Notebook: With LC State leaving, Frontier schedule could have more quirks

For the second time this month, the Montana State University-Northern basketball teams will host Carroll College in a weekday Frontier Conference doubleheader. And a day later, the Lights and Skylights will meet Providence for the second time in two weeks.

One week after that, Northern plays Montana Tech and Lewis-Clark State for the second go-around in January, as well, all the while, without having played Rocky Mountain College and Montana Western since early December.

Sound weird? Well, welcome to the Frontier basketball schedule, and, it's only going to get more odd.

Northern, and most Frontier fans, weren't used to weeknight games unless they were on a Thursday, but when Westminster College left the league several years ago and its replacement, Dickinson State, bolted back to an all-Dakota conference after trying out the Frontier for just one year, those two schools left the Frontier in a scheduling bind so to speak. And that bind, over the last couple of years, included some early weeknight Frontier games.

This season, however, it's more unusual than ever. Northern played Carroll at home on a Tuesday earlier this month, while Wednesday night's games in Havre will be Carroll's third early-week game in January. The schedule also means Northern is catching Providence on its first game of the week for the second time in 15 days. Yes, it's odd to say the least.

And, things will get even more strange as we move into the next decade because, LC State is in its final year as a member of the Frontier, so, starting next volleyball season, volleyball and hoops will be down to just six teams.

The schedule for next year's hoops season is already set, and teams will again play each other three times, but after that, if drastic changes aren't made the league, I think its coaches, and athletic directors really need to consider going back to the Frontier schedule of the 1980s, which means everybody play each other four times a season, with each series being back-to-back home games. Remember those days in the Armory? I do, and if some new teams aren't added to the league soon, I think it might be time to bring those good times back again because this current schedule, it's just not consistent, and eventually, it's going to cause more problems than it's honestly worth.

Here comes Western

Both Montana Western teams were picked to finish at, or near the bottom of the Frontier Conference this season, but both men's and women's teams are looking anything but bottom feeders at the moment.

The Western men, after taking some major lumps last season, the first without now Providence head coach Steve Keller, won back-to-back league games last weekend, including handing Carroll its first loss in conference play. Behind the high-scoring duo of James Jones and Cedric Boone, the Bulldogs are not to be taken lightly the rest of this season.

Of course, no one should have ever taken the Western women lightly. Sure they lost NAIA Player of the Year Bri King, and a host of others from last year's national championship team, but Lindsey Woolley didn't turn Western into a one-hit wonder. No, the Dawgs may have taken a small step back, but they're still really good, and they proved that with their win over nationally ranked Rocky Mountain College last weekend. Now, a Western team that was put on the back burner back in the fall, is alone in second place in the Frontier, and looks like it will have more than a good chance to return to Billings in March to defend its 2019 national championship.

Frontier Honors

Lewis-Clark State players swept Frontier Player of the Week awards.

LCSC's Josiah Westbrook was named Men's Player of the Week, after averaging 25 points over his last two games.

LC's Kiara Burlage was named Women's Player of the Week. Burlage averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds in wins over Northern and Providence last week.

Northern's Hailey Nicholson and Kavon Bey were also nominated this week.

Frontier Honors

Lewis-Clark State players swept Frontier Player of the Week awards.

LCSC's Josiah Westbrook was named Men's Player of the Week, after averaging 25 points over his last two games.

LC's Kiara Burlage was named Women's Player of the Week. Burlage averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds in wins over Northern and Providence last week.

Northern's Hailey Nicholson and Kavon Bey were also nominated this week.

Frontier Conference Women's Standings

Conf. All

W-L W-L

Carroll College 5-1 13-5

Montana Western 4-2 11-6

MSU-Northern 3-3 14-4

Lewis-Clark State 3-3 11-5

Rocky Mountain 3-3 11-5

Providence 2-4 11-7

Montana Tech 1-5 11-7

Frontier Conference Men's Standings

Conf. All

W-L W-L

Lewis-Clark State 5-1 17-1

Carroll College 5-1 14-4

Providence 4-2 16-2

Montana Tech 3-3 11-6

Montana Western 2-4 9-8

MSU-Northern 1-5 11-7

Rocky Mountain 1-5 6-9