MBB: What a spectacular 2011-12 season the Montana Grizzlies had. They set a conference record for wins in a season by winning 15 of 16 league games last season, and before falling to Wisconsin in the NCAA tournament, they had a 14-game win streak at one point. Their 25 overall wins was the third-highest mark in program history. Only the 1949-50 and 1991-92 seasons were better, as both those squads went 27-4.
Head coach Wayne Tinkle is back for his 7th season at his alma mater, and he returns three starters--also his top three scorers--as they make a run for another conference championship. Tinkle also returns two of his assistant coaches in Freddie Owens and Jono Metzger-Jones, but lost top assistant Bill Evans to Idaho State, as he was named the head coach in Pocatello. Replacing Evans is Kerry Rupp, who had previously served as head coach at Louisiana Tech and recently served as director of basketball operations at Hawaii.
One of those three starters back in the fold is senior guard Will Cherry (above left), who led the team in scoring last season at just under 16 points/game. However, Cherry won't be back in the lineup until December at the latest, as he's out with a foot injury he sustained playing a pick-up game in late September. In his abscence, a trio of sophomore guards (Keron Deshields, Jordan Gregory, and Kevin Henderson) are expected to pick up the slack in Cherry's place.
The other starters back are senior forward Mathias Ward and junior guard Kareem Jamar. Ward was the team's third-leading scorer last season as he averaged just under 11 points/game, while Jamar was second on the team in both scoring (13.6 points/game) and rebounding (5.6 boards/game). Jamar also recorded a triple-double (to match his jersey number, ironically) in the Grizzlies' Bracket-Buster game against Hawaii on February 18 (21 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists).
The starters lost to graduation were center Derek Selvig, who led the Grizzlies in rebounding (at 6.1/game) and blocks (35), and forward Art Steward, who led the team in field goal percentage (61%) in league games. Junior center Eric Hutchison appears to be the favorite to replace Selvig at center, while junior Spencer Coleman (a JC transfer) or sophomore Mike Weisner will compete to take the place of Steward in the starting lineup. Also back for the Grizzlies are redshirt freshmen Nick Emerson and Morgan Young (both of whom were walk-ons last season, with Emerson now on scholarship), while true freshmen Andy Martin (center) and Jake Wiley (forward) round out the roster.
Center Billy Reader is no longer on the team, as he transferred to College of Southern Idaho after academic issues caused him to miss the second half of the 2011-12 season. Guard Riley Bradshaw will join the team at the beginning of spring semester after he transfers from Utah State (where he originally committed) at the end of fall semester. Bradshaw can practice with the team, but he will not be eligible to play until the second half of the 2013-14 season due to NCAA transfer rules.
VERDICT: Despite losing two starters to graduation, the Grizzlies are still very dangerous with their three main scorers coming back. But with the additions of North Dakota and Southern Utah to the conference this season, it makes the conference race more interesting. Still, the Grizzlies and Weber State are the class of the league, and the conference title will once again have to go through either Missoula or Ogden.
WBB: The Montana Lady Griz are the only team in the Big Sky Conference--men's or women's--to bring back all five of the team's starters. The team also has the elder statesman of all league coaches in Robin Selvig, who is entering his 35th season as the Lady Griz skipper. Selvig also has the luxury of having the most experienced assistant coaching staff in the nation, all consisting of former players that played under him.Senior center Katie Baker (right) is regarded as the team's best player, as she led Montana in both scoring (15 points/game) and rebounding (7.2 boards/game). The 2011-12 season was the first time she played (and started) in all of the team's games, as a knee injury caused her to miss the second half of her freshman season and an appendectomy forced her to 6th man duty midway through her sophomore season. Baker is one of the conference's top inside threats, and she should be in the mix for Big Sky MVP at season's end.
The two other senior starters are guard Kenzie DeBoer and forward Alyssa Smith. DeBoer was second on the team in scoring at 10.8 points/game, but is regarded more for her defense, as she led the team in steals with 72. Smith was third on the team in rebounding at 6.1 boards/game despite scoring only 4.9 points/game.
There are two junior starters that are back this season: forward Jordan Sullivan and guard Torry Hill. Sullivan was second on the team in rebounding at 6.6 boards/game and was the 4th leading scorer at 7 points/game. Hill is the team's top deep threat, as she led the team in three-pointers with 53, and with her great range behind the arc, she could be in for a huge junior season.
With all that talent in the starting lineup, there's plenty of it on the bench as well. Top bench players for the Lady Griz include senior Alexandra Hurley and three sophomores: guard Kellie Cole and forwards Carly Selvig and Maggie Rickman. Redshirt freshman Hannah Doran will see some playing time this season, as will a pair of true freshmen in guard McCalle Feller and forward Shenae Gilham.
Rounding out the roster are sophomore guard Haley Vining and three more true freshmen: forward Molly Klinker (who won three Class B titles at Fairfield High School), forward Rachel Staudacher (who is the cousin of former Griz guard Ryan Staudacher), and guard DJ Reinhardt (who chose to stay in Missoula and play for the Lady Griz).
VERDICT: With five starters coming back and Robin Selvig as head coach, the Lady Griz are a team that should not be counted out of the race for the conference title. But their bugaboo in the past couple of seasons has been shooting the ball, while at the same time defense has been the team's best strength. With an experienced team and plenty of threats off the bench, Montana is a serious threat to unseat Idaho State as conference champion.
And that concludes the basketball version of the Big Sky Conference Countdown. It should be a great season with two new teams and an expanded conference tournament. Enjoy the season everybody!
Photo credits: Missoulian
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