Montana Grizzlies
Big Sky (25-6, 15-1)
Montana had another fine season under Coach Wayne Tinkle. The Grizzlies had a little trouble in non-conference play, although they did beat Long Beach State in between loses to North Dakota and San Francisco. By conference play the Grizzlies were on a roll and they went through the entire regular season only losing to a very good Weber State squad on the road. The Grizzlies got revenge on the final day of the regular season, beating Weber State 66-51 and claiming the Big Sky title and even more revenge in the Big Sky Conference Tournament final with a 85-66 victory over the Wildcats.
Big Wins: 11/26 Long Beach State (73-71), 1/29 at Portland State (69-67), 2/28 Weber State (66-51)
Bad Losses: 11/23 at North Dakota (81-88), 12/1 San Francisco (62-65), 12/4 at Oregon State (46-71)
Coach: Wayne Tinkle (6 seasons at Montana)
Why They Can Surprise:
Montana has five very good scorers both inside and out. It all starts with Will Cherry. The 6-1 junior has taken over the leadership role for the Grizzlies and has done a superb job. He can shoot from long range and use his speed and quickness to get to the basket. Kareem Jamar has emerged as a fine secondary scorer and a very effective outside shooter. At 6-5, Jamar can shoot over most opponents, but he also gives Montana some good size on the perimeter. The frontcourt consists of Art Steward, Mathias Ward and Derek Selvig. Steward is only 6-4, but he is a dynamic scorer and a very good athlete. Ward has more size and is very efficient on the offensive end. He can consistently knock down the mid-range jumper and stretch out the opposing defense. However, it is Selvig, a seven-footer, who really stretches out the offense. He is a shooter and his size makes him extremely tough for the opposition to defend.
Why They Can Disappoint:
However, Selvig is not much of a physical presence on the defense end and that is where Montana has run into problems. A year ago Selvig was a very big power forward. This year he has to man the middle. Selvig will block some shots and grab some rebounds, but he can lose defensive battles against stronger big men. Rebounding as a whole is a weakness for the Grizzlies. They do have some decent size on the wings and a couple players in Jamar and Steward who can hit the glass. But those numbers are a little elevated because most of the five starters play a ton of minutes. And that is where the Grizzlies can run into more problems. Guard Shawn Stockton is the only reserve player who sees consistent minutes. With the versatility Jamar, Steward and Ward, Montana can cover themselves matching up against the opposition, but foul trouble can sneak up on the frontcourt. When that happens, Coach Tinkle either has to reach down his bench or play significant minutes without one of his offensive weapons. And if Montana loses an offensive weapon, the defense will have a tough time making up for it.
Probable Starters:
Will Cherry, Junior, Guard, 16.0 ppg, 3.4 apg, 2.6 spg
Kareem Jamar, Sophomore, Guard, 13.8 ppg, 3.7 apg, 5.6 rpg
Art Steward, Senior, Forward, 9.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg
Mathias Ward, Junior, Forward, 11.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg
Derek Selvig, Senior, Forward, 9.2 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.2 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
Shawn Stockton, Senior, Guard, 3.6 ppg, 1.3 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 70.0 (119th in nation, 5th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 61.4 (43, 1)
Field-Goal Percentage: 46.3 (52, 3)
Field-Goal Defense: 39.8 (28, 1)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.1 (171, 6)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 36.9 (59, 3)
Free-Throw Percentage: 71.4 (93, 3)
Rebound Margin: -0.8 (218, 6)
Assists Per Game: 13.9 (81, 2)
Turnovers Per Game: 12.9 (113, 3)
Last Five Postseason Appearances:
Montana 2011 CBI First Round loss to Duquesne
Montana 2010 NCAA Round of 64 loss to New Mexico
Montana 2006 NCAA Round of 64 win over Nevada
Montana 2006 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Boston College
Montana 2005 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Washington
Montana 2002 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Oregon
*all team stats through 3/4
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
