Problems For Montana

Let me throw a big giant caveat at the beginning of this article... Montana has played one game, and they have the best coach in the Big Sky, who has shown time and time again the ability to make adjustments as the season goes along to make the team better. However, this also needs to be said - The Grizzlies have some things to work on.

The fact that they lost on Tuesday to Minnesota is not a surprise. Minnesota is a good team, and they will win a lot of games this year. If Montana had won, it would have been a bigger upset than Northern Colorado beating Kansas State. However, the way they lost (84-58) had to be a bit discouraging for the Grizzlies. Heading into the year, it was easy to see some potential problem areas for Montana, which I highlighted in my preview. Through one game, those areas stood out.

Montana may well recover and win the Big Sky (nobody should doubt Wayne Tinkle at this point), but there are four big concerns I have about the Grizzlies right now:

1. Rebounding - Last year, they were not a good rebounding team. They had one of the lowest offensive rebounding rates in the country (25.1%, 334th in the nation), and personnel-wise, there doesn't seem to be a lot of help brought in. I think this is partly a function of their offense, but it lowers their margin for error offensively (more on the offense later). Defensive rebounding wise, they were not terrible last year, but frequently got outrebounded. Against Minnesota (who, it should be noted was the best offensive rebounding team in the country last year, although most of their best offensive rebounders from last season were not playing in the opener), the Grizzlies allowed 14 offensive rebounds, and got outrebounded 45-29. They may not be a great rebounding team, but they have to get better there. Fortunately, they won't play the Gophers again!

2. Defense - Don't look now, but the Grizzlies took a step back defensively compared to past season, allowing 1.00 PPP, after three straight seasons below 1.00 (including 0.96 PPP in 2012). This isn't a crisis - they were still second in the Big Sky by a big margin - but that is the difference between competing for a title and competing for second place. Against the Gophers, they allowed 1.24 PPP. The Gophers shot 11/25 from downtown, and their 14 offensive boards were a big factor there. Montana had a similarly bad game against BYU early last year, and things turned out ok, but it's something to keep an eye on.

3. Point Guard Play - In my preview, I noted my concern about Keron DeShields' ability to step in and run the show, and it was an uneven first game for him. He shot 3/11 from the floor (compared to 12 FGA for Kareem Jamar and six for Jordan Gregory), and had three assists compared to four turnovers. These are some of the same issues from last season, where he was a bit uneven as a ballhandler and not an efficient scorer. Backing him up, Mario Dunn played like a freshman. He was 2/5 from the field, but his line would have looked a lot better if he was better than 1/4 from the charity stripe. He had one assist and one turnover. I think Dunn will improve a lot as the year goes on, and could even seize the PG spot by conference play. We will see.

4. Interior scoring - To win in the Big Sky, you don't need an elite interior post threat. Heck, the Grizzlies have proven that the last couple of years. Of course, that doesn't mean it isn't something you would like to have. Against Montana, they had none. To wit, the lines of the frontcourt guys:

- Eric Hutchison played 11 minutes and was in some foul trouble. He scored two points and had no rebounds in his time.
- Chris Kemp played just seven minutes, going scoreless but grabbing three rebounds. I think he will be a bit like Spencer Coleman last season... slowly getting worked into things before becoming a big-time contributor by the end of the season.
- Andy Martin played six minutes, also going scoreless while grabbing one rebound.
- Michael Weisner is like Mathias Ward last season a bit... he is a frontcourt guy, and started at the four spot... but he is almost more comfortable on the perimeter. He scored five points on 2/5 shooting,  grabbing two rebounds but turning it over four times.

Again, it's only one game, against a very good opponent, and these things will definitely get better. Still, I bring them up because they were seen as potential areas of weakness heading into the season, and they were glaring in the opener. It is far too early to make any type of conclusions, but they will be things to watch. Grizzlies fans, what are you worried about (if anything)?

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A Good Montana Preview

GoGriz.com has posted an excellent and thorough preview of the Montana Grizzlies this season, and it is well worth a read. It can be found here. A few of the nuggets:

- Mario Dunn should see minutes right away, and Montana coaches except that within four or five games, he will be ready to contribute consistently. I wouldn't be too shocked if he pushes Keron DeShields for the starting spot. We should also see some Kareem Jamar at the one, showcasing his great versatility.

- It sounds as if fellow freshman Brandon Gfeller will redshirt this year, just from the quotes from Wayne Tinkle. Tinkle did call him, "As good a shooter as I've seen."

- The other freshman is Australian Jack Lopez. In a perfect world, I think he would redshirt. However, it sounds like will play and be a backup at the two and three spots. He is a solid shooter, but doesn't seem ready to contribute in more than a bit role.

- Junior college forward Chris Kemp will be counted on right away. At 6'6'', 240 pounds, and a big body who will get rebounds and make opponents work in the post. I have a feeling he will begin the year at the four spot. Jake Wiley could also be in the mix, but it looks like Kemp's job to lose.

- Riley Bradshaw, transfer from Utah State, will be eligible to play around Christmas. He could give them a big boost in conference play with his offensive ability.

- It sounds as if Mike Weisner will play a little more at the three than we have seen the past couple of seasons. Though his shooting can provide matchup problems at the four and five spots, his body type is probably better suited for the three if he can add some quickness.

- Eric Hutchison should begin the year starting at center, but I expect we will see something of a time split with him and Andy Martin. Martin had some nice moments as a freshman, but is still probably a little too limited to play more than 15 minutes a game consistently. We will also likely see Kemp at the 5 spot when they want to go a little quicker.

Any other thoughts on the Griz?

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Montana Extends Home Winning Streak to Advance to Title Game

Our dream Big Sky finals matchup awaits us: Montana vs Weber State, part 3. How did they get there? On Friday night, Montana took some punches from Northern Colorado, but wound up with a 14 point win.


Counting conference tournament games, make that 30 straight home conference victories for Montana. Behind a raucous crowd, they got off to an 11-0 start against Northern Colorado and never trailed in the ballgame. The Bears fought back all night, but the Grizzlies just seemed like they would not let them get closer than about six after the early stages of the second half, eventually winning 70-56 after extending the lead in garbage time.

Before the game, we talked about how the Bears might have the advantage down low, but they would need to slow down the quicker Montana guards. That did not happen in this game. Will Cherry (21 points, 3 assists) and Kareem Jamar (19 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists) seemed to go anywhere they pleased in this game, and they were just too quick and physical for Tevin Svihovec and Tate Unruh. On the other wise, Unruh and Svihovec couldn't get things going offensively.

Unruh did not play a bad game, his shots were just not falling. He finished 2/11 from the floor, including 2/10 from downtown. He is a guy that keeps shooting, and that is the gameplan. He still had six rebounds and four assists, but the fact that he wasn't hitting was big. Svihovec struggled all game. He was 1/9 from the floor, finishing with six points. He also had four turnovers, and was making poor offensive decisions all night. His development this offseason will be the key for UNC next season.

Connor Osborne played great in this game, finishing with 18 points and 12 rebounds. He was a force. Derrick Barden had 18 points and 7 rebounds, but it was a quiet 18 and 7. Montana's bigs played well enough to get the win, while UNC's guards did not. That was the difference in the game. Andy Martin had some productive minutes in the second half, while Eric Hutchison had some in the first half.

So, it all adds up to Montana hosting Weber State for the Big Sky championship. Again. 7pm mountain time on Saturday night - it is going to be a fun one, that is for sure.

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Montana's Rebounding is a Major Issue

On Saturday night, Montana hosted South Dakota State in a game that they could win, and would be big for their resume and for the conference (SDSU is ranked 14th in the mid-major poll). However, for Montana, the issue again was rebounding the basketball, which was a key factor in a 68-67 double OT loss. They had their chances:

The Jackrabbits jumped to a 59-53 lead with 3:01 left in the first overtime on a lay-up by junior forward Chad White. The Griz cut SDSU's lead to one (59-58) on a three-pointer by Weisner and a lay-up by senior forward Mathias Ward with 1:35 left to play.

Once again the Griz had a chance to take the lead, but junior guard-forward Kareem Jamar made just the first of his two free throw shots, and his charity shot knotted the game up at 59-all with five seconds left in the first OT. UM sophomore guard Keron DeShield fired up a desperation three-point attempt, but it was long and off to the left, forcing the second overtime.

On a more macro level, rebounding continues to be their Achilles' heel. The Jackrabbits had a 46-31 rebound advantage, including 14 offensive rebounds (leading to a 22-4 edge in second-half points for SDSU). As Bob Meseroll writes, in the Grizzlies' four losses, they are an astounding -50 in rebounding. They have an OR% of 16.6%, which is dead last in the country (347 out of 347).

They struggled rebounding last year, but there were a couple differences. One, Derek Selvig was there. He was much maligned in his career, but he was the best defensive rebounder on the team. Two, Will Cherry being out hurt, because he was a good rebounder from the PG spot and DeSheilds/Gregory aren't as good. It is not a great sign when getting your PG back will really help your rebounding woes, but that is the case for Montana.

Kareem Jamar is the team's best rebounder, and it's not even really close. Here is a look at the rebounding rates of everyone 6'7'' or taller on the Grizzlies:

By comparison, Konner Veteto of Sac State leads the conference with a 14.9 OR%, and Joel Bolomboy of Weber State leads with a 29.2 DR%. Montana's big men's rebounding numbers aren't just bad, they are terrible. They simply can't beat good teams if they continue to rebound like this.

The solutions are not obvious. Mathias Ward is their best big man because he is a really good offensive player, but he has shown throughout his career he doesn't add anything on the glass. Eric Hutchison showed flashes of being a good defender and rebounder last year, but those flashes haven't been there this season. Andy Martin can contribute in spurts, but he is probably a year or two away from being a guy they can really count on. Same for Jake Wiley.

The key might be Spencer Coleman. He is just 6'6'', but was a good rebounder at the JUCO level. He is a very talented player but has struggled making the transition to the DI level. Getting Will Cherry back will help, but the Grizzlies could really use Coleman turning into a legitimate Big Sky starting forward. The talent is still there to win the conference, but they need someone in the frontcourt to step up. So far, that hasn't happened.

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Where Will Montana Get Frontcourt Production?

 

When the preseason polls come out, it is likely that Montana will be ranked first in both the coaches and media polls, even with Will Cherry missing the start of the season. It is understandable, because they were that good last year, and they do return a lot of talent.

However, the elephant in the room for them is this - where are they going to get frontcourt production?

On one hand, they were not a frontcourt dominated team last year. Their best post up player was probably their two guard, Kareem Jamar (which will be the case again this year), and their big men were not guys that would go down on the block. However, Derek Selvig (their starting five last year), added a bunch of production in many ways. Art Steward (their starting three), was a glue guy that did it all for the Grizzlies. I think these guys will be missed a little bit more than people think.

Mathias Ward is the returning frontcourt player for Montana. He is an outstanding player that averaged almost 11 points per game, and you could see him getting more comfortable as the season went along. He will be a major part of their offense. However, his game is as a jump shooter. He will not provide inside scoring.

Part of the frontcourt production was supposed to be taken care of by JUCO big man Marko Kovacevic, who averaged 12 and 8 last year in junior college. He looked like he could be the legitimate post threat that Montana did not have last year. However, he was ruled academically ineligible, and likely won't be able to play all season.

Who does that leave? Eric Hutchison is the most experienced, though he played just 7.2 minutes per game last year. He is a banger, and the Grizzlies hope he can provide tough defense and rebounding down low. Spencer Coleman is projected to start at the three, but there is word that he could play some smallball four as well. He will be a stud, and playing the four could provide them with their most talented lineup. Michael Weisner got a little time as well, but at a skinny 6'7'' might not hold up to the rigors of playing too much as a post player.

Then there are a couple of freshmen options. Andy Martin is a little more traditional as a big man, since he is a legit 7-footer, but he seems too raw to be a consistent threat. The more likely option could be Jake Wiley. Like Coleman, he is a bit of a hybrid 3/4 game, but he has a lot of potential because of his athletic abilities, especially on the defensive end.

There are lots of potential options, but nobody experienced that they know can rebound or score in the post. This is the biggest question mark for the Grizzlies heading into the season, even more than the loss of Cherry early in the year. How the young guys develop, and how Wayne Tinkle hashes out his rotation, will play big roles in whether or not Montana can repeat as Big Sky champions.

How do you guys see it shaking out?

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Montana Holds Court Over Portland State

In the other Big Sky conference game of the day, the road team got off to a great start to secure the victory. Not in this one. Here it was Montana that jumped out to an early 10 point lead, and the game was never really in doubt after that.

Montana shot 58% in the first half (including 7/9 from beyond the arc), which enabled them to get a 19 point lead going into the break. Portland State had a couple solid runs in the second half to cut the deficit down a bit, but they never really made it too interesting.

Kareem Jamar led the team with 17 points, also contributing 4 rebounds and 4 assists. He had a couple of great looks that led the easy baskets for the Griz, and he is really growing to be a great playmaker for them. The announcers of the game were heaping a lot of praise on Jamar near the end of the game, and it was hard to argue with anything. He is very talented offensively, and very advanced for being a sophomore.

Will Cherry also played well, with 15 points, including knocking down some outside shots, which is huge for him. He also had the play of the day... on a fast break, he threw up a beautiful alley oop that was completed by Art Steward (who also had 15) for an athletic finish (highlights can be found here). Cherry had a cramp later in the game, but should be fine for Friday. Cherry opposing Lateef McMullan (0/7, 0 points) was a huge mismatch in this game.

Derek Selvig and Eric Hutchison did not contribute a bunch offensively, but they were very sound defensively against a strong offensive frontcourt of PSU. In particular they played outstanding defense against Nate Lozeau.

It will not be a game Lozeau will want to remember. Coming into the day he was shooting 64%, but he was just 1/8 from the floor for 4 points and 3 rebounds, while also battling foul trouble. Chehales Tapscott didn't do much better offensively with 7 points, but he did have 12 rebounds and is just very active on the glass. Renado Parker had another great effort (16 points, 8 rebounds), and is one heck of a player down low, but it was not enough.

The bright spot for PSU was Charles Odum, who had a very efficient 27 points, taking only 13 shots. He got to the line well, and got into the lane for some easy shots. He is really an excellent player, though some of the points did come in garbage time.

Montana came out firing and played great, setting up an early season game against Eastern Washington to determine who will be #2 in the perception of those following the league. Meanwhile, PSU falls to 0-7 on the road this year, and has to turn around in 2 days to take on Montana State. It is a win they could definitely use.

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Montana Beats Idaho, Some Questions Still Remain

Montana took down Idaho 57-52 on Thursday night, mostly on the back of an outstanding game by junior PG Will Cherry.

His 24 points certainly didn't hurt. The career-high 11 rebounds - from a 6-foot-1 point guard - were crucial. His 4-for-6 effort from 3-point range certainly got the crowd of 2,684 fired up against the Grizzlies' former Big Sky Conference rival.

And the six points Cherry limited the Vandals' Deremy Geiger to - 10 below his team-best average - certainly looked big after the Griz survived a near second-half collapse.

After struggling a bit in the first two games of the year, Cherry played like the First-Team Big Sky player that he is against the Vandals. His 24 points and 11 rebounds were game highs, and the rebounds were especially important for a team that struggled rebounding earlier this season. He also led the team with 4 assists and 2 steals, and played outstanding defense on Idaho G Deremy Geigel. All in all, it is far to say he carried the Grizzlies.

Cherry needed to carry them on this game, because once again the frontcourt did not produce. Still without Derek Selvig, here is the stat line for the Grizzlies three bigs (Mathias Ward, Billy Reader, Eric Hutchison): 64 minutes, 9 points, 8 rebounds, 11 fouls. That is simply not going to get it done. Even if they do not provide a lot of offensive pop (which Selvig will help provide when he is back), they need to contribute rebounding the basketball, where they have not been good. Mathias Ward had 1 rebound in 32 minutes.

Montana is 3-1 but there is certainly a lot of work to be done to get to where they want to be. Wiith games at San Diego on Sunday, and then a trip to North Dakota and home date against Long Beach State next week, they quickly have a chance to pick up some nice wins. According to Griz Basketball, "Selvig was not in uniform Thursday, but he was out of the boot that he’s been wearing since spraining his left ankle in an exhibition win over Lewis-Clark State on Nov. 3."

The Grizzlies are getting better, but they need the bigs to show up this week. If they do, Montana has a chance to distingush themselves from a lot of the Big Sky.

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Montana Falls to Colorado State 64-58

I made the trek up to Ft. Collins on Friday night to watch Montana take on Colorado State, and was treated to a defensive slugfest. The Grizzlies shot 41% from the field, the Rams shot 40%, and neither team was in sync offensively (no doubt with help from the opposing defenses). Here are some of the notes from the game that I jotted down.

- The biggest factor in the game was the huge rebounding disparity. CSU outrebounded the Griz 43-24, including 11 offensive rebounds to 3. The biggest of the game was with about 35 seconds left. CSU was up 3 with the ball, and the shot clock was winding down. They had to force a shot, and because of a switch Will Cherry was stuck trying to box out Pierce Hornung (who finished with 12 rebounds), and Hornung rebounded the miss, and that was essentially the ballgame. At the end of the ballgame, the Griz lineup looked like: Cherry-Stockton-Jamar-Steward-Weisner.

- Of the big guys we talked about stepping in, Mathias Ward probably had the best game. He was 4/5 from the field and displayed good range on his jumpshot out to 18 feet. However, I suspect he was on the bench in crunch time because he only had 1 rebound in 20 minutes. Eric Hutchison was solid defensively in his 22 minutes of action, with 5 rebounds and 2 blocks. He is not very skilled offensively, but he did use his body well to get a couple easy buckets. Billy Reader his a nice jump hook on the block early in the first half, but then essentially disappeared the rest of the game. He strangely is not appearing the box score that I got, but he definitely played (trust me!). He was simply not a factor.

- Will Cherry definitely still is inconsistent on his jump shot, which I thought was the biggest thing he needed to work on. He was 1/5 from beyond the arc, and all were good looks. He did hit a big 3 midway through the 2nd half, but missed an open one with the Griz down 59-56 with 2 minutes to play. He struggled a bit with his midrange jumper as well, as he missed a couple of good looks. I suspect that will come in time. He played almost the whole game and drew a tough defensive assignment, so I'm not sure if fatigue was a factor at all. He was assertive at the end of the game, and got to the foul line a couple times late to keep the game tight. I believe his first rest came with about 10 minutes left to play in the second half, and his absence was felt immediately. With Montana down 48-39, he sat on the bench and Montana immediately turned it over before they even got in their set. On the other end, Jesse Carr hit an open 3, and all of a sudden it was 51-39.

- Art Steward and Kareem Jamar were both plagued with first half foul trouble, and that was a big factor. Montana struggled to get good looks without them in there, and the lack of Derek Selvig was definitely felt. They weren't able to get open shots, and it didn't seem like anyone other than Cherry was able to get a shot for himself or for a teammate. It almost seemed at times like the offense was running through Shawn Stockton.

- Kareem Jamar played an excellent second half, and he is a guy that can create shots. He is athletic, and good range on his jumper, and gets down low and battles for rebounds. They also effectively got him the ball on the block, and he showed an ability to score on smaller defenders down there. He was the best on the team last night at getting his own shot. He finished 5/10 with 12 points, and also had 5 rebounds and 3 assists.

- Two guys hit big 3s. With Montana down 30-20, Michael Weisner hit a big 3 to make it 30-23 going into the break, which had to be a nice lift (CSU coach Tim Miles said after the game... "33 hit a big shot at the end of the half... I don't even know his name"). Near the end of the game, Art Steward his a huge 3 to cut the lead to 58-56, and it looked like the Griz had momentum. Unfortunately, Wes Eikmeier responded with an NBA range 3 on the next possession, and Montana would never cut it to 2 again.

- Of the freshman, Kevin Henderson was the first to see action. He played two minutes but had little to no impact. Jordan Gregory played 6 minutes but also was unable to provide any type of spark. Keron DeShields did not play, but he was the guy that is always trying to sit closer to the coach on the bench to get noticed. It didn't work in this game, but I liked his attitude!

- The above photo of Coach Tinkle in the huddle talking to the guys was snapped by my lovely wife! Selvig was off to the left in the black sweatsuit. He was walking gingerly but his limp from the sprain was not too bad.

All in all, it is a disappointing loss but not a bad loss. I think it is definitely a game Montana thinks they could have won, but they were definitely impacted by the loss of Selvig, both in rebounding and in creating some shots for teammates. Miles said that Montana, "Came in a man down and really did a great job," but the Griz won't be taking a moral victory here. They had a chance to win a game on the road against a quality opponent and just came up a little bit short.

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Billy Hutchinson Will Start If Derek Selvig Can't Play

We took a look at what Montana's frontcourt looks like without Derek Selvig, and now there is an article from Montana Kaimin that confirms that Eric Hutchinson would get the start against Colorado State if Derek Selvig can't play.

"We're bringing him on the trip," Tinkle said. "I know it's probably unlikely he'll play, but I'm not ruling it out. If he's not ready, he's not ready. We're not going to make him play injured."

If the 7-foot, 230-pound Selvig is unable to play, Tinkle said it is likely 6-foot-9, 230-pound sophomore Eric Hutchison would start in his place.

It is a little interesting, as I thought Billy Reader would have gotten the start, since he played more minutes in their exhibition game, but Tinkle must have liked the strong rebounding ability of Hutchinson. Either way, Reader will certainly get a lot of minutes.

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Montana's Frontcourt Without Derek Selvig

The biggest question mark for Montana heading into the season was their frontcourt after the loss of Brian Qvale, and that frontcourt will have a little less depth for the opener on Friday. Derek Selvig, who hurt his ankle in their exhibition game, is a game-time decision according to Griz Central, but I have a hard time believing he will be ready to play.

In case he is not, Wayne Tinkle is going to have to improvise. The guy that will be most relied on is Mathias Ward, a skilled offensive player at 6'7''. Ward had 11 points in 23 minutes against Lewis-Clark State, and looks to be the top option in the post. He is not a great rebounder but he will provide some scoring inside.

A couple other guys that will see significant minutes are Billy Reader and Eric Hutchinson. Hutchinson is a sophomore that is a bit raw, but has a lot of upside as a defender and rebounder. In the exhibition he had 4 rebounds in 6 minutes. I think Reader will get the start, and he has a lot of upside. He is a redshirt freshman, but is offensively skilled.

Colorado State is not deep in the post, and that is a good thing for Montana. Beyond those three guys, the Grizzlies do not have a lot of places to turn to for help. I suspect we will see more than a couple four guard sets, with Art Steward, Kareem Jamar, or Kevin Henderson at the 4.

Safe to say that whether Selvig is able to play a bit or not, we will quickly learn a lot about the rest of the post men for Wayne Tinkle's ballclub.

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How Will Montana Replace Brian Qvale?

I suspect few people outside of the Big Sky know just how good Brian Qvale was last season (and throughout his career for Montana). He was the Big Sky Defensive POY last year, but he also finished 6th in the conference in scoring (at 14.9 PPG). At 8.8 RPG, he led the Big Sky in rebounding. With 3.0 blocks per game, he had 19 more blocks than anyone else in the conference. He shot 62.6% from the field, which was second in the Big Sky among player that shot more than 25 times on the season.

From KAJ18:

Tinkle has a large void to fill, as starter Brian Qvale has graduated. The 6-11 center led the team in scoring (14.9 ppg) and rebounding (8.8 rpg), and was a first team All-Big Sky Conference pick and the league's "Defensive Player of the Year." He also set conference records for career blocks (247) and single-season (95 last year) rejections.

He was extremely efficient offensively, great on the boards, and the best defensive big man in the conference (and one of the best in the country). Safe to say Coach Wayne Tinkle wishes he had another season of eligibility.

All of this begs the question... how is Montana going to replace Brian Qvale?

The first person to look at is Derek Selvig, the 7-footer who has been a constant presence in the lineup. Even though he is a 7-footer, his game is very different from Qvale's. While Qvale was a traditional post player, Selvig is more skilled, and likes to move around the court more. He shot 100 3-pointers last year (making 39), but was not all that efficient inside the arc, shooting just 41.5% from 2s. He is one of the best passing big men in the country, and had an ARate of 19.8, second on the team behind Will Cherry. While his length will still cause defensive problems, it would be huge if he can improve rebounding the ball to make up for some of Qvale's loss.

Another guy that will be counted on is Mathias Ward, although he too is not a traditional big man. He is 6'7'', and a skilled offensive player, but is not great rebounding or on the defensive side of the ball. He has a nice midrange game, and shot over 50% last year (and an impressive 81% from the FT line). However, he struggled guarding physical posts, and posted mediocre rebound rates (7.1 OR%, 10.8 DR%). He can be effective in certain roles, but might have to be hidden a bit defensively. He brings a lot of versatility to the lineup though.

Then there are a couple of guys that played limited minutes as freshman, but will be called on to contribue in Billy Reader and Eric Hutchison. Both are 6'9'' and more traditional centers. Billy Reader seems to have the most upside, and he could be the best post scorer on the Montana roster. Hutchison is more raw, but could be a solid post defender and rebounder.

Without Qvale, things will certainly be different for Montana, as they will not have that dominant defensive big man and efficient low post scorer. It will be up to a combination of guys to replace him... If the bigs can get it done for Montana, another top 3 finish in the Big Sky seems very likely.