Day One Is In The Books

With three quarterfinal games of the Big Sky tournament on Thursday, we knew we'd get some great games. Fortunately, we were treated to all three games coming down to the end. Let's take a quick recap of what happened.

North Dakota 79, Sacramento State 76
This one was consistently entertaining from start to finish, with both teams making plays offensively throughout. The Hornets build up a lead in the second half, but North Dakota stayed right in it, made some free throws down the stretch, and got a stop when they needed it. The Hornets were led by their strong backcourt, as always. Mikh McKinney led the way with 24 points and 7 assists, practically living at the foul line in the second half. His backcourt mate Dylan Garrity had 18 points and six rebounds, draining all four threes that he attempted. Cody Demps was big as well, with 15 points.

But North Dakota just had too many weapons in this game, and hit lots of big shots down the stretch. The star at the end was Aaron Anderson, who kept making plays. He finished with 16 points and four assists. The other guy that I thought really stepped up for them was Josh Schuler, who had 11 points and four assists off the bench, and just kept making big play after big play. The senior was huge when UND needed him most. He did get tackled a bit by McKinney at the end of the game (McKinney was desperately trying to foul, not a dirty play at all, just had a bad ending), so it remains to be seen his status going forward.

For the Hornets, it's a bitter loss since they were so close to the win, but they can at least take solace in the fact that they should be back next year, and be one of the favorites in the Big Sky. North Dakota advances to play another day, and that's all you can ask for at this point in the season!

Northern Colorado 62, Northern Arizona 60
For a while, it looked like the Northern Colorado club we saw to begin the conference season - the one that was obliterating opponents, unstoppable on offense, and relentless on defense. With nine minutes to play, they led by 20. But NAU is a resilient club, and they just kept chipping away, until suddenly it was 62-60 and the Jacks had the ball with the chance to tie or win. Quinton Upshur's shot at the end didn't fall, but it was a great effort getting back in the game. NAU fed big man Max Jacobson all game, and he was excellent in his swan song, with 18 points. Aaseem Dixon was another star, with 20 off the bench, keying the comeback with three pointer after three pointer. Like Sac State, they will be back and even better next season.

For the Bears, if they play like they did the first 30 minutes, they absolutely can beat Weber State. If they play like they did down the stretch, they'll get blown out. Tevin Svihovec led the charge early, and finished with 14 points. Derrick Barden had 15, and Tate Unruh had 12 points. They remain, even now, a mystifying team, and that was certainly on display on Thursday. Hopefully we will see the "Good UNC" on Friday, because when they are clicking, there is not a more fun team to watch in the Big Sky.

Portland State 70, Montana 63
Just like that, Montana's title defense is over. Portland State did something nobody has been able to do for a couple years... beat Montana in the Big Sky tournament. Montana led much of the first 30 minutes or so, but this was a close game throughout. With four minutes left, the game was very much in doubt... but from then on, the Vikings could do no wrong.

Montana struggled from the outside, shooting 1/10 from three-point range. Kareem Jamar was 0/5 from deep, and just couldn't get a jumper to fall all game, though he still finished with 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists. He had an amazing career (hopefully I will write more on that soon), but it was a tough final game. Credit should go to PSU defensively... it was the best defensive game I've seen them play. They were flying around, and packing the paint.

Offensively, the Vikings were excellent as well, and hit a lot of tough shots, and attacked the rim hard. Kyle Richardson continued his string of great performances, finishing with 19. DaShaun Wiggins had 18 off the bench. Gary Winston had 11. The Vikings struggled offensively early, but really found their groove in the second half. They absolutely can win the Big Sky tournament the way that they are playing right now.

Still, it was odd to see Montana fall. Since I started writing this blog, they have reigned supreme in the Big Sky, winning the title each of the last two seasons. Their string of four straight conference title game appearances is outstanding. It has been fun watching Kareem Jamar throughout his career. In applauding Portland State for their win, we must applaud the Grizzlies on their way out.

The semifinals are set -

(1) Weber State vs. (6) Northern Colorado
(2) North Dakota vs. (5) Portland State

Previews to hopefully come in the morning! Any thoughts?

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Look Out For Montana

It has been an up and down season for Montana. They were 5-4 in non-conference play, and then surprisingly dropped their home opener against Northern Arizona once Big Sky play started. After a home loss to Northern Colorado, they were 2-4, and need a furious barrage of threes in the second half to take down Idaho State to avoid falling to 2-5.

But yet, after close road wins against Southern Utah and Montana State, the Grizzlies are 5-5 in the Big Sky, and I can't shake the feeling that when the dust settles, they will be in third or fourth in the Big Sky.

As I have documented here before, they have their issues. They are not a good defensive team, giving up 1.09 PPP in conference play, which is 8th in the Big Sky. Their frontcourt issues are well documented - their most used lineup features four guards playing. But I think they are getting better, and it wouldn't surprise me if they kept getting better - that's just what Wayne Tinkle's teams do.

Their struggles have masked the fact that they are actually pretty good offensively. Against DI opponents this year, they shoot 38% on threes and 53% on two-pointers, both top 50 marks in the country. They are able to get to the line, but also shoot a lot of threes, which is a nice combo for a good-shooting team. They have a top 50 mark in the country in terms of taking care of the basketball, with a solid 16.1% turnover rate.

They are still led by Kareem Jamar, who is carrying a big load but playing excellent basketball. He shoots 52% on twos and 38% on threes, while maintaining his great assist rate and solid rebounding rate. This season, he has dramatically cut his turnover rate even as his assist rate and usage rate has jumped. He's not getting as much hype this year because of the struggles of the Grizzlies, but he better than ever.

Jamar isn't doing it himself though, he is getting help from his backcourt mates. Jordan Gregory has been as good as predicted, maintaining his great efficiency even with increased minutes and usage. He is a fantastic scorer for them. Keron DeShields was a question mark coming into the year, but he has been a good player for them, hitting shots and taking care of the ball. Mario Dunn is getting better and better as the season goes along, and will be a vital part of the rotation as the year goes along.

All year long, most (myself included in this) have mostly been talking about Montana in terms of what they cannot do, and what their limitations are. However, it might be time to start talking about their strengths, because with six home games left in the final ten, they could be a factor in the Big Sky.

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Drew Brandon and Kareem Jamar - Stat Sheet Stuffers

So far this season, two guys have really stood out for their ability to stuff the box score in a variety of ways.

One of them is a guy that every Big Sky fan is familiar with - Kareem Jamar of Montana. The reigning Big Sky Player of the Year has been even better in his senior season, and is putting up some big numbers.

Jamar is averaging 19.6 PPG (3rd in the Big Sky), 6.4 rebounds (11th), and 5.6 assists per game (2nd). He is shooting 50% from the field, and getting to the free throw line (though that has been his one weakness - 60% shooting on FTs). He is grabbing 20.6% of available defensive rebounds this year, up from 16.3% last season. Lastly, he has a robust 33.8 Assist Rate (which ranks in the top 50 nationally) while taking great care of the ball - a 13.1 Turnover Rate.

Jamar has been an excellent scorer while also being one of the top distributors in the conference, and an excellent rebounder to boot. Montana is off to a slow start, but it is not Jamar's fault in any way.

One guy who has possibly been outdoing him is Drew Brandon for Eastern Washington. Though he struggled a little bit yesterday (along with the rest of EWU), he has been outstanding this season. He is averaging 11.6 PPG, 7.3 RPG (7th in the Big Sky - before yesterday he was averaging eight per game, which was 4th in the conference), 5.9 assists per game (leading the Big Sky), and 1.6 steals per game (top ten in conference).

As a scorer he has been a solid role player, showing an ability to knock down shots when needed. But he has grabbed 8.7% of available offensive rebounds - a solid mark for a big man, a downright ridiculous mark for a PG. His Assist Rate is at 28.8, and he sports about a 2.5:1 assist to turnover ratio. He has been a steadying PG for them, which is exactly what the team needed after last year.

It's always fun to check the box scores of the games these guys are in - Brandon has just missed on a triple double about three times this year, while Jamar has been very close a couple of times. Both guys are playing excellent basketball early on.

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The Rest of Friday Night's Big Sky Action

While I was at the Northern Colorado vs Colorado State game, four other Big Sky games were happening. Let's take a quick rundown at what else happened in the Big Sky on Friday night.

Eastern Washington 80, Boston University 68
If you are not familiar with the Boston program - they are solid. The Terriers are a legit America East contender this year, so for the Eagles to go win by 12 on a neutral court is an impressive feat. There are no shortage of eye-popping numbers for the Eagles:

- As a team, they shot 21-39 on twos, and 10/18 from three-point range. They turned it over 16 times, but that will get corrected. They can score the ball in bunches.
- Drew Brandon's stat line - 15 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists. He is averaging over ten rebounds per game.. Oh yeah, he is their starting PG!
- Tyler Harvey drained five more threes tonight, giving him 20 makes through four games. He is a budding star in the Big Sky.
- Venky Jois is already a star for EWU, and he had 20 points and eight rebounds. After not making any threes last year, he had one in this game - adding that to his arsenal makes him that much more dangerous.
- Freshman Ognjen Miljkovic had 14 points and 6 rebounds in 26 minutes. It's an embarrassment of riches in terms of young talent for Jim Hayford right now.

EWU should be a scary team for the rest of the Big Sky to think about because they are so talented, but still so young. They are going to keep getting better and better, and they're already pretty darn good.

Montana State 59, Central Michigan 54
Road wins are never easy, and this one has to feel very good for the Bobcats. They clawed their way (no pun intended) to a victory in a defensive battle, winning despire shooting 21/54from the field and turning it over 12 times.  They won it with defense, which has been a struggle for them. They also won it thanks to the contributions of Terrell Brown off the bench. Brown had 23 points, hitting from the outside (3/7 3PA) and getting to the line (6/8). They will need those types of performances from different guys this year, as they don't have anyone they can count on to consistently carry the load.

The Bobcats were great on the defensive glass, especially Paul Egwuonwu (11 defensive rebounds). They held Central Michigan to just two offensive rebounds. That is getting things done.

Portland State 67, Loyola 63
The Vikings trailed by 14 points in the second half before coming back for a nice early-season win. They were sparked by 14 second half points each for Dre Winston and Aaron Moore, and another solid defensive effort. Moore finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 9/14 from the floor. Winston was 5/7 from the floor and 6/7 from the stripe, scoring a hyper-efficient 16 points.

Last note... I mentioned earlier this week that Tim Douglas was playing it well but turning it over a bit too much. He turned that around quickly, with seven assists to one turnover. Very nice game for him.

San Francisco 75, Montana 74
I'm not sure anyone would have predicted this chain of events - Idaho State goes on the road to beat San Francisco, and days later, the Dons come into Missoula and take down Montana. Basketball is a funny game. While Jordan Gregory did play (and pretty well), the Grizzlies somehow allowed USF to shoot 30/55 from the field, AND grab 14 offensive rebounds. Put another way, the Dons grabbed 45% of available offensive rebounds in this game, which is bad for Montana. Kareem Jamar did everything he could - 25 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds, 2 steals - but it wasn't enough. The Grizzlies offense looks ok right now (1.12 PPP, though ISU had 1.15 against the Dons), but their ceiling remains limited right now until they can get some type of production down low.

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Kareem Jamar and Chris Kemp Solid at Montana Scrimmage

Montana has their Maroon-Silver Scrimmage on Tuesday night, and the reports are good about Kareem Jamar and Chris Kemp.

"Kareem was Kareem, " said eighth-year Griz head coach Wayne Tinkle. "He makes plays for us no matter what position he's at. He set up a bunch of our bigs for guys for shots, plus he made a few of how own, and we're going to need that from him day-in and day-out."

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"I thought Chris played well offensively, and I think we will see that defensively he needs to get a little bit better," Tinkle said. "He didn't rebound as well as he can, but he's going to be a force for us."

Jamar is the best player in the Big Sky, so it's no surprise that he looked good. The encouraging sign for Montana is Chris Kemp. The Grizzlies need the junior college transfer to be big for them (no pun intended), and to anchor their frontcourt. It looks like he is off to a fine start, as he looked very explosive from all accounts.

The Grizzlies message board also has some good info on the scrimmage.

Montana fans, anything you noticed?

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Comparing the Three POY Favorites

Going into the season, three guys seem to be the forerunners in the early race for the favorite to be Player of the Year in the Big Sky Conference. There is the reigning champion, Kareem Jamar of Montana. There is the best player on the best team, Davion Berry of Weber State. And there is the most explosive player, Troy Huff of North Dakota.

You could pretty easily make an argument that any of these guys should be the favorite going into the season, and you wouldn't necessarily be wrong. So, let's take a look at these guys' case.

Kareem Jamar
Argument for: He does more things well than anyone else in the conference. This season, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Jamar lead the Grizzlies in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. He has always been a good three-point shooter in his career, and he supplements that by being a very good post player. He is one of the best passers in the conference, and had a 26.1 Assist Rate last season. He is a solid rebounder who had a 16.3 DR%. He is an efficient scorer that takes good shots, and had a 58.8 True Shooting percentage last season.

Argument against: He can sometimes be so unselfish that he can blend in a bit. Last year when Will Cherry was out to start the year, they arguably needed Jamar to score more, but his game stayed the same and he was not more assertive offensively. I'm not sure yet how he will do as the main focal point of the offense without guys like Will Cherry or Mathias Ward around him. His TO Rate last year was 20.9, which is a little bit high for an elite guy.

Davion Berry
Argument for: Like Jamar, Berry excels in many areas. He shot 52% on twos and 41% on threes last year, while also getting to the line a ton, making him one of the best and more complete scorers in the conference. He has an excellent midrange game. He posted a 23.1 Assist Rate last year, and his 15.7 TO Rate was solid. He is a solid defender. With the talent around him, he seems to have a good knack for knowing when to get his own shot and when to find a teammate. He is the best player on the most talented team in the conference.

Argument against: He is the worst rebounder of the three (1.7 OR%, 13.1 DR%), though he is the only one that has someone like Joel Bolomboy snatching up all available rebounds. He struggled against Montana in the Big Sky title game, shooting 4/10 from the floor and 3/6 from the line while turning it over five times, which some voters might remember (it's worth noting he had some excellent games in the postseason after that Montana game). With the talent around him, he doesn't have to do as much, which could be a reason his efficiency numbers are as good as they are.

Troy Huff
Argument for: He might be the most athletic player in the conference (just watch this), and can do things that Berry and Jamar cannot do. He bumped up his three-point shooting percentage from 20% to 36%, and another bump would make him extremely difficult to guard offensively. He excels in transition. He may be the best rebounder of the three, or at least on par with Jamar. His TO Rate of 13.2 is excellent, meaning he takes care of the ball very well. His steal percentage of 4.4% led the conference, and he could be a defensive POY candidate.

Argument against: Even though he scored more points per game than the other guys, that was more a product of volume than efficiency. His true shooting percentage of 52.6% was far lower than Jamar and Berry, as he only shot 66% from the free throw line. He is also not nearly the passer that the other two are, with a 10.1 Assist Rate (note: it was 16.3 his sophomore year).

If I had to rank them, I would probably go:
1. Kareem Jamar
2. Davion Berry
3. Troy Huff

However, as you can see, a reasonable argument could certainly be made for any of these guys. How do you see them?

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Profile on Kareem Jamar

Rob Dauster at College Basketball Talk has a nice profile up of Kareem Jamar, who is the reigning Big Sky Player of the Year.

That’s exactly what happened with Jamar. He’s solidly-built, moderately-athletic 6-foot-5 guard that is talented enough to score and unselfish enough to make the right pass instead of force a tough shot. He’s not a layup line scout. He’ll be the best player on the floor, but you won’t realize it until you look at the box score and see his 15 points, six boards and four assists.

Montana was one of just a handful of schools actively recruiting Jamar, and while they were able to get him to make the trek up north, the Grizzlies didn’t get a commitment until the day after the fall signing period. “We were like, ‘that’s never going to come through,’” Montana head coach Wayne Tinkle told NBCSports.com. “He’s going to have a great senior year, everyone’s going to jump on board, and we’re going to miss out.” It didn’t help matters that Jordin Mayes and Dwayne Polee, two highly sought-after recruits, were in the same class as Jamar at Westchester.

Jamar's POY award was well deserved, and it will be fun to see what he does for an encore. He is a great player, and the conference is made better because he is in it.

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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 is The Big Sky Champion

Stop me if you have heard this before - Montana has beaten Weber State to win the Big Sky Championship. It has to be like a bad, recurring dream for the Wildcats, who have now been ousted by the Grizzlies in the Big Sky tournament for four straight seasons.

It seemed like it was going to be the time that Weber State finally beat Montana and erased the demons. Montana was playing without Mathias Ward, their leading scorer. Will Cherry was not far removed from re-injuring his foot to the point where it was feared it was broken. Statistically, Weber State was the better team this year, with better offensive and defensive efficiency ratings. Matchup wise, it seemed like they had a huge edge upfront that would be tough for the Grizzlies to overcome.

None of it mattered. Will Cherry and Kareem Jamar simply would not let the Grizzlies lose.

Cherry struggled from the field in the first half, but made big play after big play in the second half. He finished with 18 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. In a two point game late, it was Will Cherry hitting his only three pointer of the game to give Montana a five point lead. It was Cherry hitting the last two free throws to put Montana up four with 10 seconds left. Time and time again, it was Cherry going to the rim and finishing strong in traffic. He was not going to be denied.

Of course, he had help from Kareem Jamar, the Big Sky Player of the Year and Tournament MVP. He finished with 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. He was aggressive time and time again, overpowering Scott Bamforth (an excellent defender) on the drive and in the post. He was 9/13 from the floor, and make countless big plays in the second half. Jamar and Cherry were the best players on the court.

As always, I am in awe of Wayne Tinkle. Last year, when Montana went 15-1, it was impressive. This year, going 19-1, battling through the injuries and the lack of depth and experience upfront, it was simply an incredible coaching job.All of the credit in the world to Montana. For the second straight year, they are going to the Big Dance. After picking Weber State to win the tournament, I have a lesson learned - never go against Will Cherry, Kareem Jamar, and Wayne Tinkle. Those guys just don't lose.

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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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What Does Montana Look Like Without Cherry and Ward?

It seems almost certain that Will Cherry will miss the rest of the season, with reports that he re-broke his foot. Mathias Ward's status is less certain, but there is at least a very good chance he will miss this week's games, where they will travel to take on Montana State and Southern Utah.

What do they lose with those two guys? All season long, it has been said that the Grizzlies biggest thing going for them was the big 3. That was - Ward, Cherry, and Kareem Jamar. Obviously, this would take out 2/3 of that trio. Ward and Cherry account for almost 40% of the team's scoring. Ward is the best midrange shooter in the Big Sky, and Cherry is the best defender in the Big Sky.

They can't replace Cherry's defense. That is no offense to the rest of the team, it's just that there is nobody in the conference (and not many in America) that are as good as Cherry. He is second all time in the Big Sky in steals. But how will they go about replacing these guys' offensive production? Here are some things to watch:

1) Kareem Jamar has to be the man - Simply put, Jamar has to be at his best every game. With Cherry out (and possibly even if Cherry is healthy), Jamar is the best player in the conference. He averages 14 PPG, 6 RPG, and 4 APG.  He is now Montana's best scorer, rebounder, and passer. He has to do it all for them right now, and he is good enough to do that. On Saturday, he was two assists away from a triple-double, and that was no aberration. They will rely heavily on Jamar.

2) Spencer Coleman and Mike Weisner need to step up - Coleman and Weisner are probably more traditional threes, but they will be asked to play a ton of four and possibly even some five down the stretch. Over the last couple of years, the Grizzlies offense has been at its best when they have five guys that can step away from the hoop and shoot. They did that this year when Ward was at the five, and one of these guys at the four. Now, one of them might be asked to play center often. Both guys can hit the outside shot (Weisner in particular has been excellent from outside), but the key will be how they rebound and defend.

3) Keron DeShields and Jordan Gregory can no longer be role players - We looked at these guys closely before the season began, but now their contributions will be more important than ever. Both have made nice strides this year, but Wayne Tinkle is going to need them to be consistent offensive threats for the Grizzlies. Gregory has been the more efficient scorer this year, shooting 53% on twos and 43% from downtown. DeShields is a guy that Tinkle loves for his toughness and fearlessness, but he has been a little inconsistent offensively. He is only an average outside shooter (but better facilitator than Gregory), but he needs to take the next step without Cherry.

Looking at the roster... if Cherry and Ward are done for the rest of the year (or at least, however long they are out), the Grizzlies need these three things to happen. They have more traditional big men (Eric Hutchison and Andy Martin) but both guys have only been effective in spurts, and they are slow-footed post men. The Grizzlies have performed best with a quick lineup of shooters, and a lineup of DeShields-Gregory-Jamar-Coleman-Weisner is the best chance at that. But it's hard to say how that lineup would perform defensively and on the glass. I suspect we will find out down the stretch.

Wayne Tinkle is the best coach in the Big Sky. He has proven this over the year. But this may be his biggest challenge.

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Weber State Is The Best Team in the Big Sky

The standings will show that Montana is 14-1, while Weber State is 13-2. The Grizzlies still have Will Cherry and Kareem Jamar, who might be the two best players in the conference. They still have Wayne Tinkle, the best coach in the Big Sky. But on Thursday night, Weber State clearly looked like the best team in the Big Sky.

The Wildcats beat Montana 87-63 on Thursday night in Ogden, and the game was never really in doubt from about midway through the first half and on. Montana's record-setting winning streak ended with a thud, as they had no answer for Weber on either end of the court.

Weber has been the best defensive team in the Big Sky this year, so it was appropriate that they got started in this game defensively. Montana scored just 24 first half points, because the Wildcats were using their athleticism to shut down everything. Kareem Jamar had no room to operate (finishing with 4 points), and that caused Will Cherry to press a bit. The Grizzlies turned the ball over early, and WSU just got more and more aggressive.

Offensively, Weber State aggressively pounded the ball down low, and they got whatever they wanted. Kyle Tresnak had 19 points on 8/10 shooting, and Frank Otis had 14 points on 5/7 shooting. This is a winning blueprint for Weber, because the Grizzlies don't have the size to match up. Put it this way... when Tresnak or Otis have the ball down low, Montana does not even have one guy to match up defensively with them them, let alone a defender for each guy. They got anything they wanted inside, and that was not a fluke.

WSU also got big games from Gelaun Wheelwright (14 points, 4/4 from downtown) and Davion Berry (16 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals), as those two guys seemed to have an answer for Montana often in the second half.  Anytime the Grizzlies threatened to threaten (it would be a stretch to say they threatened in the second half), there was an answer.

On the year, Weber State has been the better offensive team by a smidgen, while being much better defensively. The fact that they lost by 2 to Montana and slipped against Montana State (which the Grizzlies almost did as well) does not change the fact that on a neutral court, Weber State is the better team.

However, that is the ace in Montana's hand. If they win out, they have home-cpurt advantage in the Big Sky tournament, meaning that if the teams meet again, it would be in Missoula. The Grizzlies have a tough schedule down the stretch, but with Tinkle at the helm and a leader like Will Cherry on the court, it would not surprise anyone if the Big Sky will still go through Montana.

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Kareem Jamar is Big Sky POW

As Montana went and set a Big Sky record this week, Kareem Jamar was a big reason why, and he has been named the Big Sky Player of the Week.

Jamar, a 6-foot-5 guard/forward from Venice, Calif, averaged 16 points, 8.5 rebounds. 6.5 assists, 2.5 steals and two blocks per game as the Grizzlies picked up home victories over Northern Colorado and North Dakota. In the two games, Jamar shot .545 percent from the field, and .857 percent from the free-throw line.

Jamar has been finding his role of late, which is a bad sign for the rest of the conference. When he is rolling, Montana is almost impossible to beat. Just ask Weber State about last year's Big Sky title game.

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Montana Beats Northern Colorado in Offensive Battle

 

On Saturday in Greeley, neither team was really able to stop the other. Montana shot 56% for the game, while Northern Colorado shot 50%. However, Montana was the team making the plays down the stretch in an 85-77 Grizzlies victory. It was a fun one to watch in person, as teams were making threes, putback dunks from UNC, and Will Cherry and Kareem Jamar doing their thing.

Kareem Jamar was his normal smooth self. He doesn't have athletic ability that jumps out at you, but he does everything well. He almost couldn't miss on this day, scoring 26 points on 9/10 shooting (including 4/5 from downtown). He also had six assists on the day. He was especially key late in the first half... with UNC up by as many as 15 points in the first half, Jamar was the spark Montana needed. In the last few minutes of the first half, he hit three threes, and drove in for an and-1.

Will Cherry also played a huge part in this game, scoring 21 points, while dishing out six assists and grabbing five rebounds. He is their emotional leader, and helped get them going in the second half, on a day when the crowd was a bit sleepy (attendance was 355, thanks to having the game opposite the Broncos game). It would have been an easy game to sleepwalk through, on the second leg of a road trip, but Cherry made sure the energy was there in the second half. Cherry and Jamar are fun to watch play together, because they know each other's games so well.

Not all is well for Montana, because they still struggle on the glass (UNC had 18 offensive rebounds), and they don't get hardly any post touches, but Cherry and Jamar can make up for a lot of other deficiencies.

For Northern Colorado, it was not a bad effort at all. Offensively, they played as well as they have all year against a quality opponent, turning it over just 7 times. BJ Hill said afterwards that it was about as well as they can play offensively. Tevin Svihovec was playing like he did last year, with 19 points. It was his best effort of the year. Derrick Barden was an absolute beast, with 21 points and 15 rebounds (8 of them offensive). I hope to write a little bit more on him in the near future, because he is a ton of fun to watch.

Defensively, though, the Bears still had a ton of issues. They have a tendency to lose guys (on a key possession late, with Montana up 78-73, Mathias Ward broke free near the end of the shot clock for an easy and-a, because the UNC defender lost track of him). They also struggle to help when the offense penetrates and gets past the first defender. The big men don't have great close outs, which is a problem against teams that can put four or five shooters on the floor, like the Grizzlies can. Add it all up, and it's a lot for the Bears on a day when the offense played well enough to win.

However, the game did showcase the talent that made me pick Northern Colorado to finish third before the year began. Barden and Tim Huskisson are the most athletic pair of forwards in the conference, and Tate Unruh and Svihovec provide plenty of spacing with their shooting ability. The pieces are in place, and they are getting better. The bad news is, at 1-5, they need to start winning some games quickly.

On the other side, Montana just continues to win. They move to 6-0 in Big Sky play. The scary thing for the rest of the conference is they already have a gaudy record, and Wayne Tinkle's teams always seem to get better as the season goes on.

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Midseason All-Conference Picks

A site called College Hoops Daily put out their midseason all-conference picks for every conference in the country, so I thought it'd be fun to take a very brief look at what they are thinking for the Big Sky.

BIG SKY
G: Dewayne Russell (Northern Arizona)
G: Justin Crosgile (Eastern Washington)
G: Kareem Jamar (Montana)
F: John Dickson (Sacramento State)
F: Venky Jois (Eastern Washington)

They bolded Justin Crogsile of Eastern Washington as the best player in the conference so far, an award which he obviously wouldn't win since he is no longer on the team.

It's tough to take a crack at it without going too deep into it, but here is my quick selections for what I would say is the all-conference team at midseason.

G: DeWayne Russell (Northern Arizona)
G: Kareem Jamar (Montana)
G: Jackson Stevenett (Southern Utah)
F: Davion Berry (Weber State)
F: Venky Jois (Eastern Washington)

Ask me again tomorrow, and it's possible I have different picks!

I would love to hear where everyone agrees or disagrees...

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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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Big Sky Poll - Who Will Lead The Conference in Scoring?

The Big Sky has a poll out there asking the question, "Of the league's five leading scores, who is the most likely end the season as the Big Sky's scoring champion?"

It lists the current top five options, along with an other category. Of the options, here are my thoughts:

DeWayne Russell (NAU) - He was my pick. He is the current leader in scoring, and has looked like an all-conference player. He is efficient, with a 112.8 ORtgm sgiitubg 53% from twos, 43% from threes, and almost automatic from the stripe. His usage should get higher too as he gains more experience.

Gabe Rogers (NAU) - He is currently third, but has a great chance to lead the conference in scoring thanks to a high volume. He takes 35.9% of his team's shots when he's on the court, the ninth highest rate in the NCAA. He is only shooting 33% from twos and 32% from threes, but he takes so many shots that he could lead the Big Sky if he just improves those percentages a little bit.

Justin Crogsile (EWU) - He should have a good shot because he plays PG for a team that likes to get up and down the court and take a lot of threes. The Eagles play a faster pace than anyone else in the conference, which is big. His numbers could take a hit though when Collin Chiverton returns. Chiverton has missed the past few games dealing with personal issues, after losing both his mother and best friend this year.

Kareem Jamar (MT) - He hasn't taken a ton of shots, but has been excellent when he has. He has a 119.3 ORtg, a testament to the fact that he does everything well. The burden to carry the offense will be taken off when Will Cherry returns, but Jamar doesn't really take bad shots, so he should continue at a similar clip to now, where he is at 14.9 PPG.

John Dickson (SAC) - He is currently second in the conference, but I think that could drop a little bit. Nothing against Dickson, but he is playing a little over his head shooting wise, which I expect will drop closer to his career averages. Plus, the Hornets have good balance and a lot of scoring options, which could further push his average down a bit.

Others - Chiverton was my pick before the year, but as mentioned he has been dealing with quite a few personal issues. Will Cherry has the ability to lead the conference, but I am not sure he will quite get there. Another darkhorse is Jackson Stevenett. He is tenth in the conference with 13.4 PPG, but he has been struggling with a shoulder injury. That average should slowly increase.

Go vote in the poll here.

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Montana and North Dakota Notch Their First Victories

After 0-1 starts, North Dakota and Montana each had a home game against small schools who are not exactly known for their basketball prowess. It allowed each school to get their first win of the year.

North Dakota beat Crown College (which, it appears, is a Division III school near Minneapolis) by a final score of 87-51. Playing without Troy Huff (who was hurt) and Jamal Webb (serving a one game suspension), they played a solidly efficient game, especially offensively.

Aaron Anderson was stellar, scoring 18 points and a career high eight assists, as he also shot 8/8 from the stripe. Sophomore Lenny Antwi was equally impressive, with 16 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists.

UND was 12/22 from downtown, which is huge for them. They have not been a great outside shooting team the past couple of years, so it would be a big boost to their offense if they can establish that. They were also 13/16 from the stripe, which has been another area of concern for them.

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Montana took a while to put Minot State away, but once they did, it was swift. They led by just ten at halftime (39-29), but put on a full court press early in the second half which quickly doubled the lead. They eventually won 82-53.

Mathias Ward led the team with 19 points, while Kareem Jamar had 18 points, six rebounds, and five assists. One other thing to note is that Keron DeShields started at PG for Montana (and had 7 assists), while Jordan Gregory came off the bench.

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Colorado State Holds On 72-65 Over Montana

 

Montana is already playing without their star PG, Will Cherry. Four minutes into the game, they were playing without their other star for a while, as Kareem Jamar picked up his second foul and sat the rest of the half. Four minutes after that, their other experienced returner, Mathias Ward, picked up his second foul and sat for the rest of the half.

So it went all night for Wayne Tinkle and Montana, who battled foul trouble all game and seemed to be doing all they could possibly do to grind it out. For a half, it worked, as they went into the intermission ahead 34-27. At the break, CSU was outrebounding Montana 21-10, and that included a 14-1 edge in offensive rebounds. They couldn't buy a bucket in the paint, but they got a ton of chances.

After halftime, it was back and forth, but the Rams just had too much size. Colton Iverson was physically too strong for Montana's bigs, and it showed. He finished with an efficient 18 and 8, and was simply overpowering. Greg Smith also seemed to get almost any shot he wanted down low, finishing with 11. Pierce Hornung had 16 rebounds for CSU, playing with the flu, according to Larry Eustachy.

I don't want to dwell on it but it should be mentioned... Montana was not pleased at all with the refs in this game. At one point Tinkle actively looked like he was trying to get a technical, but the refs didn't call one on him. At another point it looked like he was going to take off his tie in frustration. Montana lost four guys to fouling out, and had 20 fouls called on them in the second half (33 for the game), and it was not a case of cheap fouls at the end of the game. CSU shot 41 free throws in the game, compared to 23 for Montana. In part, it makes sense because of the size difference, but I have to say there was a lot of questionable, ticky tack calls that went against the Grizzlies. On the other hand, Larry Eustachy wasn't thrilled with the refs either... he said after the game that one thing he has always hated about basketball was that guys can be out of the game on a judgment call, and he was referring to a couple of the late fouls on Wes Eikmeier, who also fouled out.

That said, Montana didn't lose the game because of the reffing, they lost because the Rams were simply superior down low. A 44-21 rebounding disadvantage is almost impossible to overcome. The Grizzlies almost did, but the wear and tear was too much by the end of the game.

If you are Montana staff, one thing they have to be excited about is the play of the young guard. Simply put, on a night when Kareem Jamar and Mathias Ward were not big factors (aside from the foul trouble, CSU put bigger guys on Jamar and were quick to help, which didn't give him many looks), Keron DeShields and Jordan Gregory kept the Grizzlies in the game.

Before the year, Tinkle said that DeShields had a ton of confidence, which could be a good or bad thing. On Friday night, both sides were on display, but the good far outweighed the bad. He forced a couple shots early in the shot clock, but other than that played an outstanding game. They are simply a tough team when he is on the court, and he brings a swagger to his game. He had 17, and was fearless taking it to the hoop, often at times when he was one of the few Grizzlies to stay aggressive offensively. Jordan Gregory hit some big shots from the outside, and generally made good decisions. The two combined to have 0 turnovers.

The duo also played great defensively, holding Wes Eikmeier and Dorian Green (two really good players) to 6/19 shooting. Tinkle needed at least one of them to step up in the absense of Will Cherry, and it appears that both of them are up to the task. Spencer Coleman was another guy that had a big impact once he got in the flow of the game, but he was also struck by foul trouble.

The bottom line for Montana is this... Colorado State is a tournament team. Their top six is really excellent, and their frontline can match up with almost anyone in the country. There are no Colton Iverson's in the Big Sky. It was a tough loss for the Grizzlies, but they played well, and they have a lot to build on after this game. If you had told most Montana fans that Jamar and Ward would combine for 14 points and play just 40 minutes between them, most would have expected the game to be more out of hand. That it was anyone's ballgame up to the very end is a testament to the program and system that Wayne Tinkle has in place.

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Montana Ranked #10 in One Mid-Major Rankings

NBC Sports has one of the best college basketball blogs out there, and they released their preseason mid-major power rankings (top 15). One Big Sky team makes the list, and that is Montana:

10. Montana: Losing Will Cherry to a broken foot hurts a lot, but he’ll be back by league play and back to 100% by the NCAA tournament.

Player to know: Cherry is a potential star, but in his absence watch out for junior guard Kareem Jamar (13.6 points, 5.6 boards, 3.7 assists, 44.1% threes).
Can’t-miss game: Unfortunately, Cherry will be out against Colorado State and BYU, and maybe even against South Dakota State on Dec. 15th.

I have a feeling Weber State could be joining them on that list at some point this year.

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