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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A Look at Keron DeShields and Jordan Gregory

With the news that Montana's Will Cherry will likely miss 10-12 weeks with a broken foot, the word is that either Keron DeShields or Jordan Gregory will be starting in his place during that time. I am guessing that not many people know about them, so I thought we should shed a little light on their games.

If I had to bet, I would say that Keron DeShields would be the one to take the starting spot. He is 6'2'', and though he seemed a more natural fit at the two, a backcourt of him and Kareem Jamar could work. He played 161 minutes last year as a true freshman, and didn't have a ton of impact. He made 8/22 from downtown, but was very much a situational and mop-up player. However, he certainly has the talent to take on a bigger role and be a very nice player for Montana.

Anyone that knows about his background knows that mentally, he is a very tough guy. He had a tough upbringing, and so you know the moment of starting would not be too big for him. He is a diverse offensive player, with the ability to hit from the outside or take it to the rim. He averaged 20 ppg in high school in Baltimore. In his limited time last year, he didn't dish out a bunch of assists, but he did have a solidly low turnover rate. I believe he will have a very bright future for Montana.

Jordan Gregory played a bit less (75 minutes last year), but I know Grizzlies fans think he will have a nice career. He was only 2/9 from downtown, but from watching him in warmups, he has a nice, fundamentally sound stroke (which I know was something a lot of the scouting reports said he would need to work on. He is a very good scorer, and scored 24 ppg as a junior in high school. He seems to be to be a bit more of a pure PG than DeShields..

Montana fans, who do you think will get the nod in Cherry's absence?

*Photo credit from here

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Will Cherry May Miss 10-12 Weeks

Last night I posted that Will Cherry could miss 6-8 weeks with an injury, but it turns out that may have been a bit optimistic. CBS Sports' Jeff Goodman is reporting that it may put Cherry out 10-12 weeks.

Now Cherry is out 10-12 weeks with a broken right foot, sources told CBSSports.com. Montana coach Wayne Tinkle wasn't allowed to talk about the specifics of the injury, but CBSSports.com was informed that it occurred this past weekend in a pickup game.

The injury and timeframe was confirmed by Yahoo's Jeff Eisenberg.

We will get deeper into what this means for Montana in the future on the blog, but for now it looks like Keron DeShields or Jordan Gregory is likely to get the start in place of Cherry.

The bottom line is this... if Cherry is back for conference season, and back at full strength, this might wind up benefiting Montana in the long run, because it will give Gregory/DeShields extra experience. However, if the injury lingers, or causes Cherry to be anywhere less than 100%, this will be bad news for Montana.

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Montana Roster Overview

For anyone looking for information on Montana, definitely a sleeper in the NCAA Tournament as they take on Wisconsin. A brief look at the players that make Montana a potentially dangerous 13 seed.

Starters:

Will Cherry (JR) - He is the Defensive Player of the Year in the Big Sky, and arguably one of the best perimeter defenders in the country. He takes great pride in his defense, and is a master at getting steals (he should finish his career at the Big Sky career steals leader). Offensively, he has an improving outside shot, and has good explosion on his drives. He can get at least a decent look almost whenever he wants. He tends to make big plays at the biggest moments, as he definitely showed down the stretch. He is the team leader, and is a very emotional player, which rubs off on everyone else.

Kareem Jamar (SO) - Jamar has taken a big step forward this year, and the argument could be made that he, and not Cherry, is the Grizzlies best player. He was great in the championship against Weber State, and finished as the Grizzlies second leading scorer, second leading rebounder, and leader in assists. He shoots 48% from the field, including 45% from three-point range. He is a varied offensive player that can shoot from the outside, drive, or post up smaller guards. He is also the best passer on the team. He has an extremely bright future.

Art Stewart (SR) - He is the consummate glue guy who does a little bit of everything. Most of all, he adds a lot of toughness to the team. He is a very good defender, and does all of the little things for Montana. Offensively, he picks his spots well, as he very efficiently averaged 9.2 PPG. He can take it inside, and his outside shot is just good enough to keep people honest.

Mathias Ward (JR) - His offensive development has been a revelation this year. He was a solid spot-up shooter in the frontcourt last year, but this year he has become one of the best offensive weapons, as he showed in the championship. His midrange game is probably better than anyone else in the conference, and he shot 55% from two this year. He also has enough range to hit a three. He is not a great rebounder or defender, but he does just enough that he is not a big liability in those areas.

Derek Selvig (SR) - He is possibly the most unique center in America. He is one of the best passing big men I have ever seen, and has very good ballhandling skills. His scoring is down this year, but he has instead focused on the glass and interior defense, where he made big strides this season. Offensively, he can hurt you in a lot of different ways. He is a very good three-point shooter, off the drive, posting up, or finding the open man. His skill set will be tough for Wisconsin to gameplan for.

Bench:
Shawn Stockton (SR) - They don't rely much on their bench (they played their starters all 20 minutes in the second half of the conference championship), but when they do Stockton is usually the guy that enters first. With 15.6 minutes per game that was more than anyone else off the bench. He has struggled with his outside shot this year, making just 13 of his 54 threes. He is more of a combo guard because he is not a natural 1, but Tinkle likes him because he brings the attitude of a senior to the floor.

Keron DeShields (FR) - They have three freshmen wing guards, but DeSheilds has been getting the most time lately (Kevin Henderson and Jordan Gregory are the others). He has a lot of potential on the offensive end, but gets a little too eager at times, like freshmen are want to do.

Mike Weisner (FR) - The redshirt freshman is their first big man off the bench, even though he has the body of a small forward. He had some big moments against Weber State in the regular season finale, and flashed some solid potential. He has a nice outside shot (though he has only made 5 threes this year), and is a good passer.

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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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A Quick Rundown Of The Last Week

I am sure to miss some things... but here is a quick rundown of the biggest news of the past week while I was out on vacation. Please let me know if there is anything else that I missed, any comments or links are greatly appreciated!

Eastern Washington
- Don't remember if I posted this link or not... but another article on Eastern Washington recruit Danny Powell. Powell is a JUCO forward who it seems Jim Hayford and the staff are very excited about.
- Should have more to write about this in the near future, but a good article on the upcoming season off of the Eastern Washington website.
- It appears that EWU has picked up a big man near the end of summer, Justin Omugun. This is the first I have heard of him, so I will do my best to find out more.

Idaho State
- Bengals fans are already talking about possible head coaching candidates... Joe O'Brien's future does not look bright in Pocatello.
- Some videos from Idaho State Media Day.
- Many thanks to a commenter for pointing out this link, but a nice writeup by the Idaho State Journal Sports Blog on the beginning of practice for the Bengals.

Montana
- The Missoulian had a nice question and answer with G Keron DeShields. He is an 18 year old freshman but a very impressive young man. Give the article a read and you will come out with respect for DeShields.
- Montana's official website has a nice little preview on the upcoming season.
- Word is that Montana has signed 7-footer Andy Martin. Big men are always at a premium in the Big Sky, so have to like that.
- At least one projection likes Montana to win the Big Sky.

Montana State
- G Marcus Colbert verbally committed to the Bobcats. He visited a couple weekends ago, and committed after his visit. Last year the PG averaged about 16 PPG, 5 RPG, and 5 APG.

Northern Arizona
- This is a big deal... Gabe Rogers will miss at least the first two months of the season with a torn labrum. He was their leading returning scorer and could be a first teamer in the Big Sky. I'll definitely have more to say about how NAU replaces him. It won't be easy.
- Forwards Austin Smith and Ryan Schaefer are no longer listed on the NAU roster. No word yet on why but I will try to find out. That leaves them very guard heavy, and very inexperienced. It will be an interesting year in Flagstaff.
- The team opened practice on Friday.

Northern Colorado
- UNC is picked 3rd in one preseason magazine and sixth in another. Just one sign of all of the parity in the middle of the Big Sky this season.
- A picture of their championship ring from last season. Very cool and something they should rightfully be very proud of!
- Northern Colorado will appear three times in the Big Sky Game of the Week on Altitude TV.

Portland State
- I posted right before leaving about the Vikings signing big man Lamont Prosser. Here is another article on him as well.
- Very good preview article from the Vikings website.

Sacramento State
- Nice interview with Brian Katz.
- As with other teams, the team website has a nice preview article at the start of the season.

Weber State
- Luke Winn of SI has praise for Scott Bamforth, calling him one of the best shooters in America.
- The Standard has a few notes on Kyndahl Hill, a new recruit for next year.
- Both Lindy and Athlon have Weber State ranked 1 in the preseason poll. I voted in the media poll for the Big Sky and have the Wildcats ranked likewise. Wouldn't be a surprise to see them as the consensus #1 heading into the season.

Let me know what I have missed!! You can tell practices are starting and the season is getting closer, there is more and more news out there. It is a beautiful thing, the season is near.