How does this team stack up with other Grizzly greats?

[Jaredkuehn]

The 2006 team has to be one of the better Griz teams ever. I remember being in the spring of my freshman year and watching the NCAA Tournament win over Nevada at the Press Box. One of my most vivid college memories.

In the March of 2016, I did this oral history on that team to commemorate the 10-year anniversary, which also coincides with the last time a Big Sky team won an NCAA Tournament game.

Ten years later, memories of Griz 2006 NCAA Tourney win remain strong
https://skylinesportsmt.com/ten-years-later-memories-of-griz-2006-ncaa-tourney-win-remain-strong/

Maybe I'm biased, but I think this team has to be in the top three based on the accomplishments at the end of the year. I was a senior that year, front row of the student section every game, handing out crib sheets full of information on the opposing team's players (Mom's names, prom king status, arrest information, little league coaches names, etc). We had way too much fun taunting guys at the free throw line!

Aside from the tournament win over Nevada, my most enjoyable memory of that year was watching freshman Jordan Hasquet go off for 25 points in the win against Stanford at home. I went to high school with Jordan, and to watch him stick it to the Cardinal was a thing of beauty.

That year's team got a tough second round match up against a very big and physical Boston College team. With the right matchup, I think they could have been a sweet 16 team.

 

[Mousegriz]

That Golden Bobcat team PR watched when he was in high school in Bozeman had to be the best MT college team ever!

 

[EverettGriz]

Fully agree the 2006 team has to be top 3. The Tournament win should cement that. But then take a look at the teams that GRIZ team beat during the nonconf season.

They faded late against a very physical BC, but led most of the first half. Damn fun team to watch.

 

[PlayerRep]

The 2006 team has to be one of the better Griz teams ever. I remember being in the spring of my freshman year and watching the NCAA Tournament win over Nevada at the Press Box. One of my most vivid college memories.

In the March of 2016, I did this oral history on that team to commemorate the 10-year anniversary, which also coincides with the last time a Big Sky team won an NCAA Tournament game.

Ten years later, memories of Griz 2006 NCAA Tourney win remain strong
https://skylinesportsmt.com/ten-years-later-memories-of-griz-2006-ncaa-tourney-win-remain-strong/

I went to Flagstaff for the 2006 tourney. Sat next to Mathews’ dad. Very exciting. Didn’t see any of the other jokers commenting in this thread. Were any of you there?

Went to Salt City for the NCAA tourney too. That too was exciting. Lots of Griz fans.

Went to the ncaa’s in Albuquerque and San Jose too. Also, scooted back to catch the women in Spokane one of those years.

Missed the Golden Bobcats but loved Tom Storm, Jack Gillespie, Kermit Young, Warren Daniels, and Tom Domako. Saw a lot of games in the Field House. Played city league with the likes of Gillespie, Brent Wilson, Bob Howard, Gayle Berry, Kurt Timmer and some of the ‘84 Cat football guys.

 

[garizzalies]

Radio said this is the 2nd year Griz have started 8-0 in BSC. Anyone know the 1st year?

 

[mtgrizrule]

Radio said this is the 2nd year Griz have started 8-0 in BSC. Anyone know the 1st year?

I'm pretty sure, it was under Tinkle. The GRIZ went on a long conference winning streaking covering 2 seasons.

As far as how this team stacks up, I will wait to see how the season plays. As for speed and athleticism, they are right at the top. This team can flat out shut down most offenses. Better yet, they are getting better every game on defense too. I never recall a GRIZ team that gave up so few open shots. It is damn near impossible to get an open shot on this defense.

 

[EverettGriz]

Radio said this is the 2nd year Griz have started 8-0 in BSC. Anyone know the 1st year?

I'm pretty sure, it was under Tinkle. The GRIZ went on a long conference winning streaking covering 2 seasons.

As far as how this team stacks up, I will wait to see how the season plays. As for speed and athleticism, they are right at the top. This team can flat out shut down most offenses. Better yet, they are getting better every game on defense too. I never recall a GRIZ team that gave up so few open shots. It is damn near impossible to get an open shot on this defense.

Yes. 11 straight under Tinks the year they went 17-1 in conference, losing only at Ogden, which of course they made amends for by beating weebs in the title game.

 

[Colter_Nuanez56]

Radio said this is the 2nd year Griz have started 8-0 in BSC. Anyone know the 1st year?

I'm pretty sure, it was under Tinkle. The GRIZ went on a long conference winning streaking covering 2 seasons.

As far as how this team stacks up, I will wait to see how the season plays. As for speed and athleticism, they are right at the top. This team can flat out shut down most offenses. Better yet, they are getting better every game on defense too. I never recall a GRIZ team that gave up so few open shots. It is damn near impossible to get an open shot on this defense.

Yes. 11 straight under Tinks the year they went 17-1 in conference, losing only at Ogden, which of course they made amends for by beating weebs in the title game.

Actually started 14-0 that season. The school record for longest winning streak, longest conference winning streak and longest streak to start Big Sky play belongs to that 2012-13 Griz team.

 

[EverettGriz]

Radio said this is the 2nd year Griz have started 8-0 in BSC. Anyone know the 1st year?

I'm pretty sure, it was under Tinkle. The GRIZ went on a long conference winning streaking covering 2 seasons.

As far as how this team stacks up, I will wait to see how the season plays. As for speed and athleticism, they are right at the top. This team can flat out shut down most offenses. Better yet, they are getting better every game on defense too. I never recall a GRIZ team that gave up so few open shots. It is damn near impossible to get an open shot on this defense.

Yes. 11 straight under Tinks the year they went 17-1 in conference, losing only at Ogden, which of course they made amends for by beating weebs in the title game.

Actually started 14-0 that season. The school record for longest winning streak, longest conference winning streak and longest streak to start Big Sky play belongs to that 2012-13 Griz team.

Thanks for the correction, Colter. I knew at my age I should not have trusted my memory and should have done some research. :thumb:

 

[Zirg]

The 74-75 Griz team is the best I can remember... almost beat UCLA (John Wooden) when they were on a long undefeated streak in the NCAA tourney. UCLA had won 9 of 10 NCAA titles!!

Micheal Ray, Micheal John, Ken McKenzie, Eric Hayes.

But athletically this UM team would run circles around them.

1. 74-75'-THE starting-point that every future legit team should be judged.
2. 1986 (Krysko's sr yr) <-- Under-achieved. Lost to MSU in conference tourney.
3. 91-92'-Fasting,Engelelent,Delvon Anderson, Keith Crawford and Nate Atchison and a young Travis DeCuire. They lost to a star-studded Florida State team in the NCAA tourney
4. 2005-06-Griz beat a supposed NBA first round early-entry Jr Nick Fazekas (Nevada), who was absolutely schooled by Andrew Strait, and
5. 90-91' Griz got screwed having to play the #1 team in the country-UNLV

Good work! Some good teams in there and fun to reminisce. Nice to have some discussion in the thread.

I am,admittedly, not an expert on the 86-87' season, That's why I didn't provide any details. "Under-achieved" may be very accurate, but they still had to be one of the most potent/talented Griz team ever.

 

[Zirg]

1. 74-75'-THE starting-point that every future legit team should be judged. The Griz damn-near knocked off the greatest dynasty in the history of NCAAA b-ball (UCLA 67- UM 64). Would you believe only 4 Griz scored in that game? And M Ray had only 2 pts (in 35 minutes). McKenzie,Hays and Smedley scored the other 62. The most surprising fact I just discovered: Jud Heathcote didn't go to Michigan State until after the 75-76' season after the Griz went 13-12. How the heck did Michigan State recruit a .500 Big Sky conference coach? Seriously, I'd like to know. That would NEVER happen today.
2. 86-87' (Krysko's sr yr)
3. 91-92'-Fasting,Engelelent,Delvon Anderson, Keith Crawford and Nate Atchison and a young Travis DeCuire. They lost to a star-studded Florida State team in the NCAA tourney that featured 4 future NBA-ers including Charlie Ward, Sam Cassell, Bobby Sura,& Doug Graham. Gary Kane missed a 3-pointer with 4-5 minutes left that could have cut the lead to 2? and it was never in real doubt after that, but I couldn't believe we hung with them that long (I was there). That FSU team was coached by Fat Pat Kennedy,who would later be the worst coaching decision in UM history and bring UM's budget to ground-zero. It's easy to coach 4 future NBA-ers. That was all Pat could do:BS/recruit (and spend money), he was a terrible coach, without future NBA-ers, as we all saw, and some of us are still feeling the affects.
4. 2005-06-Griz beat a supposed NBA first round early-entry Jr Nick Fazekas (Nevada), who was absolutely schooled by Andrew Strait, and Fazekas literally ran off the court after the game without shaking anyone's hands (like a little bitch), and was never a relevant prospect thus-after. (2nd rd pick the next year and only played 26 NBA games). ALL because of Andrew Strait. Strait cost that loser millions of dollars, literally.
5. 90-91' Griz got screwed having to play the #1 team in the country-UNLV (which featured 5! future NBA-eras), which dismantled us (99-65), but it remains the most unjust paring the Big Sky has ever got. No Way were the Griz the worst team in the tourney that year, and UNLV was a unanimous #1.

I watched all these teams play, and at this point in the season I'd probably put this year's team ahead of the '86'-'87 team and at least on par with the '91-'92 team. Our team defense is better this year in my opinion, and given the importance of guard play in overall team success, I like this year's team even more. Cherry and Jamar were a tough tandem to beat, but I think Oguine/Rorie will set the bar higher than ever. We'll see how it plays out, but 16-5 should be a pretty impressive start.

I prefer to wait until after the season to properly evaluate this year's team in the all-time rankings (and didn't even consider them when I did my top 5). I am enjoying this team tremendously, don't get me wrong, but I'm gonna resist ranking them until the season is over.

 

[Zirg]

Great teams do great things. This team has done only one great thing: Had a great start. Way too early to talk about greatness here.Talent? Yes. Greatness no.

I agree with Zirg's list, with two exceptions.

Krysko's senior team was not a great team. Montgomery never recruited great players to surround him. Result? They lost to a lower-seed Montana State team in Reno for the right to go to the Big Dance. Because of Kyrsko, we got an NIT bid, where we got blown out, I believe by UCLA. Great player, but not a great team.

A much better team was the Qvale--Cherry team that defeated Damian Lillard, then nearly knocked off New Mexico in the first round in San Jose. But for a blunder by the young Cherry down the stretch, that team would have taken down what I think was a three seed. That team needs to be on any "top" list.

I gotta defer to you (this one time) citay. I ranked the Krysko sr team high out of reputation more than what I know and am more than willing to go along with the Cherry-led team to replace it. It WAS amazing to watch Cherry shut down Lillard and not many NBA-ers have been able to that since.

 

[Proud Griz Man]

Krysko's senior team was not a great team. Montgomery never recruited great players to surround him. Result? They lost to a lower-seed Montana State team in Reno for the right to go to the Big Dance. Because of Kyrsko, we got an NIT bid, where we got blown out, I believe by UCLA. Great player, but not a great team.

Additionally I think Herb Jones died in 1985 and had 1-2 years more eligibility.

 

[AllWeatherFan]

I know the season is still young...

...so this requires you to go out on a limb and just make a guess.

I think we'll finish strong, with 1 or 2 conference losses, and will go into the tourney as the #1 seed. (And next season will be our best ever.)

But I honestly believe if this year's team played any of the past Grizzly teams mentioned above, the 2017-2018 Griz team would prevail by a comfortable margin.

Why?

Defense.

 

[Potomac Griz]

The 2006 team has to be one of the better Griz teams ever. I remember being in the spring of my freshman year and watching the NCAA Tournament win over Nevada at the Press Box. One of my most vivid college memories.

In the March of 2016, I did this oral history on that team to commemorate the 10-year anniversary, which also coincides with the last time a Big Sky team won an NCAA Tournament game.

Ten years later, memories of Griz 2006 NCAA Tourney win remain strong
https://skylinesportsmt.com/ten-years-later-memories-of-griz-2006-ncaa-tourney-win-remain-strong/

Maybe I'm biased, but I think this team has to be in the top three based on the accomplishments at the end of the year. I was a senior that year, front row of the student section every game, handing out crib sheets full of information on the opposing team's players (Mom's names, prom king status, arrest information, little league coaches names, etc). We had way too much fun taunting guys at the free throw line!

Aside from the tournament win over Nevada, my most enjoyable memory of that year was watching freshman Jordan Hasquet go off for 25 points in the win against Stanford at home. I went to high school with Jordan, and to watch him stick it to the Cardinal was a thing of beauty.

That year's team got a tough second round match up against a very big and physical Boston College team. With the right matchup, I think they could have been a sweet 16 team.

Definitely agree, that team could have been a sweet 16 team with a better matchup. The Griz were so damn close to getting Pacific in the 2nd round instead of BC that year too. Pacific had a 5 point lead with under a minute to go in the first OT. They still had a 2 point lead in the last few seconds but a foul (kind of a questionable one too if I remember right) sent BC to the line shooting 2. The BC player (one of their bigs) hit both FTs and sent the game to a 2nd OT where BC won.

Always wondered how the Griz vs Pacific would've gone. BC's post players both ended up playing in the NBA.

 

[Zirg]

I know the season is still young...

...so this requires you to go out on a limb and just make a guess.

I think we'll finish strong, with 1 or 2 conference losses, and will go into the tourney as the #1 seed. (And next season will be our best ever.)

But I honestly believe if this year's team played any of the past Grizzly teams mentioned above, the 2017-2018 Griz team would prevail by a comfortable margin.

Why?

Defense.

That is clueless. I definitely disagree that this year's team "would prevail by a comfortable margin" over previous great Griz teams. You are blinded by a nice run right now, but this team is ranked #116 in the power rankings. You really believe the Griz have never had a team ranked higher than 116? The Griz have lost to all 3 top 100 teams we've played. Northern Colorado is the highest ranked team we've beat at #127 (Pittsburgh is #183). That doesn't impress me.

 

[casewinter13]

I know the season is still young...

...so this requires you to go out on a limb and just make a guess.

I think we'll finish strong, with 1 or 2 conference losses, and will go into the tourney as the #1 seed. (And next season will be our best ever.)

But I honestly believe if this year's team played any of the past Grizzly teams mentioned above, the 2017-2018 Griz team would prevail by a comfortable margin.

Why?

Defense.

That is clueless. I definitely disagree that this year's team "would prevail by a comfortable margin" over previous great Griz teams. You are blinded by a nice run right now, but this team is ranked #116 in the power rankings. You really believe the Griz have never had a team ranked higher than 116? The Griz have lost to all 3 top 100 teams we've played. Northern Colorado is the highest ranked team we've beat at #127 (Pittsburgh is #183). That doesn't impress me.

And you are completely blind as well, so maybe don't throw stones. You're cherry picking games and opponents to suit you and you know you're doing it, so I don't need to point it out in detail. As usual, this team likely lies somewhere near the middle of both of you far ends of the hyperbole spectrum.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

 

[Zirg]

True, I DID do research and pointed out facts that substantiated my points. I really don't have a definitive opinion about this years team yet so what am I blind to? I am the one keeping an open mind and reserving judgement until all the results are in. The rankings tell me that this team is ranked #116 in the country by an independent source and I looked up every team the Griz played this year and it's a fact that No. Colorado is the highest-ranked team we've beat. Call it cherry-picking if you want, but if I listed the entire schedule and rankings it would only further illustrate my point. We haven't beaten anyone impressive to prove anything yet (to me). I've never heard anyone brag about beating NCU (or is it UNC?).

 

[GrizLA]

True, I DID do research and pointed out facts that substantiated my points. I really don't have a definitive opinion about this years team yet so what am I blind to? I am the one keeping an open mind and reserving judgement until all the results are in. The rankings tell me that this team is ranked #116 in the country by an independent source and I looked up every team the Griz played this year and it's a fact that No. Colorado is the highest-ranked team we've beat. Call it cherry-picking if you want, but if I listed the entire schedule and rankings it would only further illustrate my point. We haven't beaten anyone impressive to prove anything yet (to me). I've never heard anyone brag about beating NCU (or is it UNC?).

You are absolutely right, but in those games they lost to higher rated teams, this team led until the closing moments. Sadly, had they not begun slowly, and still do, I think it is probable they would have won at least at Penn State, Sta. Barb., Georgia State. This week's game at NoColorado could be the toughest game UM has had this year. But, what makes me more enthusiastic about this team is that they can rebound, which, as I recall, with Tinkle they were among the worst in America, and the 3 pt shot is being made a bit more and opening the paint for Akoh and Kriscovic. There are no easy games left on the road for UM.

 

[BozAngelesGriz]

The 2006 team has to be one of the better Griz teams ever. I remember being in the spring of my freshman year and watching the NCAA Tournament win over Nevada at the Press Box. One of my most vivid college memories.

In the March of 2016, I did this oral history on that team to commemorate the 10-year anniversary, which also coincides with the last time a Big Sky team won an NCAA Tournament game.

Ten years later, memories of Griz 2006 NCAA Tourney win remain strong
https://skylinesportsmt.com/ten-years-later-memories-of-griz-2006-ncaa-tourney-win-remain-strong/

Maybe I'm biased, but I think this team has to be in the top three based on the accomplishments at the end of the year. I was a senior that year, front row of the student section every game, handing out crib sheets full of information on the opposing team's players (Mom's names, prom king status, arrest information, little league coaches names, etc). We had way too much fun taunting guys at the free throw line!

Aside from the tournament win over Nevada, my most enjoyable memory of that year was watching freshman Jordan Hasquet go off for 25 points in the win against Stanford at home. I went to high school with Jordan, and to watch him stick it to the Cardinal was a thing of beauty.

That year's team got a tough second round match up against a very big and physical Boston College team. With the right matchup, I think they could have been a sweet 16 team.

the atmosphere in the student section that year was wild. i remember getting a chant going for some kid on the Sac State team because he didn't play a single second during the game. he liked us and even shook hands with some of the students after the game...but there were some absolutely vicious taunts that weren't so lighthearted.