• Hi Guest, want to participate in the discussions, keep track of read/unread posts and more? Create your free account and increase the benefits of your eGriz.com experience today!

Griz Depth Chart

flatheadgriz406

Well-known member
Here is my way to early take on the depth chart for next season.

Te'jon Sawyer 6'8 F (JR) ----- Lolu Oke 6'9 F (SR)

Dischon Thomas 6'9 F (SR) -Rhett Reynolds 6'9 F (FR) - Zack Davidson 6'9 F (FR)

Jaxon Nap 6'7 W (SO) - Giordan Williams 6'4 G (SR) - Dorell Thomas 6'5 G (FR)

Anen Moody 6'3 G (SR) - Money Williams 6'4 G (FR)

Brandon Whitney 6'1 G (JR) - G Josh Vazquez 6'3 (SR) - Isiah Kerr 6'3 (FR) G Chase Henderson 6'0 G (FR)

I don't mind our big rotation once again. Sawyer, Thomas and Oke are a decent 3 man rotation that all bring something different to the table. I like having the diversity in skill set. I feel like it plays well to exploiting matchups. Reynolds has a long ways to go. If he can put on some size and coordination this summer, his athleticism off the bench in a limited role would be nice. I would assume after watching his tape, Davidson will RS. Jaxon can also move to the 4 in a smaller lineup like he did last year a few times. Gives us another wrinkle.

The 2/3 spot will be interesting. Nap is the player I'm most excited to see how he improves this off season. He seems to have the most upside with his length shooting and ball handling. If the game can slow down for him a bit, I feel like he can take a huge jump into next year. Everything I hear out of the Adams center is they are excited to see what Money can do. The little I saw from Kerr last year I liked. We know Travis plays his guards into the ground with mins so it will be interesting if any of these young guys Thomas, Kerr, Money can break into the lineup.

Giordan is an unknown. It will greatly depend on his recovery from his injury. I feel like the reason Martin got so much time last year was due to the fact Travis trusted him on the defensive end. That to me is going to separate playing time off the bench. That and don't turn the ball over.

I'm bummed we don't have a true PG on the team. I think that would really go along way on this team. Losing Bannan's 112 assists will be tough to replace. Hopefully someone can step into that role.
 
We gotta still be in the market for another big guy. I'm concerned that our biggest guy on the team is 6'9. We need a 6'10+ guy on this team. Hopefully they're still going after Jaden Bediako from Santa Clara. If we land him or Deshan Jackson from WSU then I'll feel pretty good about this team. Also I think Jiordan Williams would start over Nap
 
I can't remember an offseason where I wasn't optimistic about Griz basketball, but general talent level is a glaring concern here to me.
After an absolutely brutal offensive stretch, last year's team finally found its identity by putting the ball in Bannan's hands to create, and getting Moody looks off the ball. Matching that late success seems to depend on Sawyer being a plug-and-play star (or at least creator) somewhere in Bannan's orbit, which requires particularly rosey lenses given his 2.2 and 3.9 ppg D-I history.
Given a complete return from injury, Giordan Williams looks like he has some of the creation ability and mindset that we sorely need. But his D-I history is also 4.5 ppg, and doesn't it feel like providing offensive aggression and creativity will inevitably get him benched in Decuire's doghouse?
Then there are the other valid concerns of a lack of size and a balanced PG (or any other consistent type of creation).
Barring an identity-making transfer, it seems our only hopes for avoiding an entire year of eye-bleeding offensive sludge are an unforeseen internal star turn or a transcendent freshman. I guess Nap is our internal candidate, but I want to see him develop a consistent D-I skill before we talk about his ceiling. Who is he? What is he? You have to be good at one thing before you can be good at many.
Among the freshmen, Money Williams certainly looks like as good a star candidate as we've had in many years. His offensive highlights are what I am clinging to -- as well as hoping on that big transfer -- in this long offseason. Also Kerr's highlights were certainly intriguing coming in, could he possibly maybe be ready to take the reigns?
I'd be interested if other fans have hope, and what they are pinning it on heading into next year.
 
The biggest let down of this off-season IMO is if we don't upgrade at the PG position. With our ball screen heavy offense, the fact that our starting pg is incapable of hitting shots outside 5 feet kills any offensive advantage we might gain by having not 1, but 2 pick & pop bigs on the roster now. We pigeon holed ourselves by signing 2 straight high school PG's, so now there's a back log of small guards on the roster, of which MAYBE 1 will be ready to play.

Whitney's inability to shoot also affects his ability to draw help defenders and find open teammates. I honestly thought one of this year's freshman guards/wings would have transferred and we would have had room to bring in a pg who could catch & shoot 3's and shoot off the pick and roll / attract double teams and kick to Thomas & Sawyer off the pop. All in all, if we're relying on freshman guards to save the season, it's going to be a tough season.
 
Keep in mind the Big Sky is shaping up to be really bad next year. Unless teams start bring in some talent, Montana would likely be the pre-season #3 behind Weber and EWU. You don’t need to be a great team, just better than the teams in your conference.

Moody will likely be pre-season all-BSC. Di. Thomas would be 2nd or 3rd team if they had it for pre-season. I could also see Whitney on the 3rd team. If you have 3 of the top 15 players in the conference, you have a chance.
 
Griz til I die said:
We gotta still be in the market for another big guy. I'm concerned that our biggest guy on the team is 6'9. We need a 6'10+ guy on this team. Hopefully they're still going after Jaden Bediako from Santa Clara. If we land him or Deshan Jackson from WSU then I'll feel pretty good about this team. Also I think Jiordan Williams would start over Nap

6'10" would be nice but when is the last 6'10" guy that we get access to who does 6'10" stuff? Shot blockers 6'5" DCH was better shot blocker than any 6 10 guy we've had in a long time. Guy who has smooth interior footwork and touch Bannon and the other 6'8 guys have been the best at that. Plays above the rim and rips down boards and dunks easy looks with ease Okah and Brunnig last guys to do that both in 6'8 range. I think at Montana level the 2inches of height that make someone fit the bill of Big Man true Center arent worth much, better to avoid lanky uncoordinated guys with 2in of extra height and get better bang for buck with guys in 6'7 - 6'9 range
 
GrizBall said:
Keep in mind the Big Sky is shaping up to be really bad next year. Unless teams start bring in some talent, Montana would likely be the pre-season #3 behind Weber and EWU. You don’t need to be a great team, just better than the teams in your conference.

Moody will likely be pre-season all-BSC. Di. Thomas would be 2nd or 3rd team if they had it for pre-season. I could also see Whitney on the 3rd team. If you have 3 of the top 15 players in the conference, you have a chance.

Big Sky will be the same. New stars will emerge, and there will be lots of drop downs from guys that want to play. Big Sky lost very few players that were stars before they got here. They became stars in the Big Sky as will the next generation
 
ordigger said:
GrizBall said:
Keep in mind the Big Sky is shaping up to be really bad next year. Unless teams start bring in some talent, Montana would likely be the pre-season #3 behind Weber and EWU. You don’t need to be a great team, just better than the teams in your conference.

Moody will likely be pre-season all-BSC. Di. Thomas would be 2nd or 3rd team if they had it for pre-season. I could also see Whitney on the 3rd team. If you have 3 of the top 15 players in the conference, you have a chance.

Big Sky will be the same. New stars will emerge, and there will be lots of drop downs from guys that want to play. Big Sky lost very few players that were stars before they got here. They became stars in the Big Sky as will the next generation

I respectfully disagree with this take. Here are some recent conference rankings according to KenPom:

2023: 17
2022: 25
2021: 18
2020: 17
2019: 27

Those are fairly big deltas.

These are also fairly big deltas:

4 worst teams in 2022: SAC (317) UI (324) NAU (334) ISU (339)

4 worst teams in 2023: SAC (228) PSU (239) ISU (245) UI (300)

The worst team in 2023 was better than 4 teams in 2022.

I expect the conference to be more like 2022 than 2023.
 
GrizBall said:
ordigger said:
Big Sky will be the same. New stars will emerge, and there will be lots of drop downs from guys that want to play. Big Sky lost very few players that were stars before they got here. They became stars in the Big Sky as will the next generation

I respectfully disagree with this take. Here are some recent conference rankings according to KenPom:

2023: 17
2022: 25
2021: 18
2020: 17
2019: 27

Those are fairly big deltas.

These are also fairly big deltas:

4 worst teams in 2022: SAC (317) UI (324) NAU (334) ISU (339)

4 worst teams in 2023: SAC (228) PSU (239) ISU (245) UI (300)

The worst team in 2023 was better than 4 teams in 2022.

I expect the conference to be more like 2022 than 2023.

This data supports my stance. Portal was in place last year too, and the conference improved. Guys like Moody were average with one team, and then break out with their new one. Panic a few years ago when EWU lost everyone to transferring and then instantly rebuilt.
 
ordigger said:
GrizBall said:
I respectfully disagree with this take. Here are some recent conference rankings according to KenPom:

2023: 17
2022: 25
2021: 18
2020: 17
2019: 27

Those are fairly big deltas.

These are also fairly big deltas:

4 worst teams in 2022: SAC (317) UI (324) NAU (334) ISU (339)

4 worst teams in 2023: SAC (228) PSU (239) ISU (245) UI (300)

The worst team in 2023 was better than 4 teams in 2022.

I expect the conference to be more like 2022 than 2023.

This data supports my stance. Portal was in place last year too, and the conference improved. Guys like Moody were average with one team, and then break out with their new one. Panic a few years ago when EWU lost everyone to transferring and then instantly rebuilt.

The portal was also in place between 21 and 22 and the conference declined. Which was my point and I forecast a similar drop for ‘24.

Also, the 21-22 MVP, DPOY, 6MOY (both), FOY and 5 of the top 10 players returned for the 22-23 season. Going into next year, the conference has already lost every individual award winner.

For every Moody there is a Jonathan Brown and for every EWU there is going to be a Montana State and Idaho next year. Everyone doesn’t strike gold in the portal. Some years are a lot better than others and based on what I have seen so far, I expect 24 to be a down year. I guess time will tell who is right.
 
Griz til I die said:
We gotta still be in the market for another big guy. I'm concerned that our biggest guy on the team is 6'9. We need a 6'10+ guy on this team. Hopefully they're still going after Jaden Bediako from Santa Clara. If we land him or Deshan Jackson from WSU then I'll feel pretty good about this team. Also I think Jiordan Williams would start over Nap

I would rather have a 6'9" 250# guy who wants the ball and has a knack for getting rebounds.
The round mound of basketball was only 6'8" and he was ok.
Ann Lake was only 6' and dare you to try and out rebound her.
I don't think that extra 2" gets you that much.
 
Griz til I die said:
We gotta still be in the market for another big guy. I'm concerned that our biggest guy on the team is 6'9. We need a 6'10+ guy on this team. Hopefully they're still going after Jaden Bediako from Santa Clara. If we land him or Deshan Jackson from WSU then I'll feel pretty good about this team. Also I think Jiordan Williams would start over Nap
Are we in the market, at all, for another player?
 
fanofzoo said:
Griz til I die said:
We gotta still be in the market for another big guy. I'm concerned that our biggest guy on the team is 6'9. We need a 6'10+ guy on this team. Hopefully they're still going after Jaden Bediako from Santa Clara. If we land him or Deshan Jackson from WSU then I'll feel pretty good about this team. Also I think Jiordan Williams would start over Nap

I would rather have a 6'9" 250# guy who wants the ball and has a knack for getting rebounds.
The round mound of basketball was only 6'8" and he was ok.
Ann Lake was only 6' and dare you to try and out rebound her.
I don't think that extra 2" gets you that much.

If you’re talking Barkley, he’s 6-5 or 6-6. Rodman is 6-7. Your point is definitely well taken and I agree, 6-9 ball hawk is better than 6-10 that isn’t.
 
AZDoc said:
fanofzoo said:
I would rather have a 6'9" 250# guy who wants the ball and has a knack for getting rebounds.
The round mound of basketball was only 6'8" and he was ok.
Ann Lake was only 6' and dare you to try and out rebound her.
I don't think that extra 2" gets you that much.

If you’re talking Barkley, he’s 6-5 or 6-6. Rodman is 6-7. Your point is definitely well taken and I agree, 6-9 ball hawk is better than 6-10 that isn’t.
Also, don't forget one of the best post presences in Griz history, Andrew Strait, was 6'8."
 
grizband said:
AZDoc said:
If you’re talking Barkley, he’s 6-5 or 6-6. Rodman is 6-7. Your point is definitely well taken and I agree, 6-9 ball hawk is better than 6-10 that isn’t.
Also, don't forget one of the best post presences in Griz history, Andrew Strait, was 6'8."

I've wanted another Art Steward in a Griz uniform for a long time now. Animal on the boards and no one out-hustled him. I think he was only 6-6 or 6-7.
 
How about Kamaar Davis who, while listed at 6"7", could not have been more than 6'5". Does anyone know if the Griz are actually looking for another player?
 
GrizWhiz said:
Griz til I die said:
We gotta still be in the market for another big guy. I'm concerned that our biggest guy on the team is 6'9. We need a 6'10+ guy on this team. Hopefully they're still going after Jaden Bediako from Santa Clara. If we land him or Deshan Jackson from WSU then I'll feel pretty good about this team. Also I think Jiordan Williams would start over Nap
Are we in the market, at all, for another player?

My answer would have been no and then I saw this. I am now fully convinced someone is not coming or will be asked to be a walk-on for a year. Montana would be his 4th school, one of which was North Dakota where he played with Moody. The other confusing thing is that if there was another scholarship left, it seems like it would go to a true big or PG. He is 6’6.

https://twitter.com/charlie_parent/status/1649807259478769670?s=46&t=_FgpKnpLgkEHDfvQTUKPmA
 
There’s a point where recruiting solely for fit on a team that lacks top end talent is not the best plan of action. I believe the Griz are well past that point. Get a starting caliber guy, regardless of position. A lack of top end talent is again a glaring weakness.
 
Griz til I die said:
We gotta still be in the market for another big guy. I'm concerned that our biggest guy on the team is 6'9. We need a 6'10+ guy on this team. Hopefully they're still going after Jaden Bediako from Santa Clara. If we land him or Deshan Jackson from WSU then I'll feel pretty good about this team. Also I think Jiordan Williams would start over Nap

Bediako recently took a trip to Seton Hall and Jackson took one to BYU. My guess is that means neither will be a Griz.
 
Few Things:

1. Staff is really high on Reynolds as a 4/5 post. Can play as a solo post, mobile enough to defend pick and rolls, and is a pretty active rebounder/rim defender. Plays a lot bigger than 6'9'' I'm told.

2. The players that UM is consistently mentioned with now in the last two weeks are PG's and wings. Some of them are older contacts (from beginning of April) but of the post players still in the portal they've been connected with I haven't heard a peep on the interwebs about Bedaiko, Jackson in a hot-minute. As noted, Burke Smith (C) might still be a target. The other one to keep an eye on is Rylan Jones (PG) of Utah State. Coaches follow him and he was a relatively recent entry into the portal.

3. They have a scholarship to offer, and I don't think they'll offer it for the sake of offering it. By having Bannan, Brown and Martin leave, it sort of resets the balance of the roster a bit. If you ignore the two non-counting scholarships this year, there is less imbalance in the roster than the outset of the off-season. Brought in two Juniors w/ two seasons left. My guess the freshman class takes care of itself a bit, but at this point I think there maybe a single candidate for RS or two at most (Henderson/Davidson). They have 16 roster players, 14 scholarships and a whole host of guys who are going to challenge for minutes. The only way I see the staff bringing another guy if they plan to red-shirt at least two of those incoming Freshman.

If you look out the 24-25 season, Montana roster looks like this:
No eligibility left:
- Vasquez
- Moody

Extra Year: (3)
- Whitney
- Thomas, Di
- Oke

Seniors: (23-24 JR's)-(2)
- G. Williams (Transfer)
- T. Sawyer (Transfer)

Juniors (1):
- Nap
+ w/o Solomon

Sophomores (6/7):
- Reynolds
- Thomas, Do
- Williams, M
- Henderson w/o RS
- Davidson w/o RS
- Kerr
+ w/o Bateman


Freshman(1/2):
Davidson w/ RS
Henderson w/ RS

4. I do believe with the way the market was in the portal this year, chasing top end talent is a bit of a losing prospect. Dalton Knecht just took a scholarship at Tennessee. McMillan, a GCU kid and former UM recruit out of HS and an early target, saw his market explode and ended up at Texas Tech. Similar story to that of Williams from Nevada. Montana was in on McMillan, Williams and several other guys, but these power 5 programs seeing their own rosters depleted by departures are over committing to anyone that could provide 'help.' Bedaiko, Jackson all got increased interest in recent weeks and saw their market go from BSC to MWC and power 5 schools. The NAIA POY from Jamestown just took a spot at Wyoming. Again, we are talking about guys who are filtering down to the BSC have been back bench kids or injured. Minott who just verballed to PSU, got little time at South Carolina. Linhardt didn't play much (if at all) at Washington for Idaho. That was true with Jackson Grant before he pulled out of his commitment to MSU after Sprinkle left.

5. I've said this before but this incoming Freshman class is really good. The staff is really, really high on Money Williams. He's not raw or unfinished product, but rather the type of guy who can come in on day 1 and compete. Henderson gives off a lot of Cameron Parker vibes who can run the floor and be a facilitator and a scorer. Davidson had a huge start to the high school season, and I thought along with Williams would be a better candidate for immediate action. He can play a stretch 4, active defender and runs the floor more like a 3. I think it is reasonable that you could under the right circumstances see contributions from all three this year.

6. In the end, if you look at the roster there might be weaknesses, but no glaring holes. Obviously you are leaning on some RS's and True Freshman to play key roles (Reynolds-F/C, Kerr PG, Williams SG/SF), but this roster is a bit more complete (but unproven at the back) than the last two versions. Feels like outside of true Center, there are two or three options at every position to use.
 
Back
Top