2015-16 Grizzlies

[alabamagrizzly]

Well time to start lookin' forward to next year. Some pretty good Sr's are leavin' and the Griz are gonna need some new faces to step up. Obviously Bruenig, Dunn, Krslovic, and Gfeller will be the leaders but who's replacing Gregory as the two gaurd and who will be our 1st guys off the bench? Bradshaw should be ready to step up but the bench players need to develop into their rolls and find our 6th, 7th, and 8th man off the bench.

2015-16 GRIZ ROSTER
PG- Mario Dunn 6'0" 170 (Jr)
PG/SG- Michael Oguine 6'0" 160 (Fr)
PG- Walter Wright 5'11" 165 (SO)

SG/PG- Riley Bradshaw 6'2" 180 (Jr)
SG/SF- Jermaine Edmonds, Jr. 6'4" 185 (Jr)
SG- Daniel Nwosu 6'2" 185 (Jr)

SF/SG- Brandon Gfeller 6'3" 180 (Jr)
SF- Jack Lopez 6'5" 210 (Jr)
SF- Gavin Dejong 6'6" 215 (Fr)
SF/SG- Bobby Moorehead 6'6" ? (Fr)

PF- Martin Breunig 6'8" 210 (Sr)
PF- Jared Samuelson 6'7" 205 (Fr)

C/PF- Fabijan Krslovic 6'8" 225 (So)
C- Bryden Boehning 6'10" 230 (Fr)

Starting 5
1- Mario Dunn
2- Riley Bradshaw
3- Brandon Gfeller
4- Martin Breunig
5- Fabijan Krslovic

Four of the five are already set. The 5th(the 2 gaurd) could be a battle between Bradshaw, Jermaine Edmonds, Jr., and possibly incoming freshman Michael Oguine. I think Bradshaw will win because of his expierience from last year despite Edmonds being a better shooter. I also beleive Edmonds will have more versatility coming off the bench and can do more things. Oguine will just have too much talent to keep off the floor and Decuire will have to play him at both gaurd spots.

Bench
6- Jermaine Edmonds, Jr.
7- Jack Lopez
8- Michael Oguine
9- Daniel Nwosu
10- Bryden Boehning
11- Gavin Dejong
12- Walter Wright
13- Jared Samuelson
14- Bobby Moorehead

Only a couple of players off the bench will have any game time expierience. Six of the nine bench players will be freshman, redshirt freshman, or new to the team. The other three have had limited minuets due to injuries and other reasons.

Edmonds Jr- Mr everything except grades. Hopefully he gets those straightened out because not much eles can slow him down. He's one of those wings that can shoot, rebound, assist, and play D with the D probably being his strong point. He's not an exceptional shooter but good enough to keep defenders honest.

Oguine- Mabey the most anticipated recruit to ever come to Montana. The catalyst of his state championship team as a Jr before an injury slowed down his Sr season. Great scorer with a knack of getting to the rim. Highly regarded nationally also with one recruiting site rating him the 25th PG in the country and 6th in Ca. If he dosnt win one of the gaurd slots (possibly playing alot of 3 gaurd) before the regular season starts, he should have it wrapped up by the beggining of the con schedule.

Lopez- Highly decorated Australian that still has yet to find his grove here at Montana. More playing time should help but he needs to find some consistency with his long ball. Edmonds returning will also hurt his playing time but the lack of expierience below him will get him more mins then he may deserve.

Nwosu- Next in line due to what little expierience is behind him. Kind of an enigma last year. Came in with some good creds and expected to produce and then averaged just over 2 mins a game last year only making five baskets. Known as a shooter before he got here, some have said he has a poor shooting motion. I'm sure Decuire has been working with him and hopefully next year we will see some improvement.

Boehning- One of four Montana kids on the roster; some on eGriz have speculated he might lose his schollie because he dosnt fit Decuire's system. I would find this unfortunate because he's the only true center on the team. I hope this is just negative speculation because if he develops properly, after Bruenig graduates, Krslovic could slide to the four and form a dangerous duo with Boehning on rebounding and our low post game. His height will help him be a shot blocker and disrupter also.

Dejong- Great Montana recruit that can score from anywhere. Great rebounder that could see mins at the 3 and the 4.

Wright- A great 3rd option at the point. Quick with good D and can score in bunches. Turnovers may be an issue but Decuire should have something to say about that.

Samuelson- 2nd gen Griz but he plays a little different from his dad. A better perimeter player but he should learn well how to play inside due to pedigree and size. If he dosnt redshirt this year, he'll probably see limited mins.

Moorehead- More of a shooter then a post threat despite his size. D will need some work too. Most likley will redshirt, if not then probably suited for the 3 slot.

 

[GrizWhiz]

I would not be surprised to see Wright or Oguine start at one of the guard positions. Dunn will clearly be the starter at the other. Also, Nwosu was easily the most accurate returning three point shooter during last season's pre-game warm ups. That obviously did not translate into playing time last year. Another X factor is who might be leaving. This invariably happens at the conclusion of each season. We see it happening elsewhere, but I have heard nothing on this point regarding the Griz.

 

[mtgrizrule]

I would not be surprised to see Wright or Oguine start at one of the guard positions. Dunn will clearly be the starter at the other. Also, Nwosu was easily the most accurate returning three point shooter during last season's pre-game warm ups. That obviously did not translate into playing time last year. Another X factor is who might be leaving. This invariably happens at the conclusion of each season. We see it happening elsewhere, but I have heard nothing on this point regarding the Griz.

I expect the GRIZ to rotate Dunn, Oguine, and Wright a lot for consistent pressure defense, and ball distribution. I see Bradshaw getting more minutes to start the season. As the season goes on Oguine and Wright will cut into his minutes. I like Bradshaw, but unfortunately for him, he does not have ball handling and defensive quickness of the others. The others can break down defenses and create scoring opportunities for others easier.

I am a huge advocate of the main 6th man being versatile and bring energy to the team, Edmonds would fit the role perfectly. As for his defense, at this stage I feel his defense is his main weakness. Meaning, physically he is capable of being a shut down defender. Unfortunately, he did struggle with being out of position often in defensive assignments and rotations. For him, it is a matter of learning the mental side of his defensive responsibilities. If I were Travis, I'd be challenging him to set a goal of being the GRIZ best off the ball perimeter defender, and be a defensive nightmare for opponents best scoring SG and/or SF.

If Brandon Gfeller commits himself in the off season to ball handling and finishing strong in the paint, he can be a major scorer, game in, game out. He needs to elevate his skill set in the same manner Jordan Gregory did in his off seasons. I honestly hope we see Gfeller with a more diversified and versatile offensive game this coming season. Right now, he is a perimeter weapon only. Unfortunately, he can be taken out of games as is now.

I also expect 1 defection before next season, providing Travis can line up another physical body for the paint. I feel their are a few players who might be candidates to xfr to Div II or NAIA. I won't speculate who those players are here. I am sure the avid basketball followers can easily narrow it down by process of elimination. :thumb:

As for Boehning, I wondered last summer if he would fit for Travis's system as well. I am guessing, he has proven himself to be a fit. I know the staff spent a lot of hours preparing him for this coming season. From what I hear, his attitude has been excellent, he is a hard worker, and solid in the class room. Granted, it is difficult to project how ready or quickly a young big post player will take to adjust. Considering the lack of depth that are true PF's and C's, I really see no reason why Boehning would not be playing a rotational role this coming season. Another factor nobody has mentioned, Boehning and DeJong banged with Breunig, Krslovic, and Kemp all last season every day in practices. If either or both have proven to consistently compete with those guys, I'd think that is a great sign. That alone should make for a dramatic improvement in their games since coming to the GRIZ.

Like it or not, the pressure will be immense on Boehning and DeJong. I feel the GRIZ have adequate personnel to help lessen the loss of Gregory at guard. With that said, the development of Boehning and/or DeJong will be the biggest key for the GRIZ this coming season. Here is to hoping 1 or both are ready to be contributors in the paint this coming season.

I would not be surprised to see Breunig average 20 plus points per game this coming season. I am confident he will work on his perimeter game, and ball handling. It is scary to think what kind of potential he has by adding a consistent perimeter game and penetrating to his game. If he does that, he will see himself in an NBA camp after he graduates. I feel he is a true SF if he has a chance at the next level.

In the meantime, here is to hoping all the players commit 100% in the off season. Champions are made in the off season. :thumb:

 

[mtgrizfankb]

Bradshaw will not start. He is hesitant and slow off the dribble. He really need to work or catch and release as well. He is a fine young man but needs to improve leaps before starting. I see Dunn, Edmonds or oguine, gfeller, breunig, krslovic, sixth man could be oguine or Edmonds or Bradshaw. Overall I think we at see a better shooting team this year. We really relied on Gregory to dig us out of holes sometimes. I dont think that will happen as much.

 

[HelenaHandBasket]

Bradshaw will not start. He is hesitant and slow off the dribble. He really need to work or catch and release as well. He is a fine young man but needs to improve leaps before starting. I see Dunn, Edmonds or oguine, gfeller, breunig, krslovic, sixth man could be oguine or Edmonds or Bradshaw. Overall I think we at see a better shooting team this year. We really relied on Gregory to dig us out of holes sometimes. I dont think that will happen as much.

digging out of holes?

 

[EverettGriz]

Seemed like more often we were busy filling in the ones dug by our opponents.....

 

[UMGriz75]

Like it or not, the pressure will be immense on Boehning and DeJong. I feel the GRIZ have adequate personnel to help lessen the loss of Gregory at guard. With that said, the development of Boehning and/or DeJong will be the biggest key for the GRIZ this coming season. Here is to hoping 1 or both are ready to be contributors in the paint this coming season.

I would not be surprised to see Breunig average 20 plus points per game this coming season.

Breunig is going to have the big target painted on his back this next season. Without Gregory, the whole conference knows that Breunig will make or break a game for the Griz and he will have a tougher time of it next year. Boehning and DeJong will be critical, then. Boehning has the height, weight and the basketball IQ to play Center and let Breunig work around him. DeJong has a tremendous athleticism; indeed, he may be a foul magnet early in the season as he adjusts, but I think he will be able to shoulder his way in in much the same way as Breunig.

 

[GrizWhiz]

Per ESPN, Nwosu will be transferring. He seems like a fine young man and I wish the best for him.

 

[mtgrizrule]

Per ESPN, Nwosu will be transferring. He seems like a fine young man and I wish the best for him.

Glad someone let the cat out of the bag. He was who I was referring to as possibly transferring out. I am not surprised. There were plenty of opportunities to give more minutes then he go this year to develop him. Yet when he was on the court, he really had no interest to even contribute offensively. I did like his defense in his limited minutes. I wish him the best.

 

[GrizWhiz]

Per ESPN, Nwosu will be transferring. He seems like a fine young man and I wish the best for him.

Glad someone let the cat out of the bag. He was who I was referring to as possibly transferring out. I am not surprised. There were plenty of opportunities to give more minutes then he go this year to develop him. Yet when he was on the court, he really had no interest to even contribute offensively. I did like his defense in his limited minutes. I wish him the best.

"he really had no interest to even contribute offensively"???? :? How do you know this? He did not contribute much offensively but I doubt this was because of lack of interest. More importantly, is anyone else leaving? And, assuming at least one scholarship is now available for next season, who might the Griz be looking at. The next signing period starts tomorrow.

 

[mtgrizrule]

Per ESPN, Nwosu will be transferring. He seems like a fine young man and I wish the best for him.

Glad someone let the cat out of the bag. He was who I was referring to as possibly transferring out. I am not surprised. There were plenty of opportunities to give more minutes then he go this year to develop him. Yet when he was on the court, he really had no interest to even contribute offensively. I did like his defense in his limited minutes. I wish him the best.

"he really had no interest to even contribute offensively"???? :? How do you know this? He did not contribute much offensively but I doubt this was because of lack of interest. More importantly, is anyone else leaving? And, assuming at least one scholarship is now available for next season, who might the Griz be looking at. The next signing period starts tomorrow.

Sorry, my wording was a little too strong there. To me, it seemed something was missing when he was on the court. Something just didn't seem right. As for who the GRIZ are looking at to add, your guess is as good as mine. Got to hand it to Travis, his signings and potential recruits are kept a little closer to the vest, not much leaks out of the basketball department under him. I am so hoping for a solid 6'8" + post player that is a good rebounder, shot blocker, and add some scoring. :thumb:

 

[montanatarheel]

Per ESPN, Nwosu will be transferring. He seems like a fine young man and I wish the best for him.

Glad someone let the cat out of the bag. He was who I was referring to as possibly transferring out. I am not surprised. There were plenty of opportunities to give more minutes then he go this year to develop him. Yet when he was on the court, he really had no interest to even contribute offensively. I did like his defense in his limited minutes. I wish him the best.

"he really had no interest to even contribute offensively"???? :? How do you know this? He did not contribute much offensively but I doubt this was because of lack of interest. More importantly, is anyone else leaving? And, assuming at least one scholarship is now available for next season, who might the Griz be looking at. The next signing period starts tomorrow.

Sorry, my wording was a little too strong there. To me, it seemed something was missing when he was on the court. Something just didn't seem right. As for who the GRIZ are looking at to add, your guess is as good as mine. Got to hand it to Travis, his signings and potential recruits are kept a little closer to the vest, not much leaks out of the basketball department under him. I am so hoping for a solid 6'8" + post player that is a good rebounder, shot blocker, and add some scoring. :thumb:

Than who? Tinkle? i would completely disagree. Since he took over we have, at least publicly, offered far more kids than we did under Tinks.

 

[mtgrizrule]

Glad someone let the cat out of the bag. He was who I was referring to as possibly transferring out. I am not surprised. There were plenty of opportunities to give more minutes then he go this year to develop him. Yet when he was on the court, he really had no interest to even contribute offensively. I did like his defense in his limited minutes. I wish him the best.

"he really had no interest to even contribute offensively"???? :? How do you know this? He did not contribute much offensively but I doubt this was because of lack of interest. More importantly, is anyone else leaving? And, assuming at least one scholarship is now available for next season, who might the Griz be looking at. The next signing period starts tomorrow.

Sorry, my wording was a little too strong there. To me, it seemed something was missing when he was on the court. Something just didn't seem right. As for who the GRIZ are looking at to add, your guess is as good as mine. Got to hand it to Travis, his signings and potential recruits are kept a little closer to the vest, not much leaks out of the basketball department under him. I am so hoping for a solid 6'8" + post player that is a good rebounder, shot blocker, and add some scoring. :thumb:

Than who? Tinkle? i would completely disagree. Since he took over we have, at least publicly, offered far more kids than we did under Tinks.

Yes you are right. We do hear more of offers. What we don't hear of as quickly is the actual signings. Wright and especially Moorehead signed without a whisper or hint of them going to sign. I do recall at least Wright being talked about here. Moorehead came out of the blue.

 

[GrizWhiz]

"he really had no interest to even contribute offensively"???? :? How do you know this? He did not contribute much offensively but I doubt this was because of lack of interest. More importantly, is anyone else leaving? And, assuming at least one scholarship is now available for next season, who might the Griz be looking at. The next signing period starts tomorrow.

Sorry, my wording was a little too strong there. To me, it seemed something was missing when he was on the court. Something just didn't seem right. As for who the GRIZ are looking at to add, your guess is as good as mine. Got to hand it to Travis, his signings and potential recruits are kept a little closer to the vest, not much leaks out of the basketball department under him. I am so hoping for a solid 6'8" + post player that is a good rebounder, shot blocker, and add some scoring. :thumb:

Than who? Tinkle? i would completely disagree. Since he took over we have, at least publicly, offered far more kids than we did under Tinks.

Yes you are right. We do hear more of offers. What we don't hear of as quickly is the actual signings. Wright and especially Moorehead signed without a whisper or hint of them going to sign. I do recall at least Wright being talked about here. Moorehead came out of the blue.

Wright visited the Griz and had an offer for quite a while per verbalcommits. Moorehead seemingly did come out of the blue. Hopefully, a big man is also soon to emerge from out of the blue! :thumb: