Beginning of the season..Dream Big...you never know.

[WashGriz]

Hey..below is a link to USA today take on Griz..USA has the same take at a projected starting line up as Mslacat (Gee..you think they interviewed mslacat ??)
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If Tinkle was to pick a starting line up today I am betting he would have started
Rundles
Martin
Staudacher
Strait
Hasquet

First off the bench
Sharp
Elgin-Taylor

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Here is what is so great about the beginning of the season..we can
play what if...what if.. the 3 position is our strength, not our weakness!

What if the Griz upset the Zags and WSU in the first two weeks.

What if Staudacher takes 10 three point shots and hits 5-6 per game and leads the nation in three point shooting.

What if Hasquet has three power jams dunks over Micah Downs in the Zags game on TV and they replay if twenty times on Sports center.

What if Qvale is the BIg Sky Freshman of the year and the national
media look at him as the next Rodney Stucky..upcoming NBA big man material out of the Big Sky.

What if Rundles burns WSU's gaurd Derrick Low so bad..he
vows to shave off all his hippie hair for the rest of the season!

What if the The students go crazy when they get next to the floor
in the opener and that starts the.."the maroon jumping zoo goers" and that cranks up the atmosphere for the next decade.

What if we win 25 games ...loose in the big sky finials ..and then
get an at large bid....go into the sweet sixteen...and so on....

The beginning of the season is a great time ..full of hope..we can all dream a little for a few more days.



www.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/bigsky/montana.htmwww.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/teamindex.htm

 

[EverettGriz]

GETTING INSIDE

The Grizzlies are the pick of many to win the Big Sky championship, as second-year coach Wayne Tinkle has a roster laden with experience and talent.


But that was also the case a year ago when Tinkle took over after Larry Krystkowiak had guided the program to back-to-back NCAA Tournament berths. The Grizzlies had an uneven campaign and ultimately were ousted in the league tournament semifinals by Northern Arizona.


Team chemistry proved elusive for last year's Grizzlies, although the season must be considered a successful one. With three returning starters and no less than five other solid veterans returning, Montana has the look of a champion.


No team in the conference has two forwards to compare with Andrew Strait and Jordan Hasquet. They combined for 28 points and 13 boards per game. Guard Cameron Rundles is also back after being named the league's Freshman of the Year. He averaged 8.3 points and three assists.


Three-point specialist Matt Dlouhy, defensive stopper Bryan Ellis and energized sixth-man Mike Chavez have all graduated and will be missed. But plenty of capable replacements are available. Matt Martin is a streaky 3-point shooter who, when he gets hot, is one of the best bombers in the Big Sky. Ryan Staudacher is another fine shooter.


The freshmen class is loaded with size and talent, but Tinkle's club received a blow before practice began where heralded JC recruit Sean Watson of Texas left school, citing homesickness. The 6-5 Watson was expected to challenge immediately for a starting spot.


NOTES, QUOTES

STRENGTHS: Depth. This Grizzly team has many talented players. It will be Tinkle's task to find the best combinations prior to the league season. There is obvious strength inside with all-conference performers Jordan Hasquet and Andrew Strait. They complement each other well because Strait is an old-school, back-to-the-bucket guy and Hasquet can step out beyond the arc and hit the trey.


WEAKNESSES: Chemistry was a bugaboo last season. Sometimes excessive depth, of course, translates into a shortage of available playing time. There are question marks at small forward. But really, it's tough to find many weaknesses with this roster.


LAST YEAR: (16-14 overall, 10-6 in conference, 1-1 in Big Sky tournament, 17-15)


HEAD COACH: Wayne Tinkle (career 17-15; 2nd year at Montana (17-15).


QUOTE TO NOTE: "This year there's a lot more feeling of calm. It's not only that I have a year under my belt, it's that I know our staff is more cohesive and the group of guys we've got are at the head of why I have a pretty good feeling." — Head coach Wayne Tinkle prior to the start of practice in mid-October.


STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

SCOUTING THE NEWCOMERS: Ceylon Elgin-Taylor is a 6-2 guard who transfers from Irvine Valley (Calif.) College, where last year he averaged 13.8 points, 4.7 assists and 4.1 rebounds.


True freshman Brian Qvale, a 6-11 center from Williston, N.D., and Derek Selvig, a 6-10 forward from Glendive, Mont., were regarded as two of the top recruits in their respective states. Both seem ticketed, though, for redshirt campaigns.


KEY EARLY-SEASON GAMES: The Grizzlies play at powerful Gonzaga on Nov. 11 and are schedule to meet highly regarded Washington State on Nov. 25 in Spokane, Wash. Montana will be at Pacific on Dec. 15.


PROGRAM DIRECTION: Ascending. The Grizzlies finished 10-6 in the league last season and could well better that mark. Tinkle is assembling a lot of size and talent and, with just two seniors on the roster, figures to have the Grizzlies winning a lot of games for a lot of years to come.


PROBABLE STARTING LINEUP: PG Cameron Rundles, SG Matt Martin, SF Ryan Staudacher, PF Andrew Strait and C Jordan Hasquet


ROSTER REPORT:


Transfers Michael Taylor (Eastern Washington) and Jack McGillis (Oregon State) will sit out the season as per NCAA rules. McGillis is a former Missoula Hellgate High star.


Senior Gus Chase and junior Austin Swift both elected not to return to the team.


Mike Chavez signed a contract with the Great Falls Explorers of the Continental Basketball Association.