Years ago I was on a plane, idly looking out the window and listening on my headphones to the conversation between the cockpit and the air traffic controller. We were on our landing approach, when, gradually, just behind us, another plane started angling into our air space. And the air traffic controllers said to our pilot, "Do you have visual contact with target at one o'clock?" And our pilot said, "Negative." Of course, by this time, everybody in the plane was pointing, and shouting, until the other plane veered out of our space.
I'm reminded of this story every time I think of our Griz, because from day one of the DeCuire regime we have been saying, "Bigs! Bigs! Targets at 6'10"!", all the while that DeCuire was going after point guard after point guard. Successful? You bet! Oguine and Rorie and Pridgett are all big time backcourt players, with another, Timmy Falls, on the way. Put them all together in one backcourt and they are of the caliber we've not seen on one team at Montana maybe ever. Surely this all makes sense. DeCuire was a point guard, and point guards are critically important to the success of any team.
When we finally got around to the bigs, two wound up being transfers that have to sit out a year, and Anderson got hurt. That's why it's pretty much understood here that next year is the year DeCuire's program really kicks into gear, when the cavalry arrives.
Because as we have seen, you simply cannot take on a USC or an Oregon or an Ole Miss when your tallest player is 6'8", and your next big is a freshman standing 6'7". I'm not ever sure we could beat these teams with a Stephen Curry on our side.
So, given our limitations, great job, Griz. They were in this game, just as they were at USC, well into the second half. Will we face this kind of height in conference? Except for Weber, probably not. But I think we've all learned one critical lesson: Until those bigs arrive, we'll be outmatched against elite teams like Oregon.
I'm reminded of this story every time I think of our Griz, because from day one of the DeCuire regime we have been saying, "Bigs! Bigs! Targets at 6'10"!", all the while that DeCuire was going after point guard after point guard. Successful? You bet! Oguine and Rorie and Pridgett are all big time backcourt players, with another, Timmy Falls, on the way. Put them all together in one backcourt and they are of the caliber we've not seen on one team at Montana maybe ever. Surely this all makes sense. DeCuire was a point guard, and point guards are critically important to the success of any team.
When we finally got around to the bigs, two wound up being transfers that have to sit out a year, and Anderson got hurt. That's why it's pretty much understood here that next year is the year DeCuire's program really kicks into gear, when the cavalry arrives.
Because as we have seen, you simply cannot take on a USC or an Oregon or an Ole Miss when your tallest player is 6'8", and your next big is a freshman standing 6'7". I'm not ever sure we could beat these teams with a Stephen Curry on our side.
So, given our limitations, great job, Griz. They were in this game, just as they were at USC, well into the second half. Will we face this kind of height in conference? Except for Weber, probably not. But I think we've all learned one critical lesson: Until those bigs arrive, we'll be outmatched against elite teams like Oregon.
