DeCuire

[citygriz]

E.Griz - Yes I certainly do live in Washington and Anderson has a Scout Grade of 68 - 2 star and 6'6", not exactly what I would call an outstanding big. I don't think Washington, Washington State and Gonzaga even gave him more than a quick look. Washington gobbles up most of the good Garfield players, Gonzaga and the Cougars have a tough time recruiting in the Seattle area. Hope the kid proves me wrong. You might want to know that Gonzaga's roster this year includes two 6'9", one 6'10", one 6'11", two 7' players and they are not big stiffs. How do you suppose Anderson would do against that group?

I dunno, maybe I'm wrong, but basketball seems to be evolving away right now from superior "post presence" to small quicker teams that can shoot outside, taking advantage of the incredible bonus that the three-point shot offers. Two examples:
1. Villanova just beat Duke, a storied program with a tremendous height advantage.
2. The Warriors won a championship (and probably would have won a second had not Draymond Green been suspended) with a "death lineup" that went 6'3" (Curry), 6'5" (Iguadala) 6'7" maybe (Green), 6'7" (Thompson) and and 6'8" (Barnes.) The emphasis was on quickness, great switching defense and outstanding perimeter shooting. If the Gonzaga team and the Warriors had both walked through an airport at the same time, Gonzaga would have won the eyeball contest. But would they have won on the court? The USA team has tremendous bigs in Cousins and DeAndre Jordan, and they've now demolished Argentina and a much bigger China team. But could the USA team beat the new Warriors with Durant? I'm not so sure.
I just finished re-reading "Moneyball," which demolished many of the old standards and myths about baseball. I wish some author would apply the same principles to basketball, because it is my theory that the three-point shot has dramatically changed the game of basketball, while coaches and the old basketball establishment, i.e., the Charles Barkleys of the world, have been slow to acknowledge and accept those changes. NBA draft talk is still all about "length," "verticals," and "athleticism," the while the most basic skill in basketball, shooting, is relegated to some inferior classification. In retrospect, you would have picked Curry number one in his draft class, and I am sticking to my prediction that the best player in this year's draft is Buddy Hield. He had a rough debut in Las Vegas, but this kid can shoot. I think he should have gone much higher, maybe number one.
When the three-point line came in, Mike Montgomery, then at Montana, notably said, "If any of my kids looks down to see where the three-point line is, it's a ticket to the bench." In other words, the three-point line wasn't going to change his game! In retrospect, every coach should have been looking at that three-point line. It is indeed changing the game.

 

[AZGrizFan]

When you say Zag poster I have to laugh, I'm a graduate of the University of Montana but I live in Spokane and have become a Gonzaga fan because of the way their program is run and the fact they are competitive with everyone they play. Gonzaga has certainly had their share of excellent guards and are loaded with them for the coming season but you still have to be big inside to compete, the Griz will find that this coming season when they face the competition they have scheduled. As an outsider but still a Griz supporter I am just a little surprised their coaching staff hasn't been able to land any quality bigs.

Interesting take since we almost beat the Zags in their house this year (and probably SHOULD have, by all rights).

 

[EverettGriz]

A quick search of Ace's posts on here will reveal his true colors.

 

[acehunter65]

AZ Griz: Yea, And I was almost a millionaire and should have been, but had the wrong numbers on my lotto ticket!!

 

[Zirg]

Like many of us on this site, I've lived in several different places in this country--and visited many places abroad. And through my lifetime, I've never lost the idea that Montana is a special place--as it was for John Steinbeck, who wrote in "Travels With Charley" that while he liked many of the places he visited on his American tour with his dog Charley, he was in love with Montana. Absolute love, pure and simple.

At the same time, I've often wondered why, when it comes to college athletics, Montana seems to have such an inferiority complex. This was in evidence to me years ago on the football board, when everyone said we couldn't move up because our kids couldn't compete in the old WAC. Or we couldn't recruit because we were just little 'ole Montana. This was before so many Montana-born kids made it in the NFL.

And before Travis DeCuire arrived.

I am absolutely loving what DeCuire is doing. No inferiority complex here! The best teams in the country? Hey, we'll play 'em! And not with the attitude it's a revenue game, or a body bag game. Uh, uh. Watch out! We think we can beat you! There's nothing more exciting to a fan base than playing up, and that's why this schedule is so exciting. Challenges spell opportunity. Our basketball program is now full of opportunity.

The same attitude goes to recruiting. Let's go for the best! Let's give it a shot! And by my reckoning, we will have four kids on this year's roster--Rorie, Pridgett, Anderson and Oguine--that could for certain play on any Pac12 team, with Moorehead a possible sleeper. True, Qvale, Jamarr and Cherry were clearly better than so many kids on the UCLA team we beat in Los Angeles a few years ago, but that was over a four-year recruiting cycle. DeCuire has done this in two classes.

I was as sad as we all were to see Tinks leave Montana. But as happy as I was for him, and for what he accomplished at Montana, I think we got an upgrade in DeCuire. A guy, unlike Tinks or even Krysko, who came here with a lot of coaching experience, and a big-league attitude, and from day one has been almost faultless in his approach to building a program here. I'll be in Los Angeles for the USC game, and excited to watch the rest of the season unfold. Because like Boise State in football, taking on the best that college athletics has to offer, and actually competing with the best, is what I've always wished for our Griz.

Lots of self-bravado to wade through here but ultimately true. It could have been summed up much quicker, without city's ego.

 

[citygriz]

Yo, Zego: I agree wit ya. J School Rule # One: Shorter is better. But ego? Everybody is entitled to my own opinion.

 

[Umista]

Visiting with DeCuire a few months ago I teased him about not using "bigs" to win and further I mentioned I thought all good teams need at least one big. He laughingly said I don't want one or two big guys that can't get up and down the floor. He also said he wants to be like coach Stitt and run the hell out of the other team and wear them down. In any event I like DeCuire and his style of ball! One hell of a good coach in my opinion.

 

[Zirg]

Visiting with DeCuire a few months ago I teased him about not using "bigs" to win and further I mentioned I thought all good teams need at least one big. He laughingly said I don't want one or two big guys that can't get up and down the floor. He also said he wants to be like coach Stitt and run the hell out of the other team and wear them down. In any event I like DeCuire and his style of ball! One hell of a good coach in my opinion.

I like DeCuire, and have no problem with his contract, BUT, I think he has a lot to learn about working referees. I know he doesn't have a good rep with the refs I talk too. This is something that I believe is fix-able, but I'm not confident that anyone involved really understands his "rep' and what needs to be done to fix it.

 

[UMGriz75]

Visiting with DeCuire a few months ago I teased him about not using "bigs" to win and further I mentioned I thought all good teams need at least one big. He laughingly said I don't want one or two big guys that can't get up and down the floor. He also said he wants to be like coach Stitt and run the hell out of the other team and wear them down. In any event I like DeCuire and his style of ball! One hell of a good coach in my opinion.

He's got character, a plan, and attitude.

 

[Bloomberg75]

People can complain about the lack of TD recruiting bigs, but if you are Montana do you recruit kids like Boehning and Martin, definitely projects, or do you recruit 6'-7" athletic kids. Athletic 7-footers don't grow on trees, especially the low hanging branches that the likes of Montana can reach.

 

[kyle_sample]

People can complain about the lack of TD recruiting bigs, but if you are Montana do you recruit kids like Boehning and Martin, definitely projects, or do you recruit 6'-7" athletic kids. Athletic 7-footers don't grow on trees, especially the low hanging branches that the likes of Montana can reach.

Also, the criticism of him not recruiting bigs is completely unfounded. If Montana gets commitments from the two guys it wants to fill the 2017 class, the Griz will have 7 bigs on the roster. They might not be 7-feet, but you don't need 7-footers. If you have hardworking 6-8, 6-9 guys you'll be ok.

 

[maroonandsilver]

People can complain about the lack of TD recruiting bigs, but if you are Montana do you recruit kids like Boehning and Martin, definitely projects, or do you recruit 6'-7" athletic kids. Athletic 7-footers don't grow on trees, especially the low hanging branches that the likes of Montana can reach.

Also, the criticism of him not recruiting bigs is completely unfounded. If Montana gets commitments from the two guys it wants to fill the 2017 class, the Griz will have 7 bigs on the roster. They might not be 7-feet, but you don't need 7-footers. If you have hardworking 6-8, 6-9 guys you'll be ok.

The game has evolved away from the low-post "aircraft carrier" type of big men, to the 6-7, 6-8 guys who can run and shoot 3's. Most everyone wants to look like the GS Warriors.

 

[UMGriz75]

Also, the criticism of him not recruiting bigs is completely unfounded. If Montana gets commitments from the two guys it wants to fill the 2017 class, the Griz will have 7 bigs on the roster. They might not be 7-feet, but you don't need 7-footers. If you have hardworking 6-8, 6-9 guys you'll be ok.

Well, within an inch or two, it is likely more relevant to compare wingspans. Even though the same height, I was convinced that Breunig had a bigger wingspan than Krslovic; similarly, although allegedly four inches shorter, I suspect that DeJong has an equal or possibly even larger wingspan than Boehning. Too bad this metric is not used at the collegiate level.

 

[citygriz]

Watching the Warriors through the season, I have vivid proof of the way the game is evolving. But don't forget: Big men are also evolving. Ben Simmons is 6'9" with point guard skills; several seven-footers in the NBA are highly mobile and adept three-point shooters. As the game gets faster, and the three-point line becomes more critical, big men--especially the Europeans--have taken notice.

 

[maroonandsilver]

I remember Al Maguire saying years ago that as important as height and wing-span is, he liked rebounders with big butts.

 

[citygriz]

I remember Al Maguire saying years ago that as important as height and wing-span is, he liked rebounders with big butts.

"To the bank, to the bank, to the bank, bank, bank."

 

[UMGriz75]

I remember Al Maguire saying years ago that as important as height and wing-span is, he liked rebounders with big butts.

That was a personal observation, for which data is ordinarily difficult to obtain without extraordinary differences of opinion as to metrics, how to measure, "excuse me, I am going to put a tape measure across your butt," etc .....

 

[EverettGriz]

I remember Al Maguire saying years ago that as important as height and wing-span is, he liked rebounders with big butts.

Them somebody wrote a song about it.

 

[montanatarheel]

People can complain about the lack of TD recruiting bigs, but if you are Montana do you recruit kids like Boehning and Martin, definitely projects, or do you recruit 6'-7" athletic kids. Athletic 7-footers don't grow on trees, especially the low hanging branches that the likes of Montana can reach.

Also, the criticism of him not recruiting bigs is completely unfounded. If Montana gets commitments from the two guys it wants to fill the 2017 class, the Griz will have 7 bigs on the roster. They might not be 7-feet, but you don't need 7-footers. If you have hardworking 6-8, 6-9 guys you'll be ok.

Do you think they only plan to sign two more players in the 17 class? Might they save a scholarship for the following year when they are scheduled to graduate only Fab?

 

[kyle_sample]

People can complain about the lack of TD recruiting bigs, but if you are Montana do you recruit kids like Boehning and Martin, definitely projects, or do you recruit 6'-7" athletic kids. Athletic 7-footers don't grow on trees, especially the low hanging branches that the likes of Montana can reach.

Also, the criticism of him not recruiting bigs is completely unfounded. If Montana gets commitments from the two guys it wants to fill the 2017 class, the Griz will have 7 bigs on the roster. They might not be 7-feet, but you don't need 7-footers. If you have hardworking 6-8, 6-9 guys you'll be ok.

Do you think they only plan to sign two more players in the 17 class? Might they save a scholarship for the following year when they are scheduled to graduate only Fab?

I don't know for certain, but with Dorsey in the fold and Gavin going back on scholarship I think they will only have room for 3