Griz at Portland State: Game Thread

[IdaGriz01]

Simply cannot understand this team. They have some talent. But the "bottom line" is that they have played like s**t way too much down the stretch. You look back at the last 8-10 games and they've had a lot of games where they let crappy opponents hang around, had some close calls, and (of course) lost when it seemed like they should win.

In fact, I'm wondering if they can even win the regular season. After tonight, they'll be tied with NoColo on the record. They'll need to win at Sac State just to stay even, since I don't see the Bears having any trouble with NAU. But can the Griz even win at Sac State? They just barely beat a weak NAU team at home, and were never really in this game.

But assuming they can get their act together and win at Sac State ... What are the tie-breakers? The Griz split with NoColo, so the head-to-head is a wash (unless they go by score differential). Would the Griz be considered the top "champion" ... and eligible for an NIT invite? Because ... quite frankly ... I do not think this Griz team is playing well enough to win the conference tournament.

Montana holds the tie breaker with their sweep of the 3rd and 4th place teams—MSU and Weber. They have to win at Sacramento!

Thanks. I thought it was something like that, but couldn't quite recall the details. Maybe with it being "crunch time," the Griz will play a decent game at Sac State (and I think they will).

 

[mtgrizrule]

I'm gonna get roasted for this. But talented teams that are consistently coming out flat and playing below their potential have a number of issues, which also includes coaching.

I agree. Last 3 games this team has acted like they can just show up. Playing like this they won’t get to the tourney chipper. Got their ass kicked again by a team that is 10-9 in conference and 15-15 overall. Sad

Don’t agree on anything you just said.

Would like to disagree with the negative posts. Can't. :?

How long has it been since the Griz played a complete, dominant game ... worthy of their supposed high level of talent on the floor? Too long.

It's hard to judge just from broadcasts rather than live looks. But I still have the feeling that the problem with the Griz has been, and is, the lack of a true "take charge" leader. I just do not see any one guy filling that role. It's great that different guys have stepped up, at times, and helped the Griz win games. But that does not give you any consistency when things are not going well. And the coaches cannot "manufacture" a leader ... it has to arise naturally from the squad.

Pridgett has emerged as that player.

 

['68griz]

Without Akoh, the Griz struggle.

 

[rocklobster]

Simply cannot understand this team. They have some talent. But the "bottom line" is that they have played like s**t way too much down the stretch. You look back at the last 8-10 games and they've had a lot of games where they let crappy opponents hang around, had some close calls, and (of course) lost when it seemed like they should win.

In fact, I'm wondering if they can even win the regular season. After tonight, they'll be tied with NoColo on the record. They'll need to win at Sac State just to stay even, since I don't see the Bears having any trouble with NAU. But can the Griz even win at Sac State? They just barely beat a weak NAU team at home, and were never really in this game.

But assuming they can get their act together and win at Sac State ... What are the tie-breakers? The Griz split with NoColo, so the head-to-head is a wash (unless they go by score differential). Would the Griz be considered the top "champion" ... and eligible for an NIT invite? Because ... quite frankly ... I do not think this Griz team is playing well enough to win the conference tournament.

Montana holds the tie breaker with their sweep of the 3rd and 4th place teams—MSU and Weber. They have to win at Sacramento!

Thanks. I thought it was something like that, but couldn't quite recall the details. Maybe with it being "crunch time," the Griz will play a decent game (and I think they will).

Well, they have a chance to prove they’re champions on Saturday! Go Griz! :thumb:

 

[IdaGriz01]

... It's hard to judge just from broadcasts rather than live looks. But I still have the feeling that the problem with the Griz has been, and is, the lack of a true "take charge" leader. I just do not see any one guy filling that role. It's great that different guys have stepped up, at times, and helped the Griz win games. But that does not give you any consistency when things are not going well. And the coaches cannot "manufacture" a leader ... it has to arise naturally from the squad.

Pridgett has emerged as that player.

Good point, but I'm thinking of a slightly different slant. Pridgett has most definitely stepped up as the scoring leader ... for several games in a row. But the kind of leader I'm wanting to see (and do not) is the guy who lifts the whole team, inspiring them play with intensity ... to make the key stops, grab the crucial rebound, and all those other "little" plays that make for a winning team effort.

 

[GrizLA]

I agree. Last 3 games this team has acted like they can just show up. Playing like this they won’t get to the tourney chipper. Got their ass kicked again by a team that is 10-9 in conference and 15-15 overall. Sad

Don’t agree on anything you just said.

Would like to disagree with the negative posts. Can't. :?

How long has it been since the Griz played a complete, dominant game ... worthy of their supposed high level of talent on the floor? Too long.

It's hard to judge just from broadcasts rather than live looks. But I still have the feeling that the problem with the Griz has been, and is, the lack of a true "take charge" leader. I just do not see any one guy filling that role. It's great that different guys have stepped up, at times, and helped the Griz win games. But that does not give you any consistency when things are not going well. And the coaches cannot "manufacture" a leader ... it has to arise naturally from the squad.

Pridgett has emerged as that player.

It will be next year, but for now, there really is no one. Still, this UM team would only have 3 losses on there entire schedule had they just been able to make free throws and fewer turnovers. That was the difference tonight, and the previous PSU game. I believe they have the worst record on free throws in the conference. That will improve with the huge talent UM has coming in next year. I think, if you haven't seen a couple of these guys, you are going to surprised. Vasquez is really something to watch.

 

[GrizWhiz]

Simply cannot understand this team. They have some talent. But the "bottom line" is that they have played like s**t way too much down the stretch. You look back at the last 8-10 games and they've had a lot of games where they let crappy opponents hang around, had some close calls, and (of course) lost when it seemed like they should win.

In fact, I'm wondering if they can even win the regular season. After tonight, they'll be tied with NoColo on the record. They'll need to win at Sac State just to stay even, since I don't see the Bears having any trouble with NAU. But can the Griz even win at Sac State? They just barely beat a weak NAU team at home, and were never really in this game.

But assuming they can get their act together and win at Sac State ... What are the tie-breakers? The Griz split with NoColo, so the head-to-head is a wash (unless they go by score differential). Would the Griz be considered the top "champion" ... and eligible for an NIT invite? Because ... quite frankly ... I do not think this Griz team is playing well enough to win the conference tournament.

Montana holds the tie breaker with their sweep of the 3rd and 4th place teams—MSU and Weber. They have to win at Sacramento!

Thanks. I thought it was something like that, but couldn't quite recall the details. Maybe with it being "crunch time," the Griz will play a decent game at Sac State (and I think they will).

If EWU beats Weber Saturday, and the cats lose to PSU, then the tiebreaker becomes a mystery (at least to me.) :? (Assuming the Griz and NCU both win.)

 

[tourist]

Anybody know what the earliest mention of 'next year' ever occurring on eGriz? This year, ah but for this, or that, but NEXT YEAR WE ARE GOING TO BE GREAT! I can't guess how many times I've heard that line. At least that part of Griz basketball is consistent.

 

[Colter_Nuanez56]

https://twitter.com/SkylineSportsMT/status/1103898733740142592

 

[PlayerRep]

I'm gonna get roasted for this. But talented teams that are consistently coming out flat and playing below their potential have a number of issues, which also includes coaching.

I agree. Last 3 games this team has acted like they can just show up. Playing like this they won’t get to the tourney chipper. Got their ass kicked again by a team that is 10-9 in conference and 15-15 overall. Sad

Don’t agree on anything you just said.

Would like to disagree with the negative posts. Can't. :?

How long has it been since the Griz played a complete, dominant game ... worthy of their supposed high level of talent on the floor? Too long.

It's hard to judge just from broadcasts rather than live looks. But I still have the feeling that the problem with the Griz has been, and is, the lack of a true "take charge" leader. I just do not see any one guy filling that role. It's great that different guys have stepped up, at times, and helped the Griz win games. But that does not give you any consistency when things are not going well. And the coaches cannot "manufacture" a leader ... it has to arise naturally from the squad.

The Griz haven't been just showing up. Griz didn't get their ass kicked tonight. They had a bad first half.

Jeez, come to a game. Learn something about the game and the team. You are too far removed from the games and program to know what's going on. You just admitted that you don't know what's going on.

I don't agree that lack of leadership is the problem. The problem is that they don't have their all conference 5, or any 5, and have lost their leading scorer and leading rebounder, and their best defender in the middle. How I that so hard for you to see? The Griz have nice remaining talent, but so do multiple other conference teams.

Sorry, but it's not a cake walk. It's a very competitive conference, particularly when the Griz now have one hand tied behind their back.

 

[GrizLA]

Anybody know what the earliest mention of 'next year' ever occurring on eGriz? This year, ah but for this, or that, but NEXT YEAR WE ARE GOING TO BE GREAT! I can't guess how many times I've heard that line. At least that part of Griz basketball is consistent.

The Griz are 22-8! By any measure that is pretty good, just like last year. If you think the Griz coaching staff is not licking their chops at the talent level coming in and what UM has, you are not paying attention. Maybe, this team does not meet your expectations, but other teams do well at home. In fact, I think PSU would beat half of the PAC12 this year if the games were played in Portland. Yes, I do think next year is going to be even better, and I get excited when I think about it. If Akoh had not been sidelined, and Dorsey did not have his health issues, UM might not have lost tonight. that's life...but 22-8 is record anyone can be proud of.

 

[grizband]

I agree. Last 3 games this team has acted like they can just show up. Playing like this they won’t get to the tourney chipper. Got their ass kicked again by a team that is 10-9 in conference and 15-15 overall. Sad

Don’t agree on anything you just said.

Would like to disagree with the negative posts. Can't. :?

How long has it been since the Griz played a complete, dominant game ... worthy of their supposed high level of talent on the floor? Too long.

It's hard to judge just from broadcasts rather than live looks. But I still have the feeling that the problem with the Griz has been, and is, the lack of a true "take charge" leader. I just do not see any one guy filling that role. It's great that different guys have stepped up, at times, and helped the Griz win games. But that does not give you any consistency when things are not going well. And the coaches cannot "manufacture" a leader ... it has to arise naturally from the squad.

The Griz haven't been just showing up. Griz didn't get their ass kicked tonight. They had a bad first half.

Jeez, come to a game. Learn something about the game and the team. You are too far removed from the games and program to know what's going on. You just admitted that you don't know what's going on.

I don't agree that lack of leadership is the problem. The problem is that they don't have their all conference 5, or any 5, and have lost their leading scorer and leading rebounder, and their best defender in the middle. How I that so hard for you to see? The Griz have nice remaining talent, but so do multiple other conference teams.

Sorry, but it's not a cake walk. It's a very competitive conference, particularly when the Griz now have one hand tied behind their back.

Big Sky should be a cake walk though, for any team with real NCAA aspirations. Losing Akoh hurts, but the Big Sky is terrible this season, bottom 5 bad by Sagarin rankings. As a fan, it's just frustrating, especially after avoiding injuries most of last season.

 

[Zirg]

We are missing Akoh greatly. They have scraped some wins recently by the skin of their teeth and haven’t looked good doing it. It’s been catching up to them and now they are exposed. They need him for the tourney or they aren’t moving on. I’ll call it now.

I totally agree. This team has only Pritchett as an inside scoring presence now and Akoh's absence is very noticeable. I think we'll get eaten alive by any legit NCAA team in the tourney (if we get there) with any-kind of dominant PF/C. Not sure that is why we lost to PSU, but by losing Akoh it ended all hope, for me personally, that we could possibly win an NCAA game.

 

[Zirg]

Don’t agree on anything you just said.

Would like to disagree with the negative posts. Can't. :?

How long has it been since the Griz played a complete, dominant game ... worthy of their supposed high level of talent on the floor? Too long.

It's hard to judge just from broadcasts rather than live looks. But I still have the feeling that the problem with the Griz has been, and is, the lack of a true "take charge" leader. I just do not see any one guy filling that role. It's great that different guys have stepped up, at times, and helped the Griz win games. But that does not give you any consistency when things are not going well. And the coaches cannot "manufacture" a leader ... it has to arise naturally from the squad.

The Griz haven't been just showing up. Griz didn't get their ass kicked tonight. They had a bad first half.

Jeez, come to a game. Learn something about the game and the team. You are too far removed from the games and program to know what's going on. You just admitted that you don't know what's going on.

I don't agree that lack of leadership is the problem. The problem is that they don't have their all conference 5, or any 5, and have lost their leading scorer and leading rebounder, and their best defender in the middle. How I that so hard for you to see? The Griz have nice remaining talent, but so do multiple other conference teams.

Sorry, but it's not a cake walk. It's a very competitive conference, particularly when the Griz now have one hand tied behind their back.

Big Sky should be a cake walk though, for any team with real NCAA aspirations. Losing Akoh hurts, but the Big Sky is terrible this season, bottom 5 bad by Sagarin rankings. As a fan, it's just frustrating, especially after avoiding injuries most of last season.

PR is right this time. The Big Sky is ranked 29th this year (out of 33), as opposed to 23rd last year. The Griz are the only team that will not be a #16 seed if they make the NCAA. Montana is ranked #127 and might get a 14 or 15 seed. No Colo is #174 and they and every-other BSC team will likely get a #16 if they win the "Battle in Boise" or whatever they are calling it.

 

[braves84]

I just don't understand how a team this talented can play so shitty at times.

Guard play gets sloppy...

To many times the rotation, at least on the offensive side of the ball leaves Montana at a 3 on 5 disadvantage. When you have 2 players on the floor who at best are minimal threats to score puts alot of pressure on the others to pick up the slack. I don't care about the "intangibles" they bring it allows the opposing teams to cheat on defense way to often.

 

[Zirg]

Anybody know what the earliest mention of 'next year' ever occurring on eGriz? This year, ah but for this, or that, but NEXT YEAR WE ARE GOING TO BE GREAT! I can't guess how many times I've heard that line. At least that part of Griz basketball is consistent.

In fact, I think PSU would beat half of the PAC12 this year if the games were played in Portland.

Huh? C'mon LA. This is a puzzling statement that you can;t really believe. How many PSU games have you seen in person this year? They lost to Oregon by 27 & Stanford by 12 and Stanford finished in 10th place. The attendance tonight was 2042 Thursday with probably 1/3 Griz fans in Portland. They only got 1115 and 842 to attend their last home games vs Sac and ISU, so I don't understand how playing in Portland makes them so unbeatable.

 

[Zirg]

I just don't understand how a team this talented can play so shitty at times.

Would you believe that "talented" Bobby Moorehead has played more minutes than Oguine this year and only 1 fewer minute than Pridgett? That is unacceptable! Morehead has THE worst 3-point % of ALL 8 Griz who have attempted more than 1 (29%) and that is supposed to be his best offensive asset. He has 32 3's and 23 2's on the year. 30 starts and 23 2 pt baskets?? OMG, that is worse than I even imagined. He plays good defense and gets some rebounds now that Akoh isn't around, but he is a complete liability on the offensive end. When we get behind and need to make a come-back, I don't understand why he is on the floor. 0 pts vs PSU in 30 minutes. 30!!!! why?

 

[fanofzoo]

10 TO's in 10 minutes. :shock:

If I were TD, warmup dunk contest would be over.

 

[Big Sage]

10 TO's in 10 minutes. :shock:

If I were TD, warmup dunk contest would be over.

I’m with you! One thing I have noticed, Rorie typically doesn’t engage in those shenanigans
He’s usually working on his jump shot. They should all be at the line working on free throws

 

[Proud Griz Man]

Good post

[ UM might not have lost tonight. that's life...but 22-8 is record anyone can be proud of.

Lack of defense during the Slow first half doomed the Griz, but look at the game statistics: Free throws (28 attempts for PSU - to 12 for UM), rebounding (34 to 29 for UM) and turnovers (7 to 12 for UM). They will have to put in a better effort at Sac in order to succeed.