Mid-Season Review

[Montana Gym Rat]

This is for the mens team, I'll reply with the women later on.

The Big Sky is eyeing a 16 seed this year. They could eke out a 15, but there really aren't any hopes for higher than that. The only way somebody jumps to a 14 seed is if they win out in conference.

Here's the RPIs midway through the season (when some say RPI is the most reliable because the conference strength/weakness hasn't made its influence yet).

RPI................................................SOS
121) Idaho State............................18
156) Weber State..........................208
180) Portland State.......................281
181) Eastern Washington.............103
208) Montana................................164
236) Northern Arizona...................212
276) Sacramento State..................312
280) Montana State.......................196
336) Northern Colorado.................330

Once again, the recent addition rears its ugly head as the worst team in Division I. Northern Colorado is really going to hurt the RPIs from this point (since they only have 1 D-I win and each BSC team will have to count them twice), I have a hard time seeing anybody finishing above 125.

Conference tournament upsets are the only realistic hopes at this point to avoid that dreaded #1 seed matchup. I think the BCS will avoid the play-in game though.

Idaho State:
Played a very tough non-conference schedule and just about pulled off two upsets (losing in OT 56-69 to Marquette and 71-60 to Illinois). They also played BYU and Washington State tight. Unfortunately, they also got blown out a few times at Texas A&M, Utah State and Oregon.

I think that Idaho State is the best team in the conference if they play up to potential. If they are able to get some consistency going in conference, they will be the cream of the BCS this year. Just as easily, they could stumble and disappoint.

Best Win: (155) Utah Valley State
Worst Loss: (128) @ Boise State


Weber State:
This is a tough team to read at this point seeing as how they really haven't played anybody. They played 3 non D-I opponents (escaping AK-Anchorage in OT), embellishing their 9-6 record. The only thing I'm confident in saying about this team is that they match up well against Portland (beating them by double digits twice already). The rest of their wins have all been close.

I see Weber as a .500 team in the BSC. They're going to get some good wins, but they're also going to drop some they shouldn't. I think this a pesky team that knocks a good team out of the playoffs, but can't win the whole thing themselves.

Best Win: (218) Troy
Worst Loss: (167) Utah


Portland State:
Well they played Oregon, Gonzaga and Washington - and their SOS is still 281. That should tell you why they have the most wins in the BSC at this point. Blown out badly against those 3 teams (and CS-Northridge too), and took care of their cupcakes.

Portland State has size that will help them in conference play, they also have some confidence in a winning record (which few BSC teams can claim). Montana's road win was big, as it could come down to a tie-breaker with these two teams.

Best Win: (155) Utah Valley State
Worst Loss: (170) CS Northridge


Eastern Washington:
EWU's schedule would have been much better if they would have dropped a non D-I team or two for an easy D-I team. They played a decent schedule (not counting the 3 non D-I teams), with no gimme's and a few tough games. Oregon is really the only game they weren't competitive in, and Stuckey didn't play but 4 minutes in that game.

If Stuckey stays healthy, this team is the favorite. He automatically makes that team competitive against any team in the nation. The problem is that they can't stop anybody. Stuckey can get the team to 80 points a game, but the defense allows just as much (see MSU loss).

Best Win: (178) CS Fullerton
Worst Loss: (170) CS Northridge


Montana:
They played a decent schedule, but lost a few games that they should have won. They really haven't had a breakout game against a quality opponent, and seem to play down to the opposition. They did enough to win a few games, but there's just a feeling that this team is underacheiving (and they've got the BSC's two best wins thus far).

This a raw team. Strait is a great post player who should contribute consistently, but he's about all you can count on. Lots of talent on this team, but the drive and leadership are still lacking. There have been signs of improvement, but there's still a ways to go. This team can win games on its talent alone and pose some tough matchups for just about everybody else in the BSC.

Best Win: (128) Boise State
Worst Loss: (281) Portland


Northern Arizona:
Can you say overrated? I said this last year, and I still say they weren't very good last year. (Did you see what they did against Delaware State in their last game?) They played a pretty weak schedule so far, and didn't do much to show why they were picked to win the conference - much like Montana. 20 point losses to Pepperdine (202) and Cal Poly (286) aren't gonna cut it.

They'll get wins at home because of the environment (or rather the lack thereof). They'll also win a few when they catch fire and shoot the lights out. Playoff basketball is about defense though, and NAU doesn't have the team to take the BSC auto-bid.

Best Win: (216) San Francisco
Worst Loss: (286) Cal Poly


Sacramento State:
Played one of the worst schedules in D-I and only got 3 D-I wins (2 of which were against 300+ RPI teams). The other was a last second OT shot against a down Pacific team. They've lost 7 of their games by at least 14 points already.

You can recruit all the talent you want, but if you don't play as a team it doesn't matter. I'm sure Sacramento State will get a few wins off of their talent alone - and when they catch a team on an off night. Coach - you can't subsitute guys in and out every minute. Players - this isn't the NBA. I really think CSUS is a good coach away from becoming a strong mid-major.

Best Win: (206) Pacific
Worst Loss: (216) San Francisco


Montana State:
Gotta give credit to MSU for not scheduling an absolute cake schedule, knowing that there are some major holes in the lineup. They didn't play anybody outstanding, but they did a good job of going up against decent teams night in and out. But they only got 1 D-I win against that schedule.

They struggled thus far, and its hard to see that changing. They shot the lights out against EWU, but how often is that going to happen when you're constantly overmatched? They have to grind this season out and hopefully Huse can get something going in the future.

Best Win: (309) Idaho
Worst Loss: (332) South Dakota State


Northern Colorado:
Guuaaah. I'd just like to say great job to Fullerton once again on this superb pick up. Okay, they opened up the season with a 81-42 loss to Ball State. At least they've been improving since then. They've basically played everybody to 10 points since opening weekend.

They seem to be improving and had a competitive first weekend in the BSC. Too bad they couldn't have been competitive earlier. All they are going to do is drag down everybody's RPI throughout the year. Somebody is going to lose to the Bears though, and that's going to sting.

Best Win: (335) Denver
Worst Loss: (335) Denver



CONFERENCE PREDICTION:

Montana......................(12-4)
Eastern Washington....(12-4)
Idaho State.................(11-5)
Portland State.............(10-6)
Weber State................(9-7)
Northern Arizona..........(8-8)
Sacramento State.........(6-10)
Montana State..............(3-13)
Northern Colorado........(1-15)

 

[Mslacat]

Eastern is good, but they don't defend hard for 30+ seconds every possession like they used to. I see them as a middle of the pack team until they can solve that problem. That said though with Stucky they are capable of beating or losing to any team in the conference on a given night.

 

[Montana Gym Rat]

Now for the women.

Basically its Montana way up here....

then Northern Arizona...









And everybody else way down here.


RPI.................................................SOS
10) Montana.........................................41
121) Northern Arizona..........................94
205) Weber State.................................138
250) Montana State..............................266
259) Eastern Washington.....................206
261) Idaho State..................................103
262) Portland State..............................235
285) Northern Colorado........................192
309) Sacramento State.........................197


Montana:
Can you imagine what this team would be like if they had a consistent presence in the post? They look good, damn good. They've beaten tough teams including Davidson (46), Wyoming twice (66), Gonzaga (79) and 3 other teams ranked in the 100's. The Ohio State loss looks much worse on paper than it actually was. Mandy Morales is off to one of the greatest single seasons in BSC history.

I think this team can afford to lose one road game in conference and would still be considered for an at-large bid. The potential for a loss is always there when you depend on one player though. However, in games when Morales has faltered, the team has been able to move the ball around and create good shots for everybody else. It's going to take an off night from the Lady Griz for anybody except NAU to knock off Montana.

Best Win: (46) Davidson
Worst Loss: (6) Ohio State


Northern Arizona:
NAU has also played tough teams, but they haven't been able to get over the hump against them. They've been competitive against four top 50 RPI teams - but keep coming up short. They've had two questionable losses against Texas-Arlington (101) and Valparaiso (172).

This team has the ability to beat Montana, but they'll also drop games against the rest of the BSC. The consistency hasn't been there through non-conference and I think this trend will continue.

Best Win: (134) Loyola Marymount
Worst Loss: (172) Valparaiso


Weber State:
Weber really only played one cupcake game against Idaho, and faced a fairly difficult non-conference schedule. Unfortunately, they went on a losing streak and didn't have the type of start that you would expect a WSU team to have.

I don't think Weber has what it takes this year to compete night in and out, but they've got a decent win against Northern Iowa. If they can overcome the 6 game losing streak from earlier in the season, they could become a competitive team to Montana and NAU.

Best Win: (76) Northern Iowa
Worst Loss: (215) Air Force


Everybody Else:
I really don't see anybody else posing too much of a threat in the BSC this year. Nobody else has a good win and all have some pretty bad losses.

Montana State - Win: (199) CS Fullerton, Loss: (Non D-I) Montana Tech

Eastern Washingotn - Win: (212) Portland, Loss: (301) Idaho

Idaho State - Win: (201) Kent State, Loss: (226) Utah State

Portland State - Win: (148) Utah Valley State, Loss: (212) Portland

Northern Colorado - Win: (295) Lamar, Loss: (293) UMKC

Sacramento State - Win: (212) Portland, Loss: (313) UC Davis


The bad thing for Montana this year is the weakness of the BSC this year. Even if they win out, their RPI is forecasted at 47. That's probably good enough to get in if they lose in the conference tourney, and still okay if they drop a conference road game.


Conference Prediction:

Montana.......................(15-1)
Northern Arizona..........(12-4)
Weber State.................(10-6)
Eastern Washington.....(9-7)
Idaho State....................(8-8)
Portland State...............(7-9)
Montana State..............(6-10)
Sacramento State.........(3-13)
Northern Colorado........(2-14)

 

[kalm]

Eastern is good, but they don't defend hard for 30+ seconds every possession like they used to. I see them as a middle of the pack team until they can solve that problem. That said though with Stucky they are capable of beating or losing to any team in the conference on a given night.

That statement is on the money.

We switched to more up -temp offense this year and it has led to us being at on point, a top 5 team in scoring nationally (I haven't checked lately). But it has also led to a bunch of turnovers and no D.

Some of this is personell related, and the guys that came off the bench against the griz played solid defense in the 2nd half. We'll see if a trend starts and we can continue with better defensive effort on the road where it counts the most.

Eigth of our next ten games are away. If we stay within striking distance, our final four games being at home might make the difference.

Excellent analysis as usual Rat. :thumb:

 

[Grizbacker1]

Eastern is good, but they don't defend hard for 30+ seconds every possession like they used to. I see them as a middle of the pack team until they can solve that problem. That said though with Stucky they are capable of beating or losing to any team in the conference on a given night.

That statement is on the money.

We switched to more up -temp offense this year and it has led to us being at on point, a top 5 team in scoring nationally (I haven't checked lately). But it has also led to a bunch of turnovers and no D.

Some of this is personell related, and the guys that came off the bench against the griz played solid defense in the 2nd half. We'll see if a trend starts and we can continue with better defensive effort on the road where it counts the most.

Eigth of our next ten games are away. If we stay within striking distance, our final four games being at home might make the difference.

Excellent analysis as usual Rat. :thumb:

EWU has dropped to 10th. The stat is kind of meaningless in my opinion if you can't defend. Loyola Marymount teams of the past are perfect examples. UCLA is ranked 50th in offense but Howland's teams defend the heck out of the opposition.

 

[Bozgriz]

Dang, that ladie's team is pretty good. When your worst loss is to a top 10 team on the road, you're doing well...

The men, well, that Portland loss is pretty bad...But I'm optimistic they can still win the conference and go to the dance. A win in the NCAAs is a huge longshot... :twocents:

 

[first11]

The BSC is WEAK, very weak!

The Griz have some real studs, unfortunately no one to 'qb' the guys on the court.

I like Wayne alot, loved his play on the court way back when and pull for him to succeed with these guys...

Maybe our expectations for 06-07 were too high (FB posters '07 season prognosticators take note!) Key loses too much to compensate with our talent up front.

Bottom line, this year all is up for grabs....anyone getting a game or two lead in standings early on may take it all.

Our guys need a dose of intensity, urgency, and passion....I know that they have the talent and character to succeed. GO GRIZ

 

[JahGriz]

Good stuff guys. Thanks for the info/opinions.

 

[citygriz]

if you'd seen the game at sac state last night, you'd be pretty much ready to write the griz off right now. i certainly am. they simply do not play hard, do not defend, do not play quick, do not hustle. their first half performance last night was probably the most heartless i have ever seen from a montana team in any sport, ever. i've seen worse losses by montana teams, but only when we were hopelessly outclassed.

sac state is a quick team of streaky shooters, but they have no inside presence and not nearly our depth or overall talent. the loss last night was the result of one thing: poor effort.

if last night's game were an exception it would be one thing, but it wasn't. this is the way the team has played all year. unless the ghost of jiggs dahlberg shows up for a midnight pep talk, or kevin criswell joins the team as a graduate assistant coach, you can stick a fork in this bunch.

 

[Grizbacker1]

if you'd seen the game at sac state last night, you'd be pretty much ready to write the griz off right now. i certainly am. they simply do not play hard, do not defend, do not play quick, do not hustle. their first half performance last night was probably the most heartless i have ever seen from a montana team in any sport, ever. i've seen worse losses by montana teams, but only when we were hopelessly outclassed.

sac state is a quick team of streaky shooters, but they have no inside presence and not nearly our depth or overall talent. the loss last night was the result of one thing: poor effort.

if last night's game were an exception it would be one thing, but it wasn't. this is the way the team has played all year. unless the ghost of jiggs dahlberg shows up for a midnight pep talk, or kevin criswell joins the team as a graduate assistant coach, you can stick a fork in this bunch.

I agree with a good bit of City's post, but he is being somewhat dramatic, as usual. I don't think the Griz are done, but a few of them need some time seated next to Tinkle if their effort level doesn't increase. There is no excuse for lack of effort, ever. If someone isn't going to give maximum effort then maybe they don't need maximum financial aid.

I agree with City about most of the first half. It appeared that Strait and Hasquet were the only starters ready to go from the tip last night. Dlouhy went to the boards the first couple minutes, but his effort and attitude regressed with each missed 3 point attempt. I think he is such an emotional player he lets it affect his game too much. If his shot isn't falling he needs to contribute with Defense and rebounding. He played hard at times, and was lethargic at others. Martin looked like a deer in the headlights. He didn't defend, made poor decisions, and was not mentally prepared to play in my opinion. Rundles played hard, but he didn't have a good game. That is going to happen with a true freshman. Hasquet and Strait were rock solid all night. They defended, rebounded, scored, hustled their asses off the entire game. It is unfortunate the ball didn't get into their hands in the paint more often because Sac had no answer. When a player (Strait) goes 9/11 from the field for the game, get the damn ball to them.

Tinkle finally pulled most of the starters. Austin Swift had a nice game. He played hard and gave the team a boost. Swift showed he deserves more minutes with his effort. Sharp also played hard. Ellis had a slow start, but came on strong and led the team. Ellis finally started penetrating like he did last year at Sac and things started to open up for the Griz and they made a run. Ellis did have 4 TO's, not all of them his fault, and he did get 4 steals. People have called for Gus to get more PT, he is physically overmatched inside and doesn't have the permiter skills to play a different position. It is too bad too because he seems to have a great attitude, gave an effort, he was just outsized. Staudacher showed some signs, he has a nice touch and plays hard. He simply needs more PT. I don't know why Mayes didn't get any minutes. He was in less than one minute. Watching him on the bench he was supporting his teammates even though I am sure he was disppointed in not playing.

It was interesting watching the players on the bench. Dlouhy nearly got T'd up by the official for running his mouth from the bench. Did the Griz have some calls go against them late? Yes, welcome to life on the road. The refs didn't cost them this game. Had the Griz simply played the entire 40 minutes with the intensity and desire they did the last 15 minutes, the Griz win, plain and simple.

Off the soapbox now.

 

[Ballhog]

Griz have the talent. Adjustments need to be made. 1. Stu Mayes
needs to start-he is an absolute stud. The situation reminds me
of Virgil two years ago who almost quit until the light bulbs came
on. Mayes can shoot it, his quickness is great, and with a fast paced offense he is a weapon. Last year he came off the bench to
score 10 pts to give the Griz a victory over MSU. I believe with
more minutes and some encouragement he could make the difference. 2. Griz need to zone much of the time. Many teams are
smaller and quicker. 3. Ellis needs to start a point period.
4. Tinks needs to get some fire in the belly. The last 2 games the
zebras have been absolutly terrible-a technical now and then
wouln't hurt. Lastly, when players are off e.g. Martin, Dlouhy, are
off they need to be benched. I am not sure why we recruited Chase
he is a quality kid but doesn't fit. And finally I can't believe how
Big Dave has been handled-lose a year for a few minutes. I would
be suprised if he doesn't leave.

 

[Grizbacker1]

Griz have the talent. Adjustments need to be made. 1. Stu Mayes
needs to start-he is an absolute stud. The situation reminds me
of Virgil two years ago who almost quit until the light bulbs came
on. Mayes can shoot it, his quickness is great, and with a fast paced offense he is a weapon. Last year he came off the bench to
score 10 pts to give the Griz a victory over MSU. I believe with
more minutes and some encouragement he could make the difference. 2. Griz need to zone much of the time. Many teams are
smaller and quicker. 3. Ellis needs to start a point period.
4. Tinks needs to get some fire in the belly. The last 2 games the
zebras have been absolutly terrible-a technical now and then
wouln't hurt. Lastly, when players are off e.g. Martin, Dlouhy, are
off they need to be benched. I am not sure why we recruited Chase
he is a quality kid but doesn't fit. And finally I can't believe how
Big Dave has been handled-lose a year for a few minutes. I would
be suprised if he doesn't leave.

I don't know if Mayes needs to start, but I was surprised he didn't get any minutes as he has played well in the games prior to last night. I don't know the reason behind it, but Mayes was very supportive of his teammates last night so he must be on the same page as Tinks. We don't know everything going on off the court.

As for Tinks having fire in his belly. He had as much last night as I have ever seen him have. The refs blew some calls, but they did not allow Tinkle much as far as discussion goes. The Griz did not get in the bonus the first half, but that is largely due to being non agressive. It was easy for Sac to gurad the Griz the first half because they Griz pretty much stood around waiting for someone else to make a play. The missed goaltend toward the end of the game was huge, however that was NOT a time for Tinks to pick up a T. In fact, if you were there, you could see him restrain himself from going after the official on that call. I agree on Ellis at the point. It was good to see him look for a shot. He is quick enough to penetrate, and either dish or take it to the bucket. When he did that last night good things happened. As for Big Dave, he was counseled that a redshirt was in his best interest, and turned it down. Frankly, he isn't physically ready yet.

 

[citygriz]

gb1: hmmm, from your post, it appears your soapbox was set up inside hornet gym too, no?

and you're right, i'm not giving up on the griz. it's just that the longer i think about that game last night, the madder i get. let's just say, i would not have had tinkle's patience.

couple other notes.

i agree with you about gus chase. i didn't recognize him at first, and from his height assumed he was zach graves, our redshirt guard out of sacramento. when i spotted graves in street clothes, it hit me: that's gus chase! why, he's not even as tall as swift or spurgetis, which puts him 6'3", maybe. he tried one shot from inside and it was swatted back like it'd come out of a cannon. listen, if somebody gave me a scholarship, i'd take it, but my issue is with the coach that recruited him, thinking he could play d1 ball in the paint at 6'3". if he was listed at 6'7", it must have been by that same guy in wyoming who says the insurgency is in its last throes.

as you know, i like austin swift's game a lot, think he brings exceptional and much-needed athleticism. i compared him earlier to brandon roy, and after watching last night's game still feel that that's not far-fetched. i wish he'd get more minutes, and i wish we'd design some plays for him. i think his slashes to the basket would open up the inside for strait.

no question jordan hasquet has three-point range, but i don't like seeing him play so far from the basket. he's a legit 6'9", and i think he'd be more effective playing in the paint.

matt martin did nothing to change my opinion that he's a spot player, a guy to bring off the bench when you need a spark or a three-pointer.

and i can see why staudacher has his reputation. problem is, everybody knows now he's a three-point threat, and it's tough for him to get shots. we need to run more plays for him too.

finally, a distaff note. northern arizona looked real good against sac state, doubling the score on them at one point, but i don't see anybody on that team to challenge mandy. nor do i see a women's team in the big sky as well coached as a selvig team.

 

[Grizbacker1]

gb1: hmmm, from your post, it appears your soapbox was set up inside hornet gym too, no?

I was in the crackerbox called Hornet Gym. How pathetic that they can't even sellout with a 2 games for the price of one promotion.

and you're right, i'm not giving up on the griz. it's just that the longer i think about that game last night, the madder i get. let's just say, i would not have had tinkle's patience.

I would not have had the patience that Tinks displayed either. He did get on his players pretty good, but he wasn't as tough on the officials as he could have been. The Griz barely got into thew bonus and Sac was very aggresive on defense. To be honest, as bad as the Griz played last night, they still should beat Sac.

couple other notes.

i agree with you about gus chase. i didn't recognize him at first, and from his height assumed he was zach graves, our redshirt guard out of sacramento. when i spotted graves in street clothes, it hit me: that's gus chase! why, he's not even as tall as swift or spurgetis, which puts him 6'3", maybe. he tried one shot from inside and it was swatted back like it'd come out of a cannon. listen, if somebody gave me a scholarship, i'd take it, but my issue is with the coach that recruited him, thinking he could play d1 ball in the paint at 6'3". if he was listed at 6'7", it must have been by that same guy in wyoming who says the insurgency is in its last throes.

I think the weight loss hurts Gus too. He might be quicker, but he was getting bounced around like a pinball. You can see a look on his face like he knows it too. I do like his attitude as he seems like a team guy with a good attitude. He supports his teammates.

as you know, i like austin swift's game a lot, think he brings exceptional and much-needed athleticism. i compared him earlier to brandon roy, and after watching last night's game still feel that that's not far-fetched. i wish he'd get more minutes, and i wish we'd design some plays for him. i think his slashes to the basket would open up the inside for strait.

Swift made some people take notice last night. I think Tinks liked what he saw. Swift's plays last night has earned him a lot more PT in my opinion. He has a lot of skills and doesn't get rattled like some of them did.

no question jordan hasquet has three-point range, but i don't like seeing him play so far from the basket. he's a legit 6'9", and i think he'd be more effective playing in the paint.

Jordan wasn't getting the ball much when he did post up and the spacing wasn't as good when he was inside. I liked his overall game last night. When he dove over the chairs into the bleachers trying to save the ball that showed me how bad he wants it. That baseline drive and two hand flush was impressive. Frankly, I didn't know he had that in him.

matt martin did nothing to change my opinion that he's a spot player, a guy to bring off the bench when you need a spark or a three-pointer.

Martin should be a no brainer to coach. He shows you early whether he is going to contribute. If he isn't hitting he becomes a liability in my opinion. His on ball defense is weak, he is easy to shoot over or go around.

and i can see why staudacher has his reputation. problem is, everybody knows now he's a three-point threat, and it's tough for him to get shots. we need to run more plays for him too.

Staudacher will be able to get some shots once he learns how to come off the screens ready to catch and shoot. He should watch tape of guys like Steve Kerr when he played. Steve Sir from NAI is another guy he could learn from.

finally, a distaff note. northern arizona looked real good against sac state, doubling the score on them at one point, but i don't see anybody on that team to challenge mandy. nor do i see a women's team in the big sky as well coached as a selvig team.

Sac State is horribly coached. NAU has a couple nice players, but you are right, they have no answer for Morales. If teams try to double her or play gimmick defense on Mandy, she handles the ball too well and will make them pay. You cannot let Rogers, Closson, or Lohmann get open looks. Selvig has to love this team.

 

[mtgrizrule]

I will say a few things about this season so far.

:thumb: :clap: Strait, Hasquet for busting ass every game, caring,and setting the tone leading by example, stats aside. Ellis, for being unselfish. Mayes for getting back on the court and showing passion. Rundles for attitude and improving this team anyway it needs improved game in, game out. Coaches for patience, not tearing down players publicly, and holding players accountable off the court.

Constructive Criticism, tidbits, and observations:
Dloughy- Where is the fire game in, game out? You are a SR, athletically gifted, fan favorite, can shoot, penetrate, defend, total game. You busted ass every other season. This is supposed to be your team, "going out" party. Who cares about stats!!! You have the skills to contribute every game anyway you want. Where is the penetration when the perimeter game is struggling? Step it up emotionally every game like you have every year prior. It will make a huge impact on this team!!!!

Chavez- You too are a fan favorite for all you have overcome, and busted ass the past offseason. We want you on the court, why not get the grades up? You are so close to a major accomplishment off the court, having much easier for you soon for rest of your life. I want you to succeed on and off the court. Go out with a bang my friend. GRIZnation loves you!!!

Martin- You are talented, shot will come, get the negativity out of your head. Perimeter game aside, have faith in taking the ball to the hole. You have better handles and quicker than Criswell. You can draw fouls or set up team mates with ease if you go to the hole more often. Trust me, good things will happen because you do have the make up!!! Never lose your fire, show it more often like you did as a freshman that never backed down to any guard in the conference, Boston College, or Stanford!!!

Strait- weight forward on the toes when shooting FT's, it will also help your perimeter game. Goes to show how lucky we are to have him when that is the only slightly negative. Thank you Andrew for your efforts and attitude!! :clap:

Hasquet- I see your fire and desire. Time to be the leader being the SR's have not yet. Hell with stepping on toes. You are the present and future of GRIZ hoops. You have it all, size, shot, passing, matchup nightmare with most anyone guarding you. Good things happen when you get touches. Trust your God given abilities, and who cares about stats. You too, can contribute in every way. Please Please do not lose your fire, this team needs it. Keep diving over tables, keep hustling, and keep your confidence. You are so talented, yet only a Sophomore.

Swift- you too have are valuable in many ways with a well rounded game. Your penetrating/slashing can be a huge asset along with your athleticism. Just believe in it, you too have the skills to make team mates better. Defensively, stay low, good things will happen defensively with your athleticism. I hope he is completely healthy sooner than later. He is starting to show signs of being a key player this year.

Staudacher- Love your attitude, sweet shot, shots will start falling again. Growing pains, but you do have a very bright future. Do not lose your attitude.

Sharp- cut down on the fouls, you are a difference maker. Would love to see you on the court 15 minutes plus every game.

Vanderjagt- hang in there, time will come. World of talent, I cannot wait to see him get major minutes when time comes. When that time comes, take advantage of it by always playing with desire. 7' foot is something that cannot be coached. Tinks has way more discipline than I would with a coordinated 7'. I could not resist throwing him in. Then again, that is why Tinks is where he is at.

Spurgettis- :clap: attitude alone, worthy of minutes. Would like to see him a few minutes here and there, to just light a fire under the team collectively when one is needed.

Chase- PT goes up with 15 ft plus perimeter game. He would be a matchup nightmare with his strength and added perimeter game when being used as a 2 or 3. I like his attitude and defense.

Question: Any word as to how Graves, Cox, Simms look in practice as redshirts?

This Griz fan is 100% behind this team. Here is to getting this thing rolling again starting with the CATS, and winning out at home rest of this season, making the BSC tourney, winning it, and coming together for another NCAA appearance. I have faith all that is possible by being united again, playing with passion, and playing for one another. :thumb: