Montana v. Its Schedule

[citygriz]

You never know about pre-season games, until time shows you what you couldn't see at the time. Were these good teams--or bad?

Montana played five tough teams pre-season: Oregon, Washington, Stanford, New Mexico, Arkansas. Here's how they've done.

So far they're a combined 50-8. And while many of those games were at home against mid-major competition, there's some evidence that all five teams are exceptionally good this year:

Oregon:10-2. Major victory: at Michigan. Two losses: narrowly to North Carolina and Gonzaga.

Arkansas: 10-1. Best victory: At Georgia Tech. One loss: at Western Kentucky.

Washington: 8-2. Best victory: Baylor. Two losses: Gonzaga and Tennessee.

Stanford: 11-1. Best victory: Oklahoma. Lone loss: By one to Butler.

New Mexico: 11-2: Best victory: Wisconsin. Losses to UTEP and Auburn.

Given our youth, it's obvious we picked a bad year to take on these five teams. Looks like all five will be tournament teams.

Couple other notes. Texas Southern is 3-8, most of their losses coming on the road against very good teams. But the other night, they lost at Oregon by only six. As we can attest, surprising score.

And Montana Tech: 4-5. Losses to Southern Oregon and Lewis & Clark, plus a 98-63 thumping at the hands of BYU. OUR worst lost of the year.

Of the decade? Of the modern history of Montana basketball?

 

[grizzlyjournal]

Might I add (for perspective): Gonzaga beat Washington in Seattle 83-76 and yesterday beat Eastern Washington 112-77; yesterday BYU beat Weber State 91-61.

 

[Hoops watcher]

Oregon should win the Pac and be a 2 or 3 seed. It would be surprising if they are not in the Sweet 16. Their perimeter shooting (or lack thereof outside Pritchard) may be their only Achilles heel. If that firms up the Final Four is very realistic. Having watched most of the name teams this year so far the Ducks can beat anybody.

Butler is good and Stanford may be better than many thought though they lack the defense of UO and UW.

Other than the Tech brain fart it's been about what we should have expected. With Yagi in the fold we should get a better idea over the next few weeks. It won't be like last year when I expected a W every game in conference play. I'm still looking forward to watching these kids improve and won't be too bummed with setbacks because we'll have some.

 

[CleanHOUSE]

I don't think Tech was a bad loss because we were a bad team at that time and Tech was better than us. Now of course wanted to come out strong, but you lose all-time guys and replace them with 4 frosh to start the year you might be a bad team for the first few games. That stretch against Stanford the first game of the year was woefully bad basketball. Now at the end of Non-Con I think we are a pretty talented team, and have improved a lot, but we are not yet a good team, still have guys finding their roles and some glaring weakness, one of which is I don't think we know how to win yet, we know how to compete and play hard, but don't have the savy and instinct to close out games...and thats would be rare for a young team to have at this point so not complaining.

 

[grizindabox]

I don't think Tech was a bad loss

I quit reading right there.

 

[Big Sage]

I don't think Tech was a bad loss

I quit reading right there.

Thank You! Horrible loss

 

[CleanHOUSE]

I don't think Tech was a bad loss

I quit reading right there.

Thank You! Horrible loss

I agree its bad that Tech was better than us at the time and a bad loss in that way, but don't act like there's no way we should have lost to Tech...at the beginning year their veteran team cold put the ball in the basket and finish a game better than ours. So I'm not going to protect my Griz fan ego by telling myself we should have never lost to them lol

 

[grizindabox]

I don't think Tech was a bad loss

I quit reading right there.

Thank You! Horrible loss

I agree its bad that Tech was better than us at the time and a bad loss in that way, but don't act like there's no way we should have lost to Tech...at the beginning year their veteran team cold put the ball in the basket and finish a game better than ours. So I'm not going to protect my Griz fan ego by telling myself we should have never lost to them lol

Montana should never lose to a NAIA school...ever.

 

[PlayerRep]

I quit reading right there.

Thank You! Horrible loss

I agree its bad that Tech was better than us at the time and a bad loss in that way, but don't act like there's no way we should have lost to Tech...at the beginning year their veteran team cold put the ball in the basket and finish a game better than ours. So I'm not going to protect my Griz fan ego by telling myself we should have never lost to them lol

Montana should never lose to a NAIA school...ever.

Bad loss but not end of world. Griz let Tech hang around too long. Tech played well. Shot very well from 3. Made some very long range 3s at end. It’s not true that Tech was or is the better team. I was at the game. I saw what happened.