Okay, we have excuses. We are young. (True.) Our kids played at Arkansas, had a long flight home, practised at two in the afternoon, then played a game they should have won with Washington looming, the perfect trap game. (True.) It's all Timmy's fault. (False!)
But let's step back and take a longer look: Our lack of a post presence.
Usually, when we step up to play a Power Five team, the size of the opponent, the quality of their post play, is the big difference. When a Montana Tech steps up to play us, you'd think that would be their problem as well.
But last night, it was not. I don't know who their post player was, but he had enough clever moves down low that he had to be guarded, and he put our kids in foul trouble. I mean, an NAIA team showed up on our home floor with a better post play than we had. That is the atomic and sub-atomic truth of that game last night.
Which is about the only criticism I can level at Travis. In his six-year tenure at Montana, he has recruited one legit post player who panned out, Jamar Akoh. Alphonso Anderson, who just has a big game for Utah State, left the program. Karl Nicholas washed out. Ben Carter and Kelby Kramer were not the answers. In an ideal world, all four of those guys would still be in the program, contributing.
Instead, we're left with Mack Anderson, who as a sophomore at 207 pounds is not yet the answer; Michael Steadman who is not yet eligible; Selcuk who is not yet eligible; and Jared Samuelson who is hurt.
Yes, I know, this is the era of the three-ball; post players are becoming obsolete. But even if you're a team dependent on the three-ball, you need an inside-outside game to set up those treys. Tech had that last night; we did not.
At this point, I think we have too many vulnerabilities to contend. I mean right now, you shut down Pridgett, and you've shut down our offense. Don't think teams don't know this. In addition to the quality of their players, Tech was masterful in its game plan. It's a blueprint others will notice, doubling and tripling Pridgett.
But next year, with a few legit post players, watch out! We gonna be tough. But we have to have that post play.
P.S. Hats off to Tech! They can ball! We forget that the state of Montana has a great legacy of very good high school basketball. For years, Robin Selvig built a winning women's program mainly on Montana talent. There's the fabulous legacy of Native American basketball in the state. And while many Montana kids are deemed too small to play D-1 basketball, nonetheless they're always well coached, as so many of the Montana kids on Tech's roster were last night.
Ironic, finally, that the player who killed us last night was from Tacoma, Travis's hometown.
But let's step back and take a longer look: Our lack of a post presence.
Usually, when we step up to play a Power Five team, the size of the opponent, the quality of their post play, is the big difference. When a Montana Tech steps up to play us, you'd think that would be their problem as well.
But last night, it was not. I don't know who their post player was, but he had enough clever moves down low that he had to be guarded, and he put our kids in foul trouble. I mean, an NAIA team showed up on our home floor with a better post play than we had. That is the atomic and sub-atomic truth of that game last night.
Which is about the only criticism I can level at Travis. In his six-year tenure at Montana, he has recruited one legit post player who panned out, Jamar Akoh. Alphonso Anderson, who just has a big game for Utah State, left the program. Karl Nicholas washed out. Ben Carter and Kelby Kramer were not the answers. In an ideal world, all four of those guys would still be in the program, contributing.
Instead, we're left with Mack Anderson, who as a sophomore at 207 pounds is not yet the answer; Michael Steadman who is not yet eligible; Selcuk who is not yet eligible; and Jared Samuelson who is hurt.
Yes, I know, this is the era of the three-ball; post players are becoming obsolete. But even if you're a team dependent on the three-ball, you need an inside-outside game to set up those treys. Tech had that last night; we did not.
At this point, I think we have too many vulnerabilities to contend. I mean right now, you shut down Pridgett, and you've shut down our offense. Don't think teams don't know this. In addition to the quality of their players, Tech was masterful in its game plan. It's a blueprint others will notice, doubling and tripling Pridgett.
But next year, with a few legit post players, watch out! We gonna be tough. But we have to have that post play.
P.S. Hats off to Tech! They can ball! We forget that the state of Montana has a great legacy of very good high school basketball. For years, Robin Selvig built a winning women's program mainly on Montana talent. There's the fabulous legacy of Native American basketball in the state. And while many Montana kids are deemed too small to play D-1 basketball, nonetheless they're always well coached, as so many of the Montana kids on Tech's roster were last night.
Ironic, finally, that the player who killed us last night was from Tacoma, Travis's hometown.