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preseason predictions-men's BB

Pretty interesting. At first you could see it as a slight to UM, but with all the new faces on the team, who knows who is going to step-up and if the team is going to mesh? Should be an interesting year.

Griz picked third in Big Sky preseason polls
by: Dave Guffey of UM Sports Information
Wednesday, October 20, 2010 Updated: Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Coach Wayne Tinkle’s University of Montana Grizzlies were picked third in the Big Sky Conference’s 2010-11 media and coaches preseason polls the league office announced Wednesday.

The Grizzlies, who were 22-10 last season and upset top-seeded Weber State in the Big Sky championship game, received four first-place votes from the media and 196 total points. Two coaches selected Montana first.

Montana returns 6-11 senior center Brian Qvale, who led UM in rebounding (7.1 rpg) and was second in scoring (10.2 ppg). Qvale, the Grizzlies’ only senior, scored a career-high 26 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in a 62-57 NCAA tournament loss to New Mexico last season.

UM’s other returning starter is guard Will Cherry, a 6-1 sophomore who averaged 8.3 points a game and had a team-high 61 steals.

Returning lettermen are 7-0 junior forward Derek Selvig (6.0 ppg and 5.1 rpg), 6-1 junior guard Shawn Stockton and 6-7 sophomore forward Mathias Ward.

Freshman forward Eric Hutchison (6-9) was a redshirt last season.

The Griz have eight new players on their roster this season and need to replace almost 60 percent of their scoring, including all-conference guard Anthony Johnson, UM’s leading scorer each of the past two seasons.

Two-time defending Big Sky Conference regular-season champion Weber State is once again the favorite.

WSU received six of the nine first-place votes in the coaches’ poll and had 21 of the 28 first-place votes in the media poll. The Wildcats finished 13-3 in conference last and have compiled a 28-4 Big Sky record over the past two seasons.

The coaches and media both picked WSU No. 1 last season. The Wildcats return reigning league MVP Damian Lillard, a junior guard, who averaged a league-high 19.9 points per game last season.

"These preseason polls are a guessing game, considering you’re trying to weigh what you’ve lost and how quickly your new players are going jell," Tinkle said. "Obviously Weber is the odds-on-favorite, winning the regular season last year and having the player of the year back. After that it’s really even more of a guessing game.

“Everyone has improved. We are excited to have been thought of highly enough to be picked in the top half of the league. We’ve got a lot of work in front of us, and we have a very challenging schedule. We just hope to build week-to-week and try to peak at the right time, much like we did last year."

The media and coaches selected eight of the nine teams in the same slot. The only difference was at the No. 2 position.

The media selected Northern Colorado second, while Northern Arizona drew the No. 2 slot from the coaches. UNC earned two first-place votes from the media. NAU received one first-place vote from the coaches. The Bears were tabbed fourth by the coaches, while the Jacks were picked fourth by the media, earning one first-place vote.

UNC won a school-record 25 games in 2009-10, finishing second in the regular-season standings. The Bears return three starters, including senior guard Devon Beitzel, who was a second team all-conference selection last season, averaging 14.3 points per game.

NAU, led by 12th-year head coach Mike Adras, finished 14-14 in 2009-10, falling 81-60 to the Grizzlies in the Big Sky quarterfinals. The Lumberjacks return four starters, including senior all-conference guard Cameron Jones, who averaged 19.3 points per game a year ago.

Montana State was tabbed fifth in both polls, followed by Eastern Washington, Portland State, Idaho State and Sacramento State.

PSU will not be eligible for the NCAA postseason in 2010-11 due to a low APR score measured from 2005-09. The NCAA gave PSU a one-year restriction this past spring, preventing the Vikings from having a shot at the NCAA or NIT. Because of the penalty, PSU is not eligible for the 2011 Big Sky championship.

The top six teams from the Big Sky qualify for the league championship, which begins with quarterfinals on Saturday, March 5. The semifinals are Tuesday, March 8, with the championship on Wednesday, March 9.

The semifinals and championship will be played at the site of the regular-season champion.

2010 Big Sky Preseason Polls

Media
Weber State (21) ... 238
Northern Colorado (2) ... 197
Montana (4) ... 196
Northern Arizona (1) ... 175
Montana State ... 133
Eastern Washington ... 106
Portland State ... 98
Idaho State ... 59
Sacramento State ... 56

Coaches
Weber State (6) ... 61
Northern Arizona (1) ... 56
Montana (2) ... 50
Northern Colorado ... 46
Montana State ... 31
Eastern Washington ... 30
Portland State ... 27
Idaho State ... 14
Sacramento State ... 9
Click to expand...
 
Speaking as a critic of Tinkles from early on, my view of him changed considerably last year. He still has quite a bit of room for improvement but he finally had his team in the big games (except vs. MSU). You can say all you want about AJ rescuing tinks, and that is partially true, but give Tinkle credit as he is the guy who recognized AJ's talent and got him in a Griz Jersey. It's too easy to focus on AJ's super-human performance in the BSCC and overlook the improvements he made as a coach last year. I think he really started to figure out how to utilize the talents of his players better and found much better rotations and stuck with them. If he can recruit a player of AJ's caliber to UM once, I think he will be able to get another scorer on our court. He obviously has a great eye for talent. Besides, Tinkle is here for the long haul. He has at least two more years on his current contract and I can garauntee that, barring a disasterous couple seasons, he will sign for another three years either at the end of this year or after next season.
 
PeauxRouge said:
You can say all you want about AJ rescuing tinks, and that is partially true, but give Tinkle credit as he is the guy who recognized AJ's talent and got him in a Griz Jersey.
Click to expand...


That's bullshit!!! I don't give Tinkle credit for that whatsoever. Certainly not more than given to any other coaching staff at the time in the Northwest. If it wasn't for the fact that Robin Selvig had a space open (fourteen signed out of a possible fifteen) on the LG roster there wouldn't have been a signing of an A. Johnson to begin with. Subsequently, only partially true but no more than any other coach at such a level recognized. If the LG didn't have an opening , no AJ, plain and simple. Sure, 'after the fact' Tinkle discovered this such-and-such player but without AJ's wife being signed to the LG, no AJ. If no opening, no signing. But a mere chance occasion and no if's and/or but's about it. That was the stipluation all along; at least, as reported through the media. Sign my wife, sign me; so says AJ. No otherwise. If otherwise, how else did he end up as a Griz? No scholarship open on the LG, no AJ. As reported, AJ wouldn't sign with any team unless they signed his wife as well; that was the hang-up all along. A mere aspect of luck and nothing more. No coaching/recruiting feat here. A recruiting coup, yes. But nothing more than mere luck.
 
WyomingGrizFan said:
PeauxRouge said:
You can say all you want about AJ rescuing tinks, and that is partially true, but give Tinkle credit as he is the guy who recognized AJ's talent and got him in a Griz Jersey.
Click to expand...


That's bullshit!!! I don't give Tinkle credit for that whatsoever. Certainly not more than given to any other coaching staff at the time in the Northwest. If it wasn't for the fact that Robin Selvig had a space open (fourteen signed out of a possible fifteen) on the LG roster there wouldn't have been a signing of an A. Johnson to begin with. Subsequently, only partially true but no more than any other coach at such a level recognized. If the LG didn't have an opening , no AJ, plain and simple. Sure, 'after the fact' Tinkle discovered this such-and-such player but without AJ's wife being signed to the LG, no AJ. If no opening, no signing. But a mere chance occasion and no if's and/or but's about it. That was the stipluation all along; at least, as reported through the media. Sign my wife, sign me; so says AJ. No otherwise. If otherwise, how else did he end up as a Griz? No scholarship open on the LG, no AJ. As reported, AJ wouldn't sign with any team unless they signed his wife as well; that was the hang-up all along. A mere aspect of luck and nothing more. No coaching/recruiting feat here. A recruiting coup, yes. But nothing more than mere luck.
Click to expand...

Well aware of the role that Selvig played in getting AJ here. I guess I am a bit confused, you don't think tinkle did a good job in recognizing AJ's potential?
 
Do you remember AJ was coming off the bench for half the season his junior year. He only started due to injury. He was leading the team in scoring- getting only 13 minutes a game..............
 
stonecrest said:
Do you remember AJ was coming off the bench for half the season his junior year. He only started due to injury. He was leading the team in scoring- getting only 13 minutes a game..............
Click to expand...
All that is history. I saw a much better UCLA tonight than anyone expected....fast and faster...I hope Tinks has his guys prepared...he has opened a recruiting pipeline here, if only a little, and I think this game is going to be a key in UM future success. I am still in awe at what I saw tonight....UCLA is going to suprise a lot of folks or they had a fluke night....I hope it is the latter...the Nevada game should tell us something...I have a lot of confidence in Tinks..don't forget, Cherry stole the ball that he gave to AJ to win over Weber...there is more to the Griz than meets the eye...
 
The BSC coaches have picked UM to finish 3rd in conference, barely edging out Northern Colorado (who finished league in 2nd last season). WSU and NAU return top league scorers, UM lost 60 percent of it's scoring, and only return Qvale (10), Cherry (8), Selvig (6), Stockton and Ward. Where's UM's firepower? I see Qvale upping his offensive output, where is the much needed scoring going to come from? If players don't step up offensively, 3rd is likely if not 4th...

Coaches
Weber State (6) ... 61
Northern Arizona (1) ... 56
Montana (2) ... 50
Northern Colorado ... 46
Montana State ... 31
Eastern Washington ... 30
Portland State ... 27
Idaho State ... 14
Sacramento State ... 9

We need Cherry (PG) to up his assists from last years 1.9 a game as well. Or whoever is playing point, we need assist production--from the whole team for that matter.

Scoring (from the field and free throw line) and assists are some challenges UM is facing this season. Let's hope they start draining points at a high clip. :clap:

GO GRIZ
 
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