Way Too Early of Next Year's Roster

[citygriz]

Before we decide the roster for next year, I think we need to take a step back and ask:

Who are we? And what do we want to be?

If "Big Sky Power," congratulations! We're there! Just ask Weber, Norther Arizona or Idaho. Let's all go down to Stocks and toast ourselves with mulitiple rounds. And let's offer a toast, too, to Robin Selvig, for all the years the Lady Griz were a "Big Sky Power."

Of course, it's also true of Robin that every year we advanced to the Big Dance, we got killed by bigger, faster teams. True too that for all his accomplishments, his retirement notice drew scant mention on the national scene.

Which is why I think we should be shooting higher. To not only be a "Big Sky Power," but to win a game or two at the dance. And maybe possibly hopefully put ourselves on a Gonzaga-like trajectory.

Which brings me back to the roster.

If your aspiration is to win another Big Sky title, fine. Go with the small lineup. The short rotation. Hell, it's worked the past two years. Why not again?

But if your goal is the Sweet 16, that just ain't gonna cut it. I mean, have you been watching these games? These kids are long, lean, athletic. They play above the rim. And they can shoot!

If we're gonna compete at THAT level, these are my suggestions.

--A 9 or 10-deep rotation. Why not? We have the best talent, top to bottom, in the Big Sky. Why not exploit that talent? Why not build in an insurance policy against late-season fatigue or injury?

--Three bigs in that rotation. Sure, I'm the biggest proponent on this board of the three-point era. But watching these tourney games has given me a fresh perspective on the kind of height and athleticism we simply do not see in the Big Sky conference. And must have if we're to compete at the Power-5 level.

--Shooters!! Are you kidding me? We must have three kids at least who can put the ball in the damn hole. So many of these games have been tight. And so many come down to the kid who hits the dagger three, as Texas Tech has, or as Purdue had in duplicate.

So those would be my criteria as I evaluate our roster for next year, but with too many ifs to speculate on a roster. Can Brown play the point? Will any of the fabulous new recruits be ready for the rotation? Will Kramer be back? Or Carter? Is the new big via Towson ready to contribute? Are Tony Miller and DJ Hollinger-Carter as good as I think they are?

So to me it's a question of evaluating our talent against the criteria I've mentioned. Anything less dooms us to "Big Sky Power."

Again.

You don't think that DeCuire is trying to win NCAA games? You know that's what he's recruiting for. That's why we constantly see him aiming for big time recruits. (I'm sure you do know this, so it begs why we even need to discuss it.)

Thank you. What a stupid post by citay. All we need are long athletic wing players, three good big guys, be able to go 10 deep on our bench (why not?), and have 3 (at least!) Carson Edwards type shooters. I wonder why Travis hasn’t thought about this? Too busy just being a Big Sky Power I guess.

The smarter, more discerning members of this board will notice two things about my post:

First: Nowhere did I criticize the talent level at Montana--only its deployment. With several key players returning, our three young big maturing, and the best freshman class in eons arriving, I feel Montana has the talent it needs to compete anywhere. Kudos to DeCuire and his staff for their recruiting abilities--the best ever at Montana, as I have pointed out frequently in my posts.

Second: As to deployment of those resources, nowhere was I critical of DeCuire, because I have no idea what his intentions are for next year. My ire was directed at previous posters ON THIS BOARD who seem to think we can once again get away playing three-guard small-ball--a situation that was forced on us this year because of the injury to Akoh. If y'all think we can once again play small ball in the Big Sky, fine, go for it. But if you think we can get away with that as even a 12-seed playing a 5-seed at the Big Dance, then you are either certifiably loony, or you haven't been watching this year's tournament.

 

[PlayerRep]

Travis secretly prefers to stay at UM, and not be lured away to the Pac-12 for fame and fortune. That's why he secretly manages to only being a Big Sky power. For example, he recruits good bigs, but then lets them slip out the side door before they begin playing here. He made sure the team didn't win all of its tough out of conference games, so the tourney seed wouldn't be too high. Then told the team to shoot quick and awkward shots at the start of the Michigan game and then pretend that they didn't know how to shoot open shots. He also let that big frosh at Duke slip away in last year's recruiting. He's pretty sneaky.

 

[Grizbballfan14]

For example, he recruits good bigs, but then lets them slip out the side door before they begin playing here. He made sure the team didn't win all of its tough out of conference games, so the tourney seed wouldn't be too high. Then told the team to shoot quick and awkward shots at the start of the Michigan game and then pretend that they didn't know how to shoot open shots. He also let that big frosh at Duke slip away in last year's recruiting. He's pretty sneaky.

I registered for an account just to say that this one of the most ignorant things I've ever read

 

[citygriz]

Travis secretly prefers to stay at UM, and not be lured away to the Pac-12 for fame and fortune. That's why he secretly manages to only being a Big Sky power. For example, he recruits good bigs, but then lets them slip out the side door before they begin playing here. He made sure the team didn't win all of its tough out of conference games, so the tourney seed wouldn't be too high. Then told the team to shoot quick and awkward shots at the start of the Michigan game and then pretend that they didn't know how to shoot open shots. He also let that big frosh at Duke slip away in last year's recruiting. He's pretty sneaky.

How you interpret this as an attack on DeCuire is beyond me. In any case, let me be clear: My targets were members of this board, and THEIR interpretations of our starting lineups next year, not of DeCuire.

 

[MissoulaMarinerFan]

Travis secretly prefers to stay at UM, and not be lured away to the Pac-12 for fame and fortune. That's why he secretly manages to only being a Big Sky power. For example, he recruits good bigs, but then lets them slip out the side door before they begin playing here. He made sure the team didn't win all of its tough out of conference games, so the tourney seed wouldn't be too high. Then told the team to shoot quick and awkward shots at the start of the Michigan game and then pretend that they didn't know how to shoot open shots. He also let that big frosh at Duke slip away in last year's recruiting. He's pretty sneaky.

That is some Bill Belicheck level sneakiness!

 

[mtgrizrule]

Travis secretly prefers to stay at UM, and not be lured away to the Pac-12 for fame and fortune. That's why he secretly manages to only being a Big Sky power. For example, he recruits good bigs, but then lets them slip out the side door before they begin playing here. He made sure the team didn't win all of its tough out of conference games, so the tourney seed wouldn't be too high. Then told the team to shoot quick and awkward shots at the start of the Michigan game and then pretend that they didn't know how to shoot open shots. He also let that big frosh at Duke slip away in last year's recruiting. He's pretty sneaky.

How you interpret this as an attack on DeCuire is beyond me. In any case, let me be clear: My targets were members of this board, and THEIR interpretations of our starting lineups next year, not of DeCuire.

City, PR set the hook, you bit. He was messing with you.

 

[PlayerRep]

Travis secretly prefers to stay at UM, and not be lured away to the Pac-12 for fame and fortune. That's why he secretly manages to only being a Big Sky power. For example, he recruits good bigs, but then lets them slip out the side door before they begin playing here. He made sure the team didn't win all of its tough out of conference games, so the tourney seed wouldn't be too high. Then told the team to shoot quick and awkward shots at the start of the Michigan game and then pretend that they didn't know how to shoot open shots. He also let that big frosh at Duke slip away in last year's recruiting. He's pretty sneaky.

How you interpret this as an attack on DeCuire is beyond me. In any case, let me be clear: My targets were members of this board, and THEIR interpretations of our starting lineups next year, not of DeCuire.

City, PR set the hook, you bit. He was messing with you.

Yup. How citay ever interpreted my completely joke post as indicating he was attacking Travis is beyond me. I didn't even respond to citay's post. I guess I will have to try to figure out how to do the avatar thing, and say something like: "My posts are intended to be serious or a joke, or somewhere in-between."

I like citay's posts. They are usually informative and I agree with many of his views, especially when he's hammering me.

 

[mtgrizfankb]

Before we decide the roster for next year, I think we need to take a step back and ask:

Who are we? And what do we want to be?

If "Big Sky Power," congratulations! We're there! Just ask Weber, Norther Arizona or Idaho. Let's all go down to Stocks and toast ourselves with mulitiple rounds. And let's offer a toast, too, to Robin Selvig, for all the years the Lady Griz were a "Big Sky Power."

Of course, it's also true of Robin that every year we advanced to the Big Dance, we got killed by bigger, faster teams. True too that for all his accomplishments, his retirement notice drew scant mention on the national scene.

Which is why I think we should be shooting higher. To not only be a "Big Sky Power," but to win a game or two at the dance. And maybe possibly hopefully put ourselves on a Gonzaga-like trajectory.

Which brings me back to the roster.

If your aspiration is to win another Big Sky title, fine. Go with the small lineup. The short rotation. Hell, it's worked the past two years. Why not again?

But if your goal is the Sweet 16, that just ain't gonna cut it. I mean, have you been watching these games? These kids are long, lean, athletic. They play above the rim. And they can shoot!

If we're gonna compete at THAT level, these are my suggestions.

--A 9 or 10-deep rotation. Why not? We have the best talent, top to bottom, in the Big Sky. Why not exploit that talent? Why not build in an insurance policy against late-season fatigue or injury?

--Three bigs in that rotation. Sure, I'm the biggest proponent on this board of the three-point era. But watching these tourney games has given me a fresh perspective on the kind of height and athleticism we simply do not see in the Big Sky conference. And must have if we're to compete at the Power-5 level.

--Shooters!! Are you kidding me? We must have three kids at least who can put the ball in the damn hole. So many of these games have been tight. And so many come down to the kid who hits the dagger three, as Texas Tech has, or as Purdue had in duplicate.

So those would be my criteria as I evaluate our roster for next year, but with too many ifs to speculate on a roster. Can Brown play the point? Will any of the fabulous new recruits be ready for the rotation? Will Kramer be back? Or Carter? Is the new big via Towson ready to contribute? Are Tony Miller and DJ Hollinger-Carter as good as I think they are?

So to me it's a question of evaluating our talent against the criteria I've mentioned. Anything less dooms us to "Big Sky Power."

Again.

I think you are missing what’s going on inside our program... I know your well versed on the program so idk if it’s just because your mad on our bad showing in the tourney or what.

A- bigs. Travis has recruited bigs and tried to develop bigs at our level. We aren’t gonna get a 4 star big or probably a 3 star big. They go to bigger schools cause everyone wants one. It’s hard to recruit a big here. This roster has Kramer who is 7 ft potential. I would say he’s not panning out but that doesn’t mean didn’t get a 2 star big that had potential. You can’t recruit 2 star big men every year because they are harder to find and pay off is low. The chance they turn into a star is small. Instead you recruit athletes that can play multiple positions. Like you said...long athletic guys...We have a pluthera of those guys.

B- Shooters, you want 3 guys that can put it in the hole? Rorie, Oguine, Pridgett, Akoh all had that this year. They all had that ability to shoulder the load. From three Bobby shot terrific as a junior we expected that again..didn’t happen. We brought Kendall who is a splasher...plus Rorie and Oguine were pretty decent shots as well.

C-9-10 rotation...you of all people know that it’s hard to play off the bench. It’s hard to play for 4 minutes and then sit and then play again for a few. You want a solid set of guys that can get into the game. Most coaches want 7-8 guys that can the relied on. We had that this year and we’ll have it next year.

Overall, yes we play in the big sky and that sucks but in the end...if this year would have came together like we expected..it would have been a different story. Imagine if Akoh was fully healthy all year. Imagine if Bobby shot like he in his junior year. Imagine if Oguine got to the hoop like he could previous years. Imagine if Rorie would have kept progressing instead of regressing. We would have been a team to reckon with. Instead, this team came together and fought adversity to still win the big sky and had a very very hard ncaa matchup. They played hard but came up short. Keep growing and building, dont implode and restart

 

[grizindabox]

Citay just likes to hear himself talk, or in the case of eGriz, type...and then read it back to himself aloud.

 

[rocklobster]

Dorsey is being mentioned on this thread. Did we ever hear if he was given the extra year by the NCAA? I didn’t see it anywhere yet. Did I miss it?
Personally, I think we’ll go deeper than last year, but still lacking the big guy inside to counter other’s big guys! If Mack puts on some off season pounds and muscle, he may end up being that guy. Unless Kramer and Carter all of a sudden figure things out, they’re not the answer, and will be gone. Pridgett will be preseason MVP for the big sky! He’ll go about 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists next year. Falls positive finish will make him more of a force this year too! Manuel and Dorsey starting, along with Mack Anderson or Tony Miller, and we have a formidable starting 5. The bench being Egun, Owens, Vasquez, Carter-Hollinger, Yagi, and “Downtown Freddy Brown JR”! We’re running out of spaces. Some players who sat the bench last year will not be around, and one or two of the freshmen will redshirt. There won’t be enough minutes to go around! A nice problem to have. This will be a fun team to watch.

 

[grizindabox]

Dorsey is being mentioned on this thread. Did we ever hear if he was given the extra year by the NCAA? I didn’t see it anywhere yet. Did I miss it?

He probably won't know for awhile yet.

 

[PlayerRep]

Citay just likes to hear himself talk, or in the case of eGriz, type...and then read it back to himself aloud.

Citay is one of the better basketball posters. Top half dozen, easily, in my view.

 

[tourist]

Agreed. Citay! :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:

 

[grizindabox]

Citay just likes to hear himself talk, or in the case of eGriz, type...and then read it back to himself aloud.

Citay is one of the better basketball posters. Top half dozen, easily, in my view.

That doesn't refute my post.

 

[rocklobster]

Dorsey is being mentioned on this thread. Did we ever hear if he was given the extra year by the NCAA? I didn’t see it anywhere yet. Did I miss it?

He probably won't know for awhile yet.

Thanks

 

[cclarkblues]

Yup. How citay ever interpreted my completely joke post as indicating he was attacking Travis is beyond me. I didn't even respond to citay's post. I guess I will have to try to figure out how to do the avatar thing, and say something like: "My posts are intended to be serious or a joke, or somewhere in-between."

You have a dry sense of humor. I get it. Some don't, and some probably don't want to . After all, how many people thought Trump was serious when he said " Maybe the Russians can find Hillary's emails.".

 

[PlayerRep]

Citay just likes to hear himself talk, or in the case of eGriz, type...and then read it back to himself aloud.

Citay is one of the better basketball posters. Top half dozen, easily, in my view.

That doesn't refute my post.

Okay, then I will say that I don't agree with your post.

 

[AllWeatherFan]

citay knows the game and knows how to write. He has a unique and interesting style. If the thread is a referendum on citay, I vote yes.

 

[grizindabox]

Citay just likes to hear himself talk, or in the case of eGriz, type...and then read it back to himself aloud.

Citay is one of the better basketball posters. Top half dozen, easily, in my view.

That doesn't refute my post.

Okay, then I will say that I don't agree with your post.

So you know for a fact that he doesn't like to hear himself talk?

 

[GrizLA]

How many scholarships are the Griz able to have. Seems there are a lot of offers and accepted offers out there. I know we lose 4 this year. DeCuire is going to have to make some tough decisions soon, I think.