grizzlyjournal
Well-known member
...tips off on Tuesday. Hype videos & photos of the Lady Griz are easy to find, so I thought it relevant to post the following tweet from this morning, because it says a lot about the Montana women's basketball program that coach Shannon Schweyen and her assistsnts Mike Petrino, Sonya Stokken, Jordan Sullivan and Paula Crews are building.
I'm a long and avid proponent that college sports programs take from 4-5 years to build. But the signs of coach Schweyen's program were starting to glitter last season. They were abundant in the pre-season scrimmage of last week. Schweyen's vision of college basketball, and how the game will be played by her Lady Griz, were all over the court. Expect a fast-paced, aggressive style of play all over the floor as this team matures. They may still be a year away, but have huge potential for THIS year. Schweyen now has players capable of stepping up in all five position slots, with depth. All of this is dependent on team health, of course.
I have attended over 90% of the Montana Griz/Lady Griz Tuesday noon radio shows and became a solid proponent of Schweyen's and asst. coach Petrino's shared vision. I also watched them fight back tears, as they dealt with injury after injury to the young women they coach... tears shed for those affected, not themselves. They have suffered far beyond their share; I am hopeful, for many reasons, that this team can log a full season in good health. If so, get ready to rumble.
Last week's scrimmage showed examples in abundance of the 2018-2019 recruiting class. I firmly believe at least two (if not four, depending upon redshirt) will step into important roles soon. But specific predictions for this year are NOT important at this point. My point is that coach Schweyen is building a D1 team that has the potential to return the Lady Griz name and logo the the upper tier of the Big Sky Conference once again. Can't wait to get this season rolling.
Oh, and the tweet? It speaks for itself. Montana is in competitive battles for top tier high school talent (head-to heas vs. Bobcats for Zareia) and -- by this time next season... year #4 -- this team will be the complete first generation of Shannon Schweyen's Montana Lady Griz.
And so, to Coaches Schweyen, Petrino, Stokken and Sullivan: Best wishes for a banner season.
[media]https://twitter.com/JtcJerry/status/1056501038058885120[/media]
I'm a long and avid proponent that college sports programs take from 4-5 years to build. But the signs of coach Schweyen's program were starting to glitter last season. They were abundant in the pre-season scrimmage of last week. Schweyen's vision of college basketball, and how the game will be played by her Lady Griz, were all over the court. Expect a fast-paced, aggressive style of play all over the floor as this team matures. They may still be a year away, but have huge potential for THIS year. Schweyen now has players capable of stepping up in all five position slots, with depth. All of this is dependent on team health, of course.
I have attended over 90% of the Montana Griz/Lady Griz Tuesday noon radio shows and became a solid proponent of Schweyen's and asst. coach Petrino's shared vision. I also watched them fight back tears, as they dealt with injury after injury to the young women they coach... tears shed for those affected, not themselves. They have suffered far beyond their share; I am hopeful, for many reasons, that this team can log a full season in good health. If so, get ready to rumble.
Last week's scrimmage showed examples in abundance of the 2018-2019 recruiting class. I firmly believe at least two (if not four, depending upon redshirt) will step into important roles soon. But specific predictions for this year are NOT important at this point. My point is that coach Schweyen is building a D1 team that has the potential to return the Lady Griz name and logo the the upper tier of the Big Sky Conference once again. Can't wait to get this season rolling.
Oh, and the tweet? It speaks for itself. Montana is in competitive battles for top tier high school talent (head-to heas vs. Bobcats for Zareia) and -- by this time next season... year #4 -- this team will be the complete first generation of Shannon Schweyen's Montana Lady Griz.
And so, to Coaches Schweyen, Petrino, Stokken and Sullivan: Best wishes for a banner season.
[media]https://twitter.com/JtcJerry/status/1056501038058885120[/media]
