Montana opens season against Northern Iowa
11/22/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Grizzlies red-shirt Cummings
Between the end of biology and beer-thirty on Friday, Griz fans have time to catch a Grizzly men's basketball game.
The game starts at 5:05 p.m. in the Adams Center and should provide a good warm-up for the football game on Saturday.
Estimating a large crowd due to the influx of fans for the 'Cat/Griz football game, UM head basketball coach Pat Kennedy encourages Griz fans and their Bozeman houseguests to catch the first game of the season.
The Griz will be taking on Northern Iowa and hope this year's game won't leave them choking on a corn cob like last year. The Panthers left Montana speechless at halftime with a 54-14 lead last year, when all five UNI starters ended up scoring in double figures.
This year, Montana's head coach Pat Kennedy is ready.
"Last year they lit it up on us early and created some problems," Kennedy said. "Our key will be to play pressure defense and getting them out of what they want to do."
Kennedy anticipates this year's Panther squad, which includes eight or nine new players, will match up evenly with the Griz.
"I think we're going to mirror each other," Kennedy said. "They are very half-courtish in their approach. They are a structured, set-oriented team that can shoot the three."
Whatever attack plan Kennedy hopes to throw at the Panthers, he will have to do so without the help of Griz veteran Brent Cummings.
Cummings is slated to redshirt this season because of a back injury.
Cummings, who averaged 10.1 points and four rebounds per game, was the Grizzlies third leading scorer last year.
The 6-foot-7-inch, 210-pound senior would have been Montana's most experienced player this year with 24 starts under his belt.
"It feels good to finally make a decision," Cummings said. "Now I need to concentrate on what I need to do to get back on the court."
Cummings still plans to be a team leader on the sidelines, even if he won't suit up.
But a new mix of Grizzlies should be able to fill Cummings' void.
Junior transfer Steve Horne has provided some offensive push for the Griz thus far and has had help out front from transfer point guard Derrick Mansell.
The Griz can count on returning shooting guard David Bell for some points, as the senior returns to the starting line-up after leading the conference in three-point shooting last year.
Returning post men Marcus Rosser and Victor Venters will be muscling down on the blocks for Montana, and will be supported by freshmen Corey Easley and Chris McKay.
On the other side of the fence, Northern Iowa poses some offensive threats of its own.
Sophomore standout David Gruber led his team last year in rebounding, averaging 7.2 per game and was second in scoring with 12.8 points per game.
"David obviously had a great season last year," said UNI head coach Greg McDermott. "He has been working hard on his perimeter game. It needs some work."
But Gruber won't have to worry about cashing the three because it looks like teammate Chris Foster has it covered.
Last season Foster averaged 12.6 points and 3.2 threes per game.
Not only can Foster score, but at 5-feet-10-inches, he is the team's second leading shot blocker.
Foster played point guard last season, but McDermott said he would be playing more in the off-guard slot this year.
Following the game against UNI, the Griz will host the University of Denver Pioneers on Tuesday, Nov. 26.
After the Grizzlies' two home games, the team is set to play in the Great Alaska Shootout where they will open with 9th-ranked Michigan State.
Between the end of biology and beer-thirty on Friday, Griz fans have time to catch a Grizzly men's basketball game.
The game starts at 5:05 p.m. in the Adams Center and should provide a good warm-up for the football game on Saturday.
Estimating a large crowd due to the influx of fans for the 'Cat/Griz football game, UM head basketball coach Pat Kennedy encourages Griz fans and their Bozeman houseguests to catch the first game of the season.
The Griz will be taking on Northern Iowa and hope this year's game won't leave them choking on a corn cob like last year. The Panthers left Montana speechless at halftime with a 54-14 lead last year, when all five UNI starters ended up scoring in double figures.
This year, Montana's head coach Pat Kennedy is ready.
"Last year they lit it up on us early and created some problems," Kennedy said. "Our key will be to play pressure defense and getting them out of what they want to do."
Kennedy anticipates this year's Panther squad, which includes eight or nine new players, will match up evenly with the Griz.
"I think we're going to mirror each other," Kennedy said. "They are very half-courtish in their approach. They are a structured, set-oriented team that can shoot the three."
Whatever attack plan Kennedy hopes to throw at the Panthers, he will have to do so without the help of Griz veteran Brent Cummings.
Cummings is slated to redshirt this season because of a back injury.
Cummings, who averaged 10.1 points and four rebounds per game, was the Grizzlies third leading scorer last year.
The 6-foot-7-inch, 210-pound senior would have been Montana's most experienced player this year with 24 starts under his belt.
"It feels good to finally make a decision," Cummings said. "Now I need to concentrate on what I need to do to get back on the court."
Cummings still plans to be a team leader on the sidelines, even if he won't suit up.
But a new mix of Grizzlies should be able to fill Cummings' void.
Junior transfer Steve Horne has provided some offensive push for the Griz thus far and has had help out front from transfer point guard Derrick Mansell.
The Griz can count on returning shooting guard David Bell for some points, as the senior returns to the starting line-up after leading the conference in three-point shooting last year.
Returning post men Marcus Rosser and Victor Venters will be muscling down on the blocks for Montana, and will be supported by freshmen Corey Easley and Chris McKay.
On the other side of the fence, Northern Iowa poses some offensive threats of its own.
Sophomore standout David Gruber led his team last year in rebounding, averaging 7.2 per game and was second in scoring with 12.8 points per game.
"David obviously had a great season last year," said UNI head coach Greg McDermott. "He has been working hard on his perimeter game. It needs some work."
But Gruber won't have to worry about cashing the three because it looks like teammate Chris Foster has it covered.
Last season Foster averaged 12.6 points and 3.2 threes per game.
Not only can Foster score, but at 5-feet-10-inches, he is the team's second leading shot blocker.
Foster played point guard last season, but McDermott said he would be playing more in the off-guard slot this year.
Following the game against UNI, the Griz will host the University of Denver Pioneers on Tuesday, Nov. 26.
After the Grizzlies' two home games, the team is set to play in the Great Alaska Shootout where they will open with 9th-ranked Michigan State.
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