Friday, November 9
Missoula, Mont.
7:00 PM
Montana
vs
Georgia State
Montana opens basketball season with must-see game
11/7/2018 5:07:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Montana vs. Georgia State / Friday / 7 p.m. / Missoula, Mont.
The final score was a loss, 71-68, to a team that would go on to win its conference title and advance to the NCAA tournament for the second time in four seasons.
Internally, the team's historic season began to see a seismic shift that Saturday afternoon in Atlanta.
Georgia State closed the first half on a 19-3 run to take a 17-point lead into the intermission. At the time, head coach Travis DeCuire was frustrated with his team because he felt as if the Panthers were playing harder than his players. Montana might play teams with more size or more physical talent, but a team should never play harder than the Grizzlies, DeCuire noted.
That's when he coined the often-heard motto, still used today: Compete with desperation.
"We need to always be hungry, regardless of the score or the opponent," DeCuire said.
He had seen the same story twice in his team over a three-week period. Against UC Santa Barbara, Montana trailed by as many as 18 points before fighting back to take the lead. That afternoon vs. Georgia State, Montana erased the 17-point deficit and tied the game with 70 seconds to play.
"At the end of the day, it was a tale of two teams," DeCuire reflected. "You get beat by double figures one half and then you win by double figures the next half. Why not compete with desperation all the time and play that way for two halves?"
His team took the motto to heart, and over the next two months, Montana would go on to win 15 of 16 games, jumping out to a 13-0 mark in Big Sky play en route to a conference championship. With three more wins in Reno, Montana locked up a berth to the NCAA tournament, where the Grizzlies held their own with national runner-up Michigan.
Now, 11 months later and 2,000 miles away from where they met a year ago, the two teams will meet on the hardwood once again. It's a highly anticipated battle between two teams that made last year's NCAA tournament and are the favorites to win their leagues again.
"It's an opportunity to play a team that's recently won their conference and who's picked to win it again," DeCuire said. "Regardless of how many people come, we're going to have a postseason environment in November."
Prior to the game, Montana will celebrate its 2017-18 championship season by unveiling a new banner from the rafters of Dahlberg Arena. Tickets for the game can be purchased online or at the Adams Center ticket office. Free T-shirts will be given out to the first 500 fans.
SCOUTING GEORGIA STATE
SERIES VS. THE PANTHERS
Montana and Georgia State have met twice before, with both teams winning on their respective courts. Montana hosted Georgia State in the 1984-85 Champion Holiday Classic, coming away with a 74-62 victory. In last year's 71-68 loss in Atlanta, Ahmaad Rorie paced the Grizzlies with 22 points. He and Michael Oguine (11) were both in double figures, but shot just 8-of-26 from the floor. Jamar Akoh had 14 points and a team-high nine boards, while Oguine added five steals. Georgia State had four players score between 12 and 15 points, with three of them on roster this year. Montana trailed by 17 at halftime before tying the score with 70 seconds to play.
QUOTING DECUIRE
On the team's biggest focus since its exhibition win over Whitworth on Nov. 2: "The biggest thing for us is trying to find areas that stand out the most where we can make some adjustments and improvements. There are going to be peaks and valleys, but for us, it was defensive tendencies and concepts that we needed to highlight and make adjustments to."
On what makes Georgia State so good: "The biggest thing for them is that they will typically have four three-point shooters on the floor at a time, with one of the better penetrators in the country. When you have a guard like that who has as much space as (D'Marcus) Simonds has to create for himself and others, they're hard to guard. The other part is their matchup zone. It takes time off the clock, it creates pressure on your offense's patience and on the other end they're playing at a tempo that's hard to get used to."
On what his team needs to do each night in order to have a successful season: "Defend. That's the one thing you can't give up on. You can't rely on explosive nights offensively; everybody has off nights. The one thing you should never have an off night on is defending, because that has nothing to do with who's hot and everything to do with effort and attention to detail."
HOME OPENERS
The Grizzlies are 15-3 in home openers since the turn of the century, including 3-1 under head coach Travis DeCuire. This marks the ninth time during that span that Montana has begun its season at home, with the Grizzlies going 7-1 and winning five in a row.
EXHIBITION HIGHLIGHTS
Montana graduated just one player a year ago, returning six of the seven players in the team's regular rotation. The group was responsible for the majority of Montana's production, including more than 86 percent of its scoring. Out of 353 Division-I teams, just 20 return a higher percentage of its scoring from 2017-18.
LOFTY EXPECTATIONS
With so much returning production, it came as no surprise when Montana was named the overwhelming favorite to repeat as Big Sky champions, by both the league's coaches and media members. Among the coaches, Montana earned 10 of 11 first-place votes (coaches weren't allowed to vote for their own team), with Weber State earning the other top vote. In the media poll, Montana garnered 33 of 35 first-place picks.
"Survival mode is hard to sustain when the bullseye is on your back," said Travis DeCuire, the 2018 Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year. "We have to find ways in practice every day to compete in a competitive environment that forces us to get better. You know our motto: Compete with desperation every day."
The last time a team earned as many first-place votes was Weber State in 2013-14. The last time Montana was picked to win the league was in 2015-16 (first in the media poll, tied for first in the coaches').
HIGH PRAISE
If they didn't before, the league's head coaches have now fully appreciated the value of Montana guards Ahmaad Rorie and Michael Oguine. And why wouldn't they? The duo combined for 33 points per game while leading Montana to a Big Sky title in 2017-18.
Rorie and Oguine were two of six players recognized on the preseason all-conference team, with Rorie earning Big Sky Conference preseason player-of-the-year honors and Oguine being named to the preseason all-conference team. Voting was conducted by the league's head coaches, sports information directors and media members.
"I think it exemplifies the things we talk about," head coach Travis DeCuire said. "When you commit to the team, play together and win, good things will happen."
An All-Big Sky first-team honoree a season ago, Rorie earned a spot on his second consecutive preseason team after finishing seventh in the league for scoring last season with 17.2 points per game and ranking third for assists (3.7) and eighth for steals (1.2). He also came in third with a 2.1 assist-to-turnover ratio during league games, and made 85 percent of his attempts from the free-throw line. Rorie was named a Big Sky Championship all-tournament team selection as he helped the top-seeded Grizzlies earn a NCAA tournament berth by claiming the Big Sky Championship, finishing the season with a 26-8 overall record and 16-2 conference mark. He also captured NABC All-District 6 first-team honors.
Oguine was just as valuable to the Grizzlies, being named the Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Year and earning Big Sky Championship MVP honors, helping the Grizzlies knock off North Dakota, Northern Colorado and Eastern Washington on consecutive nights to earn a trip to March Madness. On the season, Oguine averaged 15.8 points per game while ranking fifth in the league with 1.4 steals. He was the only player in the Big Sky to rank in the top 20 during league play for scoring, steals and rebounding.
Both players surpassed 1,000 career points scored last season and are expected to finish their careers ranked in the top five in school history.
"It's been a long road for Ahmaad, coming here from Oregon," DeCuire said. "He's worked on his skills on both sides of the ball, and has improved a lot and has become a lock-down defender. Mike's explosiveness is something that everyone has respected, but his guard skills – his shooting and passing – have taken him to the next level."
Since the league introduced the preseason poll prior to the 2015-16 season, no team has had more selections than Montana (five). This is the first time a Grizzly has been selected as the preseason player of the year.
HOME COOKING
Montana opens the 2018-19 season with the nation's fourth-longest active home winning streak. The Grizzlies have won 15 consecutive home games dating back to the 2016-17 season, trailing only South Dakota State (20), Houston (17) and Charleston (16).
Montana went a perfect 14-0 at home last season, marking the first time in 26 seasons and just the fifth time ever a Grizzlies team has gone undefeated at home (also: 1991-92 (18-0), 1949-50 (15-0), 1983-84 (14-0) and 1974-75 (12-0)). Montana's most-recent home win was also the school's 700th all-time inside Dahlberg Arena. The Grizzlies boast one of the nation's best home-court advantages, going 700-245 (.741) in their home arena, including 118-25 (.825) over the past decade.
ALSO BACK
FRESH FACES
While Montana returns the bulk of last year's production, the team welcomed six new players to its roster.
CHALLENGING SCHEDULE
At first glance, Montana's schedule may lack the "big names" that littered the team's slate a year ago, including trips to Penn State, Pitt, Stanford, UCLA and Washington. However, when looking a bit deeper, this year's lineup may be even more challenging.
Arizona finished last season with an RPI of 17, Creighton was at 50. Even more startling, South Dakota State, which owns the nation's longest home winning streak, was at 48, ahead of three of the Power-5 teams from last year's schedule. The Jackrabbits were picked to win the Summit League and return to the NCAA tournament. North Dakota State, which Montana could potentially play twice this fall, was picked to finish third.
UC Irvine, which returned all five starters and 94 percent of its offense, was picked to win the Big West. Last year's Sun Belt champion Georgia State is the unanimous favorite to win again.
Of the 68 NCAA tournament teams from 2018, just seven are scheduled to play more tournament teams in non-conference than Montana (four: Arizona, Creighton, Georgia State, South Dakota State).
2017-18 HIGHLIGHTS
The 2017-18 men's basketball season was record-setting on many levels:
IN THE RANKINGS
LEADING THE BIG SKY
It's clear to see why Montana went 16-2 and won the Big Sky Conference regular-season title in 2018 – the Grizzlies are among the best statistical teams on both sides of the ball. They finished the regular season ranked first for:
Additionally, Montana ranked second in the conference for three-point field-goal defense (.330), rebounding (37.9), rebounding margin (+5.0) and offensive rebounds (11.1), and ranked third for scoring offense (80.4), field-goal percentage (.487), assists (13.7), and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.2).
LOOKING AHEAD
Montana will have a quick turnaround, hosting Montana Tech on Monday evening. Following the home contest, the Grizzlies will travel to Nassau for the Islands of the Bahamas Showcase, playing three games (Nov. 16-18).
Complete Match Notes in PDF format, including more notes, charts and player pages
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- Live Stats
- Tickets
The final score was a loss, 71-68, to a team that would go on to win its conference title and advance to the NCAA tournament for the second time in four seasons.
Internally, the team's historic season began to see a seismic shift that Saturday afternoon in Atlanta.
Georgia State closed the first half on a 19-3 run to take a 17-point lead into the intermission. At the time, head coach Travis DeCuire was frustrated with his team because he felt as if the Panthers were playing harder than his players. Montana might play teams with more size or more physical talent, but a team should never play harder than the Grizzlies, DeCuire noted.
That's when he coined the often-heard motto, still used today: Compete with desperation.
"We need to always be hungry, regardless of the score or the opponent," DeCuire said.
He had seen the same story twice in his team over a three-week period. Against UC Santa Barbara, Montana trailed by as many as 18 points before fighting back to take the lead. That afternoon vs. Georgia State, Montana erased the 17-point deficit and tied the game with 70 seconds to play.
"At the end of the day, it was a tale of two teams," DeCuire reflected. "You get beat by double figures one half and then you win by double figures the next half. Why not compete with desperation all the time and play that way for two halves?"
His team took the motto to heart, and over the next two months, Montana would go on to win 15 of 16 games, jumping out to a 13-0 mark in Big Sky play en route to a conference championship. With three more wins in Reno, Montana locked up a berth to the NCAA tournament, where the Grizzlies held their own with national runner-up Michigan.
Now, 11 months later and 2,000 miles away from where they met a year ago, the two teams will meet on the hardwood once again. It's a highly anticipated battle between two teams that made last year's NCAA tournament and are the favorites to win their leagues again.
"It's an opportunity to play a team that's recently won their conference and who's picked to win it again," DeCuire said. "Regardless of how many people come, we're going to have a postseason environment in November."
Prior to the game, Montana will celebrate its 2017-18 championship season by unveiling a new banner from the rafters of Dahlberg Arena. Tickets for the game can be purchased online or at the Adams Center ticket office. Free T-shirts will be given out to the first 500 fans.
Just two days from opening tip, the @VoiceoftheGriz met with @TF1000_ to talk about the upcoming season and Friday's big game! #GrizHoops #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/3DrQRUFrIx
— Montana Griz BB (@MontanaGrizBB) November 7, 2018
SCOUTING GEORGIA STATE
- While Montana is opening its 2018-19 campaign on Friday, GSU already has a win under its belt. The Panthers hosted East Tennessee State on Tuesday evening, coming away with a 74-68 victory. They were led by Jeff Thomas and D'Marcus Simonds, who each scored more than 20 points. Thomas also recorded four of his team's 10 blocks, while Damon Wilson (11) and Malik Benlevi (10) were in double figures for rebounding.
- GSU is ranked No. 12 in the preseason CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25, four spots ahead of Montana.
- Simonds, a junior, was named the Sun Belt Preseason Player of the Year. As a sophomore in 2017-18, he earned player-of-the-year honors and was named an AP All-America honorable mention. In 2017, Simonds was the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year.
- GSU set school records with 323 three-pointers on .385 shooting in 2017-18. Back for the Panthers are Thomas (eighth in school history with 144 made treys) and senior Devin Mitchell (98 three-pointers made in 2017-18, second-most in school history).
- GSU returns its top four scorers from last year's championship team that went 24-11. Those four, plus Pitt transfer Damon Wilson, make up GSU's expected starting lineup, although Mitchell did not play Tuesday vs. ETSU.
- Ron Hunter is in his eighth season leading GSU. He is 148-85, advancing to five postseason tournaments.
SERIES VS. THE PANTHERS
Montana and Georgia State have met twice before, with both teams winning on their respective courts. Montana hosted Georgia State in the 1984-85 Champion Holiday Classic, coming away with a 74-62 victory. In last year's 71-68 loss in Atlanta, Ahmaad Rorie paced the Grizzlies with 22 points. He and Michael Oguine (11) were both in double figures, but shot just 8-of-26 from the floor. Jamar Akoh had 14 points and a team-high nine boards, while Oguine added five steals. Georgia State had four players score between 12 and 15 points, with three of them on roster this year. Montana trailed by 17 at halftime before tying the score with 70 seconds to play.
QUOTING DECUIRE
On the team's biggest focus since its exhibition win over Whitworth on Nov. 2: "The biggest thing for us is trying to find areas that stand out the most where we can make some adjustments and improvements. There are going to be peaks and valleys, but for us, it was defensive tendencies and concepts that we needed to highlight and make adjustments to."
On what makes Georgia State so good: "The biggest thing for them is that they will typically have four three-point shooters on the floor at a time, with one of the better penetrators in the country. When you have a guard like that who has as much space as (D'Marcus) Simonds has to create for himself and others, they're hard to guard. The other part is their matchup zone. It takes time off the clock, it creates pressure on your offense's patience and on the other end they're playing at a tempo that's hard to get used to."
On what his team needs to do each night in order to have a successful season: "Defend. That's the one thing you can't give up on. You can't rely on explosive nights offensively; everybody has off nights. The one thing you should never have an off night on is defending, because that has nothing to do with who's hot and everything to do with effort and attention to detail."
HOME OPENERS
The Grizzlies are 15-3 in home openers since the turn of the century, including 3-1 under head coach Travis DeCuire. This marks the ninth time during that span that Montana has begun its season at home, with the Grizzlies going 7-1 and winning five in a row.
EXHIBITION HIGHLIGHTS
- Montana hosted Division-III power Whitworth on Nov. 2, cruising to a 90-58 victory.
- Montana shot 50.9 percent from the floor, including 44.0 percent from three-point range (11 makes).
- Five players scored in double figures, led by junior Sayeed Pridgett's 17 points, in addition to a team-high seven rebounds.
- Montana's defense limited Whitworth to 35.0 percent shooting, including 3-of-20 from beyond the arc. Division-III first-team All-America selection Kyle Roach was limited to two points on 1-of-6 shooting after averaging 18.7 points a year ago.
- The Grizzlies held an 11-point lead at halftime (41-30) before scoring 22 of the first 26 points to begin the second half.
- Several players unofficially made their Division-I debuts, including Eddy Egun and Mack Ander-son, who both had breakaway dunks.
RETURNING PRODUCTION🎞️ Before we turn our attention to Georgia State, we take one more look back at our win over Whitworth!#GrizHoops #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/wNyps368oI
— Montana Griz BB (@MontanaGrizBB) November 4, 2018
Montana graduated just one player a year ago, returning six of the seven players in the team's regular rotation. The group was responsible for the majority of Montana's production, including more than 86 percent of its scoring. Out of 353 Division-I teams, just 20 return a higher percentage of its scoring from 2017-18.
LOFTY EXPECTATIONS
With so much returning production, it came as no surprise when Montana was named the overwhelming favorite to repeat as Big Sky champions, by both the league's coaches and media members. Among the coaches, Montana earned 10 of 11 first-place votes (coaches weren't allowed to vote for their own team), with Weber State earning the other top vote. In the media poll, Montana garnered 33 of 35 first-place picks.
"Survival mode is hard to sustain when the bullseye is on your back," said Travis DeCuire, the 2018 Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year. "We have to find ways in practice every day to compete in a competitive environment that forces us to get better. You know our motto: Compete with desperation every day."
The last time a team earned as many first-place votes was Weber State in 2013-14. The last time Montana was picked to win the league was in 2015-16 (first in the media poll, tied for first in the coaches').
HIGH PRAISE
If they didn't before, the league's head coaches have now fully appreciated the value of Montana guards Ahmaad Rorie and Michael Oguine. And why wouldn't they? The duo combined for 33 points per game while leading Montana to a Big Sky title in 2017-18.
Rorie and Oguine were two of six players recognized on the preseason all-conference team, with Rorie earning Big Sky Conference preseason player-of-the-year honors and Oguine being named to the preseason all-conference team. Voting was conducted by the league's head coaches, sports information directors and media members.
"I think it exemplifies the things we talk about," head coach Travis DeCuire said. "When you commit to the team, play together and win, good things will happen."
An All-Big Sky first-team honoree a season ago, Rorie earned a spot on his second consecutive preseason team after finishing seventh in the league for scoring last season with 17.2 points per game and ranking third for assists (3.7) and eighth for steals (1.2). He also came in third with a 2.1 assist-to-turnover ratio during league games, and made 85 percent of his attempts from the free-throw line. Rorie was named a Big Sky Championship all-tournament team selection as he helped the top-seeded Grizzlies earn a NCAA tournament berth by claiming the Big Sky Championship, finishing the season with a 26-8 overall record and 16-2 conference mark. He also captured NABC All-District 6 first-team honors.
Oguine was just as valuable to the Grizzlies, being named the Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Year and earning Big Sky Championship MVP honors, helping the Grizzlies knock off North Dakota, Northern Colorado and Eastern Washington on consecutive nights to earn a trip to March Madness. On the season, Oguine averaged 15.8 points per game while ranking fifth in the league with 1.4 steals. He was the only player in the Big Sky to rank in the top 20 during league play for scoring, steals and rebounding.
Both players surpassed 1,000 career points scored last season and are expected to finish their careers ranked in the top five in school history.
"It's been a long road for Ahmaad, coming here from Oregon," DeCuire said. "He's worked on his skills on both sides of the ball, and has improved a lot and has become a lock-down defender. Mike's explosiveness is something that everyone has respected, but his guard skills – his shooting and passing – have taken him to the next level."
Since the league introduced the preseason poll prior to the 2015-16 season, no team has had more selections than Montana (five). This is the first time a Grizzly has been selected as the preseason player of the year.
HOME COOKING
Montana opens the 2018-19 season with the nation's fourth-longest active home winning streak. The Grizzlies have won 15 consecutive home games dating back to the 2016-17 season, trailing only South Dakota State (20), Houston (17) and Charleston (16).
Montana went a perfect 14-0 at home last season, marking the first time in 26 seasons and just the fifth time ever a Grizzlies team has gone undefeated at home (also: 1991-92 (18-0), 1949-50 (15-0), 1983-84 (14-0) and 1974-75 (12-0)). Montana's most-recent home win was also the school's 700th all-time inside Dahlberg Arena. The Grizzlies boast one of the nation's best home-court advantages, going 700-245 (.741) in their home arena, including 118-25 (.825) over the past decade.
ALSO BACK
- Jamar Akoh – All-Big Sky Conference third team... Started all 34 games... Led UM with 6.6 rebounds... One of two Big Sky players to rank in the top 15 for scoring, rebounding and field-goal percentage.
- Bobby Moorehead – Started all 34 contests... Led UM with 27 steals in Big Sky play... Ranked second for three-pointers made and was in the top four for steals, blocked shots and assists.
- Sayeed Pridgett – Ranked 11th in the Big Sky with 1.2 steals per conference game... Ranked in the top five on the team for rebounding, assists, blocked shots and steals.
- Timmy Falls – Led UM with a .407 shooting percentage from beyond the arc... Held the team's best assist-per-minute average (one assist every 9.1 minutes).
- Donaven Dorsey – Back after missing the past two seasons (redshirt and injury).
- Kelby Kramer – Redshirted in 2017-18.
- Peter Jones – Redshirted in 2017-18.
FRESH FACES
While Montana returns the bulk of last year's production, the team welcomed six new players to its roster.
- Bozeman, Mont., native Mack Anderson earned numerous all-state honors as a senior, including the USA Today All-USA Montana Boys Basketball First Team. He led the state with 12.9 rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game, also adding 16.6 points and helping the Hawks to a third consecutive state-title game appearance.
- Freshman guard Freddy Brown III won a national championship as a junior, playing alongside McDonald's All-American/first-round NBA Draft pick Michael Porter, Jr. As a senior, Brown moved into the spotlight and dominated, averaging 28.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 2.4 steals for Nathan Hale High School in Seattle.
- Montana's Australian pipeline continued with the signing of Ben Carter, a 6-10 big man from Adelaide. He competed on several national teams abroad, including winning a silver medal at the under-20 Australian National Championship in March 2018, where he averaged 11.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game.
- Eddy Egun was a two-time All-CIF Los Angeles City Section Boys' Basketball Team selection, playing in one of southern California's top conferences. As a team captain, the guard led El Camino Real High School to the state tournament, where he scored 27 points. He was selected to several postseason all-star games, including being named MVP of the Collision All-Star Game.
- Billings native Kendal Manuel returned to his home state after three seasons at Oregon State. As a redshirt freshman in 2016-17, he started 25 games and knocked down 52 three-pointers – the second-most ever by a Beaver freshman. He's expected to sit out this season due to redshirt rules.
- Tony Miller will also have to sit out this season after transferring from Seattle Pacific, where he led the Falcons for points per game in back-to-back seasons. The forward was named the 2016-17 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year, nearly averaging a double-double.
CHALLENGING SCHEDULE
At first glance, Montana's schedule may lack the "big names" that littered the team's slate a year ago, including trips to Penn State, Pitt, Stanford, UCLA and Washington. However, when looking a bit deeper, this year's lineup may be even more challenging.
Arizona finished last season with an RPI of 17, Creighton was at 50. Even more startling, South Dakota State, which owns the nation's longest home winning streak, was at 48, ahead of three of the Power-5 teams from last year's schedule. The Jackrabbits were picked to win the Summit League and return to the NCAA tournament. North Dakota State, which Montana could potentially play twice this fall, was picked to finish third.
UC Irvine, which returned all five starters and 94 percent of its offense, was picked to win the Big West. Last year's Sun Belt champion Georgia State is the unanimous favorite to win again.
Of the 68 NCAA tournament teams from 2018, just seven are scheduled to play more tournament teams in non-conference than Montana (four: Arizona, Creighton, Georgia State, South Dakota State).
2017-18 HIGHLIGHTS
The 2017-18 men's basketball season was record-setting on many levels:
- Montana's 26 wins were the third-most in school history, and the most in 26 seasons.
- The Grizzlies won the Big Sky Conference regular-season and tournament titles, advancing to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2013.
- It marked the fifth time in program history that a Montana team has won both the regular-season championship and tournament title.
- Montana reached 20 wins for the third time in DeCuire's four seasons. The Grizzlies have finished at least .500 all four seasons, advancing to three postseason tournaments.
- The Grizzlies won their first 13 conference games. The winning streak was one game shy of tying a school record and was the third-longest active streak in the NCAA at the time.
- Montana set a school record with seven consecutive true road wins from Dec. 28 through Feb. 3.
- Montana finished its home slate undefeated (14-0). It marked the first time in 26 seasons, and the fifth time ever, that the Grizzlies have posted a perfect home record.
- Montana finished the regular season ranked No. 14 in the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25.
- Montana posted its first winning non-conference record since 2011-12, including a win at Pitt – its first over a Power-5 program since 2010 and first over an ACC team since 1966.
- DeCuire was named the Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year after leading Montana to a 16-2 mark and an outright league title.
- DeCuire became the fastest coach in Big Sky history to win 50 conference games, needing just 65 games.
- The Grizzlies had three of the 15 players named to the All-Big Sky Conference teams: Ahmaad Rorie (first team), Michael Oguine (second team) and Jamar Akoh (third team).
- Rorie also earned NABC All-District 6 first-team honors, while Oguine was named the Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Year and Big Sky Championship Most Outstanding Player.
- Montana was the only Big Sky team to have three players rank in the top 15 for scoring.
- Both Oguine (32nd member) and Rorie (33rd) joined Montana's 1,000-point scoring club.
- The Grizzlies were one of 17 schools nationally to rank in the top 100 for scoring offense (78.1; 67th) and scoring defense (68.7; 80th).
- Montana's defense ranked in the top 25 nationally for turnovers forced (15.4; 21st), steals (7.8; 22nd) and turnover margin (+3.0; 27th).
IN THE RANKINGS
- Montana ranked in the top 15 percent nationally with a +8.7 scoring margin.
- The Grizzlies were one of 17 teams nationally to rank in the top 100 for both scoring offense (77.2 points per game; 78th) and scoring defense (68.5; 73rd).
- Montana ranked in the top 100 nationally for rebounding (37.0 per game; 92nd), including a +4.6 rebounding margin (47th).
- The Grizzlies forced at least nine turnovers in every game last season, averaging 12.4 per contest. That led to the nation's 23rd-best steals-per-game average (7.8; 23rd) and 29th-best turnover margin (+3.0).
- Montana ranked in the top 10 percent of all NCAA Division-I teams for getting to the free-throw line, averaging 23.3 free throws per game (27th in NCAA) and making an average of 16.5 (30th).
LEADING THE BIG SKY
It's clear to see why Montana went 16-2 and won the Big Sky Conference regular-season title in 2018 – the Grizzlies are among the best statistical teams on both sides of the ball. They finished the regular season ranked first for:
- Scoring defense (67.1)
- Scoring margin (+13.3)
- Field-goal percentage defense (.402)
- Steals (8.2)
- Turnover margin (+3.1)
Additionally, Montana ranked second in the conference for three-point field-goal defense (.330), rebounding (37.9), rebounding margin (+5.0) and offensive rebounds (11.1), and ranked third for scoring offense (80.4), field-goal percentage (.487), assists (13.7), and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.2).
LOOKING AHEAD
Montana will have a quick turnaround, hosting Montana Tech on Monday evening. Following the home contest, the Grizzlies will travel to Nassau for the Islands of the Bahamas Showcase, playing three games (Nov. 16-18).
Complete Match Notes in PDF format, including more notes, charts and player pages
It's finally here... It's officially #GrizHoops game week! pic.twitter.com/l8QKfYaG51
— Montana Griz BB (@MontanaGrizBB) November 5, 2018
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