Montana vs. Georgia State will be rare meeting between NCAA tournament teams
11/8/2018 3:42:00 PM | Men's Basketball
No doubt about it, Friday night will be electric.
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In addition to serving as the season opener for a highly anticipated basketball season, the night will kick off with a banner unveil to celebrate the Grizzlies' 2018 Big Sky championship and NCAA tournament appearance. That will officially close the book on the 2017-18 season and signal the start to 2018-19.
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First up for the Grizzlies is one of the biggest names to enter Dahlberg Arena in recent memory.
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No offense to Whitworth (last year's opener) or Wyoming (Montana's first home game in 2016-17), but Georgia State has an added aura to it.
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The Panthers have been one of the nation's top mid-major basketball programs in recent years. They're the defending Sun Belt champions, advancing to the NCAA tournament in 2018 for the second time in four seasons. Of course, everyone remembers the 2015 squad that entered as a No. 14 seed before upsetting No. 3-seed Baylor in the opening round.
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Friday will mark the first time in four seasons and just the third time in the past decade that an NCAA tournament team will play a non-conference game inside Dahlberg Arena. You might remember the other ones… Montana opened the 2015-16 season with an instant classic against Boise State, a 74-72 Griz victory. A year prior, the Grizzlies were victorious over a North Dakota State team that upset No. 5-seed Oklahoma in the previous spring's NCAA tournament.
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Even rarer, Friday will mark just the ninth time ever that two NCAA tournament teams will play each other inside Dahlberg Arena. The last time it happened, in 2012-13, Montana and South Dakota State played a thriller, with the Jackrabbits coming away with a one-point, double-overtime victory.
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Friday won't just be one of the biggest non-conference games in Dahlberg Arena history, but it will also be one of the top contests on Friday's national slate. Of the 86 Division-I games set for Friday, just four other matchups are between a pair of 2018 NCAA tournament teams.
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Montana is an overwhelming favorite to repeat as Big Sky champions, being selected No. 1 by the league's coaches and media members, in addition to national publications Athlon, Lindy's and Street & Smith's. Even famed bracketologists such as Andy Katz and Joe Lunardi have Montana penciled in to again win the Big Sky Conference.
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On the other side of the country, the same is true about Georgia State. After winning the tournament championship last year, Georgia State is the unanimous favorite to repeat as Sun Belt champions. National writers select the Panthers as their choice to make the NCAA tournament, as well, and a recent ESPN article named four mid-major teams to keep an eye on. Two of them will be playing inside Dahlberg Arena Friday night.
"It's a can't-miss game," Montana head coach Travis DeCuire said. "It potentially could be the most talent we've had on this court in on one night in 10 to 15 years."
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An exciting opening act for what Griz fans expect to be another electrifying season. Don't miss out!
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Tickets: Online or at Adams Center box office; free for students
Pregame tailgate: 5-6:45 p.m. in East Auxiliary Gym – $2 hot dog-and-chip combo, drinks available for purchase
Giveaways: First 500 students will receive a #GrizHoops T-shirt, first 150 students will get a headband
Â
In addition to serving as the season opener for a highly anticipated basketball season, the night will kick off with a banner unveil to celebrate the Grizzlies' 2018 Big Sky championship and NCAA tournament appearance. That will officially close the book on the 2017-18 season and signal the start to 2018-19.
Â
First up for the Grizzlies is one of the biggest names to enter Dahlberg Arena in recent memory.
Â
No offense to Whitworth (last year's opener) or Wyoming (Montana's first home game in 2016-17), but Georgia State has an added aura to it.
Â
The Panthers have been one of the nation's top mid-major basketball programs in recent years. They're the defending Sun Belt champions, advancing to the NCAA tournament in 2018 for the second time in four seasons. Of course, everyone remembers the 2015 squad that entered as a No. 14 seed before upsetting No. 3-seed Baylor in the opening round.
Â
Friday will mark the first time in four seasons and just the third time in the past decade that an NCAA tournament team will play a non-conference game inside Dahlberg Arena. You might remember the other ones… Montana opened the 2015-16 season with an instant classic against Boise State, a 74-72 Griz victory. A year prior, the Grizzlies were victorious over a North Dakota State team that upset No. 5-seed Oklahoma in the previous spring's NCAA tournament.
Â
Even rarer, Friday will mark just the ninth time ever that two NCAA tournament teams will play each other inside Dahlberg Arena. The last time it happened, in 2012-13, Montana and South Dakota State played a thriller, with the Jackrabbits coming away with a one-point, double-overtime victory.
Â
Friday won't just be one of the biggest non-conference games in Dahlberg Arena history, but it will also be one of the top contests on Friday's national slate. Of the 86 Division-I games set for Friday, just four other matchups are between a pair of 2018 NCAA tournament teams.
Â
Montana is an overwhelming favorite to repeat as Big Sky champions, being selected No. 1 by the league's coaches and media members, in addition to national publications Athlon, Lindy's and Street & Smith's. Even famed bracketologists such as Andy Katz and Joe Lunardi have Montana penciled in to again win the Big Sky Conference.
Â
On the other side of the country, the same is true about Georgia State. After winning the tournament championship last year, Georgia State is the unanimous favorite to repeat as Sun Belt champions. National writers select the Panthers as their choice to make the NCAA tournament, as well, and a recent ESPN article named four mid-major teams to keep an eye on. Two of them will be playing inside Dahlberg Arena Friday night.
"It's a can't-miss game," Montana head coach Travis DeCuire said. "It potentially could be the most talent we've had on this court in on one night in 10 to 15 years."
Â
An exciting opening act for what Griz fans expect to be another electrifying season. Don't miss out!
Â
Tickets: Online or at Adams Center box office; free for students
Pregame tailgate: 5-6:45 p.m. in East Auxiliary Gym – $2 hot dog-and-chip combo, drinks available for purchase
Giveaways: First 500 students will receive a #GrizHoops T-shirt, first 150 students will get a headband
We've been in the gym since September, but before our season begins we had to bring our students up to speed!
— Montana Griz BB (@MontanaGrizBB) November 8, 2018
Safe to say, we're all ready for tomorrow night!#GrizHoops #GoGriz #MontanaTough @umontana pic.twitter.com/esIOgSH74X
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
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