Monday, December 17
Missoula, Mont.
7:00 PM
Montana
vs
North Dakota State
Photo by: Todd Goodrich
Grizzlies finding their way through trials
12/16/2018 8:32:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Montana vs. North Dakota State / Monday / 7 p.m. / Missoula, Mont. / Dahlberg Arena (7,322)
NDSU is 4-7 on the year, but is coming off of back-to-back wins over Eastern Washington and Missouri State. Two of their losses have come on the road to powerhouse programs Iowa State and then-No. 1 Gonzaga, making them a more dangerous team than their record may initially indicate.
The Bison have a balanced scoring offense that Montana head coach Travis DeCuire said will challenge his team's patience.
"They're pretty methodical offensively," DeCuire said. "Their ball goes side to side until you break down, so they're going to challenge your mental toughness. We're going to have to be patient on both sides of the floor."
While the Grizzlies haven't played the Bison in three seasons, they have a bit of advanced scouting on NDSU. Both teams participated in the Islands of the Bahamas Showcase last month, and if NDSU would have beat Miami (Ohio), the two teams would have met up in the semifinals. Montana's coaching staff watched film on the Bison in preparation for the tournament, and saw them play live in Nassau, but DeCuire said their style of play has changed a bit over the past month, causing them to break down new film this week.
The Grizzlies are coming off of a 60-51 loss at UC Irvine last Saturday, a team that is 10-2 on the year and the runaway favorites to win the Big West Conference. An early-season loss to a stacked mid-major program on the road isn't bad in the grand scheme of things, but Montana also feels like it gave away a potential signature win.
Montana led by as many as six points in the second half and held a lead with 3 minutes to play, before Irvine closed the game on a 12-2 run. The Grizzlies led for 21 minutes of action and never trailed by more than a single possession until the final 85 seconds.
"We'd like to have a couple of those games back," DeCuire said, noting that his team needs to find the ability to close out games. "Overall, though, I think we're in a good spot."
Montana's three losses have come to teams with a combined record of 23-9. In all three, the Grizzlies were short-handed.
After using the same starting lineup for all 34 games a year ago, Montana has already used four different lineups this year. Despite being a veteran-laden roster with plenty of returning talent, seven players have made their Griz debuts this season, including several freshmen filling minutes that are trying now but will have value in the long run.
Now, though, Montana is starting to get back to full strength. The biggest absence has been all-conference big man Jamar Akoh, who missed six games with a wrist injury before making a return at Irvine. He scored six points and collected a team-high eight rebounds while battling foul trouble and working back to full strength.
"I think we're playing at a high level, we just need to hang in there and ride it out, and once we're all together see what happens," DeCuire said. "There are times where you have to handle adversity, and we're in the midst of that. We're headed in the right direction, though. When everyone is ready to go and on the floor, we can be a very good basketball team."
SCOUTING NORTH DAKOTA STATE
SERIES VS. THE BISON
Montana is 6-3 all-time vs. North Dakota State, including a perfect 5-0 on its home court. The Grizzlies have won five of the past six meetings in the series, but lost the most-recent game, a 73-53 road loss in 2015-16. The year prior, Travis DeCuire's team was victorious at home. DeCuire is 1-1 vs. NDSU. Both Michael Oguine (5 points, 6 rebounds, 1 block) and Bobby Moorehead (5 points, 1 block, 1 steal) saw action in the 2015-16 meeting vs. the Bison.
HOME COOKING
Montana owns the nation's fourth-longest active home winning streak. The Grizzlies have won 18 consecutive home games dating back to the 2016-17 season.
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)). The Grizzlies boast one of the nation's best home-court advantages, going 703-245 (.742) in their home arena, including 121-25 (.829) over the past decade.
NO PROBLEM IN NON-CONFERENCE
A win on Monday would guarantee Montana a winning non-conference record for the second season in a row. Prior to last year (7-5), Montana hadn't posted a winning record through non-conference play since 2011-12.
Since the turn of the century, Montana has had a winning non-conference record five times (2005-06, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12, 2017-18), advancing to the NCAA tournament in four of those seasons and the CBI in the other.
HOT SHOOTING
Montana made at least half of its shots in six consecutive games from Nov. 12 through Dec. 3, and on the season is connecting on 51.2 percent of its attempts. The Grizzlies led the nation a week ago in field-goal shooting, and still rank in the top 10 (seventh).
The Grizzlies have a pair of shooters who rank in the top 10 in the Big Sky for shooting, led by Sayeed Pridgett's .641 clip (24th in NCAA). Michael Oguine (.567; ninth) is also in the top 10, while big men Jamar Akoh (.714), Ben Carter (.667), Kelby Kramer (.625) and Mack Anderson (.583) have each made more than half of their shot attempts, but don't meet the minimum shots required to rank among the Big Sky leaders.
THREE-POINT SUCCESS
One of Montana's only Achilles' heels during the 2017-18 season was its lack of ability to shoot from deep. The Grizzlies made just 5.5 treys a year ago, a figure which ranked 331st nationally. A year later, Montana is now averaging 8.3 threes per game and is hitting at a .365 clip (102nd). The Grizzlies have made at least eight three-pointers in six of eight games this season. The team reached that total just four times in all of 2017-18.
WINNING NOVEMBER
Montana posted a 4-2 record during the opening month of the season, the program's best November winning percentage since also going 4-2 in 2011-12. That year, the Grizzlies finished the year 26-7 and in the NCAA tournament.
OFFENSIVE WEAPONS
Not only does Montana hold one of the nation's top field-goal percentages, but the Grizzlies are also getting production from multiple weapons. Montana is the only school to have three players rank in the top 15 in the Big Sky for scoring: Michael Oguine (15.1), Ahmaad Rorie (14.8) and Sayeed Pridgett (14.3). Jamar Akoh is averaging 14.0 points per game and would rank 16th in the league, if he had enough games to qualify.
Montana is also the only team to have three individuals rank in the top 15 in the Big Sky for assists, as well as blocked shots.
GRIZ TRACKS
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NDSU is 4-7 on the year, but is coming off of back-to-back wins over Eastern Washington and Missouri State. Two of their losses have come on the road to powerhouse programs Iowa State and then-No. 1 Gonzaga, making them a more dangerous team than their record may initially indicate.
The Bison have a balanced scoring offense that Montana head coach Travis DeCuire said will challenge his team's patience.
"They're pretty methodical offensively," DeCuire said. "Their ball goes side to side until you break down, so they're going to challenge your mental toughness. We're going to have to be patient on both sides of the floor."
While the Grizzlies haven't played the Bison in three seasons, they have a bit of advanced scouting on NDSU. Both teams participated in the Islands of the Bahamas Showcase last month, and if NDSU would have beat Miami (Ohio), the two teams would have met up in the semifinals. Montana's coaching staff watched film on the Bison in preparation for the tournament, and saw them play live in Nassau, but DeCuire said their style of play has changed a bit over the past month, causing them to break down new film this week.
The Grizzlies are coming off of a 60-51 loss at UC Irvine last Saturday, a team that is 10-2 on the year and the runaway favorites to win the Big West Conference. An early-season loss to a stacked mid-major program on the road isn't bad in the grand scheme of things, but Montana also feels like it gave away a potential signature win.
Montana led by as many as six points in the second half and held a lead with 3 minutes to play, before Irvine closed the game on a 12-2 run. The Grizzlies led for 21 minutes of action and never trailed by more than a single possession until the final 85 seconds.
"We'd like to have a couple of those games back," DeCuire said, noting that his team needs to find the ability to close out games. "Overall, though, I think we're in a good spot."
Montana's three losses have come to teams with a combined record of 23-9. In all three, the Grizzlies were short-handed.
After using the same starting lineup for all 34 games a year ago, Montana has already used four different lineups this year. Despite being a veteran-laden roster with plenty of returning talent, seven players have made their Griz debuts this season, including several freshmen filling minutes that are trying now but will have value in the long run.
Now, though, Montana is starting to get back to full strength. The biggest absence has been all-conference big man Jamar Akoh, who missed six games with a wrist injury before making a return at Irvine. He scored six points and collected a team-high eight rebounds while battling foul trouble and working back to full strength.
"I think we're playing at a high level, we just need to hang in there and ride it out, and once we're all together see what happens," DeCuire said. "There are times where you have to handle adversity, and we're in the midst of that. We're headed in the right direction, though. When everyone is ready to go and on the floor, we can be a very good basketball team."
#GrizHoops is back in Dahlberg Arena this Monday night at 7 PM! Wear your ugliest/best Christmas sweater for the chance to win season tickets to all home Griz basketball conference games this season! We will see you there! #GoGriz #MontanaTough pic.twitter.com/omcTkeeRb9
— Montana Grizzlies (@UMGRIZZLIES) December 12, 2018
SCOUTING NORTH DAKOTA STATE
- NDSU is 4-7 on the year, but is coming off of back-to-back wins over Eastern Washington and Missouri State. The Bison are 0-4 on the road.
- Four Bison average at least 9.5 points per game, led by Western Nebraska Community College transfer Vinnie Shahid (12.5). Shahid also leads the team for minutes, three-pointers, free-throw shooting assists and steals.
- Junior guard Tyson Ward, who leads the team for rebounding, was named to the preseason All-Summit League second team in October.
- The Bison rank 23rd nationally, converting more than 75 percent of their free-throw attempts.
- While NDSU has a negative turnover margin, its 11.6 turnovers-per-game average ranks 31st nationally.
- Opponents are scoring on nearly half of their shots (49.2 percent). Overall, the Bison rank in the bottom 15 in the NCAA for field-goal defense and rebounding.
- David Richman is in his fifth season in Fargo. During his first season, he helped NDSU to a conference title and NCAA tournament appearance.
SERIES VS. THE BISON
Montana is 6-3 all-time vs. North Dakota State, including a perfect 5-0 on its home court. The Grizzlies have won five of the past six meetings in the series, but lost the most-recent game, a 73-53 road loss in 2015-16. The year prior, Travis DeCuire's team was victorious at home. DeCuire is 1-1 vs. NDSU. Both Michael Oguine (5 points, 6 rebounds, 1 block) and Bobby Moorehead (5 points, 1 block, 1 steal) saw action in the 2015-16 meeting vs. the Bison.
Getting some post-finals shots up!#GrizHoops vs. North Dakota State Monday night inside Dahlberg! pic.twitter.com/wuMSMyV8xg
— Montana Griz BB (@MontanaGrizBB) December 14, 2018
HOME COOKING
Montana owns the nation's fourth-longest active home winning streak. The Grizzlies have won 18 consecutive home games dating back to the 2016-17 season.
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)). The Grizzlies boast one of the nation's best home-court advantages, going 703-245 (.742) in their home arena, including 121-25 (.829) over the past decade.
NO PROBLEM IN NON-CONFERENCE
A win on Monday would guarantee Montana a winning non-conference record for the second season in a row. Prior to last year (7-5), Montana hadn't posted a winning record through non-conference play since 2011-12.
Since the turn of the century, Montana has had a winning non-conference record five times (2005-06, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12, 2017-18), advancing to the NCAA tournament in four of those seasons and the CBI in the other.
HOT SHOOTING
Montana made at least half of its shots in six consecutive games from Nov. 12 through Dec. 3, and on the season is connecting on 51.2 percent of its attempts. The Grizzlies led the nation a week ago in field-goal shooting, and still rank in the top 10 (seventh).
The Grizzlies have a pair of shooters who rank in the top 10 in the Big Sky for shooting, led by Sayeed Pridgett's .641 clip (24th in NCAA). Michael Oguine (.567; ninth) is also in the top 10, while big men Jamar Akoh (.714), Ben Carter (.667), Kelby Kramer (.625) and Mack Anderson (.583) have each made more than half of their shot attempts, but don't meet the minimum shots required to rank among the Big Sky leaders.
THREE-POINT SUCCESS
One of Montana's only Achilles' heels during the 2017-18 season was its lack of ability to shoot from deep. The Grizzlies made just 5.5 treys a year ago, a figure which ranked 331st nationally. A year later, Montana is now averaging 8.3 threes per game and is hitting at a .365 clip (102nd). The Grizzlies have made at least eight three-pointers in six of eight games this season. The team reached that total just four times in all of 2017-18.
WINNING NOVEMBER
Montana posted a 4-2 record during the opening month of the season, the program's best November winning percentage since also going 4-2 in 2011-12. That year, the Grizzlies finished the year 26-7 and in the NCAA tournament.
OFFENSIVE WEAPONS
Not only does Montana hold one of the nation's top field-goal percentages, but the Grizzlies are also getting production from multiple weapons. Montana is the only school to have three players rank in the top 15 in the Big Sky for scoring: Michael Oguine (15.1), Ahmaad Rorie (14.8) and Sayeed Pridgett (14.3). Jamar Akoh is averaging 14.0 points per game and would rank 16th in the league, if he had enough games to qualify.
Montana is also the only team to have three individuals rank in the top 15 in the Big Sky for assists, as well as blocked shots.
GRIZ TRACKS
- Montana's .512 field-goal percentage ranks No. 7 nationally. The Grizzlies have made at least half of their shots in six games.
- Montana has made at least eight three-pointers six times this season. The Grizzlies hit that number just four times in 2017-18.
- Five different players have led Montana for scoring.
- Montana posted its best November record (4-2) since 2011-12.
- Montana leads the Big Sky for shooting, ranks second for scoring defense and third for field-goal defense.
- After being one of two teams to use the same starting lineup for every game in 2017-18, the Grizzlies have used four different combinations through eight games in 2018-19.
- While Montana's 31.3 rebounding average is lower than a year ago, the Grizzlies rank in the upper third for blocked shots, steals, field-goal defense and scoring defense.
- Montana's 4-0 start was its best since 1995-96.
- Montana owns the nation's fourth-longest home winning streak, winning 18 consecutive games inside Dahlberg Arena.
- Seven players have made their collegiate or Grizzly debuts.
- Montana's three losses have come to opponents with a combined record of 23-9 (.719).
I'm a college graduate!!!!! Blessings 👨🏽🎓 pic.twitter.com/STlZ2QpxjG
— Ahmaad Rorie (@ahmaadrorie) December 15, 2018
Players Mentioned
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