Expectations remain high for Griz basketball

Montana won't be taking anyone by surprise this season.

Despite graduating five of their top seven scorers, and returning just one starter from a season ago, the Grizzlies were picked by the league's media members to win the Big Sky Conference for the third season in a row, while the league's head coaches predict Montana to finish second.

It's not who you have, but who you are.

Just four rotation players from last year's title team are back, as the Grizzlies return just 40.0 percent of their points, 39.6 percent of their assists, 38.9 percent of their steals, 28.3 percent of their blocks, 25.1 percent of their starts and 24.5 percent of their minutes played from a season ago.

Yet, despite all of that, the expectations are as high as ever.

That's the territory that comes with being Montana, which has won a Big Sky regular-season or tournament title six times in the past decade. In the last 10 years, Montana has advanced to the Big Sky tournament championship game in all but two seasons.

"I think that tradition earns you a few votes, so when you win games consecutively, people are going to put you up there, regardless of what you return," sixth-year head coach Travis DeCuire said. "We're a long ways from being at that championship level, but our guys except it and we expect it of them. It's October now, and hopefully by March we'll be at that level."

So, despite adding seven newcomers to its roster, it makes sense why so many believe that Montana will again be near the top come March, because it's what the Grizzlies have continued to do throughout history.

If Montana can win a third consecutive Big Sky championship, it would be unprecedented on many levels. Despite winning 12 regular-season championships and a league-record 11 tournament titles, Montana has never won either in three consecutive seasons.

In fact, a Big Sky team has won the tournament three years in a row just once – from 1978-80 – and one would have to go back to 1973 to find the last time a single team won the Big Sky regular season in three consecutive seasons.

Eastern Washington, who Montana met in the tournament finals in each of the past two seasons, and Weber State, the Grizzlies' semifinals opponent in 2019, are the other two teams at the top of the preseason polls. Eastern Washington was picked by the league's coaches to win the crown, earning 96 points and eight of 11 first-place votes. Montana earned the other three top votes, totaling 87 points and a single point ahead of Weber State (86). In the media poll, the Grizzlies narrowly edged Weber State, earning 13 first-place votes and 354 total points. The Wildcats were second (345 points, including 12 first-place votes), followed by Eastern Washington (330 and nine).

Northern Colorado also earned two top votes by the media and is predicted to finish fourth, ahead of Southern Utah. The coaches flipped the two schools, putting Southern Utah ahead of the Bears.

Portland State, Montana State, Northern Arizona, Sacramento State, Idaho State and Idaho were picked sixth through 11^th in both polls.

2019-20 Big Sky Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll

Place	Team	Points
1.	Eastern Washington	96 (8)
2.	Montana	87 (3)
3.	Weber State	86
4.	Southern Utah	71
5.	Northern Colorado	65
6.	Portland State	59
7.	Montana State	42
8.	Northern Arizona	35
9.	Sacramento State	32
10.	Idaho State	21
11.	Idaho	11

2019-20 Big Sky Men's Basketball Preseason Media Poll

Place	Team	Points
1.	Montana	354 (13)
2.	Weber State	345 (12)
3.	Eastern Washington	330 (9)
4.	Northern Colorado	275 (2)
5.	Southern Utah	247
6.	Portland State	220
7.	Montana State	188
8.	Northern Arizona	150
9.	Sacramento State	127
10.	Idaho State	92
11.	Idaho	48

*First-place votes indicated in parenthesis

University of Montana Athletics

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