Photo by: Derek Johnson
The Timmy Falls Philosophy of Basketball
2/28/2020 4:24:00 PM | Men's Basketball
By Glenn Junkert
For GoGriz.com
"Win."
It was his firmly stated answer to a simple question. And he delivered a one-word answer after a 5-second pause, a slightly raised eyebrow and then the faintest of smiles... The Timmy Falls Philosophy of Basketball.
Played in the trademark "TF" style, intensity and passion, as only he can, the Timmy Falls brand of Montana basketball has drawn literally hundreds of young hoops fans to Griz games, many who wait, after what has almost always been a win, for autographs.
Falls always delivers.
Signatures on basketballs, on programs and on Griz-logo caps and T-shirts.
Perhaps that's because he remembers how he grew up to love the game of hoops in Fresno – then Dublin – California, not far from San Francisco and the home of his favorite professional NBA team, the Golden State Warriors.
"One of my best friends from grade school and high school is Jared Smart," Falls said. "Jared's dad is Keith Smart, who used to be an NBA assistant coach for the Warriors and for the (New York) Knicks. Keith took us to Warriors games. We'd get there early and watch shootarounds by all the players and it was a great experience."
It was also how he started to develop his own personal brand of basketball.
"Win."
One word, but for Falls, it reflects a young, basketball-filled life packed with watching, learning, practicing and playing.
"My main strength as a player is that I'm super competitive," Falls said.
"Off the court I'm pretty goofy and like to joke around with my friends, though I have my quiet times. But on court I can be pretty serious and I definitely have an inside fire that fuels my all-around competitiveness.
"I love winning. I hate losing. So, when I step onto the court, I do everything in my power to win."
Falls' style is not self-centered or flamboyant. But it is aggressive, intense, slashing, hard-nosed, high-risk and, well let's say it… it can also get flashy, with an occasional behind-the-back pass for an assist.
As a highly recruited northern California prep star from Dublin High School, Falls made an immediate impact on a veteran Montana team that would win back-to-back Big Sky regular-season and tourney titles. At first, playing behind all-stars and Griz greats Ahmaad Rorie, Michael Oguine and Sayeed Pridgett, chances for on-court minutes were slim.
"Coming from high school to Montana in my freshman year was a challenge," Falls admitted. "Suddenly I'm playing with and against guards like Mike and Ahmaad and Sayeed, and the competition and the pace of the game is tough. I'm coming here just barely 18 and they're all 20 to 21.
"It took a while to get used to, but the biggest thing was how much they helped me, even though they were beating me on the outdoor summer hoops court and in the earliest open gyms. Actually, having to defend players like them helped me to speed up my own improvement."
Increasingly through his freshman and sophomore seasons, Falls' hard-earned efforts were rewarded. As a frosh he played in all 33 games, averaging 17 minutes while scoring 4.4 points per game. As a sophomore, he added eight starts to the 33-game total, slightly upping his minutes to 20 per game, and nudging his scoring average to 4.7.
Those minutes as a young sixth man were enough for Falls to flash his craft. The post-game highlight clips after each Montana win increasingly showed a crowd-roaring play with Falls somewhere in the action, but usually not the guy who made the highlight-reel basket. That's because so many breakaway dunks happened as the result of a Falls pass. Others often started first with a Falls steal, followed by an immediate pass from Falls, and then a dunk or highlight shot by a teammate. Many highlights, in fact, clip out or cut out the original move by Falls that made it all happen.
No problem. That all suits Timmy to a T.
"I like to create with my speed, which is a gift I've been blessed with, and which I try to kick into being the fastest guy on court every night," Falls said. "On the defensive end of the court, I focus on locking up on my defender – to do everything with my quickness. I work hard to reverse my opponents' efforts on offense with my defense, which hopefully leads to our offense.
"I then try to match my vision with my speed so that I can draw defenders and then get my players the ball for open shots."
It is the essence of the Timmy Falls Philosophy of Basketball. The play that starts it all may get clipped out of a lot of game highlights, but it's an essential key to his style.
And to winning.
Of course, a high-risk style of basketball has its critics. A behind-the-back pass from Falls to a teammate for a dunk is a thing of beauty. But when it fails, it can seem like a spectacular unforced error.
Statistics, however, do not support those who criticize his game. Throughout his Montana career, Falls has maintained one of the Big Sky Conference's top assist-to-turnover ratios, an average of 1.5 as a freshman and sophomore. This year, Falls ranks in the top 10 in the Big Sky for both assists (3.0 per game) and steals (1.4 per game), and is second with a glistening 2.6 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Furthermore, Falls is considered one of the best attack-point-guard defenders in the conference, usually given the task of guarding an opponent's top scorer. This season he's also upped his rebound-per-game average to 2.3, a strong mark for a guard.
Despite his growth as Montana's sixth man, Falls said he recognized midway through last season that he needed to make improvements in his game.
"The biggest thing for Timmy is that he's so competitive – and I remember being young and competitive just like him – that it gets the better of a player from time to time," head coach Travis DeCuire said.
Falls showed glimpses of what he was capable of as a freshman, but had an up-and-down sophomore season.
Falls responded with a daily commitment to improving all aspects of his game. It started by talking with his coaches.
"I've appreciated and learned from the coaches about when I got to the point of frustration mid-game," Falls said. "The coaches all kind of know now when I'm kind of ready to boil over, especially (associate head coach Chris) Coach Cobb. They'll help me to get a look of the game and how to calm down to a game focus.
The maturation has been a process, and one that hasn't happened over night.
"I haven't had one heart-to-heart talk with Coach Trav, I've had a lot of them," Falls said with a slight grin. "That's what I respect about him.
"That's the big thing about all the coaches. They all care a lot about us, and I really think they'll do anything for us. Coach Trav will criticize you, but he'll also have your back when you need someone, and he'll talk to us as a personal friend after practice."
Cobb remembers the turning point for Falls being at the end of last season, which carried over into this year.
"I think that, coming into his junior year, Timmy knew that he had to make a big jump – not just as a player, but as a leader and as being someone who sets the standard every day. He's worked really, really hard to do that for us."
"Eventually," said DeCuire, "you hope that a young man matures to a point where the competitive attitude is more part of their personal strength. Timmy has definitely shown big signs of that in several areas. As a leader and as a competitive basketball player, Timmy has grown a lot."
"The coaches had been watching me and started to tell me, 'Hey, you're going to come off this screen and be wide open, so look for your shot.'
"The big step forward for me was with about five games to go in the season last year. I had been focused on getting my teammates shots. Suddenly I was getting shots for myself, as well, and that's about the time I got some game starts, so that was huge for me."
But it was the final game of the 2019 regular season, at Sacramento State near his hometown, when things all fit neatly into jigsaw-puzzle place for Falls. The conference season title was on the line for the Grizzlies. A win would mean a Big Sky Conference title and the No. 1 seed in the Big Sky tournament. A loss would drop the Griz into a tie with Northern Colorado, which no one wanted.
"Coach Trav called a team meeting," Falls recalled. "He said something like, 'You guys control everything about how the season's going to play out. It's up to you to determine your destiny.'"
And then, DeCuire informed Falls that he would get his first start of the conference season against the Hornets.
Rising to the challenge, Falls played the best game of his career, leading Montana to a title-clinching 89-74 road win. Falls played 35 minutes, notched five assists and recorded four steals. He made 7-of-9 shots and scored 16 points. Coming off of back-to-back losses, the game would be a catalyst for Montana, which proceeded to win its second straight tourney title and advance to the NCAA tournament. The group was just the third in Montana history to win back-to-back regular-season and tournament championships.
Falls approached this season – as an experienced junior – with high expectations. Then, a few weeks before practices began, Falls suffered a fracture to a bone in his shooting hand. Even though it had healed by the season's first game, he was not yet game ready.
"I was kind of down on myself," said Falls, who admitted the injury hindered his early season play. "The main challenge was to get my grip back, because early on I had problems getting my grip. It was hard to get used to not being afraid to start using my hand without worrying about hurting it again."
Game by game the arm got stronger. So did Falls, and the return of the true TF.
He has averaged 29 minutes per game on the court, scores an average of 7.0 points per game and – perhaps most importantly – serves as the attack man on Montana's highly ranked defense. His 31 steals and 12 blocks are already season highs, and his outstanding assist-to-turnover ratio continues to grow.
Perhaps the best illustration of Falls' growth as a player is his play in Montana's 59-54 road win at Montana State last week. Having suffered a sprained ankle in Montana's home win over Idaho State a week prior, coaches weren't certain Falls would be able to play. But shortly prior to the game, he told his coach he was ready.
"With his game against Montana State, Timmy did what not a lot of guys can do, which is play through injuries," DeCuire said. "A young man's commitment to the success of this program shows when he did what he did to sacrifice his body to get that possession for us," DeCuire added, noting Falls' diving play late in the game to secure a loose ball.
Falls' stats for the win show him playing 26 minutes, scoring three points, and getting one assist and one steal before fouling out late. But his points came on a timely trey late in the contest, and then his dive for a loose ball had a tremendous impact.
"Timmy won't hesitate to sacrifice for a single possession, and it's become contagious for us," DeCuire said. "At that point in time in the game, we really needed the ball, we needed momentum, and that was an opportunity for him to lead us with his aggressive play."
It was one example of the kind of "leadership by example" that Falls adds to his resume game by game.
"Timmy's really evolved into a leadership role this year," DeCuire said. "Often he says things that the other guys need to hear, especially in regard to execution or just how we do things here. He's been a good example-setter. Timmy's a big part of making Montana be as good as we have become defensively. He really sets the tone on the defensive side of the game.
"And while Timmy's given us confidence and energy on defense, on the offensive side, he's a guy who really shares, because he'll turn down his OK shot for a great shot by a teammate. That kind of play has led to our field-goal percentage increasing."
If there's a remaining challenge to his game that Falls has yet to conquer, it's fouls. If the Big Sky conference kept a statistical category for fouls, Falls would probably be ranked. Already this season, he has collected five fouls a team-high six times.
The drawback, of course, is that he's on the bench when his team needs him. The final minutes of a tight game, when his pugnacious defense is needed most.
But it also says something important about the guy who spearheads Montana's defense. It means that he plays the game with no-quit passion. The TF style of high-risk play is a huge marquee banner announcing the aggressive, hard-nosed, in-your-face brand of hoops Falls and the Montana Grizzlies play. They've built a reputation on it. And Montana fans love it.
It's a big reason why the Grizzlies are title contenders once again, positioned this year to win a third-straight Big Sky title.
"You know, the culture and history of Montana basketball is all about winning," Falls said firmly. "That fits me perfectly. I just want to win every second I'm on the court. I knew when I came here I was coming to a school with a winning tradition, so I want to do everything in my power to keep us winning, to keep things rolling. I want to hang banners and get rings.
"Montana is all about tradition, and to do that, you have to be an unselfish player. You've got to love playing with your teammates. This is a great school with a great campus and you'll get a great education. Everyone here is all in with this university. We have a tradition that not a lot of mid-major schools have. It's probably really hard to win three in a row, but I came to Montana to do. We want to win a championship every year, and right now we're in place to do that."
It all fits nicely within that one-word Timmy Falls Philosophy of Basketball.
Q&A with TIMMY FALLS
Personal History and background
I was born in Fresno, California but moved to the Dublin area when I was seven or eight. I've lived in Dublin ever since we moved to the Bay area and I love it there. I have a lot of friends, including childhood friends I still stay in contact with. My parents are Dina Falls and Tim Falls. One of my best friends is Jared Smart, whose dad is Keith Smart who used to be an NBA assistant coach for the Warriors and for the Knicks who was a big influence to me. He took us to Warriors games, we'd get there early and watch shoot-arounds by all the players and it was a great experience. I followed Stanford, but loved the NBA more than anything.
Early Influences
I have a high respect for all of my coaches, but once I got to high school our AAU Arsenal coach KP Kevin Potts was huge for me. He's the one who got me my first college offer as I was coming into my freshman year in high school. Through high school I trained with him and when I was on his team it was when coach Trav called and offered me a scholarship. There's no doubt he's been a huge influence on me and why I'm here today.
Self description as a person and player
Off the court I'm pretty goofy and like to joke around with my friends, though I have my quiet times. On court I can be pretty serious and have an inside fire that fuels my all-around competitiveness.
My main strength as a player is that I'm super competitive. I hate losing, it's one of the worst things that can happen for me. So, when I step onto the court I do everything in my power to win. I match that with my speed, which is a gift and which I try to kick into being the fastest on court every night. I then try to match my vision with my speed so that I can draw defenders and then get my players the ball for open shots. Lastly, I've been known as a shooter, but it's not my main goal, though I've been focusing on shooting more this year. On the other end, I focus on locking up on my defender, to do everything with my quickness to reverse his efforts at offense with my defense. I also love walking into other gyms where the people are booing us because it means we're doing something that they don't have. My biggest concentration was to become more aggressive as a player while at the same time sharpening my court vision. I always had good skills as a passer, but I had some problems with turnovers. I found out quickly you're not going to be able to turn-over the ball on coach Trav's team, so I worked hard to adjust my court vision to a faster game with bigger and more athletic guys.
About the University of Montana
I love the University of Montana. It's got a great all-around environment. I especially like how it's not too big or small. You don't have to walk a mile across campus to get from one class to the next. And it's unique, the campus, the mountain, the closeness of the buildings. My major is Communications. My goal is to eventually get into some job revolving around sports. My favorite class was Sports Psychology from Dr. Palmer.
Adjusting to D1 College Basketball
Coming from high school to Montana in my freshman year was a challenge. Suddenly I'm playing with and against guards like Mike Oguine and Ahmaad Rorie and the competition and the pace of the game is tough. I'm coming just barely 18 and they're all 20-21. It took a while to get used to, but the biggest thing was how much they helped me… even though they were beating me on the outdoor summer hoops court and in the earliest open gyms. Actually, having to defend players like them helped me to speed up my own improvement. I admit… I've always had a lot of confidence in myself, but…. I admit that sometimes during my freshman season I had a thought that… 'Damn, I might not be cut out for this..." But every time I talked to older players the first thing they said was that everyone goes through that and so, sure enough, I started to adjusting to pace during the last part of my freshman season.
On his relationship with Montana coaches
They don't make a lot of coaches like Trav (Montana coach Travis DeCuire) anymore. He's on a different level, a different breed of coach. I think the way he and all his coaches approach every practice and every game is all on another level. I haven't had one heart-to-heart talk with Trav… for sure I've had a lot of them, and that's what I respect about him. But he knows what he's talking about and we all know that. He can yell at us in practice, but talk to us as a friend after practice. But that's the big thing about all the coaches. They all care a lot about us and I really think they'll do anything for us. Coach Trav will criticize you, but he'll also have your back when you need someone. I've appreciated and learned from the coaches about when I get to the point of frustration in mid game. They all kind of know now when I'm kind of ready to boil over, especially coach Cobb (Associate Head Coach, Chris Cobb) They'll help me to get a look of the game and how to respond and well, calm down to a game focus.
For GoGriz.com
"Win."
It was his firmly stated answer to a simple question. And he delivered a one-word answer after a 5-second pause, a slightly raised eyebrow and then the faintest of smiles... The Timmy Falls Philosophy of Basketball.
Played in the trademark "TF" style, intensity and passion, as only he can, the Timmy Falls brand of Montana basketball has drawn literally hundreds of young hoops fans to Griz games, many who wait, after what has almost always been a win, for autographs.
Falls always delivers.
Signatures on basketballs, on programs and on Griz-logo caps and T-shirts.
Perhaps that's because he remembers how he grew up to love the game of hoops in Fresno – then Dublin – California, not far from San Francisco and the home of his favorite professional NBA team, the Golden State Warriors.
"One of my best friends from grade school and high school is Jared Smart," Falls said. "Jared's dad is Keith Smart, who used to be an NBA assistant coach for the Warriors and for the (New York) Knicks. Keith took us to Warriors games. We'd get there early and watch shootarounds by all the players and it was a great experience."
It was also how he started to develop his own personal brand of basketball.
"Win."
One word, but for Falls, it reflects a young, basketball-filled life packed with watching, learning, practicing and playing.
"My main strength as a player is that I'm super competitive," Falls said.
"Off the court I'm pretty goofy and like to joke around with my friends, though I have my quiet times. But on court I can be pretty serious and I definitely have an inside fire that fuels my all-around competitiveness.
"I love winning. I hate losing. So, when I step onto the court, I do everything in my power to win."
Falls' style is not self-centered or flamboyant. But it is aggressive, intense, slashing, hard-nosed, high-risk and, well let's say it… it can also get flashy, with an occasional behind-the-back pass for an assist.
As a highly recruited northern California prep star from Dublin High School, Falls made an immediate impact on a veteran Montana team that would win back-to-back Big Sky regular-season and tourney titles. At first, playing behind all-stars and Griz greats Ahmaad Rorie, Michael Oguine and Sayeed Pridgett, chances for on-court minutes were slim.
"Coming from high school to Montana in my freshman year was a challenge," Falls admitted. "Suddenly I'm playing with and against guards like Mike and Ahmaad and Sayeed, and the competition and the pace of the game is tough. I'm coming here just barely 18 and they're all 20 to 21.
"It took a while to get used to, but the biggest thing was how much they helped me, even though they were beating me on the outdoor summer hoops court and in the earliest open gyms. Actually, having to defend players like them helped me to speed up my own improvement."
Game by game, Falls built for himself a valuable role as a young sixth man. And when he subbed in, regardless of the game, his intense, man-on defense and laser-accurate passes would instantly provide an electrical charge to the game's ebbs and flows. It made him a favorite among young Griz hoops fans.Bring 'em to their feet, Sayeed!@TF1000_ to @SP4THABOY, who rocks the rim! pic.twitter.com/VB95DHmyab
— Montana Griz BB (@MontanaGrizBB) February 14, 2020
Increasingly through his freshman and sophomore seasons, Falls' hard-earned efforts were rewarded. As a frosh he played in all 33 games, averaging 17 minutes while scoring 4.4 points per game. As a sophomore, he added eight starts to the 33-game total, slightly upping his minutes to 20 per game, and nudging his scoring average to 4.7.
Those minutes as a young sixth man were enough for Falls to flash his craft. The post-game highlight clips after each Montana win increasingly showed a crowd-roaring play with Falls somewhere in the action, but usually not the guy who made the highlight-reel basket. That's because so many breakaway dunks happened as the result of a Falls pass. Others often started first with a Falls steal, followed by an immediate pass from Falls, and then a dunk or highlight shot by a teammate. Many highlights, in fact, clip out or cut out the original move by Falls that made it all happen.
No problem. That all suits Timmy to a T.
"I like to create with my speed, which is a gift I've been blessed with, and which I try to kick into being the fastest guy on court every night," Falls said. "On the defensive end of the court, I focus on locking up on my defender – to do everything with my quickness. I work hard to reverse my opponents' efforts on offense with my defense, which hopefully leads to our offense.
"I then try to match my vision with my speed so that I can draw defenders and then get my players the ball for open shots."
It is the essence of the Timmy Falls Philosophy of Basketball. The play that starts it all may get clipped out of a lot of game highlights, but it's an essential key to his style.
And to winning.
Of course, a high-risk style of basketball has its critics. A behind-the-back pass from Falls to a teammate for a dunk is a thing of beauty. But when it fails, it can seem like a spectacular unforced error.
Statistics, however, do not support those who criticize his game. Throughout his Montana career, Falls has maintained one of the Big Sky Conference's top assist-to-turnover ratios, an average of 1.5 as a freshman and sophomore. This year, Falls ranks in the top 10 in the Big Sky for both assists (3.0 per game) and steals (1.4 per game), and is second with a glistening 2.6 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Furthermore, Falls is considered one of the best attack-point-guard defenders in the conference, usually given the task of guarding an opponent's top scorer. This season he's also upped his rebound-per-game average to 2.3, a strong mark for a guard.
Despite his growth as Montana's sixth man, Falls said he recognized midway through last season that he needed to make improvements in his game.
His first challenge was to fine-tune his mental-emotional approach to basketball, particularly during tense game-flow developments where his emotions often affected his play.Everything was working for @TF1000_ on Saturday, who had a career-high-tying 16 points.#GrizHoops #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/XHzWl34HXS
— Montana Griz BB (@MontanaGrizBB) January 28, 2020
"The biggest thing for Timmy is that he's so competitive – and I remember being young and competitive just like him – that it gets the better of a player from time to time," head coach Travis DeCuire said.
Falls showed glimpses of what he was capable of as a freshman, but had an up-and-down sophomore season.
Falls responded with a daily commitment to improving all aspects of his game. It started by talking with his coaches.
"I've appreciated and learned from the coaches about when I got to the point of frustration mid-game," Falls said. "The coaches all kind of know now when I'm kind of ready to boil over, especially (associate head coach Chris) Coach Cobb. They'll help me to get a look of the game and how to calm down to a game focus.
The maturation has been a process, and one that hasn't happened over night.
"I haven't had one heart-to-heart talk with Coach Trav, I've had a lot of them," Falls said with a slight grin. "That's what I respect about him.
"That's the big thing about all the coaches. They all care a lot about us, and I really think they'll do anything for us. Coach Trav will criticize you, but he'll also have your back when you need someone, and he'll talk to us as a personal friend after practice."
Cobb remembers the turning point for Falls being at the end of last season, which carried over into this year.
"I think that, coming into his junior year, Timmy knew that he had to make a big jump – not just as a player, but as a leader and as being someone who sets the standard every day. He's worked really, really hard to do that for us."
"Eventually," said DeCuire, "you hope that a young man matures to a point where the competitive attitude is more part of their personal strength. Timmy has definitely shown big signs of that in several areas. As a leader and as a competitive basketball player, Timmy has grown a lot."
The second challenge was his realization that by getting open shots for his teammates he was also getting his own opportunities on offense.Here's that alley oop from @TF1000_ to @SP4THABOY. Those two had it working tonight. One of a handful of assists to one another pic.twitter.com/cL8hB4aoo8
— Shaun Rainey (@ShaunRainey) November 26, 2019
"The coaches had been watching me and started to tell me, 'Hey, you're going to come off this screen and be wide open, so look for your shot.'
"The big step forward for me was with about five games to go in the season last year. I had been focused on getting my teammates shots. Suddenly I was getting shots for myself, as well, and that's about the time I got some game starts, so that was huge for me."
But it was the final game of the 2019 regular season, at Sacramento State near his hometown, when things all fit neatly into jigsaw-puzzle place for Falls. The conference season title was on the line for the Grizzlies. A win would mean a Big Sky Conference title and the No. 1 seed in the Big Sky tournament. A loss would drop the Griz into a tie with Northern Colorado, which no one wanted.
"Coach Trav called a team meeting," Falls recalled. "He said something like, 'You guys control everything about how the season's going to play out. It's up to you to determine your destiny.'"
And then, DeCuire informed Falls that he would get his first start of the conference season against the Hornets.
Rising to the challenge, Falls played the best game of his career, leading Montana to a title-clinching 89-74 road win. Falls played 35 minutes, notched five assists and recorded four steals. He made 7-of-9 shots and scored 16 points. Coming off of back-to-back losses, the game would be a catalyst for Montana, which proceeded to win its second straight tourney title and advance to the NCAA tournament. The group was just the third in Montana history to win back-to-back regular-season and tournament championships.
Falls approached this season – as an experienced junior – with high expectations. Then, a few weeks before practices began, Falls suffered a fracture to a bone in his shooting hand. Even though it had healed by the season's first game, he was not yet game ready.
"I was kind of down on myself," said Falls, who admitted the injury hindered his early season play. "The main challenge was to get my grip back, because early on I had problems getting my grip. It was hard to get used to not being afraid to start using my hand without worrying about hurting it again."
Game by game the arm got stronger. So did Falls, and the return of the true TF.
With Montana heading into the final stretch of the season well within reach of winning a third consecutive championship – something the Grizzlies have never before done – Falls has left no doubt about his role on – and importance to – the 2020 Grizzlies.Oh no you didn't, @TF1000_! Falls to @ahmaadrorie for 👌#GrizCat #GrizHoops #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/uKisFxzJpH
— Montana Griz BB (@MontanaGrizBB) February 3, 2019
He has averaged 29 minutes per game on the court, scores an average of 7.0 points per game and – perhaps most importantly – serves as the attack man on Montana's highly ranked defense. His 31 steals and 12 blocks are already season highs, and his outstanding assist-to-turnover ratio continues to grow.
Perhaps the best illustration of Falls' growth as a player is his play in Montana's 59-54 road win at Montana State last week. Having suffered a sprained ankle in Montana's home win over Idaho State a week prior, coaches weren't certain Falls would be able to play. But shortly prior to the game, he told his coach he was ready.
"With his game against Montana State, Timmy did what not a lot of guys can do, which is play through injuries," DeCuire said. "A young man's commitment to the success of this program shows when he did what he did to sacrifice his body to get that possession for us," DeCuire added, noting Falls' diving play late in the game to secure a loose ball.
Falls' stats for the win show him playing 26 minutes, scoring three points, and getting one assist and one steal before fouling out late. But his points came on a timely trey late in the contest, and then his dive for a loose ball had a tremendous impact.
"Timmy won't hesitate to sacrifice for a single possession, and it's become contagious for us," DeCuire said. "At that point in time in the game, we really needed the ball, we needed momentum, and that was an opportunity for him to lead us with his aggressive play."
It was one example of the kind of "leadership by example" that Falls adds to his resume game by game.
"Timmy's really evolved into a leadership role this year," DeCuire said. "Often he says things that the other guys need to hear, especially in regard to execution or just how we do things here. He's been a good example-setter. Timmy's a big part of making Montana be as good as we have become defensively. He really sets the tone on the defensive side of the game.
"And while Timmy's given us confidence and energy on defense, on the offensive side, he's a guy who really shares, because he'll turn down his OK shot for a great shot by a teammate. That kind of play has led to our field-goal percentage increasing."
If there's a remaining challenge to his game that Falls has yet to conquer, it's fouls. If the Big Sky conference kept a statistical category for fouls, Falls would probably be ranked. Already this season, he has collected five fouls a team-high six times.
The drawback, of course, is that he's on the bench when his team needs him. The final minutes of a tight game, when his pugnacious defense is needed most.
But it also says something important about the guy who spearheads Montana's defense. It means that he plays the game with no-quit passion. The TF style of high-risk play is a huge marquee banner announcing the aggressive, hard-nosed, in-your-face brand of hoops Falls and the Montana Grizzlies play. They've built a reputation on it. And Montana fans love it.
It's a big reason why the Grizzlies are title contenders once again, positioned this year to win a third-straight Big Sky title.
"You know, the culture and history of Montana basketball is all about winning," Falls said firmly. "That fits me perfectly. I just want to win every second I'm on the court. I knew when I came here I was coming to a school with a winning tradition, so I want to do everything in my power to keep us winning, to keep things rolling. I want to hang banners and get rings.
"Montana is all about tradition, and to do that, you have to be an unselfish player. You've got to love playing with your teammates. This is a great school with a great campus and you'll get a great education. Everyone here is all in with this university. We have a tradition that not a lot of mid-major schools have. It's probably really hard to win three in a row, but I came to Montana to do. We want to win a championship every year, and right now we're in place to do that."
It all fits nicely within that one-word Timmy Falls Philosophy of Basketball.
Appreciate all the support ❤️ #gogriz https://t.co/EKSbTxEGzX
— Timmy Falls Jr (@TF1000_) March 17, 2019
Q&A with TIMMY FALLS
Personal History and background
I was born in Fresno, California but moved to the Dublin area when I was seven or eight. I've lived in Dublin ever since we moved to the Bay area and I love it there. I have a lot of friends, including childhood friends I still stay in contact with. My parents are Dina Falls and Tim Falls. One of my best friends is Jared Smart, whose dad is Keith Smart who used to be an NBA assistant coach for the Warriors and for the Knicks who was a big influence to me. He took us to Warriors games, we'd get there early and watch shoot-arounds by all the players and it was a great experience. I followed Stanford, but loved the NBA more than anything.
Early Influences
I have a high respect for all of my coaches, but once I got to high school our AAU Arsenal coach KP Kevin Potts was huge for me. He's the one who got me my first college offer as I was coming into my freshman year in high school. Through high school I trained with him and when I was on his team it was when coach Trav called and offered me a scholarship. There's no doubt he's been a huge influence on me and why I'm here today.
Self description as a person and player
Off the court I'm pretty goofy and like to joke around with my friends, though I have my quiet times. On court I can be pretty serious and have an inside fire that fuels my all-around competitiveness.
My main strength as a player is that I'm super competitive. I hate losing, it's one of the worst things that can happen for me. So, when I step onto the court I do everything in my power to win. I match that with my speed, which is a gift and which I try to kick into being the fastest on court every night. I then try to match my vision with my speed so that I can draw defenders and then get my players the ball for open shots. Lastly, I've been known as a shooter, but it's not my main goal, though I've been focusing on shooting more this year. On the other end, I focus on locking up on my defender, to do everything with my quickness to reverse his efforts at offense with my defense. I also love walking into other gyms where the people are booing us because it means we're doing something that they don't have. My biggest concentration was to become more aggressive as a player while at the same time sharpening my court vision. I always had good skills as a passer, but I had some problems with turnovers. I found out quickly you're not going to be able to turn-over the ball on coach Trav's team, so I worked hard to adjust my court vision to a faster game with bigger and more athletic guys.
About the University of Montana
I love the University of Montana. It's got a great all-around environment. I especially like how it's not too big or small. You don't have to walk a mile across campus to get from one class to the next. And it's unique, the campus, the mountain, the closeness of the buildings. My major is Communications. My goal is to eventually get into some job revolving around sports. My favorite class was Sports Psychology from Dr. Palmer.
Adjusting to D1 College Basketball
Coming from high school to Montana in my freshman year was a challenge. Suddenly I'm playing with and against guards like Mike Oguine and Ahmaad Rorie and the competition and the pace of the game is tough. I'm coming just barely 18 and they're all 20-21. It took a while to get used to, but the biggest thing was how much they helped me… even though they were beating me on the outdoor summer hoops court and in the earliest open gyms. Actually, having to defend players like them helped me to speed up my own improvement. I admit… I've always had a lot of confidence in myself, but…. I admit that sometimes during my freshman season I had a thought that… 'Damn, I might not be cut out for this..." But every time I talked to older players the first thing they said was that everyone goes through that and so, sure enough, I started to adjusting to pace during the last part of my freshman season.
On his relationship with Montana coaches
They don't make a lot of coaches like Trav (Montana coach Travis DeCuire) anymore. He's on a different level, a different breed of coach. I think the way he and all his coaches approach every practice and every game is all on another level. I haven't had one heart-to-heart talk with Trav… for sure I've had a lot of them, and that's what I respect about him. But he knows what he's talking about and we all know that. He can yell at us in practice, but talk to us as a friend after practice. But that's the big thing about all the coaches. They all care a lot about us and I really think they'll do anything for us. Coach Trav will criticize you, but he'll also have your back when you need someone. I've appreciated and learned from the coaches about when I get to the point of frustration in mid game. They all kind of know now when I'm kind of ready to boil over, especially coach Cobb (Associate Head Coach, Chris Cobb) They'll help me to get a look of the game and how to respond and well, calm down to a game focus.
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's BasketballMarch Madness Denver Pep Rally - 3/19/25
Thursday, March 20
Montana? Yes, Montana!
Wednesday, March 19
Griz Basketball Open Practice [March Madness] - 3/19/25
Wednesday, March 19
Griz Basketball Arrival To Denver [March Madness] - 3/18/25
Tuesday, March 18
