Parker named league’s top reserve, Bannan earns All-Big Sky honors
3/8/2022 10:05:00 AM | Men's Basketball
The Big Sky Conference announced its all-conference teams and specialty awards on Tuesday, with Montana's Cameron Parker (Big Sky Conference Co-Top Reserve) and Josh Bannan (All-Big Sky Conference second team) being recognized, along with Robby Beasley III (All-Big Sky Conference Honorable Mention).
Parker is the third player in school history to be named the league's sixth man of the year. It marks the fourth time in the past five years that a Grizzly has earned a specialty award, with Michael Oguine (2018 Defensive Player of the Year), Kendal Manuel (2019 Newcomer of the Year and Top Reserve) and Derrick Carter-Hollinger (2020 Freshman of the Year) previously being recognized.
Of the 15 players selected to the all-conference first, second or third teams, Bannan is one of three in just his second collegiate season. He is the first Grizzly to earn All-Big Sky honors as a true sophomore since Kareem Jamar did so in 2012.
When Cameron Parker was looking for a new opportunity to finish out his college basketball career, his decision came down to two schools: Montana and Portland State.
Both gave him the opportunity to play at a high level, but Portland State would allow him to play closer to his hometown of Beaverton, Oregon.
That played a factor, but he knew that at Montana he could flourish the most.
Parker is a unicorn in the words of his head coach. A scorer with a pass-first mindset. A guard who gets more satisfaction out of setting up his teammates than seeing the ball go through the hoop himself.
It's why Montana made perfect sense for Parker, who could learn under Travis DeCuire, who was a unicorn himself and now, 30 years later, still holds the Montana record for career assists.
Parker was never going to reach DeCuire's assists total (435), playing just two seasons in the Maroon and Silver. But he has no doubt left his mark.
His 20 assists in a win over SAGU AIC in December set school and Big Sky records. One game prior, he became the third Grizzly to ever record a triple-double. His assists-per-game average leads the Big Sky and ranks in the top 50 nationally.
And as of Tuesday, he can also call himself the 2022 Big Sky Conference Top Reserve.
"It's definitely an honor and something I was excited to hear," Parker said. "RaeQuan (Battle, who Parker shared Top Reserve honors with) is a good player, and (Montana State) had a good year, so it's an honor to be named with him.
"At the same time, you don't want to be Sixth Man of the Year and then get bounced in Boise. I want to see us go win a championship, which would be better than any individual accolade."
DeCuire labels Parker as a unicorn for his pass-first mindset, but also his willingness to sacrifice for the team. With 23.5 minutes per game, he plays starter minutes but has been on the floor for the opening tip just three times this season.
Instead, he generally checks in around the first media timeout, providing a spark off the bench for the Grizzlies the way Kendal Manuel did in 2020 — the last Grizzly to earn the top-reserve honor, again playing a sixth-man role despite having the skills to be a starter.
"I'm happy for Cam," DeCuire said. "A lot of guys work out in gyms by themselves and create a lot of me-first habits, so to have someone on your team who enjoys seeing someone else make a shot is great for team chemistry. He's one of the few guys that exist anymore who is aggressive offensively but still creates for other people."
Sure, Parker would like to start. Doesn't everyone? But he says that by coming off the bench he can study defenses better for a few minutes – looking for tendencies and finding passing lanes – before taking over on the floor and providing a burst of energy.
And maybe that's what makes him so good.
Parker leads the Big Sky for assists (4.35 per game) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.29). Over his four-year career, he has totaled 630 assists, a figure that ranks 11th among all active players nationally. He can also be a scorer, though, ranking fourth on the team for points and shooting at a .516 clip. He has reached double figures for scoring 14 times already this season, while also ranking second on the team for rebounding and fifth for steals.
Parker does a little bit of everything, which is part of what makes him such a versatile sixth man.
"A lot of teams look for offense off the bench from guys who can score, but to have a guy who can generate offense in multiple ways, like Cam can, I think it makes us pretty special offensively," DeCuire said."
When Josh Bannan was recruited out of Australia, there were high expectations for the talented forward.
With experience in the NBA Global Academy, Bannan was considered a diamond in the rough by the Griz coaching staff, a find that — had he been playing in the States — maybe he doesn't come to Montana. But he did, being sold on the rich history of the Griz program, and also being sold to the coaching staff, in part, because of the line of success Montana has had from down under, from Jack Lopez to Fabijan Krslovic.
Of course, it would be unfair to forecast Bannan's success simply because other Australian natives have flourished at Montana.
Make no mistake about it, Bannan is the player he is because of his work ethic.
Yes, he has been blessed with great skills, but no, it hasn't always come easy.
Just look back to last winter, his freshman season, when he was mired in a shooting slump. How did he break out of it?
"He's the first on the floor and the last to leave it," DeCuire said. "His work ethic, his commitment to winning, his drive… There's a lot in that heart in terms of his competitiveness and his drive to be successful."
In January of his freshman season, Bannan hit a game-winner against Northern Colorado. Late in the year, he scored in double figures in five straight games, flashing glimpses of what was to come.
Now, he says, he's more confident and mature, allowing him to improve his rebounding, finish around the rim and develop his all-around shooting.
Despite being just a sophomore, Bannan plays more like a coach than he does an underclassman. He watches film before film study so that he can have a head start. After a game, he analyzes the box score like an analytically minded coach, not simply glancing at his stat line, as many players are prone to do, but figuring out why certain things did or didn't work. On the court, he rallies his team together, serving as an upperclassman leader.
Bannan has the ability — and more importantly the mindset — to be the top player in the Big Sky.
Tuesday was the first start to that, being named to the All-Big Sky Conference second team as one of the top 10 players in the league.
"I think it's nice to be recognized," Bannan said. "I'm happy that the work I've put in is starting to pay off, and I'm really grateful for the coaches and the trust they've put in me and all they've done to help me get to where I'm at right now."
Bannan is the first Grizzly to be named All-Big Sky as a true sophomore since Kareem Jamar did so in 2012. The year following, Jamar – a three-time all-conference selection, two-time Big Sky tournament MVP and ranked in the top five in school history for scoring and assists – earned league MVP honors, the last Grizzly to do so.
Bannan might not ever be the league's leading scorer, but that's because he does so much more than simply score. He's a forward who can play the 5 when needed. He thrives under the basket but can spread it out, with a smooth mid-range jump shot that even extends to 3-point range (his 25 3-pointers, on .368 shooting, rank third on the team).
He's the Grizzlies' top rebounder, too, totaling the most rebounds by a Montana player (8.2 per game) since Martin Breunig (and the third-most by a Grizzly over the past two decades).
In fact, Bannan ranks second in Big Sky play for rebounding and shooting and seventh for scoring. He's the only player in the league to average 17.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, and does so on .520 shooting while also ranking in the top 15 for minutes played, blocked shots and free-throw shooting.
With numbers like that, it could be argued that second-team honors actually underrepresents the player that Bannan is.
"There's no question about it that there's much more in the tank for him," DeCuire said. "Under a lot of circumstances, with his numbers, he'd be first-team all-conference status this year. It's unfortunate, but I'm happy for him because he's earned it, and I'm grateful to have him in this program because he sets an incredible example."
Bannan is deserving of first-team status, and likely will obtain that in the future. Just don't ask Bannan to talk about that.
"I just want to win Thursday, put together three in a row and go dancing," he said. "That's all I care about."
During the offseason, whenever that comes, Bannan will again be the first in the gym and the last to leave to make sure he's even better next year. But he's not focused on next year yet.
And perhaps that's what makes Josh Bannan great.
2021-22 All-Big Sky Conference Teams & Individual Award Winners
Most Valuable Player: Jubrile Belo, Montana State
Defensive Player of the Year: Jubrile Belo, Montana State
Top Reserve: Cameron Parker, Montana and RaeQuan Battle, Montana State
Newcomer of the Year: Koby McEwen, Weber State*
Freshman of the Year: Ethan Price, Eastern Washington
First Team All-Big Sky
Jubrile Belo, Montana State*
Daylen Kountz, Northern Colorado*
Koby McEwen, Weber State*
Xavier Bishop, Montana State
John Knight III, Southern Utah
Second Team All-Big Sky
Linton Acliese III, Eastern Washington
Josh Bannan, Montana
Bryce Fowler, Sacramento State
Dillon Jones, Weber State
Steele Venters, Eastern Washington
Third Team All-Big Sky
Tevian Jones, Southern Utah
Jalen Cone, Northern Arizona
Matt Johnson II, Northern Colorado
Seikou Sisoho Jawara, Weber State
Maizen Fausett, Southern Utah
Honorable Mention All-Big Sky
Khalid Thomas, Portland State
Amin Adamu, Montana State
Mikey Dixon, Idaho
Robby Beasley III, Montana
* Unanimous Selection
Parker is the third player in school history to be named the league's sixth man of the year. It marks the fourth time in the past five years that a Grizzly has earned a specialty award, with Michael Oguine (2018 Defensive Player of the Year), Kendal Manuel (2019 Newcomer of the Year and Top Reserve) and Derrick Carter-Hollinger (2020 Freshman of the Year) previously being recognized.
Of the 15 players selected to the all-conference first, second or third teams, Bannan is one of three in just his second collegiate season. He is the first Grizzly to earn All-Big Sky honors as a true sophomore since Kareem Jamar did so in 2012.
When Cameron Parker was looking for a new opportunity to finish out his college basketball career, his decision came down to two schools: Montana and Portland State.
Both gave him the opportunity to play at a high level, but Portland State would allow him to play closer to his hometown of Beaverton, Oregon.
That played a factor, but he knew that at Montana he could flourish the most.
Parker is a unicorn in the words of his head coach. A scorer with a pass-first mindset. A guard who gets more satisfaction out of setting up his teammates than seeing the ball go through the hoop himself.
It's why Montana made perfect sense for Parker, who could learn under Travis DeCuire, who was a unicorn himself and now, 30 years later, still holds the Montana record for career assists.
Parker was never going to reach DeCuire's assists total (435), playing just two seasons in the Maroon and Silver. But he has no doubt left his mark.
His 20 assists in a win over SAGU AIC in December set school and Big Sky records. One game prior, he became the third Grizzly to ever record a triple-double. His assists-per-game average leads the Big Sky and ranks in the top 50 nationally.
And as of Tuesday, he can also call himself the 2022 Big Sky Conference Top Reserve.
"It's definitely an honor and something I was excited to hear," Parker said. "RaeQuan (Battle, who Parker shared Top Reserve honors with) is a good player, and (Montana State) had a good year, so it's an honor to be named with him.
"At the same time, you don't want to be Sixth Man of the Year and then get bounced in Boise. I want to see us go win a championship, which would be better than any individual accolade."
DeCuire labels Parker as a unicorn for his pass-first mindset, but also his willingness to sacrifice for the team. With 23.5 minutes per game, he plays starter minutes but has been on the floor for the opening tip just three times this season.
Instead, he generally checks in around the first media timeout, providing a spark off the bench for the Grizzlies the way Kendal Manuel did in 2020 — the last Grizzly to earn the top-reserve honor, again playing a sixth-man role despite having the skills to be a starter.
"I'm happy for Cam," DeCuire said. "A lot of guys work out in gyms by themselves and create a lot of me-first habits, so to have someone on your team who enjoys seeing someone else make a shot is great for team chemistry. He's one of the few guys that exist anymore who is aggressive offensively but still creates for other people."
Sure, Parker would like to start. Doesn't everyone? But he says that by coming off the bench he can study defenses better for a few minutes – looking for tendencies and finding passing lanes – before taking over on the floor and providing a burst of energy.
And maybe that's what makes him so good.
Parker leads the Big Sky for assists (4.35 per game) and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.29). Over his four-year career, he has totaled 630 assists, a figure that ranks 11th among all active players nationally. He can also be a scorer, though, ranking fourth on the team for points and shooting at a .516 clip. He has reached double figures for scoring 14 times already this season, while also ranking second on the team for rebounding and fifth for steals.
Parker does a little bit of everything, which is part of what makes him such a versatile sixth man.
"A lot of teams look for offense off the bench from guys who can score, but to have a guy who can generate offense in multiple ways, like Cam can, I think it makes us pretty special offensively," DeCuire said."
𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗦𝗸𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲
— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) March 8, 2022
He can be a scorer but prefers to set up his teammates, making him the perfect sixth man. Congratulations, @CameronParker23!#GrizHoops #BigSkyMBB #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/gE8x7owPfu
When Josh Bannan was recruited out of Australia, there were high expectations for the talented forward.
With experience in the NBA Global Academy, Bannan was considered a diamond in the rough by the Griz coaching staff, a find that — had he been playing in the States — maybe he doesn't come to Montana. But he did, being sold on the rich history of the Griz program, and also being sold to the coaching staff, in part, because of the line of success Montana has had from down under, from Jack Lopez to Fabijan Krslovic.
Of course, it would be unfair to forecast Bannan's success simply because other Australian natives have flourished at Montana.
Make no mistake about it, Bannan is the player he is because of his work ethic.
Yes, he has been blessed with great skills, but no, it hasn't always come easy.
Just look back to last winter, his freshman season, when he was mired in a shooting slump. How did he break out of it?
"He's the first on the floor and the last to leave it," DeCuire said. "His work ethic, his commitment to winning, his drive… There's a lot in that heart in terms of his competitiveness and his drive to be successful."
In January of his freshman season, Bannan hit a game-winner against Northern Colorado. Late in the year, he scored in double figures in five straight games, flashing glimpses of what was to come.
Now, he says, he's more confident and mature, allowing him to improve his rebounding, finish around the rim and develop his all-around shooting.
Despite being just a sophomore, Bannan plays more like a coach than he does an underclassman. He watches film before film study so that he can have a head start. After a game, he analyzes the box score like an analytically minded coach, not simply glancing at his stat line, as many players are prone to do, but figuring out why certain things did or didn't work. On the court, he rallies his team together, serving as an upperclassman leader.
Bannan has the ability — and more importantly the mindset — to be the top player in the Big Sky.
Tuesday was the first start to that, being named to the All-Big Sky Conference second team as one of the top 10 players in the league.
"I think it's nice to be recognized," Bannan said. "I'm happy that the work I've put in is starting to pay off, and I'm really grateful for the coaches and the trust they've put in me and all they've done to help me get to where I'm at right now."
Bannan is the first Grizzly to be named All-Big Sky as a true sophomore since Kareem Jamar did so in 2012. The year following, Jamar – a three-time all-conference selection, two-time Big Sky tournament MVP and ranked in the top five in school history for scoring and assists – earned league MVP honors, the last Grizzly to do so.
Bannan might not ever be the league's leading scorer, but that's because he does so much more than simply score. He's a forward who can play the 5 when needed. He thrives under the basket but can spread it out, with a smooth mid-range jump shot that even extends to 3-point range (his 25 3-pointers, on .368 shooting, rank third on the team).
He's the Grizzlies' top rebounder, too, totaling the most rebounds by a Montana player (8.2 per game) since Martin Breunig (and the third-most by a Grizzly over the past two decades).
In fact, Bannan ranks second in Big Sky play for rebounding and shooting and seventh for scoring. He's the only player in the league to average 17.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, and does so on .520 shooting while also ranking in the top 15 for minutes played, blocked shots and free-throw shooting.
With numbers like that, it could be argued that second-team honors actually underrepresents the player that Bannan is.
"There's no question about it that there's much more in the tank for him," DeCuire said. "Under a lot of circumstances, with his numbers, he'd be first-team all-conference status this year. It's unfortunate, but I'm happy for him because he's earned it, and I'm grateful to have him in this program because he sets an incredible example."
Bannan is deserving of first-team status, and likely will obtain that in the future. Just don't ask Bannan to talk about that.
"I just want to win Thursday, put together three in a row and go dancing," he said. "That's all I care about."
During the offseason, whenever that comes, Bannan will again be the first in the gym and the last to leave to make sure he's even better next year. But he's not focused on next year yet.
And perhaps that's what makes Josh Bannan great.
𝗔𝗹𝗹-𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗦𝗸𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲
— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) March 8, 2022
As the only player to average 17 points and 8 rebounds per game, while also ranking 2nd for shooting, Josh Bannan is no doubt one of the league's best!#GrizHoops #BigSkyMBB #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/OzaTElHB8Z
2021-22 All-Big Sky Conference Teams & Individual Award Winners
Defensive Player of the Year: Jubrile Belo, Montana State
Top Reserve: Cameron Parker, Montana and RaeQuan Battle, Montana State
Newcomer of the Year: Koby McEwen, Weber State*
Freshman of the Year: Ethan Price, Eastern Washington
First Team All-Big Sky
Jubrile Belo, Montana State*
Daylen Kountz, Northern Colorado*
Koby McEwen, Weber State*
Xavier Bishop, Montana State
John Knight III, Southern Utah
Second Team All-Big Sky
Linton Acliese III, Eastern Washington
Josh Bannan, Montana
Bryce Fowler, Sacramento State
Dillon Jones, Weber State
Steele Venters, Eastern Washington
Third Team All-Big Sky
Tevian Jones, Southern Utah
Jalen Cone, Northern Arizona
Matt Johnson II, Northern Colorado
Seikou Sisoho Jawara, Weber State
Maizen Fausett, Southern Utah
Honorable Mention All-Big Sky
Khalid Thomas, Portland State
Amin Adamu, Montana State
Mikey Dixon, Idaho
Robby Beasley III, Montana
* Unanimous Selection
Players Mentioned
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