Bannan, Moody earn All-Big Sky honors

Josh Bannan received First Team All-Conference honors and Aanen Moody was named to the Second Team, the Big Sky Conference announced Friday morning.

It is the first time that Montana has had a First Team member since Sayeed Pridgett in 2019-20. It's also the first time since that year that Montana has had multiple players on the top two teams.

This is the second career All-Big Sky honor for Bannan, who was named to the Second Team after his sophomore season. The junior led Montana in rebounds and assists this year while being second on the team in scoring.

"Josh Bannan is probably the hardest working basketball player that I've ever coached in terms of the time that he puts in on his game and on his body before and after practice," DeCuire said. "Treatment, (getting up) shots, things like that. You're always going to be happy for a young man like him when they commit so much to being successful."

It has been a historic year for the Australian. He became the 10^th fastest Grizzly to 1,000 career points earlier this year against Weber State. He is also one of just 17 players in program history with at least 1,000 points and 600 rebounds.

The history should continue for a player that has meant so much to Montana's success over the past three years. He's closing in on becoming just the second Grizzly in school history with 1,000 points, 700 rebounds and 200 assists. It would be a remarkable accomplishment, but when a player has the toolbox of skills that Bannan does it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise.

"His versatility can't be replaced. I think there are a couple of guys in our conference like him in terms of filling all the voids as you rotate guys in and out of the game," DeCuire said. "Him being consistent in a lot of different areas allows us to create a depth that might not always exist when you have guys that are not as multi-dimensional."

He can do it all. Seven double-doubles. The 10th fastest player to 1,000 career points in program history and one of just 17 to also have 600 rebounds. pic.twitter.com/73lmUDIXR7
— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) March 3, 2023

He has seven double-doubles this season to bring his career total up to 21. He tied for fourth in the conference and 94^th in the country in double-doubles, but his impact is felt even more when you account for his playmaking. Bannan has five games this year with at least 10 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. It makes him one of just nine players in the country in that category.

A tireless worker, Bannan has constantly made improvements to his own game. He has put together impressive shooting splits (49/42/77) while also getting better on the defensive side of the ball. Against Idaho in the season finale, he blocked a career high four shots. He is now second on Montana with 15 for the season while leading the team with 23 steals.

He has 246 rebounds this season and with four more at the conference tournament would become the first player since Daren Engellant (1991-92) to have back-to-back seasons with 250 rebounds. He needs just 36 more rebounds to pass Andrew Strait for 10th on Montana's all-time list.

"It's hard to make all-conference. You look at the list of names and there are some good players that aren't on there," DeCuire said. "There are guys that have scored 20, 30 points in a game that don't make that list. When you can reach the top five it says a lot in terms of what you've committed.

"If you look at the guys on there, it's all guys that have improved every year and probably spent a lot of time on their game. But also more importantly, I think winning is a big part of that and it's always good to see guys in the first team that come from winning teams."

Indeed, the entire first team is made up of players from the league's top four teams in the regular season standings. Montana may not have been in that grouping without the stellar play of Aanen Moody down the stretch. He was named to the All-Big Sky Second Team.

Moody may be in his first season at Montana, but it feels like the fan-favorite has been around for a long time. He quickly endeared himself to Griz fans with his exciting brand of basketball. There is no shot that Moody fears, and no play he doesn't think he can make. His shooting and playmaking ability made him an instant star inside Dahlberg Arena, where the "Aanen… MOOODY!" chants have continued to rise in decibel as the year has gone on.

"You never know how well someone is going to fit with a program. A lot of times you don't consider the community as much as you consider the other 12 guys on the team," DeCuire said. "If you wanted to look for a perfect fit for a kid transferring in, I don't know that you could find a better fit than we found with Aanen Moody in Missoula.

"The fans love him. They love how he plays, how he competes, and obviously he's shown that he's enjoying our community just as much as they love him."

Make no mistake, it's not just a side show. Moody has a massive game that has been unlocked more and more as the year has gone on. He has been maybe the biggest reason the Grizzlies have gone 7-1 in the second half of league play, upping his scoring to 20.7 points per game during the run.

He doesn't abide by the NBA Jam rule that it takes three shots to catch fire. Moody has been on a hot streak for over a month now, making 50 percent of his three-pointers in the last eight games. He ranks 19^th nationally and leads the Big Sky by shooting 41.8 percent from deep on the year.

"Whether he makes the shot or not, he's going to make a play. If he misses the shot, he probably takes a charge. You need a rebound at the end of the game, he will come flying in and make that play," DeCuire said. "There are a lot of close basketball games that we've won because of his competitive drive."

If you want to witness the spectacular, you just need to watch @AJMoody9 play. Here's some of the best plays of the year for our leading scorer. pic.twitter.com/jV1AEnBhiN
— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) March 3, 2023

Since 2018-19, Moody is one of just 25 players nationally to shoot better than 40 percent from three with at least 500 career attempts.

But more than just his scoring it's been his leadership on the court and determination to make every play that has turned the season around. Moody is averaging 4.1 rebounds per game in the back half of the league schedule, the second-most on Montana.

"Aanen is a talent that, coming from Southern Utah we had coached against him and we had an idea of potential and what he was capable of, but we didn't know for sure," DeCuire said. "Until you start competing with someone you don't know what's in their heart. He is an ultra-competitor. When you need him most, he is there."

The Grizzlies will take on Idaho State in the first round of the Big Sky Tournament next Monday at 5:30 p.m.

2022-23 Men's Basketball All-Conference Team

First Team All-Conference
Steele Venters, Eastern Washington*
Dillon Jones, Weber State*
RaeQuan Battle, Montana State*
Angelo Allegri, Eastern Washington
Josh Bannan, Montana

Second Team All-Conference
Dalton Knecht, Northern Colorado
Isaac Jones, Idaho
Jubrile Belo, Montana State
Cam Parker, Portland State
Aanen Moody, Montana

Third Team All-Conference
Callum McRae, Sacramento State
Jalen Cone, Northern Arizona
Brayden Parker, Idaho State
Steven Verplancken, Weber State
Darius Brown II, Montana State

All-Conference Honorable Mention
Daylen Kountz, Northern Colorado
Divant'e Moffitt, Idaho
Zach Chappell, Sacramento State
Ethan Price, Eastern Washington
Brock Mackenzie, Idaho State

* Unanimous First Team All-Conference

2022-23 Men's Basketball Individual Awards

Most Valuable Player
Steele Venters, Eastern Washington

Defensive Player of the Year
Darius Brown II, Montana State

Newcomer of the Year
Isaac Jones, Idaho

Top Reserve
Great Osobor, Montana State

Freshman of the Year
Nigel Burris, Idaho

Coach of the Year
David Riley, Eastern Washington

University of Montana Athletics

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