SEASON PREVIEW: Griz Hoops open 2024-25 season with Tuesday exhibition

MONTANA VS. SAINT MARTIN'S (exh.)
Tuesday, Oct. 22 / 7:00 PM / Tickets

It's been a good decade for Griz basketball. Head coach Travis DeCuire, now 10 seasons in at his alma mater, has accomplished nearly everything that you could imagine in his tenure.

Season 11 will begin, at least unofficially, on Tuesday night inside Dahlberg Arena as the Grizzlies host Saint Martin's in a public exhibition. The game will be ticketed with one general admission price for all, and there will be no live stream or stats available.

It's a new-look Grizzly team this year, which has become a norm year-after-year in the new age of college basketball. There are several familiar faces, including fifth-year guard Brandon Whitney, who will have the chance to climb the all-time program ranks this year.

Money Williams will return after flashes of brilliance in his 14 games in 2023, and Te'Jon Sawyer should make a jump after being one of the most important reserves in the league last year.

Outside of that trio will be a lot of unfamiliar faces for Montana fans. The Grizzlies have eight new transfers, the largest group in program history, and one true freshman. The excitement and talent is there, but it will be bringing everyone together and getting on the same page that will be the challenge in the early going.

"It's a fun group. I'm excited to see what this group has when it's time to play against someone in a different colored jersey," DeCuire said. "The practices have been very competitive, there's a lot of talent in the locker room, but the important piece for us this early is to find a way to get on the same page. We have a lot of guys coming in from different programs with roles that were different than the role they will have here. We're still working through that."

The exhibition against Saint Martin's will be an important opportunity for DeCuire and his staff to figure out exactly what the rotation might look like when they open up the regular season on Nov. 4 with a home game against Hawai'i Hilo.

After that, the Grizzlies will have perhaps their three most difficult games of the year in quick succession with trips to Oregon, Tennessee, and Utah State on the docket. It's a challenge that Montana has faced in years past, but with the unfamiliarity of the transfer portal era it makes getting on the same page early that much more important.

"It's always been difficult for us early, because we play such a strong schedule, to figure out exactly who we are and what we have because I allow guys to play into their roles in November," DeCuire said. "Sometimes you have guys that are better in practice than in games, or vice-versa, and we need to make sure we know what we have and the only way to find out is to evaluate what they do when the lights come on."

The lights will come on for the first time on Tuesday. Montana is coming off a highly successful season. The 24 wins were the most since the 2018-19 championship team and the Griz won a postseason game for the first time since 2006 when they advanced to the quarterfinals of the CBI.

The 2023-24 team was heavily laden with seniors, who have graduated and many of whom are continuing their playing careers professionally overseas. The culture of Montana basketball is strong. The Grizzlies are one of just 14 teams in the country with 16 straight seasons at .500 or better.

But with so few returners, it will be a bit of an adjustment period. Luckily for DeCuire, he has Whitney returning for a fifth year. The guard has started 116 games at Montana, the second-most at one school by any player in the NCAA this season. His experience and leadership will be key for Montana.

"I think that you've got a lot of new faces that have an opportunity to see how he goes about his day, how he handles coaching, how he prepares for film, how he prepares for practice. Tomorrow will be the first time we play an opponent, so how he goes about gameday," DeCuire said. "When you have this many transfers, when you have nine new faces, it's important to have someone that's been in the program for a long time. Fortunately for us, he's been a starter all four years and that's huge, I think you get more out of it."

Whitney will have the chance to set some records in his final season in Missoula. He is currently ranked 14^th all-time in points (1,296) and 12^th in assists (350). If he matches his totals from last season, he could break his head coach Travis DeCuire's all-time assists record (435) while also moving into the top six in scoring.

Williams looked on his way to not just the Big Sky Freshman of the Year honor but potentially an All-Conference spot before his rookie campaign was taken away due to injury. He will look to make a jump as a sophomore.

The duo lead an impressive group of guards for Montana. Kai Johnson (Western Washington) comes to Montana with 1,133 career points. Austin Patterson (Sacramento State) is a proven high-level player in the Big Sky.

Joe Pridgen (Northeastern) is a physical player that helps across the floor. Malik Moore (Pepperdine) is a smooth playmaker that can put the ball on the floor and in the bucket. Jeremiah Dargan (West Valley College) and freshman Tyler Thompson add depth and could break through into the lineup.

"Our guard play is a little more similar to the 2018-19 teams in terms of more than one person having the ability to make the play off the bounce," DeCuire said. "This group, you aren't going to run as much offense (as last year). You're going to give them a little more freedom to make it happen because I think we're going to have times where there's four guys on the floor that can put the ball on the floor and make plays."

Some of the players mentioned can shift to the forward position, but Montana also restocked there behind key returner Te'Jon Sawyer. Sawyer averaged 21.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per 40 minutes last year, and aim to maintain those over more playing time this season.

Jensen Bradtke (Saint Mary's) comes from a very successful team with a culture of winning and could make an instant impact in his first season of collegiate basketball. Amari Jedkins (Green Bay) is a springy, athletic forward and Jalen Foy (Northeastern JC) is a do-it-all guy at 6-7, 215 pounds.

Montana also returns Zack Davidson after he used his redshirt in 2023-24.

"I'm excited about the group," DeCuire said. "I love the group and think there is great chemistry and potential. We don't know exactly how high our ceiling is, but our floor is a little higher than we thought."

The team has been working hard in the practice gym, and DeCuire likes the depth that they have created. It's a different beast when you line up against another team, however. The spots on the floor and the minutes available are cut in half from an inter-squad scrimmage.

"The hardest part is how do they handle the shock when there is only five guys on the floor instead of 10," DeCuire said. "It's an adjustment for a group that has so many guys that anticipate playing a lot of minutes and having strong roles, especially offensively. The first thing is we have to work through that shock and figure out rotations."

The Grizzlies are in safe hands with their mentor. The first decade of DeCuire basketball at Montana has led to an average of 20.1 wins per season and 15 Big Sky Tournament wins, more than any other team during the stretch.

This team may have a new look, but they will hope to continue on the same path that has been set by so many other great players in the last 10 years. They get their first chance to honor that Griz legacy on Tuesday night.

WHITNEY'S CLIMB UP THE ALL-TIME RANKS
Brandon Whitney will have the chance to set some records in his final season in Missoula. He enters the year ranked 14^th all-time in points (1,296) and 12^th in assists (350). If he matches his totals from last season, he could break his head coach Travis DeCuire's all-time assists record (435) while also moving into the top six in scoring.

He could also reach 153 games played and 147 career starts without even factoring in any Big Sky Tournament games. Josh Vazquez set the Montana and Big Sky record last year with 155 career appearances.

Whitney has scored in double figures 67 times in his career at Montana. He scored a career-best 30 points at North Dakota on Nov. 15, 2021 and has at least 20 points in 12 games.

The guard is also 17 rebounds away from 300 in his career. If he reaches the mark, he will join Kareem Jamar, Will Cherry, Michael Ray Richardson, and Ahmaad Rorie as the only players in Montana history with 1,000 points, 300 rebounds, and 300 assists.

THE .500 STREAK
Montana is one of just 14 teams in the entire country that has been .500 or better in 16 straight seasons. It's a remarkable accomplishment and shows the consistency and greatness in the program.

The Grizzlies have reached 20 wins nine times in the previous 15 years, and have reached the 20 win mark 25 times in program history.

Montana has had just one losing season in the last 20 years, and they have also had just five losing seasons in the previous half century. Since 1970, Montana has gone .500 or better 48 times.

SUCCESS FROM THE STRIPE
Montana has been historically good from the free throw line over the previous four seasons. The Grizzlies broke the school record for single season free throw percentage in 2020-21, and have proceeded to improve upon the number every year since.

Last season's team shot 79.2 percent from the stripe, which ranked 7^th in the NCAA. They shot 78.7 percent in 2021-22, which was 6^th best in all of college basketball. The 2020-21 Grizzlies shot 78.5 percent, which ranked 10^th.

Over the last five years, Montana ranks second nationally by shooting 77.6 percent from the free throw line. Villanova (79.9 percent) is the only team better than the Grizzlies during the stretch.

Montana is shooting 74.1 percent from the free throw line in 10 years under DeCuire, which is the 13^th best mark in all of college basketball.

MORE MONEY, MORE PROBLEMS
For Montana's opponents, that is. The Griz return sophomore guard Money Williams for the 2024-25 season. The Oakland product showed flashes of being the best player in the league as a freshman, but his year was cut short by an injury during the non-conference.

Williams had the second-best scoring average for a freshman in program history at 13.4 points per game and also contributed 3.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists per contest. At the time of his injury, he was the only freshman in the NCAA to average 15 .0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists.

His season averages were brought down by the game he was injured in and another brief appearance at the end of the season.

Williams averaged 18.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 5.3 assists in starts for Montana, and he used 36.7 percent of Montana's possessions when on the floor, which ranked 3^rd in the NCAA at the time of his injury.

ALL-OUT OFFENSE
Montana set a program record in 2023-24 by scoring 2,768 points. They played 36 games, more than any other team in program history, and averaged 76.9 points per game, which ranked 7^th in program history.

The Griz matched a program record by scoring at 80 points in 15 different games, and also matched the program record with six 90-point games.

Montana had four different players average at least 10 points per game, led by Aanen Moody with 16.8. Moody and Dischon Thomas (11.6 PPG) are gone, but Money Williams (13.4 PPG in 12 games) and Brandon Whitney return to lead the offense in 2024-25.

FROM THE BAY TO THE ZOO
Montana has a long-line of successful players that call the Bay Area home, and this year is no different. There are four Montana players from the area in California on this year's roster; Te'Jon Sawyer (San Francisco), Money Williams (Oakland), Tyler Thompson (Fairfield), and Jeremiah Dargan (Concord).

The Grizzlies will play their final game of 2024 at San Francisco, making it a homecoming for the players and a chance at a reunion for several more.

Several other Griz greats, including Sayeed Pridgett, Will Cherry and David Bell, have come from Oakland. Sawyer is the first Montana player to have called San Francisco home since Griz legend Delvon Anderson.

"It's our backyard. We've always talked about our backyard being Northern California and north, going from the Bay to Oregon to Washington," DeCuire said. "The reality is if you want to look at Griz greats and championships teams, there have been three back-to-backs, and all three had a Bay area player that was impactful and if they weren't the MVP of the league, they were close."

Sayeed Pridgett (18-19), Will Cherry (12-13), and Delvon Anderson (91-92) were all impactful players on those six championships.

DeCuire also spent six seasons as an assistant coach at the University of California in Berkeley, and staffers Chris Cobb and DJ Broome were both born and raised in the Bay Area.

"It's been huge for the history of our program and we've used that in recruiting. There's also relationships," DeCuire said. "A large part of my staff is from Northern California and so we just have a lot of relationships. I spent a lot of time there and turned it into a second home at one point in time in my life."

SAWYER SET FOR A JUMP
Te'Jon Sawyer had a big impact on Montana in 2023-24 despite playing just 16.2 minutes per game. The strong, athletic forward still averaged 8.5 points and 3.1 rebounds per game, but the numbers were impressive at the per 40 minutes level.

He averaged 21.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per 40 minutes. If he can simulate those numbers in a bigger role this season, he will be an All-Conference level of player.

Sawyer shot 57.0 percent from the floor last year and also knocked down 10 three-pointers, showing the ability to stretch the floor.

Sawyer averaged 10.6 points per game in Big Sky Conference play, improving as the year went along. He scored in double-figures in four of the final five games of the regular season and 12 total Big Sky contests.

THE NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
Montana will play 13 games during the non-conference schedule this year, and have a good balance in both venues and opponent levels. The Grizzlies will play seven home games, including four against Division-1 opponents.

It's tied for the most D1 home games by any Big Sky Conference team this year, and all four games come within 11 days of each other. Montana will host the Stew Morrill Classic from Nov. 24-27, hosting Denver, Utah Tech, and CSUN.

The Griz will then play South Dakota State on Dec. 4 as part of the Big Sky-Summit Challenge. The road game for the Challenge will be at St. Thomas on Dec. 7.

Montana has three games against non-D1 teams with two coming in November and one in December against Montana Tech. They offset a trio of games on the road against major conference teams.

For the second straight year, Montana will head to Eugene to take on the Oregon Ducks. Oregon went 24-12 and won the Pac-12 championship last year. This year, the game will be played on Friday, Nov. 8, the night before a Ducks home football game against Maryland.

Montana will travel to Tennessee on Nov. 13 for the first time ever. The Volunteers went 27-9 last season and reached the Elite 8. The Grizzlies will also play at Utah State on Nov. 18. It will be the first trip to Logan for Montana since the 1975-76 season.

The Griz close the non-conference out with December road trips to Northern Iowa and San Francisco. It will be a homecoming for several players on Montana's roster as four Grizzlies are from the Bay Area. There are nine total players from California on Montana's roster.

A NOTE ON NUMBERS
There will be several jersey numbers in action that are unique for Montana this year. Jeremiah Dargan (#8) will become the first player in program history to wear 8 after NCAA rule changes two years ago.

Newcomer Jensen Bradtke is wearing #50 this year, and will be the first Grizzly to take the floor in the number since Billy Reader in 2011-12.

This is the first time since 2007-08, when Derek Selvig first wore the jersey, that there is not a #24 on Montana's roster.

DECADE OF DECUIRE
Head coach Travis DeCuire enters his 11th season at the University of Montana with a 201-124 overall record, and a 125-58 record in Big Sky play. He's one of the winningest coaches in university and league history.

DeCuire's teams have been .500 or better in all 10 seasons and he's had five 20-win years. In a lineage of great coaches, he has more 20-win seasons than any previous Grizzly mentor.

He begins 2024-25 second in Big Sky history with 125 league wins, trailing only Weber State's Randy Rahe (198). He's also fifth in league history in overall wins with a chance to move into the top three this year.

Big Sky All-Time Wins Leaders
1. Randy Rahe, Weber State (316)
2. Mick Durham, Montana State (246)
3. Bobby Dye, Boise State (214)
4. Neil McCarthy, Weber State (205)
5. Travis DeCuire, Montana (201)

DeCuire is just the third coach in Grizzly history to coach for 10 seasons, joining all-time wins leader George "Jiggs" Dahlberg (16 season) and J.W. Stewart (10 seasons). In a decade at Montana, DeCuire is averaging 20.1 wins per year.

The 201 wins by Montana over the previous 10 seasons are tied with Texas for the 71st most in the NCAA during that stretch. The Griz have more wins than notable programs Florida, Illinois, Indiana, and Syracuse during DeCuire's tenure.

SEASON PREVIEW: Griz Hoops open 2024-25 season with Tuesday exhibition

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Players Mentioned

Jensen Bradtke

Jeremiah Dargan

Zack Davidson

Jalen Foy

Amari Jedkins

Kai Johnson

Aanen Moody

Malik Moore

Austin Patterson

Joe Pridgen

Te'Jon Sawyer

Dischon Thomas

Tyler Thompson

Josh Vazquez

Brandon Whitney

Money Williams

University of Montana Athletics