
Three Grizzlies earn postseason honors
3/7/2024 2:09:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Aanen Moody earned a spot on the First Team by unanimous vote, while Dischon Thomas earned a Second Team spot and Brandon Whitney was an honorable mention. It's the second-straight season Montana places multiple players on the two All-Conference teams.
"This is good to see," head coach Travis DeCuire said. I' think that a lot of times when you have a team as balanced as we are, someone gets left out. I wasn't sure how this would work out. I thought that maybe Dischon and Brandon would split votes and someone could potentially get left out, so I'm grateful to see all three guys get recognition.
The trio of players were all inside the top 20 in the league in scoring, and all contributed to the team in different ways. Moody's playmaking ability and three-point shooting led the Grizzly offense, Thomas had four double-doubles in Big Sky play, and Whitney led the league in assist/turnover ratio. When you combine it all together, it led to the best season for Montana since 2018-19.
"I think the selflessness that they have played with has led to a 20-win season," DeCuire said. "It could have been very easy for one of those guys to want more shots, want to be more aggressive, and make it very difficult for the other two to be consistent. They didn't do that, and it speaks to our team's chemistry."
Aanen Moody earns First Team All-Conference honors for the first time in his career. In his second season at Montana, Moody was a Second Team selection in 2023 and would go on to make the All-Tournament team in Boise.
The ultimate showman, Moody continued to entertain and delight crowds wherever he played in 2023-24. Moody finished fourth in the league with 16.6 points per game and eclipsed 1,500 career points in a rivalry win over Montana State this year. He had 11 20-point games and reached 30 in two of them.
When you get ready to play Montana, you have to know where No. 11 is at on the floor at all times.
"I think a lot of it is respect. The ability of the young man in terms of his explosiveness offensively to be on a team with such balanced scoring, it's hard to stand out individually for all-conference," DeCuire said. "Without the explosion the last week, he would have been second or third on our team in scoring. A lot of that had to do with the scouting report and how teams defended us. I think voting him first team was a sign of how much attention was given to him on the defensive side of the ball. I'm happy for him."
Indeed, Moody entered the home stretch of the season averaging under 15 points per game. In the final weeks of the season, as he enters the final stretch of his career, Moody erupted. He scored 35 points on the road against Eastern Washington and followed it up with 22 in a win over Idaho. He went 12-for-16 combined from three-point range across the two wins.
He closed out the year with 22 points against Idaho State in a win, bringing his season average up to 16.6 points per game. It's the highest average by a Grizzly since Sayeed Pridgett scored 19.8 per game in 2019-20.
Moody made 75 threes on 38.9 percent shooting and went 54-of-59 (.915) at the free throw line this year. He's shooting 41.7 percent from deep in Big Sky play, leading the conference in three-point percentage. He ends the year by scoring in double figures in 11 straight games, and he reached at least 20 points in six of the final eight games.
"It's big for us," DeCuire said of his scoring ability. "We were definitely struggling on the offensive side of the ball and have had some lulls here and there that have cost us some games in conference. To have a guy like him going in with a hot hand is important for us to have success on the offensive side of the ball. Especially the way he's scoring right now, which doesn't necessarily require plays to be called. The guys are doing a good job of finding him early in possessions, especially in transition, and I think he's also doing a better job of getting open."
Moody is closing in on joining Montana's 1,000-point club. He enters the Big Sky Tournament with 947 points in his two seasons at Montana, and would join Anthony Johnson and Martin Breunig as the only two-year players to reach 1,000 points at Montana.
For his career, Moody has 1,631 points spread across stops at North Dakota, Southern Utah, and Montana. He's also one of just 25 active players with 300 career threes, and ranks fifth amongst those players with his 39.7 career shooting percentage.
Say it with us one more time...
— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) March 7, 2024
𝑨𝑨𝑵𝑬𝑵...
MOOOODY! He's First Team All-Big Sky selection after averaging a career best 16.6 points per game. Moody has 75 made threes on 38.9 percent shooting. #BANDTOGETHER x #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/9pYj29sE7C
Dischon Thomas earns his first career postseason recognition with a spot on the Second Team. Thomas, in his second year at Montana, averaged 12.2 points and 5.6 rebounds for the season. He improved those numbers in Big Sky play, scoring 14.1 per game while averaging 5.9 rebounds. Thomas ranked 13th in the Big Sky in scoring and 10th in rebounding, and he also led Montana and finished 6th in the Big Sky with 30 blocks.
He entered the season with one career double-double, but recorded six this year. He became the first Grizzly since Brian Qvale in 2010 to record four consecutive double-doubles. Thomas has always been a scorer, but it's his improvement in the other areas of the game that led to the honor.
"I think his growth in rebounding played a major role in that. I think the jump that he made drew a lot of attention and made us a stronger team, especially when (Oke) was hurt," DeCuire said. "For him to jump up and get double-doubles the way he did, one, it positioned us as a contender, but two, I think he went out and earned some respect. Along with blocking shots on the defensive side of the ball, I think he gave us some of the balance that we were missing last year."
Thomas scored his 1,000th career point this season and has reached 153 career games played between Colorado State and Montana. He's got 566 career rebounds, pulling down a career-best 174 this year. He will also start his 100th career game at the Big Sky Tournament.
He's been in double figures 19 times this year, scoring 20-plus in six of those games. The big man has made 53 threes on 41.4 percent shooting from the arc, and is also making over 80 percent from the free throw line this year.
Defensively, his improvement has been impressive. He's got a team high 30 blocks, and swatted away four shots in a game earlier this year. He's also got 19 steals, and is consistently changing the game with his length.
"It's huge. His length is really his strength. He gets his hands on a lot of balls by putting himself in the right places, but what stands out the most is his wingspan," DeCuire said. "Late contesting shots, keeping guards in front of him, his ability to switch ball screens for us. That has led to blocks with guards trying to shoot over the top. He's done a phenomenal job using his length on the defensive side of the ball."
He's also improved offensively, particularly in post-up situations. It's what led to the career-best scoring at 12.2 points per game.
"His ability to shoot keeps defenses honest, but I think he's done a better job this year with his back to the basket scoring the ball, which is why he averaged more points than he has in his career," DeCuire said.
Brandon Whitney was an honorable mention for the All-Conference team, the first postseason recognition for the four-year starter. Whitney averages 10.3 points and 4.4 assists this year. His strength has been in his consistency, as he leads the Big Sky and is in the top 10 nationally with a 3.5 assist/turnover ratio.It's been a big year for DT. Six double-doubles, and career highs in scoring (12.2 PPG) and rebounding (5.6 RPG) lead to a Second Team selection!#BANDTOGETHER x #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/YLsCJNCUMA
— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) March 7, 2024
"Mr. Trustworthy. He takes care of the ball, finds open guys, and has been incredible for us in terms of our versatility," DeCuire said. "On the offensive side of the ball, depending on who we are playing against. Is it zone, is it man? Are they doubling the post? Is it switching, is it pressure? His versatility in trying to execute whatever it is we're trying to accomplish against different types of defenses has been a huge strength for our team this year."
He continues to climb the ranks in program history, entering the Big Sky Tournament 16th in scoring (1,243 points) and 13th in assists (338). The consistency has carried throughout his entire career as he's one of just three Grizzlies to average 10.0+ points per game in four different seasons.
"You can count on minimal turnovers, you can count on him defensively to be in all the right places and assume the responsibility of slowing guys down on the perimeter," DeCuire said. "It's why he's been a four-year starter. He can play at every level. When we play a high-major, he's there and is the same player as he is in conference games. I think his consistency shows over the years as he's been a 50 percent field goal shooter. There's value in being consistent and reliable, and that's him."
One of the nation's leaders in assist-turnover ratio, Brandon Whitney has guided us to a 20-win season as he continues to climb the program's all-time ranks in scoring and assists. He gets an honorable mention from the Big Sky. #BANDTOGETHER x #GoGriz pic.twitter.com/e4juV6uUmz
— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) March 7, 2024
Montana will open the Big Sky Tournament as the No. 3 seed and face off against No. 6 Portland State. The Griz and Vikings split the regular season series with the home team winning both games. They are seeking the first tournament berth for Montana since 2019.
The Griz are one of the most experienced teams in not only the conference but the country. Montana will hope that the veterans on the team, including the trio of All-Conference selections, will be able to lead them to victory in Boise.
"I look forward to seeing these guys playing in a loser-out situation. I think the teams that are more together win in these situations, and I think our chemistry is the strongest of anyone's in the conference," DeCuire said. "I'm happy for these young men, I think all three will continue to play basketball after this, and I think all-conference is something that creates opportunities because it's exposure, and it says that the coaches in the conference that they play in respect the work that they put in. The numbers sometimes speak for themselves, but don't always tell the story."
The Grizzlies and Vikings will tip at 8:00 p.m. on Monday, March 11. The game can be streamed live on ESPN+.
2023-24 Big Sky Men's Basketball Individual Awards
Most Valuable Player – Dillon Jones, Weber State
Newcomer of the Year – Saint Thomas, Northern Colorado
Defensive Player of the Year – Robert Ford III, Montana State
Top Reserve – Dejour Reaves, Northern Colorado *
Freshman of the Year – LeJuan Watts, Eastern Washington *
Co-Coach of the Year – David Riley, Eastern Washington & Steve Smiley, Northern Colorado
* Unanimous Selections
First Team All-Conference
Dillon Jones, Weber State *
Cedric Coward, Eastern Washington *
Aanen Moody, Montana *
Saint Thomas, Northern Colorado *
Robert Ford III, Montana State
Brayden Parker, Idaho State
Trenton McLaughlin, Northern Arizona
* Unanimous Members of the All-Big Sky First Team
Second Team All-Conference
KJ Allen, Portland State
Ethan Price, Eastern Washington
Dischon Thomas, Montana
Casey Jones, Eastern Washington
Carson Basham, Northern Arizona
Dejour Reaves, Northern Colorado
Honorable Mention All-Big Sky
Steven Verplancken, Weber State
Maleek Arington, Idaho State
Brandon Whitney, Montana
Brandon Walker, Montana State
Jaron Rillie, Northern Colorado
Zee Hamoda, Sacramento State
Note: Honorable Mention features Six Players due to tie for final spot
All-Defensive Team
Robert Ford III, Montana State *
Maleek Arington, Idaho State *
Carson Basham, Northern Arizona
Casey Jones, Eastern Washington
Julius Mims, Idaho
Alex Tew, Weber State
* Unanimous Members of All-Defensive Team
Note: Team features Six Players due to tie for final spot