DeCuire named Coach of the Year, four players honored by Big Sky

For the second time in his decorated career, Montana head coach Travis DeCuire has been named the Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year. DeCuire led Montana to a 22-9 overall record and a 15-3 mark in Big Sky play to earn his fourth regular season championship at Montana.

Montana also had the league's Top Reserve in Money Williams, a First Team All-Big Sky Selection in Joe Pridgen, and a trio of Second Team All-Big Sky honorees in Malik Moore, Brandon Whitney, and Williams.

Whitney was also named to the Big Sky's All-Defensive Team, bringing the Grizzlies' total to two individual awards, four All-Conference picks, and one All-Defensive pick. It's the most All-Conference selections for Montana since 2011-12 when they also had four players on the top two teams.

DeCuire led Montana to a regular season title with a 15-3 record in league play. The head coach also became the winningest man in Montana men's basketball history this year by reaching 223 career wins.

Despite this being DeCuire's fourth regular season title and sixth overall championship at Montana, he brings home the Coach of the Year Award for just the second time. His other win came in 2017-18.

DeCuire joins Wayne Tinkle as the only coaches in Montana history to win the award twice.

Money Williams was named the Big Sky's Top Reserve for the only other individual award given to Montana. The shift to the starting lineup for Montana has made everyone involved better, and Williams earns recognition after accepting a new role midway through the season.

He started the first 20 games of the season for Montana, and the first seven in league play. In the final 11 games, Williams came off the bench as the sixth-man and it paid dividends for his game and Montana's.

The Grizzlies went 10-1 with the new starting lineup to close the season. For Williams, his scoring average went from 12.9 points per game as a starter to 14.5 points as a reserve. He's the third player to win the award for Montana since it was re-instated by the Big Sky in 2014, joining Cameron Parker and Kendal Manuel.

Joe Pridgen was named First Team All-Big Sky in his first season at Montana after leading the Grizzlies in rebounding and providing an efficient offensive punch down low. He averaged 11.6 points and 7.0 rebounds per game this year.

DeCuire has called Pridgen the "heart and soul" of the team as the transfer has become a leader for Montana on and off the court. The veteran came to Montana as a walk-on after spending his first four collegiate years as three different schools, and has far exceeded all expectations.

Pridgen ranks in the top 10 in the country in field goal percentage by shooting 63.1 percent from the floor this season. He has five double-doubles, including 11 points and 11 rebounds in the final game of the season to help Montana clinch the title.

He has thrilled Grizzly crowds all year with his athletic style of play. Pridgen claimed the No. 2 spot on SportsCenter's Top 10 back in December and has 34 total dunks this season.

Williams added a Second Team All-Conference nod to go with his Top Reserve Award. The sophomore star has led Montana in scoring this season with 13.5 points per game, and exploded offensively down the stretch to help Montana claim the title.

Williams scored 36 points at Portland State, the most by a Grizzly in a Big Sky game since 2018, and ended the season with 23 points in the title clinching win over Eastern Washington.

The Oakland HS product was named Big Sky Player of the Week twice this season. He leads Montana in assists with 3.1 per game and is the third leading rebounder at 3.6 per game.

Malik Moore earned Second Team All-Conference honors in his first season at Montana. Moore led Montana in scoring for most of the season and finished second on the team with 13.2 points per game.

Moore's ability to stretch the floor has been a difference maker for Montana all season long as the Pepperdine transfer has gone 55-of-134 (.410) from three-point range this year. The lengthy combo guard has been the most consistent scorer for the Grizzlies, reaching double figures 19 times overall and 13 times in league play.

He's having the eighth-best season from three point range in program history, and has led Montana in scoring 8 times and assists 12 times. After starting the season out with an injury, he has returned for 26 games, leading Montana in minutes at 30.8 per contest.

Brandon Whitney made history for Montana in the final game of the season, recording his 436^th career assist to pass his head coach for the most in program history. Whitney has been a model of consistency for Montana in his five years, appearing in 153 games and playing over 4,600 minutes.

This is the first All-Conference honor of Whitney's storied career. The 5^th year guard hasn't put up the same offensive stats that he has in years prior, but his impact on the team is undeniable when you watch Montana play.

The floor general triggers all of the offensive sets for Montana in the halfcourt and sets the tempo of the whole game, and he has also been a lock-down defender on the other side of the floor.

His abilities on that end earned him one of five spots on the Big Sky's All-Defensive team. Whitney routinely guards the other team's best guard, which is typically also their best player in a league filled with talented guards.

The highlight of the season came in Montana's win over Northern Arizona when he held the league's leading scorer Trent McLaughlin to just 6-of-21 shooting. He kept him without a made three for the first time all season.

He is the first player to ever earn a spot on the All-Defensive team, which was created in 2024.

The Grizzlies will open the postseason on Sunday night. They play the winner of No. 7 Northern Arizona and No. 8 Eastern Washington in the Big Sky quarterfinals at 8:00 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.

2024-25 Big Sky Men's Basketball Individual Awards
Most Valuable Player: Dylan Darling, Idaho State
Newcomer of the Year: Dylan Darling, Idaho State *
Freshman of the Year: Evan Otten, Idaho State
Defensive Player of the Year: Tre-Vaughn Minott, Portland State
Top Reserve: Money Williams, Montana
Coach of the Year: Travis DeCuire, Montana

2024-25 Big Sky Men's Basketball First Team All-Conference
Dylan Darling, Idaho State *
Langston Reynolds, Northern Colorado *
Trent McLaughlin, Northern Arizona
Blaise Threatt, Weber State
Joe Pridgen, Montana
Isaiah Hawthorne, Northern Colorado
Jaron Rillie, Northern Colorado

2024-25 Big Sky Men's Basketball Second Team All-Conference
Malik Moore, Montana
Carson Towt, Northern Arizona
Terri Miller Jr., Portland State
Jacob Holt, Sacramento State
Money Williams, Montana
Brandon Whitney, Montana

2024-25 Big Sky Men's Basketball All-Conference Honorable Mention
Jaylin Henderson, Portland State
Qiant Myers, Portland State
Jake O'Neil, Idaho State
Brandon Walker, Montana State
Jack Payne, Idaho

2024-25 Big Sky Men's Basketball All-Defensive Team
Tre-Vaughn Minott, Portland State (DPOY)
Carson Towt, Northern Arizona*
Brandon Whitney, Montana
Jake O'Neil, Idaho State
Zach Bloch, Northern Colorado

* Indicates a Unanimous Decision

University of Montana Athletics

DeCuire named Coach of the Year, four players honored by Big Sky

Players Mentioned

Malik Moore

Joe Pridgen

Brandon Whitney

Money Williams

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