Griz Hoops: 25 Favorite Players of the Last 25 Years

This summer, we asked Griz basketball fans to help us put together a list of their 25 favorite players of the last 25 years. It's been a highly successful century for the Griz. The program has more wins (476), NCAA Tournament appearances (9), and regular season titles (6) than any other Big Sky team.

There have been plenty of legendary players to take the floor inside Dahlberg Arena in that time. Record setters, Big Sky MVPs, Defensive Player of the Years, countless First Team players, they have all laced them up with a Griz uniform on their back.

But who earned the title as Fan Favorite? We put out the call to Griz fans and they gave us a list of 42 nominees. From there, fans were asked to vote for up to five of their favorite players.

The results are officially in. There was, understandably, some recency bias toward the 2024-25 Big Sky Championship team with five players from last year's squad, including two players that only spent one season in Missoula.

But it was the back-to-back Championship teams of 2018 and 2019 that were the most well represented on the list with seven players. There were three players from the back-to-back champs of 2012 and 2013, and two players from the 2006 team that won an NCAA Tournament game.

Big Sky Champions were well represented with 23 of the 25 players going to at least one NCAA Tournament.

There was only one player on the list, Shane Christensen, that played in both the 90s and the 2000s. "Scooter" was also the only player from the 2002 NCAA Tournament team on the list.

Overall, there are 12 1,000-point scorers on the list, including six of the top 10 scorers in program history. Money Williams, who is the only active player on the list, will surely join the 1,000-point club this upcoming season.

FULL RESULTS
1. Will Cherry, 2009-13 (32.3%)
2. Michael Oguine, 2015-19 (26.3%)
3. Anthony Johnson, 2008-10 (21.8%)
4. Sayeed Pridgett, 2016-20 (20.3%)
5. Brandon Whitney, 2020-25 (18.8%)
6. Ahmaad Rorie, 2016-19 (18%)
7. Aanen Moody, 2022-24 (16.5%)
8. Kareem Jamar, 2010-14 (15%)
9. Money Williams, 2023-Pres. (15%)
10. Kai Johnson, 2024-25 (14.3%)
11. Mack Anderson, 2018-23
12. Joe Pridgen, 2024-25
13. Andrew Strait, 2005-09
14. Brian Qvale, 2007-11
15. Martin Breunig, 2014-16
16. Kevin Criswell, 2002-06
17. Josh Vazquez, 2019-24
18. Shane Christensen, 1998-02
19. Jamar Akoh, 2017-19
20. Timmy Falls, 2017-20
21. Fabijan Krslovic, 2014-18
22. Derek Selvig, 2008-12
23. Adam Shoff, 2023-25
24. Brandon Gfeller, 2013-17
25. Jordan Gregory, 2011-15

Honorable mention (must receive at least two votes): Josh Bannan, Mike Chavez, Te'Jon Sawyer, Jordan Hasquet, Kendal Manuel, Bobby Moorehead, Mario Dunn, Matt Dlouhy, Dan Trammel, David Bell, Virgil Matthews, Art Steward, Matt Martin

University of Montana Athletics

Griz Hoops: 25 Favorite Players of the Last 25 Years

Players Mentioned

Kai Johnson

Joe Pridgen

Te'Jon Sawyer

Adam Shoff

Brandon Whitney

Money Williams

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