Joe Pridgen

Photo by: Jackson Wagner

Photo by: Ryan Brennecke/ University of Montana

Class:
Graduate Student
Position:
Guard
Ht./Wt.:
6-5 / 210

2024-25 (Graduate): First Team All-Big Sky… MVP of the Stew Morrill Classic… started all 35 games, averaging 27.8 minutes per game… led Montana in rebounding with 6.8 per game… 3^rd on the team in scoring with 11.5 points per game… recorded 45 assists, 30 steals, and 25 blocks… shot 63.3 percent from the floor, the best percentage by a Grizzly player since 2007-08… shot over 50 percent from the floor in 32 total games, the 3^rd most in the NCAA trailing only North Carolina’s Ven-Allen Lubin and Duke’s Khaman Maluach… recorded five double-doubles on the season, tied for 10^th most by a Grizzly in the last 45 years… led Montana in rebounding a team-high 20 times… Montana went 6-1 in games that Pridgen recorded at least 10 rebounds… ranked 14^th in the NCAA and led the Big Sky in field goal percentage (.636)… ranked 6^th in the Big Sky in rebounding (6.3 per game) and 8^th in blocks (0.72 per game)… made at least 10 field goals in three games… had the No. 2 play on SportsCenter’s Top 10 for his poster dunk against Montana Tech on Dec. 10… averaged 17.3 points and 8.7 rebounds in Montana’s three wins at the Stew Morrill Classic to earn Tournament MVP honors… scored a season-high 23 points to go with 7 rebounds in Montana’s win over Denver (11/24)… had a 20-point, 13-rebound double-double in Montana’s win over CSUN (11/27)… recorded a 21-point, 13-rebound double-double in Montana’s win over Montana Tech (12/10)… had a 21-point, 10-rebound double-double in a close loss at San Francisco (12/21)… had a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double in a win at Idaho (1/4)… had an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double in a Big Sky title-clinching win over Eastern Washington (3/3)… scored in double-figures 20 times on the season… reached 20 points in five different games on the year… scored 12 points and had five rebounds in Montana’s NCAA Tournament loss against Wisconsin… scored 17 points and had five rebounds in the Big Sky Tournament Championship game against Northern Colorado… scored in double figures in four straight games from 1/25 to 2/6… made 174 total shots on the year… went 5-of-21 from three-point range… went 50-of-87 (.575) from the free throw line… had at least five rebounds in the first 11 games on the season, and 28 total games… had at least eight rebounds in 14 games… had 10+ rebounds in seven games.

CAREER: In his three stops, Pridgen has appeared in 87 games and made 65 career starts… averages 29.0 minutes per contest… has career averages of 11.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game… has scored 1,031 points in his career… brings over 2,500 minutes of experience to Montana… is a career 49.5 percent shooter and has made 49 threes on 33.1 percent shooting… averages 1.7 offensive rebounds per game from the guard position.

NORTHEASTERN (2022-24): Spent two seasons at Northeastern, appearing in 43 games and starting 23… averaged 23.0 minutes… scored 7.9 points per game, also averaging 5.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists… averaged 0.6 steals and 0.6 blocks per game… shot 40.5 percent from the floor and 30.7 percent from three-point range.

UNC WILMINGTON (2020-21): Appeared in 14 games, starting 13 after missing beginning of the season with an injury… averaged 33.8 minutes per game… averaged 12.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game… also averaged 1.2 steals and 0.8 blocks… led his team and ranked 4^th in the CAA with 8.2 rebounds per game… shot 55.8 percent from the floor and 31.6 percent from three-point range… averaged 2.9 offensive rebounds per game.

HOLY CROSS (2019-20): Began his career at Holy Cross… appeared in 30 games, starting 29 of them… averaged 35.2 minutes per game… averaged 17.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game… named the Patriot League Rookie of the Year… third team All-Patriot League selection after ranking 4^th in the league in scoring… also ranked 7^th in the Patriot League in rebounding as a freshman… named the league’s Rookie of the Week eight times… his 521 points as a freshman were the second-most in Patriot League history… scored a career-high 32 points vs. UMass-Boston (12/10/19).

HIGH SCHOOL: A graduate of Winchendon School and Governor’s Academy… All-Independent School League honors as a junior… ranked as one of the top five forwards in Massachusetts by the New England Recruiting Report.

PERSONAL: Pridgen and his wife have a daughter, Samarra, that was born in 2024.