The case for Zach Graves
Wednesday's Missoulian has an interesting article about the Griz's inability to defend against guards. Before I launch into my response, here's an excerpt summarizing the issue:
So, where do we go? If you asked 10 passionate, intelligent Griz fans what they'd do in an attempt to cure the problem, at least eight would say the same thing: play Zach Graves.
Let's start this discussion off by talking about Graves' minutes up to this point. He's played a total of 33 minutes in 7 games for a 4.7 average. The average and total is the third least, only ahead of Dave Vanderjagt and Greg Spurgetis. The next closest is Brian Qvale with 182 minutes and a 14.0 average. That's another story right there.
Graves' season high for minutes (13) came against Montana State-Northern. They're easy to pass off as garbage minutes against an opponent who was scheduled to get kids like him playing time but those who remember the game know it's a bit different.
Here's the story: Lights guard Delvaugh Tinned scored 14 points in the game's first 15 minutes. The Griz were down 20-23 to the NAIA Lights. Zach Graves checked in with 4:58 left in the first half to guard Tinned. He didn't score the rest of the way. Not the rest of the half; the rest of the game. I understand the level of competition is different during conference play but he freakin' shut out a kid who was playing unconscious up to that point. That's worth something.
I'm not completely sure myself but I've heard that the knock on him is his offensive game. It's a little raw. By that I mean he's not a great shooter and at times has trouble handling the ball. First off, let me say that lock-down defense should be enough. See: Bryan Ellis. Now, let me move onto the other things.
So what if he's not a great shooter. Seems like that should be required to get quality minutes playing hoops? Not quite. Alando Tucker, Wisconsin's all-time leading scorer and current Phoenix Sun is not a great shooter. He became what he is by getting to the hole, something I believe Graves is capable of. That's where the ballhandling thing comes into play.
What I've heard and seen on Graves' ball-handling comes from situations where Graves was playing against Griz teammates. I've mentioned what I think the reason is before. This team is perfectly suited to stop players like Graves. In practice, he's going up against three 7-footers and talented experienced post players in Hasquet and Strait. If they wanted they could create a red rover chain stretching from one side of the court to the other. Of course, Graves could jump over it.
Graves, unlike anyone else on this team, has the ability to get the crowd buzzing. Following the opener against CSU, students could not stop talking about Graves' dunk towards the tale end of the game. I overheard people talking about that as much as anything else. Remember how Dlouhy's dunks used to start monster runs, Graves' could do the same.
Of course, it all comes down to what he actually does in games and whether or not he earns the minutes in the eyes of his coach. If I were Tinkle, I'd start giving Graves 5-10 minutes per game, every game. When a guard is making a run, sick Graves on him to see how he does. If I were Graves, I'd bust my ass in practice. Be vocal (leading and communicating, not asking for minutes), play like my hair was on fire and try to pull a Jeremy Pargo as often as I could.
At this point in the season, every single option needs to be exhausted. Playing Graves is one of those options.
At Montana State, senior guard Carlos Taylor scored a career-high 34 points in rallying the Cats past the Griz in the Big Sky Conference opener. At Northern Arizona, center Kyle Landry ended up with a career-high 25 points, but it was the penetration of point guard Josh Wilson that got the ball into Landry's hands in the Jacks' big second half.This doesn't include Portland's Nik Raivio hitting a game winning 3 or Fullerton absolutely killing us with the same shot.
Then last week at home, it was Idaho State guard Donnie Carson who grabbed the rebound of his own miss and put back the winning basket. Three nights later, Weber State point guard Dezmon Harris scored 17 points and 5-foot-6 reserve guard Kellen McCoy added nine more and came up with a decisive offensive rebound in the waning seconds.
Weber's Harris and McCoy might be the toughest tandem the Griz have faced. Harris was 5-for-6 from 3-point range, but he's equally adept at driving to the basket and drawing fouls. McCoy shoots a whopping 49 percent from 3-point range, but at 5-6, can be past his defender in a flash.
So, where do we go? If you asked 10 passionate, intelligent Griz fans what they'd do in an attempt to cure the problem, at least eight would say the same thing: play Zach Graves.
Let's start this discussion off by talking about Graves' minutes up to this point. He's played a total of 33 minutes in 7 games for a 4.7 average. The average and total is the third least, only ahead of Dave Vanderjagt and Greg Spurgetis. The next closest is Brian Qvale with 182 minutes and a 14.0 average. That's another story right there. Graves' season high for minutes (13) came against Montana State-Northern. They're easy to pass off as garbage minutes against an opponent who was scheduled to get kids like him playing time but those who remember the game know it's a bit different.
Here's the story: Lights guard Delvaugh Tinned scored 14 points in the game's first 15 minutes. The Griz were down 20-23 to the NAIA Lights. Zach Graves checked in with 4:58 left in the first half to guard Tinned. He didn't score the rest of the way. Not the rest of the half; the rest of the game. I understand the level of competition is different during conference play but he freakin' shut out a kid who was playing unconscious up to that point. That's worth something.
I'm not completely sure myself but I've heard that the knock on him is his offensive game. It's a little raw. By that I mean he's not a great shooter and at times has trouble handling the ball. First off, let me say that lock-down defense should be enough. See: Bryan Ellis. Now, let me move onto the other things.
So what if he's not a great shooter. Seems like that should be required to get quality minutes playing hoops? Not quite. Alando Tucker, Wisconsin's all-time leading scorer and current Phoenix Sun is not a great shooter. He became what he is by getting to the hole, something I believe Graves is capable of. That's where the ballhandling thing comes into play.
What I've heard and seen on Graves' ball-handling comes from situations where Graves was playing against Griz teammates. I've mentioned what I think the reason is before. This team is perfectly suited to stop players like Graves. In practice, he's going up against three 7-footers and talented experienced post players in Hasquet and Strait. If they wanted they could create a red rover chain stretching from one side of the court to the other. Of course, Graves could jump over it.
Graves, unlike anyone else on this team, has the ability to get the crowd buzzing. Following the opener against CSU, students could not stop talking about Graves' dunk towards the tale end of the game. I overheard people talking about that as much as anything else. Remember how Dlouhy's dunks used to start monster runs, Graves' could do the same.
Of course, it all comes down to what he actually does in games and whether or not he earns the minutes in the eyes of his coach. If I were Tinkle, I'd start giving Graves 5-10 minutes per game, every game. When a guard is making a run, sick Graves on him to see how he does. If I were Graves, I'd bust my ass in practice. Be vocal (leading and communicating, not asking for minutes), play like my hair was on fire and try to pull a Jeremy Pargo as often as I could.
At this point in the season, every single option needs to be exhausted. Playing Graves is one of those options.
