Montana Grizzlies Sports, Football and Basketball : Grizzoulian

You know what really is a hoot? Getting up when it's dark out. There's nothing like having your phone alarm go off at 5:30 and having the first thought through your head be genuine concern because your phone must be malfunctioning. So, the first thing I have to say is that I'm impressed that they can do that on a day-to-day basis. I went to practice Thursday and had planned on attempting to go again yesterday. Not even close. Anyway, onto the observations.

• Chemistry and attention to detail are big focal points early in the season. Tinkle stressed both throughout practice. At one point he said "attention to detail cost us 5 or 6 wins last season." During the huddle post-practice he said everything that happens on the court stays there. Guys should be able to get into it, shove a bit then go get lunch later. He made sure there wouldn't be any of the pockets of discontent we saw last year. And honestly, this team does seem less clique-y. It could be that it's early in the season and tension has not come to the point where it has a real affect but at this point all is well.
• The first team consisted of Ceylon Elgin-Taylor, Ryan Staudacher, Jack McGillis, Jordan Hasquet and Brian Qvale. That's expected.
• Anthony Johnson will be starting by conference play. For those of you wondering if he's everything he's cracked up to be, he is. He's exactly what this team, or any team, needs at the off-guard position. He's more athletic than anyone on this team last season. He's a great hustle player who looks like he loves to play the game. This is purely objective but it looked like he was having more fun than anyone. At 6:15, when you're playing your ass off so you don't have to run lines, that's tough to do. He has the strength to penetrate and combines this with a merciless mid-range game. In a scrimmage at the end of practice he nailed a baseline fadeaway (with either McGillis or Selvig in his pocket) that brought out multiple expletives. Assistant coach Bill Evans had to explain that sometimes guys are just going to make tough shots and there's not a lot you can do about it. And that's the thing, if this kid falls into a grove he's going to be unguardable.
• Jack McGillis loves him some put-back dunks. I'd put the over/under on eye-opening put-backs per game (eopbpg) at 1.5 and take the over most nights. You know what you're going to get from Jack and he's ready to get this show on the road after sitting out all of last season. Like Johnson, he fits flawlessly into this team, not only in terms of skill-set and position but personality as well. He will be the type of guy hoist the team over his head and carry them if that's what it takes. He'll be the one to say, either to the team or himself, "there's no effing way we're losing this game" then kill himself trying to do something about it.
• Ceylon Elgin-Taylor has a greater sense of accountability. He's the senior point guard and appears to understand the responsibility behind that. He's a darkhorse to become one of the team's better leaders. He's vocal, providing encouragement where needed. He's also made strides in his offensive game. His shooting is a touch better while he now seems much more capable of penetrating and finishing at the basket.
• Derek Selvig played mostly at the center position. He is still working on developing his post game. Going up against Qvale rep after rep would be tough for an experienced big, but for someone who's played mostly facing the basket, it's probably especially frustrating.
• Ryan Staudacher is better than people give him credit for. The cliche knock on him has always been that he can't create his own shot, that he's just a spot-up shooter. You know what? J.J. Redick couldn't create his own shot either. I'm not saying they are on equal talent levels, but watch the highlights and tell me they're not the exact same type of player. No, it doesn't translate to the pro game but if a guy has a pure stroke and can shoot over people, it can be deadly on the college level. Staudacher went for 9 a game last season while shooting 45% from beyond the arc. It wouldn't surprise me to see him get close to 15 per this season with a 3-point field goal percentage brushing up against 50. Depending on how much he's incorporated into the offense, I could see him pushing Jack and Jordo when it comes to being the team's leading scorer. So, yeah, he looked great in practice.
• Kyle Sharp was much more confident on offense; he was making shots with his back to the basket and dropping in a few jumpers. He's a skilled player who will be a great asset coming off the bench; he may even make a start here and there.
• Shawn Stockton will make Tinkle think twice about redshirting him. He showed what he did in high school, not a lot of scoring but he's a gritty and confident player. It's not what guys want to hear—like being labeled as a 'possession receiver'—but he'll be a great player in this program. He's very intense on defense: a player built in the Bryan Ellis mold, but even better. Even so, I think he has to redshirt. Not because of skill, but because of the depth we already have at the guard position. CET is the established point guard, Michael Taylor sat last year and Anthony Johnson fits into the role of defensive stopper.
• Jordan Hasquet is Jordan Hasquet, that's probably enough to say. Outside of chopping off the ugliest haircut in the history of humanity, not too many major changes.
• Brian Qvale has definitely put in time working on his offensive game and is looking to score a bit more when around the basket. Looks a little bit bigger but nothing drastic. He'll be a great anchor around the hoop.
• Michael Taylor didn't get as much time as I thought he would. He's a solid player who will serve as a great backup to CET. He's a very balanced player: good passer, good shooter and holds his own on defense.
• Nyandigisi Moikobu and Vassy Banny got bounced around a little bit. They're both solid players but I think still need some time to adjust to everything.
• Tyler Hurley knocked down a few jumpers and should be a consistent role player when given minutes.
• Mathias Ward spent most of practice on the bike. Not sure what the injury was but he didn't play at all. Well, I got there about 15 minutes late, so he might've at first but didn't after that point.

• Send To A Friend
• Print This Article
• Comments (2)
• Trackbacks

These interviews come from the Griz's first practice on Friday. I've been hesitant to put them up because the audio quality is so horrendous. The interview with Tinkle is the only one that's even partially audible. Here's the process that goes into doing these: I first record the interview in a noisy gym and then take what's already poor audio and play it into my MacBook because the Sony recorder I have isn't Mac compatible. It's absolutely fantastic. Anyway, here's coach Tinkle:

As mentioned, the interview with Jack would be impossible to make out if I put it up here as audio. Excerpts...

On chemistry

It's  going really good so far, I think Canada helped a lot. It was nice to gauge where we're at in a game-like situation...So far everything's good and I don't see it being a problem throughout the season but I think chemistry's something we have to develop...It's definitely the number one priority of this team.

On leadership

It's an important thing, I'm going to do whatever I can. Number one, lead by example... Also, with that, you gotta be vocal as well. I'm definitely going to focus on those two things but I'm really excited for games to start.

On improvements

I just tried to get better at everything: shooting, handles, mainly just the mental part of the game.

Thoughts on the younger players

They've all done really well so far, they've all stepped up to the challenge of being a freshman. Like all of us, they've got to learn a lot of stuff and go through the process but they're doing really good so far. The JuCo kids are doing really good as well.

• Send To A Friend
• Print This Article
• Comments
• Trackbacks

Two straight NCAA Tournament appearances in 2005 and 2006 should've been enough of a base for the Montana Grizzly basketball program to build upon. It was not.

The legacy Larry Krystkowiak left behind before leaving for the NBA fizzled over the next two seasons, Wayne Tinkle's first as a head coach, as the Griz went 31-31 over that stretch. Only two seasons after Krystkowiak's departure, just a couple of his recruits remain with the program as numerous players transferred to play their hoops at schools in lower divisions, a sign to many that they couldn't cut it at this level.

Through the strife, clashes in chemistry and failure to meet expectations, Tinkle has found the team's foundation: a pair of near 7-footers ready to put the program on their backs. Derek Selvig and Brian Qvale are not the first prominent big-man tandem in the history of Griz hoops. Decades ago, Krystkowiak and Tinkle themselves led the Grizzlies. What recent success the program has seen is due, in large-part, to bigs Andrew Strait and Jordan Hasquet. Those four did great things for the program but none came in with the size, skill and history these two have.

Qvale and Selvig have known each other since they were in elementary school but were not always as buddy-buddy as they are now.

“We really did not like each other when we were growing up” said Qvale, the 6-foot-11 center from Williston N.D. “We were mortal enemies.”

Speaking not only of their familiarity, but also their ability and willingness to play at a higher level, the two first met in 3rd grade when their traveling select teams played regularly in weekend tournaments, usually in the championship game.

While the two played each other numerous times during elementary and middle school—upwards of 20 games—their high schools teams only met once. Selvig's Dawson County High School beat Qvale's Williston High School by 13 during their senior years. Selvig remembers Qvale getting a technical for hanging on the rim. Qvale says he hardly touched it.

The two even faced each other in Little League baseball, with both Qvale and Selvig playing first base and pitcher. Selvig stopped playing after elementary school while Qvale continued through high school. He said his fastball eventually topped out around 85 mph.

Besides basketball and baseball, both lettered three times in football, but the pair never faced each other in a game. Qvale did receive offers to play college football as a tight-end and defensive end from North and South Dakota schools but most colleges shied away as they knew he would eventually choose hoops.

While the two played and saw each other often in both baseball and basketball, it wasn’t until they joined ECI Select—an AAU team out of North Dakota—following their sophomore year that they became friends.

“We were good for a bunch of western North Dakota and eastern Montana kids,” Qvale said. “We beat some highly recruited teams with Division I scouts all around them and us just playing against the world. We beat them and that got us some recognition too.”

These two, a couple "big, giant, skinny white guys" as their coach Nathan Stover described them, would outwork other guys for wins over teams they weren't supposed to beat.

Stover tells of Selvig dropping 30 points on close to 10 3-pointers at a gym in Fort Wayne, Ind. This was in front of a Bob Knight assistant and with Selvig coming off a bad ankle sprain. Of course, "The General" offered him a scholarship to play at Texas Tech, one of the many universities interested in his services.

Qvale and Selvig spoke frequently throughout the recruiting process, discussing offers that came in, the merit of different colleges and how sick they were getting of the all the phone-calls.

Despite similar statistics and accolades, Selvig was the more highly regarded recruit. According to recruiting website Rivals.com, Selvig was a 3-star prospect coming out of high school while Qvale was only a 1-star.

Selvig eventually signed with Montana after limiting his choices to five schools: the University of Montana, University of Oregon, Washington State, USC and West Virginia.

“Derek was being recruited nationally and we knew that he was going to be a tough get, but we outworked everyone and won him over,” Tinkle said. “I think being a small town Montana kid helped our cause as well.”

He was right. Selvig, whose parents Doug and Anita Novak both played for the Griz while his uncle, Robin, also played and has now coached the Lady Griz for 30 years, was dedicated to staying close to home.

“It came down to family, just knowing people and staying in the state of Montana,” said Selvig, whose only school visit was to UM.

Even though family and tradition were a big part of Selvig coming to Montana, he was never pushed by his family to attend their alma mater.

“That was his decision, I basically wanted him to take his time and think about it,” said the elder Selvig, who even pushed for his son to visit a few more schools.

While the two were rated on different levels by some, they both received offers from a lot of the same schools including Washington State, who’s now ranked 21st in the nation.

The whole recruiting process got stale before Selvig told Qvale “I’m just gonna do it.” He committed to Montana in late October of 2006. Qvale committed two weeks later.

A lot of schools drool over 7-foot prospects, but they knew that while they were trying to get two guys similar in stature, they were also trying to pull in two very different players.

With his developed perimeter game, Selvig is not the typical 7-footer. Think Dirk Nowitzki as far as style of play. As far as looks and build, think white Kenyan runner with 15 to 20 more pounds stretched over an extra foot. He's not built to play down low and tailors his around it.

"I could not get him to post up," said Stover, "I'd run isolation things where he'd put it on the floor then pull up and shoot over someone...He's kind of a floater, it's sort of annoying. Sometimes you thought he should get in there and be more of a physical presence and try to use his size to get easy baskets but it just never seemed to evolve that way and in the end he was still being pretty darn effective."

Coach Tinkle said he will start playing Selvig at the post, in the power forward and center positions, with the possibility of moving him out to small forward.

"I'll play wherever he puts me, I'm just happy to be on the floor and get some playing time," said Selvig, who spent the season practicing at power forward and center.

Derek’s father Doug said he also sees his son eventually playing out at the wing because of his ability to pass the ball.

"Derek has always seen the court very well and I thought that would be an advantage being as tall as he is," Selvig said.

Stover compared Selvig's ability to make an outlet pass to UCLA's Kevin Love.

"He'd get the rebound and throw a long outlet pass so as soon as Derek would get the rebound Brian Qvale would just start running the floor like a deer. Just one pass, lay-up."

Selvig also had other ways of getting Qvale the ball: through a lob play he'd drawn up. With his dad being his high school coach and uncle Robin Selvig one of the best college coaches in the nation, it was a skill he no doubt picked up from them. Stover said of the few plays his team ran that summer, the alley-oop was used the most. When you have a guy with Selvig's passing ability and Qvale's athleticism, of which Stover raves about, why wouldn't you?

Where Selvig is the gifted aberration, Qvale is the prototypical 7-foot shot-altering center.

"When guys get to the rim, he's there to block shots," Tinkle said.

Qvale established this from the beginning, starting in the preseason Maroon-Silver game.

In an early possession, senior forward Andrew Strait had Qvale on the low post and gave the true frosh a move Griz fans had seen hundreds of times: with his back to the basket, he'd make one short fake left towards the hoop, pivot hard to the right as if he was going up for a baby hook before going all the way back to the left and laying it up off the glass. Qvale bit hard on the ball fake to the right, but as Strait went back to the left for the up and under, Qvale was there. He smacked the ball hard the backboard.

Qvale said he learned a lot about playing the post from the veteran Strait but Strait called it a “two-way street” with the bigger Qvale improving his play as well. This was one of those times then the mentor gave the teacher a lesson.

For the many memorable blocks, there's one miss that stands out the most. In an early-season game against Gonzaga, guard Jeremy Pargo went up and over Qvale like a dunk competition finalist leaping over a ball cart.

Qvale said teammates still rib him about it every time the Bulldogs are on TV. "I'm just waiting for him to graduate so I don't have to see that anymore," said Qvale as he laughed about the incident.

Simply put: if the Gonzaga bookstore sold Jeremy Pargo posters, Brian Qvale's face would be on dorm room walls all over campus. Instead, he'll have to settle for Selvig mockingly putting the picture up on Facebook. That is, of course, what good roommates do.

The pair shares a dorm room on campus, where their cleaning habits tend to differ.

“I’m a little more messy,” Selvig said of their living arrangement. “Brian’s kind of a neat freak.”

Brian described it as a little more than that: “He’ll never do laundry, he’ll leave his shoes everywhere, just walk into the room and throw his stuff down and just leave it.”

Misty Atkinson, a friend of both and a freshman redshirting with the Lady Griz, agreed and added that Selvig likes to stay up until 3 a.m. doing homework and drinking Mountain Dew.

Atkinson also said that while the pair hangs out all they time they do have their disagreements as well: “They argue sometimes and Derek always thinks he’s right.”

Inside the dorm, the two spend time playing video games like Halo and College Hoops 2K8. In College Hoops, the two fair a little differently according to the game’s rankings. In the game, Selvig starts while Qvale is the self-proclaimed “worst player on the team.”

In real life, things were different.

Selvig decided, with input from coaches, to redshirt his first year on campus. Selvig sat out while Qvale played as a true freshman, cutting their years together in a Griz uniform from four to three before either had played a game.

“It would’ve been nice to have four years together,” said Selvig, “but I know I needed a redshirt year.”

Sitting out was hard on him at first but as it settled in, he and others acknowledged it was the best thing to do.

“I think it was tough at first just because anyone that competes would like to be out there playing,” said Doug Selvig “but I think it’s certainly going to help him.”

While Selvig played only in practice, Qvale saw minutes in games early on and eventually started several games during Big Sky Conference play before an ankle injury sidelined him for a couple weeks. Even after the shin-high plastic boot came off, his playing time was hindered and he says he still hasn’t completely recovered.

As both Qvale and Selvig’s first years as part of the Grizzly basketball program were not what they might’ve expected, they and their coaches try to anticipate the impact they’ll have in the coming seasons.

“We play well together,” Qvale said. “We always know where each other are. If I roll [to the basket,] he’ll see me and if he throws it into me and he gets wide open on the outside I’ll kick it back to him.”

The duo’s presence will also alter the overall style of play: Tinkle said next season the team will “will spread the floor and play more motion next year with our improved skill and athleticism.” Exactly what Qvale and Selvig are looking for.

“More picks, more screens, get everybody involved,” Selvig said while Qvale agreed, saying he’d like to see the team get out and run more.

With established leaders already present in senior Jordan Hasquet and junior transfer Jack McGillis, their role right now may only be to play ball but they’ll be the ones leading this team in the future.

Their two styles of leadership may be different in the coming years. Selvig is the more laid-back of the two, with his attitude toward picking up his room reflecting his personality. It’s not laziness or carelessness; it’s just not being worried about it. He sits back in his chair and speaks quietly. He’ll be type of senior who offers tactics while leading by example, letting his game give the pep talks.

Qvale will be the motivator. He speaks with fire as he discusses playing and competing with teams like Washington State and Gonzaga, an atmosphere where AAU coach Stoven said he could play “on a different level.”

His tapping of fingernails stops, “It’s not that we can’t do it, it’s just mentally knowing we can.”

Just like the last few Griz basketball teams, the squads that come over the next couple years will be seen by many as some of the most talented in the Big Sky. It remains to be seen whether this base of Qvale and Selvig will prove sturdier than the ones that came before it. The duo is convinced it will.

“We’re going to play well.” Qvale said. “We’re going to be good later. We play well together. We’re definitely going to win some Big Sky Championships and head to the tournament and see what we can do there.”

The foundation is set. Now it’s time for them to build on it.

• Send To A Friend
• Print This Article
• Comments (21)
• Trackbacks

Alright, some notes and analysis from the first half of Montana's quarter-final matchup against the ISU Bengals.

• Griz came out and started like I haven't seen them start all season. Griz came out, ran with the ball, and pushed it to an 11-2 lead. Then they gave it all back. But it was good while it lasted.
  • Most important thing: they withstood the Bengal run, didn't freak out, then they took the lead right back. Griz go into the half up 6 because they didn't panic.
• Why the #@&! can't we rebound. HUGE front-line that sometimes features Strait, Hasquet and Qvale and we get out-rebounded 21-11. ISU has 11 offensive rebounds.
  
• Ceylon Elgin-Taylor's offense has been great. Jumping in passing lanes and just gunking things up for the opposing offense.
  
• Cameron Rundles loves to take statement shots: whether it's after a big make by the opposing team or poor play by him, he will always be there to take that shot.
• The three-ball has been there, at times. Griz are shooting 46.7 percent from behind the arc. There were times in the first half when it wasn't there at all but Staudacher and Martin made shots at the end that, at this point, are probably the difference in game. Both Martin and Staudacher make three treys in the first half.
  
• Mick has repeated this several times: Idaho State has only won one game when they trailed at half. Griz need to come out fast and push this lead.
• Speaking of Mick, how lucky are we to have him? Really. We could have some crummy J-school student but no, we have Mick. As good as there is. As good as any hoops play-by-play guy I've ever heard. Keep it up.

• Send To A Friend
• Print This Article
• Comments
• Trackbacks

Alright, some running analysis and observations on the game in Cheney:

• There's no one there. Shocking. Lots of echoes. Sounds like a high school scrimmage.
• Flurry of threes to start out, including CET stopping and popping. Will be interesting to see his continued development as an offensive threat. 
  • Plenty of guard offense early.
• Hasquet off to a strong start with a pair of threes and some play in the post. Looking for some redemption after tough game against Portland State.
• Early on, Eagles have four offensive boards. Last game, when we won by 19, the Griz out-rebounded the Eagles 36-15.
• Score is 20-14 Griz with 8:00 left. Sloppy game so far. I don't want to bash on the Griz too much because there's been some solid play but I can't help but glance at the score and think "we're still winning, really?" Eagles are getting lots of rebounds and layups.
• Once again, our commercials are phenomenal. Please, get those out there more. I don't know what we paid for those but we could've paid a lot more and it still would've been worth it.
• Stads is great coming off picks. Love that play where he flies out of the left corner, catches and pops it at about the free throw line. Usually pretty early in the shot clock.
• Lots of points in the paint early. To be fair, I'm writing this after they just scored on the small D. Even so, if I had to guess, they have roughly 14 of their 20 points in the paint.
• Series of turnovers and EWU ties it at 22 after a 8-2 run.
• Strait a non-factor so far. Echoing what broadcaster said: hopefully not a repeat of Jordan vs. PSU.
• Official points in the paint: 18 off EWU's 22. Think he said we have 4.
• Qvale having a rough afternoon. 1-6 from the field right now.
• Griz don't get a good look at all on last possession of the half. Griz really need to work on scoring in situations like that.
• Poor showing from the big lineup so far. Getting killed on the boards and allowing a lot of points in the paint.
• EWU's AD is on at half time. If O'Day and Chaves somehow got in a fight, O'Day would pwn. Just sayin'.
• 26-24 as we head to the second.

• Send To A Friend
• Print This Article
• Comments
• Trackbacks

Dammit. This is getting really, really hard. I don't think a sports team could be any tougher on its fans. I've been cheering for sports teams my entire life and have never come across one that could take this much out of its supporters.

The Griz were down 17-2 early. I was at the Lady Griz game, checking scores on my phone and was so mad at how flat the guys came out that I barely noticed the ladies were pissing away their own matchup against PSU. Then things turned around. The Lady Griz won in OT and Matt Martin pulled the Griz by their shaggy, ridiculous-looking hair to a 37-34 advantage.

Back to the fires of hell it went. In the second half, Martin sees less of the floor than a blind man and the Griz are down twelve with 9:00 to go. Then CET (gets career-high 15 points) hits a three and a two. Killa Cam knocks down back-to-back treys and Stads knocks down a pair of deuces and the Griz are right there.

Flash forward. :41 left, tie game, Griz ball after Qvale's fourth block. Cam dribbles it down to nothing (intentionally, nothing wrong with that). Ball goes down to Drew. He misses. Dominguez, hustles it out, gets fouled with :05.7 left. Nails both and the Griz are in a position they've been in before. See: Weber State, Idaho State. That's just in conference. There's more.

Griz break the press and push the ball up the court. Cam gets what Mick called a good luck from 13 feet. It goes in and out. If it's me, I do give the ball to Rundles in that position only because Martin's been sitting so long and the D is looking for him.

That's the Griz season. This game defines the whole damn season more than anything else. But hey, EWU lost so we're still looking at a 6-seed. God, this season is horrendous.

• Send To A Friend
• Print This Article
• Comments (18)
• Trackbacks

When trying to get a feel for games, it's interesting to find out what the opposition is thinking. Here's what Vikings blogger Ian Ruder had to say about how the Vikings matchup against our shiny new big lineup.

Via the grizzlyjournal:

I would think the Vikings would want to be the aggressors Thursday to take advantage of the team's superior depth and athleticism. PSU has a surplus of big bodies to throw at Hasquet, Strait and Qvale and I think Murray and Huff (and freshman Justynn Hammond) will be tough matchups on the perimeter. Tinkle's reliance on the bigs should play to PSU's strengths, whether they can execute will be the question.

Before I respond, here's what grizzlyjournal's Glenn Junkert had to say in his scouting report on PSU:

...it’s been 5’-6” junior transfer point guard Jeremiah Dominguez who has been the key cog in Portland State’s success so far. Dominguez leads the Big Sky Conference in steals (2.00 per game), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.65) and ranks third in assists (3.94 per game). He also paces the Vikings in scoring with a 12.1 per-game average. Dominguez is a slasher who creates havoc when he penetrates into the key. Morrison and Huff are the key benefactors of Dominguez’ penetrate and kick style.

In simple terms: the Viks offense essentially revolves around Dominguez' ability to get into the paint. Dominguez is 5'6". This fascinates me. I wish the game were on TV. Define playing into another team's hands: having your offense revolve around a 5'6" guard driving against a giant front line anchored by 6'11" swat-machine Brian Qvale. If all works out, Dominguez can't get by the bigs and the perimeter players have no need to collapse—eliminating any penetrate and kick-out game. It'd be like tossing a hand grenade into a wet cardboard box. If it doesn't work out, Qvale gets in foul trouble and we start tossing sh*t at the wall. Should be interesting.

• Send To A Friend
• Print This Article
• Comments
• Trackbacks

Tonight the Griz play the 6-3 Broncos of the West Coast Conference. The Griz have lost three straight and come into the matchup at 5-5 looking to get a win before finishing off the road trip against Cal State Fullerton.

As always, the grizzlyjournal has an excellent preview on the game.

Tonight I'll be running a live blog on the game. I've done this before, but never without TV. I'll be listening to the radio broadcast over the web and offering up any comments and insight I have. On top of that, Glenn Junkert, author of the grizzlyjournal, will be chiming in as well.

It all starts after the jump. Feel free to add whatever comments you have.

Pregame

Colin: Obviously, the Griz need a win bad. Picking up these next two would be huge for the Griz's confidence heading towards conference play. Everyone knows this. Anyway, here's the lineup I'd start if I ran the show:

1-Cam Rundles
2-Ryan Staudacher
3-Jordan Hasquet
4-Andrew Strait
5-Brian Qvale

The Griz need to go big to battle huge John Bryant (6'10", 305 lbs, 20.7 ppg) and Martin would be great coming off the bench. I'm not saying Stads is more valuable out there. I just think Martin's fire and swagger would be perfect coming off the bench. Second guy off the bench: probably Sharpie to help out on Bryant. Third off the bench: Graves. This kid needs minutes like the Chicago Bears need a new quarterback. No, I won't let MNF be a distraction during the game. Graves needs minutes because quick guards killed this team in their loss to Pacific (see video).

Glenn: Ok. Before this game even starts, my hope is that Brian Qvale gets the opportunity to match up against the Broncos' 310 lb, 6'10" center John Bryant. I firmly believe Griz are a couple pieces away from cementing into a solid team heading toward conference play. One of them is more game experience from Qvale. The more minutes he gets, the more opportunities he'll get to show what he can do. Waging battle with Bryant is an ideal opportunity for Qvale.

Colin: Agreed. I think this matchup is going to be a great test for Qvale. It'll be interesting to see how their styles of play factor into this. Qvale is a quick, agile big who goes for a lot of blocks. I do not know for sure but going in, I'm imagining Bryant as a player similar to UCLA's Kevin Love, except 50 pounds heavier. Not really quick but more powerful. He can back you down so that your head is touching the net then lay it up and in. It'll be interesting to see if Qvale can get some points and rebounds down at the other end of the court.

Colin: Still waiting on the audio feed.

Colin: Alright, here's an alternative to the audio feed because the one from MontanaGrizzlies.com isn't up yet. Heard tinks Briefly mention he wanted to run. That'd be great. Hope he has the personnel in there to do it.

Colin: Broadcasters point out we gotta make Bryant run. He's only playing 25 minutes a game so endurance is obviously an issue... woah, wait, Tinks car got broken into. Wow. Talk about a bad omen.

'Squets injury is going to be interesting. As they noted, Griz did not practice yesterday.

Glenn: Former Griz Mike Warhank, a guest color analysis commentator for Mick Holien, made a good point on the pre-game show. If the Griz can push the pace with every chance they get, they might have success in the low blocks. Andrew Strait runs the floor well, and can be very effective in the early offense. If the Griz can force the Broncos into a "faster than normal" transition game with sideline entry passes to Andrew, they could open the game up a bit.

First Half

20:00 0-0

Colin: Cameron sits to start again. Same lineup as last game. Qvale-Strait-Jordo-Martin-Stads.

19:00 4-0 Broncos

Colin: Qvale apparently got a bad call on a block and picked up a foul. Hopefully the officiating is better than last game. This isn't a great start. Looks like Broncos are willing to foul and be physical.

Glenn: Good to hear that Jordan Hasquet is starting, playing on his gimpy ankles.

4-3 Broncos after Hasquet 3, good call by Glenn

Colin: Arena seems very dead. Not much atmosphere whatsoever. I believe attendance is close to what it was at Pacific but sounds much more quiet. Students must be gone.

17:02 6-3 Broncos

8-3 After a Dunk

8-5 after bunny by Drew

Colin: Really would prefer to see the Griz take control of a game. Seems as though it always starts out like this with a medium sized deficit.

10-5 with 15:12

Colin: Hopefully the Griz can come out of the break with some fire. Look to see Cam or Graves (PLEASE). Need some fire. This is where you need the Chavez.

Colin: Cam does come in. Hopefully he can give the Griz what they need. Sharpie comes in as well. Still 10-5.

Glenn: Single-shot possessions won't do on the road. Griz will need to get some offensive boards for second shots.

Colin: Agreed. We need some offensive boards. That as Qvale checks back in. Going to be tough with Bryant.

10-6 as Ceylon Elgin-Taylor checks in

Colin: Griz seem to be drawing quite a few fouls. Hopefully someone important is getting in trouble.

11-8 after a pair of Sharp FTs

Glenn: An aside on the game: Mike Warhank is an excellent color commentator. Great observations.

Colin: Agreed. I have a terrible memory, I believe Mick was all alone last year. Mike is filling in great with the color.

It's now 11-10 with 11:00 to go, hopefully the Griz can come out of the break and make a run. One Chavez candidate is in in: Spurgetis.

Glenn: Correct with your earlier post suggesting that Zach Graves & Greg Spurgetis get more playing time. Both have energy & can help the Griz in important areas of the game.

Colin: Dave is checking in. This should be interesting. We'll see what type of minutes he can earn against possibly the best center we've seen this year.

19-10 Broncos after a pair of threes and a layup

Colin: Wow, exactly what we weren't supposed to do. Johnson has ONLY made three point shots. It's not like all 4 of his makes. It's all 15+ of the shots he's made. Amazing. Get Graves to chase that kid around.

Glenn: The three-point bugaboo is biting the Griz again.

Colin: That and missing easy shots. Come on fellas. Cannot do that when the Broncos are shooting so well.

Now 22-10 after another trey with about 8:00 to play

Colin: Boy does this seem familiar. Griz let medium lead grow due to three pointers for them and missing open shots. We need to come out on fire. Revamped. Come on Tinks, toss in something else if this isn't working. Insanity: trying the same thing over and over while expecting different results. The Griz need to show they're not insane... that'd be a good start.

Glenn: I think Mike lives in the area and is just serving as a guest for these two games.

Colin: We could use him full-time. Great insight.

22-11 after Strait makes a FT... then fouls someone on the other end

Colin: This is pretty much echoing Mike, the Griz are pretty much letting Santa Clara run their offense however they want. Get Graves in there. We need someone to get in passing lanes and screw them up a bit.

Lead is all the way up to 13 after FTs

Glenn: Disappointing start against an opponent I figured would be a decent mark. It's obvious the Griz aren't handling the Broncos inside-outside game.

Lead down to 11

Now 9 after Hasquet jumper

Colin: It's looking like Hasquet might have to carry us again. Who knows if he can on those ankles. Why Martin is still in there with this lead is beyond me. He is a great offensive player. We need a little D with the way the Broncos are shooting.

Lead all the way back to 13 after missed Martin 3 and Bryant layup... Strait gets a lay-in to move it back down to 11... but then someone rolls down the lane again.

Colin: What the hell. Get someone in there who can prevent people from walking down the lane. This is kind of a joke. The only way our D up the middle gets worse is if we put down a trampoline around the free throw line and they can just jump over us and dunk it.

Glenn: Can't see it, but it appears the Broncos are getting high post screens for easy penetration by their guards.

Colin: Yep. Mick says there's no real sense of purpose... or something close. BRING IN THE BENCH GUYS. We need some fire. We've done this over, and over, and over again. We need quick or passionate guards. Someone rip Graves' and Greg's sweats off and shove them in the game.

Colin: Mike points to lack of effort. This is unbelievable. We need new guys if this continues. The end of bunch guys are starving for minutes. STARVING. You think effort will be a question of effort there? I doubt it.

Glenn: Andrew is playing the post well tonight. But the Griz won't make any headway without someone stepping up to make some threes. Hasquet just collects his third pf.

Colin: Agreed. Don't want to see us get too dependent on that though. And they get a rebound on a free throw. Yeah, effort is definitely an issue.

1:35... 31-19

Colin: Mike says "there are driving lanes to the basket." Really, tell me I'm wrong. Tell me Graves shouldn't be in this game.

Glenn: Hmmm. Mike Warhank suggests the Griz guards have lanes to the basket. That suggests tentative play by Griz guards.

Colin: Wonder if the injury is affecting Cam. Last season he'd drive without abandon. He's been more of a shooter this year. Significantly hinders what used to be a very dynamic style of play.

33-20 at Half

Colin: That really couldn't have gone a whole lot worse. It was exactly what we've seen in our bad losses.

Colin: "Tell me what you're up to Mike"... "Well, I'm actually talking to O'Day about getting my old job back. Tinkle said he'd be fine moving back to assistant." Maybe he just takes over for one half. I'm not normally one to rail on a coach but I don't like the way this first half has been handled. The same thing keeps happening and we keep trying the same faulty solutions.

Glenn: Don't have to go any farther than the stat line: Santa Clara is shooting 52 percent from the field and 100 percent from three-point range with 22 rebounds. The Grizzlies are shooting 29.2 percent from the field, 14.3 percent from three-point range, and have 10 rebounds. If the Bronco hadn't turned the ball over six times the margin could be even greater. I don't like to think this, but the Grizzlies are starting to show the same pattern of logging disastrous halves of play much like they did last year. This is the fourth time this year they've shown this pattern.

Second Half

Colin: Griz need to come out and play a totally different game while hoping the Broncos do the same. We need a great pep talk and some phenomenal adjustments.

Colin: Mick says "you can see the energy on offense"... great... until Strait misses a lay-up.

Glenn: The Griz are shooting 55 percent from the free throw line, which is another puzzling up & down stat.

Lead is 16 after a 3 point play... then Staudacher makes a trey.

Colin: Really sounds like the Griz have some fire now. Still not making their shots though. Sounds like they are trying to run it and get to the rim. You can hear Marso screaming 'GO!'

40-25 with about 16 minutes left

Colin: If the Griz don't make a big run this will go down as an L. Chipping away is just not going to work. We need a series of stops and a lot of makes.

Lead is 16...12 after solid plays by Sharp and Rundles...13:57

Glenn: Judging by the audience, it sounds like the Griz have pretty good crowd supporting them.

Colin: Hopefully we can show them a win. Nothing like walking out of an opposing arena with a win while dressed in garb from the visiting team.

One FT pushes lead back to 13

Colin: Mick says Jordo's ankle isn't bothering him at all. Good to hear. Don't want any lingering injuries.

Colin: Seems like we're forcing put-backs a little too hard. Need to reset more. We did on the last possession after getting a second offensive rebound. Good to see the Griz hitting the glass after an abysmal first half in that category.

Glenn: Even Mick Holien is making critical comments about the Grizzlies' tentative, "lazy" play. Ouch.

Colin: He also points out that we are not picking up getting any momentum and cannot make two shots in a row. The Broncos travel on two consecutive possessions. Need to capitalize on TOs like these.

Stads puts down a 3 as the Griz cut it to ten with close to 10:00 left

Colin: Here's the goal for rallying. Just be calm, try to keep it so you're down that fewer points than minutes left.

Glenn: Would love to see Ryan Staudacher have a "break-out" game from long range.

Colin: We need it. We need someone to be there.

Lead is back to 12 after Bryant basket

Goaltending as it's back to 14

Staudacher missed 3 and Broncos run down and get to the line

Colin: This is awful. Griz make the tiniest run then give it all back and then some. No rhythm, confidence, momentum.

Lead is at 16 with 8:18 left

Colin: Running out of minutes. Pace is way off. Down twice as many points as minutes. Great.

14 after Cam FTs about 8:00 left... Cam hits a 3 and it's 11

Colin: Real risky shot by Cam. Lucky it goes down. Now Graves comes in. This should be interesting.

Glenn: Sure is nice that Cam's playing with energy once again. It might be a sign he's getting past his foot injury. Your guy's subbing in, Colin.

Colin: Not gonna lie, I'm kind of nervous.

Lead is back to 13 after a pair of FTs

Colin: Real young line-up down the stretch. This will be very very interesting. Wow, missed front end of one and one by Hasquet. FTs kill us and whatever momentum we have. It happens in almost every game.

Cam throws one away and Broncos get 2 more... back to 15... then makes a runner at the other end.

Colin: Maybe Cam should be taking/making more shots early. Didn't he do this the other night in Portland?

Strait picks up fouls on the offensive and defensive ends... lead goes to 16 as Bryant makes a pair of FTs then Stads hits a 3, it's 12.

Colin: We're getting homered again. Not that it'd help that much but come on. Can't put us down even further.

Down by 10 with 4:01 left..now 8... Griz get a stop and over-the-top foul on Santa Clara

Colin: Not sure if we're shooting FTs coming down but we NEED points. Either two makes at the line or a big shot. A three would be beyond massive. If Stads makes it his starting spot is cemented.

Glenn: A good late-game run, fueled by Cameron. I'm reading some stuff into this, but if Cameron's taking control, that's a good sign.

Colin: I agree. He's turned it over a couple times but made up for it on following possessions. We need him to play this way the entire game.

Jordo misses the front end of a one and one again... 3:00 left and still down 8... 10 as Bryant gets another one.

Colin: Tough basket there. Leads to an MT miss.

Still 8 with less than 2:00 left

Colin: It was there for the taking. I'm not sure it is anymore. Mike Montgomery even left.

Griz get a couple of turnovers but cannot convert.

Colin: That's game. I think. Another Griz miss.

Another turnover by Santa Clara leads to zero Griz points

Colin: The game was there and we didn't go out and take it. Just needed to make a fun more shots run a few better sets and we're right there.

Santa Clara 60, Griz 49   Final.

Postgame

Colin: The Griz lose their fourth in a row and fall below .500 for the first time with a record of 5-6. Just not a good game whatsoever. There were a few extremely short stretches where we played well but never could put together enough solid possessions. There was certainly a time in the second half when the Griz could've got back in the game but they didn't jump on it. There didn't seem to be the clutch mentality and determination to pull out a come-from-behind victory.

Glenn: The best game plan in the world won't work when your team shoots 33 percent from the field and 53 percent from the free throw line. Am I correct? -- The Griz get two 1-and-1 opportunities with the lead down to 8 points and they can't convert.

But still, they play the Broncos even in the second half. But another 20-point first half (the last time they did that was at home against the Portland Pilots) is a tough hole to crawl out of.

Colin: Agreed. The Griz didn't have what was needed to jump on a team when they had a chance. I don't know if it was effort, endurance or what. You can't play all your games at home and you can't get long breaks between every game. I don't know why the broadcasters are blaming the legs at times when the Griz played great in the final two days of the Spokane tournament. Just poor shooting, poor effort.

Glenn: I was pretty encouraged after the Grizzlies battled to overtime against Pacific. This game's a big setback. It'll be interesting to hear what coach Tinkle has to say. Of course it doesn't get any easier on Thursday.

Glenn: Did Tyler Hurley suit up? Was he even there? The official statistics indicate Hurley was suited up.

Colin: Not sure. I didn't hear anything about that.

Tinkle sounds pretty somber. Said he found a combination that might've worked... when was that? Graves maybe. I'm not going to say that. We came back for like two minutes. Tinkle sounds pleased with the play of Spurgetis and Graves. We'll see what that does. We're going to have to toss everything we have at Fullerton if we don't want to go to 5-7.

Well, that's it for me. The game was a major disappointment with very little positives. I want to thank Glenn Junkert for helping me out and sharing his thoughts on the game. Check out his blog, the grizzlyjournal.

• Send To A Friend
• Print This Article
• Comments (8)
• Trackbacks

Because this game was a comlpete blowout (72-47 Griz), let's start with the students' perfomance tonight. It was God awful. Really. The south student section (why the student section is split up into two halves is beyond me) sat the entire game and made zero noise. None. Wonder why the game was so close in the first half (29-27 Griz)? It's probably because the Lights were going at the end completely devoid of any activity.

The second half, the Lights were going at the north end (bleacher side) of the student section. I'm not sure how they could've possibly been rattled because we didn't make much noise. Maybe they were just intimidated by anyone that stood. If that's really all it takes, this shouldn't be too difficult. Case in point: when the Lights were going at a dead student section they were -2; when they were going at a somewhat active student section they were -23.

I want to get this across. The north end was standing the entire game but made almost no noise. Things finally got going when a few rowdy kids walked in with five minutes left and the Griz already up twenty. When we start playing better teams, the students cannot wait til the end of the game to make noise. We also can't wait til we face the good teams to be loud the entire game. Teams practice before they play anyone and we should get this cheering thing down before we play half-decent teams.

Oh, yeah, and almost no one wore the student shirts. I saw less than 50. The marketing department gives out a thousand student shirts and more than half the students show up in ridiculous looking non-Griz attire. You know when you try and look good by wearing Abercrombie and Fitch or Hurley to a sporting event? Yeah, it doesn't look good at all. It's like trying to wear fancy fake athletic shoes to go work out. You're trying to look stylish but the look is doing the exact opposite of what's intended. You know, at most other schools students have to pay for the shirts and they still all wear them. Unbelievable.

Onward with game-relevant material. Martin looked amazing. He drained shot after shot and finished with 13 points. The Griz were led by Hasquet, who was his usual self. His line: 19 points, 8 boards and 4 assists. Tonight the reboarding looked solid, especially from players coming off the bench. Both Qvale and Sharp finished with 10 boards while neither could've played more than 15-20 minutes. Qvale also finished with 8 points on 4 of 6 shooting. Other scoring notes: Drew had 12 and Cam had 13.

While the numbers don't really show it, Zach Graves also impressed tonight. He's easily one of our most athletic players. When he gets in, he puts forth more effort than anyone, as evidenced by his 3 steals (leading the team) in 13 minutes. He finished with 4 points and 1 assist on 2 of 3 shooting.

Back to the crowd thing: besides the students, there was no one there. The official attendance:3,334. Come on. Seriously? We can get behind a football team that plays down to every opponent and has players who terrorize the town but we can't draw 7k for hoops? I'm not saying people should follow basketball more than anything else or that people should abandon our football team. I'm saying anyone who calls themself a Griz fan should actually be a Griz fan, not a Griz football fan.

Edit: the directions were off. The south side is the chair side, the north side has bleachers. Thanks Mr. Gregory McDonald, who apparently hates Griz basketball.

• Send To A Friend
• Print This Article
• Comments (24)
• Trackbacks

I hope to have some media up later and possibly even a little video but for now, here are my impressions from the game. It's a work in progress...

One thing I really liked tonight is that it looked like a completely revamped offense. We weren't jacking up threes or clogging up the tempo by running every play through our bigs. There was a lot of movement and great balance between driving to the basket, taking jumpers and running it through the posts. The shooting could've been better but that's expected this early in the season.
 
Jack McGillis: I know he's not playing this year but tonight he was easily the most impressive player on the court. That's why I'm starting with him. An excerpt of my notes on him read "GREAT...really, really, good." At the beginning of the scrimmage he was going to the basket a lot but as it went on he showed his range of skills. He made 3's, a tough fade-away, layups and a couple dunks. On one of them he was one on one with Greg Spurgetis on a fast break. Both players went up, Jack let Greg fly by before throwing it down. There really should be an exception to the transfer eligibility rule if said player fits so perfectly onto a team.

Brian Qvale: One of our two young (very) bigs. He's a bit more filled out than Selvig. He's a very aggressive defender. On one possession, he went one on one with Drew. Drew made his usual low post move. You know, where he does a bit of a dipsy-do before he lays it off the glass. Well, Drew has him beat with the spin and as the ball kisses the glass, Qvale smacks it off the backboard. Lookin' good. Besides that, he also was great on the boards.

Derek Selvig:  His style, figure and demeanor remind me a bit of Spencer Hawes. He's all arms and legs. He's willing to take the 3. To be honest, I think the only shots I saw him take were from beyond the arc. If he can consistently knock that down and bring a center out to guard him, it'll be good news for our quick guards, especially...

Zach Graves: He's a great Nellie-ball type player. Great bursts of speed. Flies around the court offensively and busts his ass getting to the basket. However, against our defense, he had some trouble. With all the talented bigs, that lane just fills with arms. If someone tries to play small-ball, he's the type of player who can make them pay.

Matt Martin: His shot was falling tonight and he was taking it. He played with a lot of intensity, and rightfully so. He's trying to get his starting gig back. A spot he'll be battling Ceylon Elgin-Taylor for. It was interesting seeing them go head-to-head, easily the most competitive part of the scrimmage. Martin runs a bit slower offense than the other guards. He runs the play and waits for it to set up. It's not a bad thing, he just runs the offense with a slightly different style than Elgin-Taylor or Rundles.

Ceylon Elgin-Taylor: He reminds me a lot of Bryan Ellis. He's a bit bigger. He has that same defensive intensity, he'll take chances and go for the ball. His offense game is somewhat similar to Ellis' as well. More of a distributor than an offensive threat and why not? He's a pure point, exactly what we need.

Cameron Rundles: Cam performs a bit better when there's something on the line, which makes sense. Even so, he still looked good tonight. As far as his offensive style and pace goes when running the point, his is the fastest. It's more improvisational and not as stuck on the play. If he sees something, he'll jump on it. Besides that, he has a great looking shot.

Greg Spurgetis: He was out there, getting bounced around a bit but still working hard, trying to be more than just a "practice player." Made a few shots, hustled on D. The type of player every team needs.

Ryan Staudacher: Pure shooter. He's a big, strong player and that helps him on getting boards. Need him to consistently deliver that dagger 3 and most of the time he does. He must run off screens well because he almost always finds a way to get open beyond the arc.

Michael Taylor: Another guy that won't play this year due to the transfer rule. He's a guard that's in the Steve Kerr/John Paxson mold. A solid shooter who can make passes. Maybe he'll eventually be  a GM too, who knows.

Jordan Hasquet: You know the deal, this Jordo is a beast. He's a leader on the team who can overpower almost anyone you put on him. A lot of other guys were taking shots tonight and it's tough judging any possible improvement in an intrasquad scrimmage.

Andrew Strait: Similar to Jordo. You know what he does. He was going to the basket a bit more of the post up. He was trying to get to the hoop for layups as opposed to settling for the baby hooks. Something I liked to see.

Kyle Sharp: Looked good defensively, didn't do a ton on offense. He grabbed a few boards. He's gotten a lot bigger over the last two seasons.

Tyler Hurley: Didn't get much playing time so I can't really leave any notes. Looked a bit timid. Too early to make any real judgement.

• Send To A Friend
• Print This Article
• Comments (4)
• Trackbacks