The Grizzoulian : Montana Grizzlies Sports : Football, Basketball, Track & Field, Soccer, Cross Country, Volleyball, Golf, Tennis, Lacrosse : 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.

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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.

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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.

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