My first look at the Griz this year, and a range of observations, from great to bad to mysterious.
Great: Derrick Carter-Hollinger! Here's a parallel for you: Eric Paschall of the Warriors. How this guy dropped to the late second round I will never know, nor will I know why Carter-Hollinger had so few offers. We got ourselves a steal here. I figured he could rebound at this level and he can, but I was surprised at how well he can shoot, and what nice moves he has around the basket. Also looks like an 80% free throw shooter, which is great, because he'll get to the line a lot.
Also Great: Sayeed Pridgett. So smooth, so versatile, but also ten rebounds against a Pac12 team to go with 17 points and six assists. Stanford double and triple-teamed him all night, yet he still played a beautiful game.
Soon to be Great: The Fab Four. They're everything they were touted to be. Vasquez and Owens seemed tentative at times, but their potential is off the charts. (I do wish Vazquez would look for his shot more. He's got a beautiful stroke.) And don't sleep on Eddie Egun. This kid has game. Throw Carter-Hollinger into this mix, and the future for Montana is klieg-light bright.
The Big Problem: Our bigs--or lack thereof. From the moment you stepped into the arena and watched the warm-ups, one thing jumped out at you: Stanford's size. Reminiscent of what we ran into against Michigan twice at the Big Dance. Save for Carter-Hollinger, our kids looked like high school kids by comparison--and that's what cost us this game. We desperately need an Akoh-type, because at his current weight, Mack Anderson is not the answer--not at the Power Five level. And with no inside game, our kids were forced to live on the perimeter, while Stanford was able to get the ball into the post almost at will for the first ten minutes of the second half, either for a shot or a kick-out for a three. And it's not just on offense that we're weak, but also with rim protection. Our kids battled gamely inside, but it was always a struggle to defend the post. And it's not just height, it's beef, muscle. Anderson had a couple of clear layups but instead of going up strong with a two-hand jam, he tried to score with one hand, and was blocked at least twice. I'm hoping Selcuk and Samuelson can help out here.
Another problem: No Naseem Gaskin. I was hoping against hope he'd just show up, as Manuel did last year, but apparently it's not to be. Can we appeal? We sure could have used him tonight.
The Mystery: Montana fans. At a football game they're loud, rowdy and proud, but put them inside a basketball arena, and you'd think they were at a piano recital for their 12-year-old daughter. Team comes out on the floor to a smattering of applause, while the football team at away games comes out to a roar. Is it the beer? The alcohol? Wish I knew. Wish the basketball team got half the support of the football team.
Another Mystery: Timmy Falls. No bigger fan here of Timmy's than yours truly, especially after watching him during the Michigan game. He's tough, fast, a great defender, and doesn't back down from anybody. No stage is too big for him. And yet tonight was not his night. Twice he fell down with the ball, travelling. One other stupid lazy-dacksical turnover. I'll concede he may have been rusty from the injury-layoff, but I always expect more of him than I saw tonight.
Conclusion: I remain pumped for this team. The Fab Frosh can only get better from here--and here against a Power Five program did not look bad.
Great: Derrick Carter-Hollinger! Here's a parallel for you: Eric Paschall of the Warriors. How this guy dropped to the late second round I will never know, nor will I know why Carter-Hollinger had so few offers. We got ourselves a steal here. I figured he could rebound at this level and he can, but I was surprised at how well he can shoot, and what nice moves he has around the basket. Also looks like an 80% free throw shooter, which is great, because he'll get to the line a lot.
Also Great: Sayeed Pridgett. So smooth, so versatile, but also ten rebounds against a Pac12 team to go with 17 points and six assists. Stanford double and triple-teamed him all night, yet he still played a beautiful game.
Soon to be Great: The Fab Four. They're everything they were touted to be. Vasquez and Owens seemed tentative at times, but their potential is off the charts. (I do wish Vazquez would look for his shot more. He's got a beautiful stroke.) And don't sleep on Eddie Egun. This kid has game. Throw Carter-Hollinger into this mix, and the future for Montana is klieg-light bright.
The Big Problem: Our bigs--or lack thereof. From the moment you stepped into the arena and watched the warm-ups, one thing jumped out at you: Stanford's size. Reminiscent of what we ran into against Michigan twice at the Big Dance. Save for Carter-Hollinger, our kids looked like high school kids by comparison--and that's what cost us this game. We desperately need an Akoh-type, because at his current weight, Mack Anderson is not the answer--not at the Power Five level. And with no inside game, our kids were forced to live on the perimeter, while Stanford was able to get the ball into the post almost at will for the first ten minutes of the second half, either for a shot or a kick-out for a three. And it's not just on offense that we're weak, but also with rim protection. Our kids battled gamely inside, but it was always a struggle to defend the post. And it's not just height, it's beef, muscle. Anderson had a couple of clear layups but instead of going up strong with a two-hand jam, he tried to score with one hand, and was blocked at least twice. I'm hoping Selcuk and Samuelson can help out here.
Another problem: No Naseem Gaskin. I was hoping against hope he'd just show up, as Manuel did last year, but apparently it's not to be. Can we appeal? We sure could have used him tonight.
The Mystery: Montana fans. At a football game they're loud, rowdy and proud, but put them inside a basketball arena, and you'd think they were at a piano recital for their 12-year-old daughter. Team comes out on the floor to a smattering of applause, while the football team at away games comes out to a roar. Is it the beer? The alcohol? Wish I knew. Wish the basketball team got half the support of the football team.
Another Mystery: Timmy Falls. No bigger fan here of Timmy's than yours truly, especially after watching him during the Michigan game. He's tough, fast, a great defender, and doesn't back down from anybody. No stage is too big for him. And yet tonight was not his night. Twice he fell down with the ball, travelling. One other stupid lazy-dacksical turnover. I'll concede he may have been rusty from the injury-layoff, but I always expect more of him than I saw tonight.
Conclusion: I remain pumped for this team. The Fab Frosh can only get better from here--and here against a Power Five program did not look bad.
