During Travis DeCuire’s first two seasons as head coach at Montana, there was little question about what the Grizzlies were going to do with their post rotation.
Certainly DeCuire liked to tinker with lineups, but if they weren’t in foul trouble or nursing an injury, Martin Breunig and Fabijan Krslovic were going to receive a good majority of the minutes allotted to the Griz front court.
But with Breunig graduated and a host of talented, play-making guards ready to step onto the court, the question of what Montana will do with its post rotation has become a hot-button topic with less than a month remaining before the Griz travel to Los Angeles for their season opener against Southern Cal.
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Though nothing has been chiseled in granite, it’s likely that Krslovic, a 6-foot-8 junior, and Jack Lopez, a 6-5 senior, will begin the season as the opening-day starters at center and power forward, respectively. But what’s to happens when they need a breather?
“We’ll play a lot of guys there,” DeCuire said earlier this month. “(Sophomore) Bobby Moorehead has been getting looks there. (Senior) Brandon (Gfeller) played it a little bit last year. And then we’ll see how quickly (freshman) Sayeed Pridgett picks up on the offense.”
DeCuire was hoping that freshman Alphonso Anderson would figure into the rotation, but as Montana takes a wait-and-see approach to Anderson’s recovery from a second surgery on his right meniscus in August, those minutes are likely to go somewhere else. Two of the more intriguing possibilities are a pair of in-state products: sophomore Gavin DeJong and freshman Jared Samuelson.
“It’s exciting to finally be able to put on a Griz uniform,” said Samuelson, who spent his first season out of Billings West as a redshirt. “I’ve been looking forward to this moment since I was a little kid.”
DeJong and Samuelson are of similar size: DeJong is listed at 6-6 and 215 pounds, while Samuelson, who has completely transformed his body since arriving on campus, stands 6-7 and weighs 213. But there is one major difference between the two: experience.
While Samuelson spent last season as part of the scout team and watched home games from the bench in a polo, DeJong was brought along slowly. A product of Manhattan High School, DeJong averaged just 4.8 minutes in 2015-16, but showed glimpses of what he could provide Montana. When Breunig had to sit due to foul trouble during a February trip to Sacramento State, DeCuire inserted DeJong into the lineup and he responded with a career-high 10 points in nine minutes, all of them coming in the first half.
His playing time waxed and waned from then on, but after squaring away some personal issues, DeJong’s confidence continued to grow.
“I made a few changes and found a passion for the game again in those last six weeks,” said DeJong, who is without a scholarship this season, but will be back on a full-ride next year. “Then my confidence went up and I kind of realized I could play with these guys. The first two years I didn’t really think I could play with these guys because I was just a walk-on.”
Samuelson, on the other hand, made a few changes himself. When he first arrived in Missoula last fall, the Billings West product struggled with lower back issues. But an adjustment to his workout regimen and his eating habits have trimmed his body-fat percentage and has the son of Griz legend Shawn Samuelson ready to provide minutes when called upon.
Throughout summer pick-up games and fall practices and scrimmages, Samuelson has provided a teaser of what he can provide in the Grizzlies’ revamped offense.
“It works really well especially with guards like (sophomore) Ahmaad (Rorie) and (senior) Walt (Wright) who can drive and beat their defender,” said Samuelson of his ability to shoot from outside and stretch the defense. “They have to have my guy help off so I’m able to shoot short corner and pick-and-pop and be versatile.”
Added DeCuire, “Jared is more outside-in with his height in terms of playing the 4 or the 5, but the other thing for him is he is also really good down low.”
In the early parts of the season, as Montana will have to deal with the size and strength of USC and North Carolina State among others, it’s probable that Montana will rely more on DeJong, who added muscle mass during the offseason. During battles with Krslovic and Jamar Akoh, a 6-8, 250-pound transfer from Cal State Fullerton who will sit out this year, DeJong has shown himself to be an adequate defender.
Make no mistake, as Montana navigates through a challenging non-conference schedule, there will be plenty of time for both young forwards.
“There’s a tremendous amount of opportunity for them to step in,” DeCuire said. “We don’t have to play small if those can contribute early. I’d like to put versatile lineups on the floor; play big and do some things with Jack at the 3 and those types of deals. The opportunity for them is huge. I think they’re excited about it.
“On paper right now they fit in perfectly with what they’re trying to do. The question to be determined right now is how much they have progressed since last year.”
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Photos by Brooks Nuanez or noted. All Rights Reserved.
