It would be easy to take a look at Montana’s 2-6 record and dismiss the Grizzlies’ chances of challenging for their first Big Sky Conference title under third-year head coach Travis DeCuire.
Montana has already lost a game at home and is just 1-5 outside of Missoula, with two of those losses coming on a neutral court. However, a more thorough examination of the slate Montana has played may lead to a more positive diagnosis.
“No, I’m not concerned at all,” DeCuire said after Montana’s 75-69 win over Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Saturday night. “We know that we are trying to play at a very high level in November. I’m not concerned. We’ll be OK.”
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Heading into Wednesday’s game against San Jose State at Dahlberg Arena, the Griz have already played four Power 5 teams, all of which have a winning record. Led by USC’s unblemished 8-0 record that has the Trojans on the cusp of moving into the top 25 nationally, Montana’s eight opponents hold a cumulative 39-26 record.
Aside from USC, which is one of 11 undefeated teams in Division I, NC State and Ole Miss are 6-2 and Wyoming, which hosts Montana on December 10 in a return game for UM’s home opener, is 5-2. South Dakota is also above .500 at 6-4, but is yet to experience defeat in their new gym, the exact spot the Coyotes beat Montana on the last day of the Grizzlies’ grueling 19-day road trip they wrapped up last month.
Though it doesn’t count toward either teams’ seasonal record, Montana beat Colorado State in a preseason scrimmage. Since the season began, the Rams are 6-2 with wins over New Mexico State and Colorado and a tough loss against Wichita State that was close until late in the second half.
There is some fear, at least from outside the program, that the early season slate, which doesn’t get much easier with road trips to Wyoming and Oregon right in the middle of a bisected finals week, could have a negative impact on the team’s confidence. While sophomore Ahmaad Rorie and senior Walter Wright conceded it was important to pick up a win, neither hinted at collective damaged psyche.
“We’re just trying to get better everyday,” said Wright, who assured the Griz don’t feel like a 2-6 team. “We played against a lot of good teams in the ACC and USC and good teams like that. They’re beating a lot of good people. We’re just trying to focus on us and understand that we’re trying to do better in March.”
During his first two seasons sharing the paint with Martin Breunig, who is now playing professionally in German, Krslovic averaged almost 4.5 rebounds per game. This season that number has jumped to 8.5 and was buoyed by a career-high 13 boards against Milwaukee.
Krslovic has produced double-digit rebounds in three games with 12 against Wyoming and 11 at Ole Miss. With 68 total rebounds, which leads the team and is third in the Big Sky, Krslovic is averaging one rebound every 3.4 minutes. It’s helped Montana, a guard-dominant team many thought would struggle on the glass, remain close to its opponents in the battle to corral loose balls. The Griz are just -12 in total rebounds for the season.
“It’s what he has been doing, a really tremendous job of that,” DeCuire said of Krslovic. “And our guards are rebounding. As long as we keep crashing the glass and keeping teams off the offensive glass we’ll be OK.”
Dunn’s shooting percentage dipped last season while he dealt with a bone break in his left wrist, but he was a steady shooter as a sophomore and freshman, hitting 44 percent of his attempts as a freshman and 44 percent during conference play of his sophomore season.
In a season-high 29 minutes against Milwaukee, Dunn hit two threes in the first half and then added two more in the second, including one from the wing that gave the Griz a seven-point lead with 7:32 to play. Dunn was also instrumental in the Grizzlies’ ability to limit the Panthers to just two second-half threes after they drilled eight in a 38-point first half.
“Mario Dunn was huge in that regard. He did help a lot, but he didn’t help too much and then give up a lot of open shots,” said DeCuire, who labeled Dunn as the player of the day. “Then he comes down on the offensive end and make shots. To have him on the defensive end and play as many minutes as he did is huge.”
Montana’s coach rotated his guards almost like a hockey coach bringing in a new line. DeCuire’s first substitution came less than four minutes into the game, subbing Dunn for Oguine. Less than a minute later, Bobby Moorehead and Wright came in for Pridgett and Rorie. Three minutes later, Oguine, Pridgett and Rorie were back on the court with Wright and freshman forward Jared Samuelson.
“We’ve got a lot of guys who deserve to play and I don’t see any reason why I wouldn’t put them on the floor,” DeCuire said. “We’re going to continue to use our depth and continue to figure out some chemistry and rotations that play well together. Eventually we’re going to become a better basketball team and the team we want to be late in the year.”
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Photos by Jason Bacaj, Skyline Sports. All Rights Reserved.
