BOISE, Idaho — Chris Cobb knew Te’Jon Sawyer was competitive.
But it’s hard to really know when it sinks in for a player what it means to be a Montana Grizzly. Especially when that young man came to Missoula from the junior college ranks as a D-I bounce-back who was making his third college stop in as many years.
Following Montana’s 85-70 loss to rival Montana State in the Big Sky Conference Tournament championship game in 2024, it became instantly apparent just how much this all meant to Sawyer.
He was coming off a solid season that saw him average 8.5 points and 3.1 rebounds in 17 minutes per game. But he played just seven minutes in that championship game loss as Montana’s senior-heavy team — four of UM’s five senior starters played 37 minutes or more — endured a Montana State avalanche.
In the locker room after the game, most of the Griz players knew their time was coming to an end (UM elected to play in the College Basketball Invite, so they competed twice more after the Big Sky chipper). But in the aftermath of defeat, Sawyer said something that stuck with Cobb and the Griz coaching staff.
“He made a powerful statement after we lost that championship game to Montana State. He said, ‘It’s not going to happen on my watch. This won’t happen again next year,’” Cobb said last week, shortly before Sawyer and the Griz open the 2026 Big Sky Tournament against Northern Colorado. “And that was really cool because he played his best basketball at the end of January, February, March last year and helped guide us back to the NCAA Tournament.”
Sawyer was as good as his word. The Griz swept the ‘Cats, went 15-3 in Big Sky play, then rolled to the Big Sky tourney title, capping the march back to the NCAA Tournament with a thrilling 91-83 win over Northern Colorado in which the Griz shot 65 percent as a team.
“His focus and his spirit as a competitor was locked in the whole season,” Cobb said. “He’s been a great person to have in the locker room.”
Last year was supposed to be it for Sawyer. He graduated from Salesian College Prep in the Bay Area after earning Tri-County Rock League MVP honors in 2020. He spent two seasons at Cal Baptist, averaging 3.1 points and 2.3 rebounds per game.
Then he spent a season at San Francisco Community College, earning JUCO All-American honors by averaging 15.1 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.
A new precedent has been set. Because he played a season in 2021 that was still somewhat affected by the pandemic – and more importantly, because junior college eligibility does not count toward an athlete’s NCAA clock anymore (at least in most cases) Sawyer had another year.
Although he had a solid campaign last season — he averaged 9.4 points and 4.1 rebounds per game while making 33 starts — he battled an injury that ultimately required surgery. He had to make the decision if he wanted to fight his way back into playing shape for one more run at the NCAA Tournament.
“It’s the support system I have here,” Sawyer said when asked about his decision to come back to Montana. “We have a lot of California on the coaching staff. The background, the connection I have with the coaches, the support system this school has shown me, even through my injury, they’ve had my back the whole time. We have high trust.
“It goes a long way to have that bond. And some of the players, like Money (Williams, also from the Bay), I’ve been knowing him for years. That’s why I stayed.”
The decision to come back has paid off both for Sawyer personally as well as the Griz as a whole. Sawyer has been one of the steadiest big men in the conference. He averaged nearly 12 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. He is shooting 59.5 percent from the floor and 35.8 percent from beyond the arc.
A 6-foot-8, 255-pounder who can stretch the floor is a coveted commodity in the modern game. So Sawyer certainly had options. But he’s evolved into being a steadfast ambassador for the Griz. He’s an affable and engaging young man, a person who loves his status as the elder statesman on the Griz (UM only has two seniors) and one of the faces of the program.
“I think his family is built the right way, they say the right things to him. Because of that and because of where he came from and where he went to high school, he’s all in,” Montana 12th-year head coach Travis DeCuire said. “And there’s a time to be selfish in this day and time. There’s money to be made. There’s roles to be had. And as a senior, when you want to be a professional basketball player, you want for yourself and you should ask for that. And he handled that the right way.
“His approach is focused on winning, success, survival, but he’s also open to information. He allows us to coach him. And that’s why he’ll keep playing.”
Jay Flores, who has been on DeCuire’s staff for a decade, works with the Montana posts. Flores will be the first to tell you that if you’re a post in DeCuire’s system, if “you’re about it and you work,” you’ll get better.
“He didn’t get everything he wanted right away,” Flores said. “We had a lot of good post players in the conference. He had to wait his turn. But if you look at his numbers with what he’s been able to do in conference, it’s been pretty silly.”
It’s the efficiency that is most impressive. Sawyer shot 59.9 percent from the floor in conference play, leading the league by a wide margin. He shot 39.8 percent from beyond the arc and 70 percent from the free throw line, both eye-popping numbers for a player of his stature.
“You gotta respect his loyalty,” Portland State head coach Jase Coburn said. “A lot of times, you have to persevere through things. I know he has been hurt in the past. To be resilient enough to come back from multiple years off of injuries, I totally respect that and I respect the fact that he stayed there. Montana has a tradition in the program. They had some guys leave. But Sawyer has been a staple in their program for years. He’s definitely a part of that Montana tradition for sure.”
Sawyer has had some impressive showings in league play. He scored 27 points on 11-of-13 shooting in an early season win over Northern Arizona. He scored 31 points on 13-of-16 shooting (including 5-of-7 from beyond the arc) in a mid-January loss at Sac State. He went 9-of-16 for 22 points in a loss to Montana State.
“Ton of respect for Sawyer,” Montana State head coach Matt Logie said. “He’s a guy who has really anchored their front court for the last three years. He was a big cog that first year. He’s a low-post scorer they can count on in crunch time. He makes free throws. He’s become a reliable 3-point shooter and he can spread the floor. His veteran leadership has been impressive to see from afar.”
On Monday evening, a battle between two of the most experienced bigs in the conference will certainly influence the way Montana’s rematch with Northern Colorado plays out. The Griz drilled the Bears 88-77 in the second Big Sky game of the season but UNC routed Montana 85-57 a week ago.
Sawyer will match up with Brock Wisne, Northern Colorado’s 6-foot-9, 250-pound senior center. Wisne had 22 points & eight rebounds in UNC’s loss in Missoula but just three points last time out. He’s battled with Sawyer plenty – Monday night will mark their eighth time playing against one another.
“He’s a strong guy, someone that is skilled and has developed his outside shot,” Wisne said. “He is shooting great this year. I have really enjoyed playing against him. Last year, we battled a lot. Big games and down to the championship even. Those types of matchups are the ones I look forward to. He’s tough, gritty, will be physical down low. That’s what gets me excited to compete, is matchups against those types of great players.”
Sawyer kept true to his word by not letting rivalry losses or championship game disappointments happen last year. This year, the Griz have had plenty of ups, downs and perplexing losses. Montana swept regular-season champion Portland State but also lost six home games this winter, including to NAIA Montana Tech.
But Monday brings new life. And Sawyer is ready to embrace it.
“Our coaches have given us the secret sauce to win every night,” Sawyer said. “Play hard every game, share the ball and don’t turn it over. If we do that, we will win every game. That deciding factor is on us to be more consistent and play to our level of competition.”
When DeCuire, Cobb and Flores talk about Sawyer, they all reference his personal growth as much as his diversified skill set as a player. In the ever-changing world of college basketball, the development of a young man is often pushed to the wayside. Not so with UM’s sixth-year big man.
“He allows us to coach him in life and he allows us to coach him on the floor,” DeCuire said. “You see a guy that’s grown every aspect of his life and his time here. You’ve seen a young man grow and have a ton of success.
“Those are the ones you want to win the tournament for.”
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