Montana Grizzlies (21-11, 12-4)
Projected starting five:
Jr. G Will Cherry
Sr. G Jordan Wood
So. G/F Kareem Jamar
Sr. F Art Steward
Sr. F/C Derek Selvig
Important departures:
Brian Qvale: 14.9 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 3.0 blocks per game
Top returnees:
Cherry: 14.1 ppg, 4.3 apg, 2.7 steals per game
Selvig: 10.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 39 3-pointers made per game
Steward: 8.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg
Additions:
Fr. G/F Kevin Henderson (22.5 ppg, nine rpg, 2.4 steals per game, ranks top three in school history in points, rebounds, steals, field goals and 3-pointers)
Fr. G Jordan Gregory (27 ppg, 5 apg, 4.5 steals per game)
Schedule highlights:
Toughest nonconference match up: Long Beach State.
Hardest conference stretch: home against Northern Arizona, Montana State and Weber State in six-day span to end regular season.
Outlook:
Wayne Tinkle’s team rode Anthony Johnson’s shooting to a Big Sky championship and NCAA berth two years ago and reached the title game again with a balanced frontcourt-loaded attack in 2011. Gone is the key cog in that attack – Brian Qvale – but Derek Selvig, a 7-foot, 230-pound center who led the team in 3-pointers (39) returns. You read that right: a 7-footer that can shoot the three. Sophomore Will Cherry took over the point guard role and played masterfully, finishing with nearly a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio (128 assists, 68 turnovers). Four different guards started between 15 and 18 games alongside Cherry in a two-guard, one-wing, two-post rotation, so if Tinkle decides to put out a traditional 1-2-2 lineup, there are plenty of capable takers at shooting guard. Selvig’s penchant for the 3 (39 percent of total shots were from beyond the arc) will also work wonders, especially in drawing out bigger defenders.
