Montana Basketball: 2018-19 season preview for the Grizzlies
By TJ Miller
Projected Starters
Ahmaad Rorie
The undisputed leader of last year’s 26 win team, Rorie is arguably the best returning player in the conference. Rorie has averaged at least 17 ppg in his last two seasons after transferring from Oregon and earned first team all-conference honors last season. He’s an extremely intelligent player, capable of impacting every game in a multitude of ways. Rorie may stand at just 6’1 but knows how to free himself for quality shots, and on the defensive side he often guards taller players with great success. He is every coach’s dream – a star player with an extraordinary work rate and a selfless demeanor. Coach DeCuire has to feel great about his team with having Rorie as a senior leader.
Michael Oguine
Oguine has explosive energy. He’s ranked just behind Rorie in scoring with 15.8 ppg and his remarkable defense earned him the Big Sky defensive player of the year award last season. Like Rorie, Oguine is a very difficult player to guard. He has the ability to knock down outside shots, but his real bread and butter are exploding to the paint and finishing at the rim. Oguine likes to go through contact as he led Montana in free throws attempted. Rorie and Oguine are simply the best backcourt duo in the league give the Grizzlies one of the better backcourts in the nation.
Sayeed Pridgett
Pridgett mostly came off the bench for Montana last year but could potentially find himself as a starter this season. He was able to average 8.4 ppg on just over 22 minutes a game. Pridgett isn’t much of long-range shooter but can knock down the (lost art) mid-range jumper and get to the rim with consistency. If you watched Pridgett last season you got the sense he understands his role perfectly, another testament to the excellent work of Coach DeCuire.
Bobby Moorehead
One of the things that made Montana so consistent last season was its ability to balance athletic perimeter play with efficient long-range shooting. Moorehead will return as probably Montana’s go to three-point shooter. Over 2/3 of his shot attempts came from beyond the arc, yet standing at 6’7, he also averaged over 5 rpg making him a tough cover. Moorehead averaged 30 minutes a game and could see that increase with the graduation of Fabijan Krslovic.
Jamar Akoh
He led the team in rebounds and will return as the Grizzlies key big man. Akoh averaged 12.8 ppg and 6.6 rpg as a big bodied 6’8 power forward with a nice touch. Montana will need good production from Akoh once again given that he is really the only big on this team that returns with experience. It will be interesting to see who steps up for Coach DeCuire when Akoh isn’t on the floor. Regardless, Akoh will be heavily relied on for this year.
Key Contributors
Timmy Falls
Falls served as the utility man during his freshman campaign. The 6’2 guard played 17 minutes a game for the Grizzlies giving instant defense and coming up with timely buckets. He is a player that will be called upon again this season and definitely in 2019-20.
Donaven Dorsey
Dorsey is a transfer from Washington and should see significant time after finally getting healthy. He is listed as a 6’7 guard and while it’s hard to say how exactly Dorsey will fit into Montana’s rotation, at the very least he can be another perimeter player to give this team added versatility.