The Big Sky Conference has been competitive at the top of the league for a long time. The league boasts one of the game’s most prolific winners with Weber State. The Big Sky also has been home to some of the biggest upsets in NCAA history and was home to Damian Lillard. The Big Sky is also home to one of most consistent mid-major teams over the last two decades. The Montana Grizzlies have been the class of the league over the last 20 seasons. The Grizzlies have accounted for seven out of the 20 NCAA tournament appearances for the league over that time.
This season looks to be another good one for head coach Travis DeCuire and the Montana Grizzlies. They likely won’t win the league but will be a major player at the top of the league. The Grizzlies have a player who is primed for a breakout and ready to take his game to the next level. The Big Sky is loaded with talent, but this player has the ability to be the best player in the league and take Montana to the next level and help close the gap between them and the best team in the league the Montana State Bobcats.
The Grizzlies return a good portion of their roster from a season ago and bolstered it in the transfer portal. The best player from that team, Josh Bannan returns and hopes to take his game to the next level and help Montana finish in the top two of the Big Sky. Either way, the league is going to run through the state of Montana this year. If Bannan has a typical year the Grizzlies have a great chance to provide a lot of competition at the top of the league.
Why you should know Josh Bannan
The Australian big man is one of the most unknown players in the country. It is no surprise that Montana, or for that matter the Big Sky conference is not easy to find on cable. They are usually on a subscription service, which is a shame given that the league does have a tremendous amount of talent. Bannan is next in the long line of players who played in the Big South to have a successful pro career in the G League or NBA.
The big man was a second-team all-conference selection last year and he probably should have been a first-team member given the offensive and defensive numbers he put up last year. He was the only player in the league to have averages of 17 points and at least 8 rebounds. He averaged 8.2 rebounds per game last year to go along with that 17 points per game. His season averages for scoring were two points lower at 15 points per game over the season. Those numbers were still enough for the Australian to lead the Grizzlies in scoring.
The big man is extremely efficient from the floor as he shoots a tad under 50% for his career from the floor and 80% from the free throw line. He is a great scorer and is the key to all game plans for all their opponents. If Bannan has an off night, it is going to be a struggle for the Grizzlies to compete.
The big man is primed for a breakout season this year, but many may argue that his breakout came last year. Last season he saw his points per game average jump by a full seven points, but his usage rating also took a significant jump as well. In addition to that, the big man unleashed a part of his game that was not there during his freshman campaign. He showed a significant ability to step out and hit three-pointers. He still doesn’t take many shots from the outside, but he takes enough to be a threat from deep.
Bannan is already a great defender and was one of the top shot blockers in the Big Sky conference as well as the top rebounder. The big man is a well-rounded star who has yet to reach his ceiling.
Expectations for Josh Bannan in 2022-23
The Grizzlies have won at least 15 games and have yet to have a losing record under current coach Decuire. They have finished in the top half of the league every time over the last 8 seasons. The fans in Missoula have grown to expect this out of their program, and that is the expectation every season. The goals are almost always met, and this season with the transfer portal additions that is going to be a reasonable goal again. Many are going to have co-champions in the Big Sky this year with Montana being one of those teams.
The junior big man is a huge reason for those expectations this year as he can be on the first team all-conference. It was a huge surprise last season how Bannan played, and he should have been honored with the first team all-conference, especially considering that he was second in the league in rebounding and shooting percentage. He also averaged near a double-double in conference play. Those are things that should warrant first-team consideration.
This year he is going to get put on that team, Bannan can win the player of the year in the league, but it will be a tall task as the preseason list is stacked with talent. If Bannan repeats his season from last year he will get his dues.
I have mentioned it a few times, but the big man is going to have a lot of extra help this year, especially in the front court. The Grizzlies went shopping in the transfer portal and were able to land former Colorado State Ram Dischon Thomas. Thomas is going to be in a score-first role with the Grizzlies and he is a great shooter from deep and will get many more chances with Montana.
The other transfer is a familiar face in the big sky as former Southern Utah guard Aanan Moody moved further north to Missoula to finish out his college career. These two players on top of the rest of what Montana has returning are going to take the pressure off Bannan to be the sole source of the offense. The Grizzlies are going to be a force in the Big Sky this year, especially in their front court.