Just a note in bold type below of Montana's practice preparation for game:
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Griz hope to rebound vs. Idaho
By BOB MESEROLL the Missoulian sports editor
Montana men's basketball coach Pat Kennedy figures two things are tripping up his Grizzlies: shooting and rebounding.
What's left, you say?
Well, defense, for one. The Griz are ranked first in the Big Sky in field goal percentage defense, allowing opponents to shoot just 39.3 percent.
Then there's turnovers, where the Griz rank as the third best team in the league in taking care of the ball.
And finally there's free-throw shooting where, despite a 1-for-7 effort in a loss at Washington State Tuesday night, the Griz are first in the league at 74.6 percent.
But the one stat that catches Kennedy's eye is rebounding margin, where the Griz rank dead last, allowing their foes to grab six more boards a game.
"Right now the one thing that's killing us is rebounding,'' said Kennedy, whose Griz host former Big Sky rival Idaho on Thursday. "Our defensive field goal percentage is No. 1, our free throw shooting is No. 1; we're not that far away. But we're at the bottom of every rebounding stat in the conference.''
Rebounding was telling in the Grizzlies' 73-61 loss at Washington State on Tuesday. The Cougars had 46 rebounds; the Griz 29.
"We've got to concentrate on team rebounding, that's the one glaring area,'' Kennedy said.
Shooting the ball a little better wouldn't hurt either, Kennedy said. The Griz are shooting 40 percent from the field as a team. Senior David Bell, the team's leading scorer, has had trouble finding the range of late. Bell is 14-for-53 (26 percent) from the field in his last four games.
"One of our strengths is we've got some guys who can shoot it,'' Kennedy said. "The nights when we outrebound a team and get our shooting percentage up, that's when we'll win some games.''
The Idaho team that visits Missoula Thursday bears little resemblance to the one that beat the Griz 48-47 in an ugly game in Moscow last season. Shooting guard Justin Logan, a 6-foot senior, is the only returning letterman. Second-year coach Leonard Perry stocked the shelves with four junior college transfers.
Tyrone Hayes, a 6-4 junior from Okaloosa-Walton JC in Florida, leads the Vandals in scoring at 15.8 ppg and rebounding at 6.2 rpg. Sophomore point guard Tanoris Shepard is next at 14.0 ppg, followed by Jon Tinnon, a 6-8 junior from Southeastern Community College in Iowa, at 11.0 ppg.
"They might be the quickest team we've played thus far,'' Kennedy said of the Vandals, who are coming off a loss to Big Sky preseason favorite Eastern Washington. "Their team quickness will be what we have to contend with.''
That could be tough for a Griz team that didn't get back to Missoula from Pullman, Wash., until 4 a.m. on Wednesday.
"The kids have been great,'' Kennedy said. "They know it's a very difficult schedule.''
Freshman Mike Chavez went home to Heart Butte on Wednesday due to a death in his family. He'll be back for the game, but might not start, Kennedy said. Ryan Pederson, who had 11 points against WSU, could get the start instead.
"We've got to keep our heads up,'' Kennedy said. "We have to keep the Big Sky as our target, that's what we're shooting for.''
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Griz hope to rebound vs. Idaho
By BOB MESEROLL the Missoulian sports editor
Montana men's basketball coach Pat Kennedy figures two things are tripping up his Grizzlies: shooting and rebounding.
What's left, you say?
Well, defense, for one. The Griz are ranked first in the Big Sky in field goal percentage defense, allowing opponents to shoot just 39.3 percent.
Then there's turnovers, where the Griz rank as the third best team in the league in taking care of the ball.
And finally there's free-throw shooting where, despite a 1-for-7 effort in a loss at Washington State Tuesday night, the Griz are first in the league at 74.6 percent.
But the one stat that catches Kennedy's eye is rebounding margin, where the Griz rank dead last, allowing their foes to grab six more boards a game.
"Right now the one thing that's killing us is rebounding,'' said Kennedy, whose Griz host former Big Sky rival Idaho on Thursday. "Our defensive field goal percentage is No. 1, our free throw shooting is No. 1; we're not that far away. But we're at the bottom of every rebounding stat in the conference.''
Rebounding was telling in the Grizzlies' 73-61 loss at Washington State on Tuesday. The Cougars had 46 rebounds; the Griz 29.
"We've got to concentrate on team rebounding, that's the one glaring area,'' Kennedy said.
Shooting the ball a little better wouldn't hurt either, Kennedy said. The Griz are shooting 40 percent from the field as a team. Senior David Bell, the team's leading scorer, has had trouble finding the range of late. Bell is 14-for-53 (26 percent) from the field in his last four games.
"One of our strengths is we've got some guys who can shoot it,'' Kennedy said. "The nights when we outrebound a team and get our shooting percentage up, that's when we'll win some games.''
The Idaho team that visits Missoula Thursday bears little resemblance to the one that beat the Griz 48-47 in an ugly game in Moscow last season. Shooting guard Justin Logan, a 6-foot senior, is the only returning letterman. Second-year coach Leonard Perry stocked the shelves with four junior college transfers.
Tyrone Hayes, a 6-4 junior from Okaloosa-Walton JC in Florida, leads the Vandals in scoring at 15.8 ppg and rebounding at 6.2 rpg. Sophomore point guard Tanoris Shepard is next at 14.0 ppg, followed by Jon Tinnon, a 6-8 junior from Southeastern Community College in Iowa, at 11.0 ppg.
"They might be the quickest team we've played thus far,'' Kennedy said of the Vandals, who are coming off a loss to Big Sky preseason favorite Eastern Washington. "Their team quickness will be what we have to contend with.''
That could be tough for a Griz team that didn't get back to Missoula from Pullman, Wash., until 4 a.m. on Wednesday.
"The kids have been great,'' Kennedy said. "They know it's a very difficult schedule.''
Freshman Mike Chavez went home to Heart Butte on Wednesday due to a death in his family. He'll be back for the game, but might not start, Kennedy said. Ryan Pederson, who had 11 points against WSU, could get the start instead.
"We've got to keep our heads up,'' Kennedy said. "We have to keep the Big Sky as our target, that's what we're shooting for.''
