Saturday, February 4
Bozeman, MT
7:00 PM
Montana State University
vs
MONTANA
Xavier Blount and the Bobcats face Montana on Saturday
Photo by: Kelly Gorham
Bobcats Host Grizzlies Saturday in Worthington Arena
2/4/2012 11:09:00 AM | Men's Basketball
MSU faces challenge from experienced UM squad
In a quick 48-hour turnaround, Montana State prepares for one of its toughest challenges of the season when it hosts Montana at 7:05 pm in Worthington Arena on Saturday.
MSU Game Notes vs. UM
The Bobcats dropped an 87-86 overtime contest to Idaho State on Thursday, but the presence of Saturday's game forced the Bobcats to deal with the disappointment and put it aside quickly. “We got back to work (Friday), and our focus is on Montana,” said MSU coach Brad Huse.
The Grizzlies bring the league's top scoring and shooting defenses into Saturday's game, which they hope will boost them back into a tie with Weber State. UM rides the strength of a host of experienced and versatile players, the poster boy for which is seven-footer Derek Selvig. UM's senior center is among the Big Sky leaders in rebounding (6.1 per game), assists (2.6), blocked shots (0.9) and three-point shooting (42.1%).
That wide array of skills has befuddled opponents for years, and creates major matchup problems, Huse said. “He can impact a game in so many ways it's hard to deal with him. If you take something away from him, he'll find another way to hurt you.”
That can be said for the entire Montana team. While guard Will Cherry is the unquestioned team leader, standing third in the league in scoring (15.1), sixth in assists (3.6), eighth in assist-to-turnover ratio (+1.1) and first in steals (2.4), several other Grizzlies make significant contributions. Kareem Jamar averages 13.1 points and 5.3 rebounds a game, while Mathias Ward (10.4) Art Steward (9.1) have each averaged around double-digits in scoring most of the year.
The Bobcats also boast a balanced offensive attack, but efficiency and consistency have been problems. “We need to keep turnovers low, which we've done at times this year,” Huse said. “We need to keep (Montana) off the offensive glass the best we can. We need to execute on offense, move the ball, and get it to good spots on the floor. We've done all of those things at times this year, but we need to do them for more of the time.”
The junior college tandem of Xavier Blount and Christian Moon have provided the Bobcats a huge lift this year, with Blount attacking the paint and Moon providing a deep threat. The two combined for 46 points against Idaho State Thursday, and Blount has found Worthington Arena to his liking this year, averaging over 18 points in his home games.
Whatever happens Saturday night, Huse knows the team's ultimate reward won't come in February. “We want to win each game, but we also want to be playing our best basketball in March. The only path to the NCAA Tournament out of our league historically is to win the Big Sky Tournament. That is our ultimate goal.”
After Saturday's game, Montana State travels to Sacramento State on Thursday and Northern Colorado on Saturday.
MSU Game Notes vs. UM
The Bobcats dropped an 87-86 overtime contest to Idaho State on Thursday, but the presence of Saturday's game forced the Bobcats to deal with the disappointment and put it aside quickly. “We got back to work (Friday), and our focus is on Montana,” said MSU coach Brad Huse.
The Grizzlies bring the league's top scoring and shooting defenses into Saturday's game, which they hope will boost them back into a tie with Weber State. UM rides the strength of a host of experienced and versatile players, the poster boy for which is seven-footer Derek Selvig. UM's senior center is among the Big Sky leaders in rebounding (6.1 per game), assists (2.6), blocked shots (0.9) and three-point shooting (42.1%).
That wide array of skills has befuddled opponents for years, and creates major matchup problems, Huse said. “He can impact a game in so many ways it's hard to deal with him. If you take something away from him, he'll find another way to hurt you.”
That can be said for the entire Montana team. While guard Will Cherry is the unquestioned team leader, standing third in the league in scoring (15.1), sixth in assists (3.6), eighth in assist-to-turnover ratio (+1.1) and first in steals (2.4), several other Grizzlies make significant contributions. Kareem Jamar averages 13.1 points and 5.3 rebounds a game, while Mathias Ward (10.4) Art Steward (9.1) have each averaged around double-digits in scoring most of the year.
The Bobcats also boast a balanced offensive attack, but efficiency and consistency have been problems. “We need to keep turnovers low, which we've done at times this year,” Huse said. “We need to keep (Montana) off the offensive glass the best we can. We need to execute on offense, move the ball, and get it to good spots on the floor. We've done all of those things at times this year, but we need to do them for more of the time.”
The junior college tandem of Xavier Blount and Christian Moon have provided the Bobcats a huge lift this year, with Blount attacking the paint and Moon providing a deep threat. The two combined for 46 points against Idaho State Thursday, and Blount has found Worthington Arena to his liking this year, averaging over 18 points in his home games.
Whatever happens Saturday night, Huse knows the team's ultimate reward won't come in February. “We want to win each game, but we also want to be playing our best basketball in March. The only path to the NCAA Tournament out of our league historically is to win the Big Sky Tournament. That is our ultimate goal.”
After Saturday's game, Montana State travels to Sacramento State on Thursday and Northern Colorado on Saturday.
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