Quinton Everett helps anchor the 2016-17 Bobcats
Photo by: Sepp Jannotta
Bobcat Men's Basketball Opens Practice Emphasizing Versatility
9/30/2016 3:02:00 PM | Football
Longer and leaner, MSU looks to play faster in 2016-17
Brian Fish isn't sure what his third Montana State men's basketball team will look like in the midst of college basketball's 18-week grind, but he knows one thing.
"We'll be different," Fish said as his team begins its next step in the process of rebuilding the Bobcats into a championship-caliber program. "We're going to have to play a different way. It's step two in the rebuilding process of this program."
The different way of playing arrives with a different-looking team. Fish sees length and athleticism up and down his roster, particularly with the addition of freshman center Devin Kirby (6-9, 215) and junior college transfers Benson Osayande (6-9, 200) and Joe Mvuezolo (6-6, 200). Those three bring attributes Fish has sought in the process of remaking the MSU program, including "length," "bounce," and the ability to "protect the rim," he says, which "really helps a team defensively. If you have length at the back end you can do some things" on the perimeter.
MSU may not have a 35-minute a game defender that can take pressure off his mates the way graduated point guard Marcus Colbert did, but Fish likes the demeanor of junior college transfer Devonte Klines and freshman Harald Frey. Junior Zach Green's presence as a plus-defender on the outside also allows for defensive development from Tyler Hall. "Marcus did some things last year that made it easier on Tyler," Fish said. "Tyler will need to take on some of that."
Fish hopes the Bobcats' leaner look and improved athleticism in 2016-17 speeds things up. That is likely to begin from Friday's first practice. "We're going to have to establish in the first five days that we're going to play fast and press and get after it," Fish said. "We have to get in our minds that we're going to need to win the little battles to win the big battle."
An increased tempo on both ends of the floor – Fish's preferred style of play, facilitated by morphing personnel style – brings opportunity, Fish says, but it also brings changes. The lack of bulk inside both adds and necessitates versatility inside. " We're still a year away from having the bodies to lean on some people," Fish said, "so in baseball terms we're going to have to be like Greg Maddux. We're going to have to throw the 86 mile-an-hour fast ball, move it high, move it low, because if we throw it down the middle they're going to hit it out."
Osayande and Kirby are MSU's two true inside players, while returning sophomore Sam Neumann adds an inside-out post presence on offense and scrappiness on the defensive end and on the glass. Mvuezolo's length allows him to defend a number of positions, as well.
But two of MSU's strongest inside presences will likely be forbidden fruit this season. Forward Keljin Blevins transfers from Southern Mississippi, where he was a part-time starter for two seasons, and redshirts this year to satisfy NCAA transfer requirements. Konner Frey also transfers to MSU from Utah Valley, where as a walk-on he averaged 14.1 points and 7.1 rebounds. MSU is attempting to gain an exemption to transfer requirements from the NCAA to establish immediate eligibility for a player about which Fish says "I really, really like."
"I gambled a little," Fish said of welcoming the two transfers. "We took two guys who quite honestly I didn't think we could get. I'm happy with them, but the unfortunate thing is they'll probably both be sitting next to me rather than out on the floor. It's a big-picture type thing." Fish said he hopes for clarification on Konner Frey's eligibility sometime in October.
What needs no clarification is the excitement surround Hall. After a freshman season unlike anything seen in Bozeman in nearly 60 years, he enters his sophomore season as one of the top players in the Big Sky Conference. In the last 30 years, only future NBA star Rodney Stuckey'726 points eclipses Hall's 578 among Big Sky Freshman of the Year award winners, and Stuckey played as a redshirt freshman in 2005-06. Hall's 163 rebounds stands as second-most in that group.
Aside what Hall accomplishes on the floor, Fish is pleased with the developing leadership core anchored by Hall and Green. "I liked the step our leadership has made. There's some comfortability between them and myself in what we need done and my expectations. We'll lean on those guys for heavy minutes and we'll need even more production than we got out of them last year, and they were pretty productive a year ago."
Senior wing Quinton Everett is another anchor of that leadership group, and Fish is pleased with his development during the last six months or so. "I think Q (Quinton Everett) has matured as much as any player I've been around in a long time," Fish said.
Fish said that the key for this year's Bobcats, not just during October but over the next several months, is continued improvement. "I like what we can do. We've got to develop some guys. Harald's got to come along, Devonte's got to come along, we've got to get the bigs inside to come along. So there's a lot of development. When you focus on the narrow view it's daunting, but if you look big picture it's setting us up for a nice run soon."
Fish, though, looks forward to the process. "It's a fun group to be around. I've enjoyed them. We've got a group of guys that love basketball, and that includes the two guys that aren't playing (on the varsity this year)."
"We'll be different," Fish said as his team begins its next step in the process of rebuilding the Bobcats into a championship-caliber program. "We're going to have to play a different way. It's step two in the rebuilding process of this program."
The different way of playing arrives with a different-looking team. Fish sees length and athleticism up and down his roster, particularly with the addition of freshman center Devin Kirby (6-9, 215) and junior college transfers Benson Osayande (6-9, 200) and Joe Mvuezolo (6-6, 200). Those three bring attributes Fish has sought in the process of remaking the MSU program, including "length," "bounce," and the ability to "protect the rim," he says, which "really helps a team defensively. If you have length at the back end you can do some things" on the perimeter.
MSU may not have a 35-minute a game defender that can take pressure off his mates the way graduated point guard Marcus Colbert did, but Fish likes the demeanor of junior college transfer Devonte Klines and freshman Harald Frey. Junior Zach Green's presence as a plus-defender on the outside also allows for defensive development from Tyler Hall. "Marcus did some things last year that made it easier on Tyler," Fish said. "Tyler will need to take on some of that."
Fish hopes the Bobcats' leaner look and improved athleticism in 2016-17 speeds things up. That is likely to begin from Friday's first practice. "We're going to have to establish in the first five days that we're going to play fast and press and get after it," Fish said. "We have to get in our minds that we're going to need to win the little battles to win the big battle."
An increased tempo on both ends of the floor – Fish's preferred style of play, facilitated by morphing personnel style – brings opportunity, Fish says, but it also brings changes. The lack of bulk inside both adds and necessitates versatility inside. " We're still a year away from having the bodies to lean on some people," Fish said, "so in baseball terms we're going to have to be like Greg Maddux. We're going to have to throw the 86 mile-an-hour fast ball, move it high, move it low, because if we throw it down the middle they're going to hit it out."
Osayande and Kirby are MSU's two true inside players, while returning sophomore Sam Neumann adds an inside-out post presence on offense and scrappiness on the defensive end and on the glass. Mvuezolo's length allows him to defend a number of positions, as well.
But two of MSU's strongest inside presences will likely be forbidden fruit this season. Forward Keljin Blevins transfers from Southern Mississippi, where he was a part-time starter for two seasons, and redshirts this year to satisfy NCAA transfer requirements. Konner Frey also transfers to MSU from Utah Valley, where as a walk-on he averaged 14.1 points and 7.1 rebounds. MSU is attempting to gain an exemption to transfer requirements from the NCAA to establish immediate eligibility for a player about which Fish says "I really, really like."
"I gambled a little," Fish said of welcoming the two transfers. "We took two guys who quite honestly I didn't think we could get. I'm happy with them, but the unfortunate thing is they'll probably both be sitting next to me rather than out on the floor. It's a big-picture type thing." Fish said he hopes for clarification on Konner Frey's eligibility sometime in October.
What needs no clarification is the excitement surround Hall. After a freshman season unlike anything seen in Bozeman in nearly 60 years, he enters his sophomore season as one of the top players in the Big Sky Conference. In the last 30 years, only future NBA star Rodney Stuckey'726 points eclipses Hall's 578 among Big Sky Freshman of the Year award winners, and Stuckey played as a redshirt freshman in 2005-06. Hall's 163 rebounds stands as second-most in that group.
Aside what Hall accomplishes on the floor, Fish is pleased with the developing leadership core anchored by Hall and Green. "I liked the step our leadership has made. There's some comfortability between them and myself in what we need done and my expectations. We'll lean on those guys for heavy minutes and we'll need even more production than we got out of them last year, and they were pretty productive a year ago."
Senior wing Quinton Everett is another anchor of that leadership group, and Fish is pleased with his development during the last six months or so. "I think Q (Quinton Everett) has matured as much as any player I've been around in a long time," Fish said.
Fish said that the key for this year's Bobcats, not just during October but over the next several months, is continued improvement. "I like what we can do. We've got to develop some guys. Harald's got to come along, Devonte's got to come along, we've got to get the bigs inside to come along. So there's a lot of development. When you focus on the narrow view it's daunting, but if you look big picture it's setting us up for a nice run soon."
Fish, though, looks forward to the process. "It's a fun group to be around. I've enjoyed them. We've got a group of guys that love basketball, and that includes the two guys that aren't playing (on the varsity this year)."
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