At least that's the case for the Montana Grizzlies, who take on the University of Great Falls on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. in Dahlberg Arena.
It's the first outing for the Griz against anyone not wearing Maroon & Silver. Montana's only performance “under the lights” came in last week's intrasquad scrimmage. Oregon State transfer Jack McGillis (26 points) and senior guard Matt Martin (24) shined. Martin earned a starting slot against the Argos; McGillis will sit as transfers are not allowed to play in exhibitions, or the rest of the season for that matter.
“They've done well to this point and they're probably our most experienced group,” Montana coach Wayne Tinkle said.
Tinkle was happy with last week's tuneup, an unusually crisp affair for a scrimmage.
“I was excited with the way we played in the second half,” Tinkle said. “There was a lot more intensity, especially defensively. Every year it's kind of the case in the first scrimmage. Everyone wants to do well on the offensive end and impress the crowd; defense is an afterthought. We talked to the guys at halftime and they responded.”
The NAIA Great Falls Argos, picked to finish last in the Frontier, are something of a mystery to the Griz.
“We're trying to get an idea of how they like to play,” Tinkle said. “They have nine new players.”
Cory Brothers, a 6-foot-7 senior from Havre who played for MSU-Northern last season, led the Argos with 25 points in the win over Multnomah.
There are some familiar names among the 27 listed on the Argos' roster on the school's Web site. Among those are sophomore Josh Volinkaty of Frenchtown, sophomore Trevor Fehr of Corvallis, and senior Jason Goodman of Great Falls Russell.
“We'll obviously want to come in and set the tone defensively,” Tinkle said. “We'll hope we're sharp and crisp. We'll have to make some adjustments on the fly once we see what they want to do.”
Other than McGillis and fellow transfer Michael Taylor (Eastern Washington), everyone is likely to play, although Dave Vanderjagt has only recently come back from a sprained ankle.
“We're going to look at some different combinations and there are some guys on the fence as far as redshirting goes,” Tinkle said. “We'll see how they respond so we can solidify our rotation.”
Montana's final exhibition game is Sunday at 2:05 p.m. against Whitman College.
Sports editor Bob Meseroll can be reached at 523-5265 or at sportsdesk@missoulian.com.
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