22-Matt Martin
Guard, 6-foot, 193 pounds
2006-07: Was the team's fifth leading scorer (6.7 ppg) and one of four players who played in all 32 games ... Scored a career-high 28 points in a 90-86 overtime win at home against Weber State, making 7-of-10 3-pointers ... Ranked 12th in the Big Sky in 3-point percentage (37.4) and 3-pointers made a game (1.53).
Coach Wayne Tinkle says: “He's shown us a lot of maturity this offseason. He's really turned the spotlight and shined it on his teammates. Matt's nice and relaxed this year. He feels like there's no burden on him to prove his value to our team. One thing we told Matt, it's not his statistics that matter all that much for us this year, but his leadership and his decision making. That's going to free up his mind and allow him to play that much more effectively.”
34-Andrew Strait
Center, 6-foot-8, 245 pounds
Hometown: Yakima, Wash.
2006-07: Made 196-of-321 field goal attempts (61.1 percent), which ranked him 15th in the nation ... Led the Grizzlies in scoring (15.0 ppg) and rebounding (tied with Jordan Hasquet at 6.4 a game) ... Received UM's Allan Nielsen Award (Best Represents Griz Basketball) ... Averaged a team-best 7.6 rebounds in Big Sky games ... A second team all-conference selection.
Coach Wayne Tinkle says: “We're looking forward to a big year out of Andrew, both from a statistic standpoint and his leadership. He's seen and done a lot in his three years and has really earned the respect of his teammates. I think if he can be a little bit more vocal for us, it would be a real positive. We've challenged him on the defensive end and on the glass to become more productive. It's great knowing he's a go-to guy on offense.”
Juniors
11-Ceylon Elgin-Taylor
Guard, 6-foot-2, 185 pounds
Hometown: Los Angeles
Junior college: A two-year starter at Irvine Valley Junior College, where he was first team all-conference both seasons ... Averaged 14.0 points and 4.0 assists as a sophomore and 11.0 points and 5.0 assists his freshman year.
Coach Wayne Tinkle says: “When Sean Watson left two weeks into the year I really thought it was going to hurt us on the perimeter. I wasn't that familiar with Ceylon, but he's been a real steady force for us. He's only taken a few shots in our first exhibition games, but he's dished the ball out well and been a staple on defense. He's going to figure into the mix and play an awful lot of minutes for us at the point guard position.”
2-Jordan Hasquet
Forward, 6-foot-9, 245 pounds
Hometown: Missoula
2006-07: A first team all-Big Sky pick and a finalist for the league's Player of the Year award ... Named UM's Carl Dragstedt Award winner, given to the team's Most Valuable Player ... Tied for the team lead in rebounds with 6.4 a game, which was ninth best in the conference ... Scored in double figures in 24 games, the second most on the team.
Coach Wayne Tinkle says: “Coming off being named first team all-Big Sky, he really worked his tail off this offseason. He's improved his quickness, which will hopefully allow him to defend on the perimeter. He has also set the tone with his work ethic. He's hands down the hardest worker on the team. He's become a warrior. One thing he does is put too much pressure on himself to score and make plays. He just needs to let the offense come to him.”
Jack McGillis
Forward, 6-foot-6, 210 pounds
Hometown: Missoula
At Oregon State: Will redshirt this season as a transfer from Oregon State. Was a two-year letterman for the Beavers who made seven starts ... Was sixth on the team in scoring at OSU (11-21) last season, averaging 5.7 points a game, playing in all 32 contests and starting in six ... Scored a career-high 24 points in an 84-80 overtime loss at Cal ... Played in 60 career games at OSU and had 234 points and 96 rebounds.
Coach Wayne Tinkle says: “We're very excited about his future. He really brings a neat characteristic to this team with added toughness. We've thrown him at the power forward position sometimes in practice and he doesn't miss a beat. He's just a relentless worker, who scraps. He's been on the floor chasing loose balls more than anyone else. He can shoot the ball, get to the rim and he's a great teammate. He's going to help us this year ... get better everyday in practice.”
40-Kyle Sharp
Forward, 6-foot-7, 220 pounds
Hometown: Hollister, Calif.
2006-07: Played in 29 games and started in two ... Was second on the team in field goal percentage (50.8) and averaged 3.1 points a game ... Scored a career-high 14 points against South Dakota State, going 4-of-4 from the field and 5-of-7 from the line ... Had a career-best seven rebounds in his only league start of the season at MSU.
Coach Wayne Tinkle says: “Kyle's just really impressed us. He's playing with such a high level of confidence right now. He's pushing himself harder. With his Type I diabetes, it's pretty scary at times when a guy hits the wall. You don't want to try to break him down to break through that. Kyle's done that himself. He's gone above and beyond and I think he's starting to see some horizons that he thought maybe weren't possible in the past. It's going to open a whole new world to him.”
20-Greg Spurgetis
Guard, 6-foot-4, 175 pounds
Hometown: Spokane, Wash.
2006-07: Played in nine games and three Big Sky contests ... Was voted the co-recipient of the Naseby Rhinehart Award (Most Inspirational), sharing it with senior forward Mike Chavez ... Had career highs of six points, four assists, two rebounds, and 11 minutes against MSU-Northern.
Coach Wayne Tinkle says: “We're glad to have Greg back in the fold. He brings his hard-hat everyday to practice. We told Greg he was going to have to improve his ballhandling and his defensive consistency, and he's done that. There's going to come a point where he's going to have to contribute some minutes and I know he'll be ready. He's a great teammate and a great kid.”
Sophomores
1-Cameron Rundles
Guard, 6-foot-1, 190 pounds
Hometown: Minneapolis
2006-07: Started in 23 games, including 15 of 16 league contests ... Voted the Big Sky Conference's Freshman of the Year ... Fourth on the team in scoring at 8.3 points a game ... Shot a team-high 47.8 percent from 3-point range, which ranked him second in the Big Sky ... Scored a career-high 23 points at home against Northern Arizona.
Coach Wayne Tinkle says: “He's another guy who's a high-level player. Now that we're moving from the exhibition season to the games that count, he's got to pick the intensity level up for us and I know he will. He's a true competitor and hates to lose. I know when those lights turn on for real, he's going to respond. Now that he's going to be on the top of people's scouting reports, if he has a similar year statistically, it's going to be a positive because now people are aware of who he is. He wears his emotions on his sleeve and for the most part doesn't let it affect him negatively.”
3-Ryan Staudacher
Guard, 6-foot-3, 210 pounds
Hometown: Kirkland, Wash.
2006-07: Averaged 2.4 points a game ... Attempted 61 shots from the field, 51 of which were 3-pointers ... Shot 50 percent from 3-point range in league, making 10-of-20, while averaging 2.5 points a game ... Scored a career-high nine points at home against Northern Colorado and Montana State.
Coach Wayne Tinkle says: “He's really accepted the challenge of sliding over and playing at the small forward for us a lot. He's gotten himself to be a much better defender. We've talked to him recently about now having to go rebound for us a little bit. Offensively, boy, he's just been shooting lights out. The defense has to know where he is at all times or he's going to hurt you. He's probably our best passer to the post. He really puts a premium on getting the ball inside to the big horses and that's a skill. It's not easy to come by.”
Michael Taylor
Guard, 6-foot-4, 190 pounds
Hometown: Brewster, Wash.
2006-07: Played in all 29 games for Eastern Washington last season and had the third most starts on the team with 25 as a true freshman. Will redshirt this season as a transfer. ... The runner-up (to Rundles) for the Big Sky Conference's Freshman of the Year award ... Was sixth on the team in scoring at 5.7 points per contest ... Scored a career-high 15 points at Portland.
Coach Wayne Tinkle says: “He's a very heady perimeter player. He can play three positions. When he runs the point, he's a smart kid and knows exactly what the coach wants him to do. He's a solid team defender and needs to become better on the ball. He works hard and he's just one of the better kids I think I've ever been around. He's very mature beyond his years, just a delight to have on the team.”
54-Dave Vanderjagt
Center, 7-foot, 245 pounds
Hometown: Townsville, Queensland, Australia
2006-07: Was slowed by an early-season injury and played in just five games ... Scored two points in the games at Northern Arizona and against Northern Colorado ... Had a career-high four rebounds against UNC at home.
Coach Wayne Tinkle says: “Dave was hurt most of the summer, came back and was probably a little behind everybody else. He really worked relentlessly to try to get back into shape, then sprained his ankle a couple weeks ago. The light has really turned on for Dave. If he can stay healthy and continue to improve at the rate that he was, he's going to pay some dividends for us down the road.”
Freshmen
12-Zach Graves
Guard, 6-foot-2, 195 pounds
Hometown: Sacramento, Calif.
2006-07: Redshirted last season. ... Was a three-year letterwinner at John F. Kennedy High School Š A two-time all-city selection Š Won Las Vegas Super 64 Tournament with the Sacramento Classics AAU team.
Coach Wayne Tinkle says: “He's very athletic and can really make some plays off the dribble, as we saw against (Whitman College). We've got to get him to get confident in his little pull-up jumper, little 17-, 18-footers, to set up his ability to penetrate. He's a guy we can stick on a guy who's scoring some points. I think he has the potential to be a lock-down defender. He just needs the experience.”
Tyler Hurley
Wing, 6-foot-6, 200 pounds
Hometown: Anaconda
High school: Earned four letters in basketball and one in cross country at Anaconda ... A three-time all-conference selection in basketball and all-state selection as a senior ... His prep hoops teams won the divisional championship in 2005 and the league title in 2006 ... Averaged 23 points and eight rebounds a game his senior year ... Will redshirt this season.
Coach Wayne Tinkle says: “I'm really impressed with how hard he goes at it every day. It was a concern, maybe some question marks on his toughness coming in, but he's been an absolute joy. Everything we've thrown at him, he grits his teeth and goes about it. He doesn't back down from anybody, whether it be Jack McGillis or Jordan Hasquet. I know if he keeps that mentality and continues to work hard in the weight room, he's going to be a nice player for us down the road.”
44-Brian Qvale
Center, 6-foot-11, 245 pounds
Hometown: Williston, N.D.
High school: Earned 12 letters in four sports at Williston High School: four in both basketball and football, three in baseball, and one in track ... A three-time all-state and all-conference selection in hoops ... Named “Mr. Basketball” and “Male Athlete of the Year” in North Dakota as a senior ... Averaged 21 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists a game his senior year.
Coach Wayne Tinkle says: “He's a legitimate 6-11 shot blocker, something we haven't had in our program for quite some time. He works his tail off and is starting to get more and more confident each night out. What I love about him is that he's like a sponge in practice. When you coach him up, he looks you right in the eye and tries to do what you tell him to the best of his ability. I know, with time, he's going to become quite a force for us, especially once we begin the Big Sky season.”
24-Derek Selvig
Forward, 7-foot, 215 pounds
Hometown: Glendive
High school: Lettered four times in basketball and three times in football at Dawson County High School ... Averaged 21 points, eight rebounds, four blocks, and four assists as a senior ... All-state in hoops as a junior and senior, and a four-time all-conference pick ... Hoops teams won divisional championships his junior and senior seasons, both teams compiling 22-2 records ... His high school coach was his dad, Doug Selvig, a former basketball standout for the Grizzlies.
Coach Wayne Tinkle says: “He's another guy who is very, very skilled. He needs to catch up physically. ... But, boy, he sees the game at a different speed. He's always a step ahead of everybody, on the offensive end especially. He's a guy we're going to have to bring along slowly, but once he adds that size, strength and maturity, he'll be something. He and (Qvale) will be quite a tandem for the next few years.”
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