- from “Maud Muller,” by John Greenleaf Whittier
John Greenleaf Whittier never saw the Montana Grizzlies play basketball, but the 19th century poet might have penned the most fitting epitaph for their 2007-08 season.
“We were right there,” said Wayne Tinkle, who closed out his second season as Griz head coach with a 31-31 career mark. “It could've been a 20-win season and who knows what would've happened going down the stretch.
“The lesson we have to learn is why we didn't and try to address those issues in the offseason and try to make sure when we're in those positions again we close those games out.”
The close losses were the hallmark of a frustrating season for the Griz. Picked to finish either first or second in the preseason polls, the Griz finished tied for fifth in the Big Sky Conference final standings.
A disheartening 108-56 loss to league champion Portland State in their final home game sent the Griz on the road for a quarterfinal in the league tournament. Idaho State ended Montana's season with a 67-65 win in Pocatello.
Along the way there were encouraging wins over Colorado State and Air Force, as well as a respectable loss to top 25 team Washington State. There was also a stretch in which the Griz dropped nine of 11 games, two in overtime and two others by a single point.
There were plenty of individual milestones. When senior Matt Martin logged his 1,000th career point late in the season, he joined classmate Andrew Strait and junior Jordan Hasquet in that elite club. It was the first time in UM history that three 1,000-point scorers were on the floor at the same time.
Strait finished his career as one of only three Griz - Larry Krystkowiak and Tinkle were the others - to ever score at least 1,500 points and grab 700 rebounds. He finished with 1,617 points and 721 boards.
Martin finished his career as the second most prolific 3-point shooter in Griz history with 214, just four behind leader Kevin Criswell.
And with 1,078 career points, Hasquet already ranks 16th on the career list and is poised to move into the top five with a strong senior season.
While the Griz will miss Strait and Martin, several younger players showed promise for filling their shoes.
Freshman Brian Qvale had worked his way into the starting lineup before being slowed by an ankle sprain late in the season. Sophomore Ryan Staudacher, as pure a shooter as the Griz have had in quite some time, averaged double digits in scoring during conference season. And junior Ceylon Elgin-Taylor grew into the starting point guard's role, one of the big question marks when the season began.
Two weeks after their final game, Tinkle is still puzzled about the Grizzlies' troubles at crunch time.
“Boy, I'm still searching for that answer,” Tinkle said.
It wasn't a lack of effort, either in practice or games, he said.
“I know by everybody being on the same page and having each other's backs and having the proper attitude when you're in those positions, those intangibles are what can get you over the hump,” Tinkle said. “We didn't always have those things.”
Three players - Cam Rundles, Zach Graves and Dave Vanderjagt - asked to be released from their scholarships after the season. Those defections could go a long way toward clearing up chemistry problems while also freeing up three scholarships to address immediate needs.
“It's one of those situations where we wish them well, but we want to have a group of guys who are on page with us moving forward,” Tinkle said. “They were all great kids and we'll miss the impact they had as far as carrying themselves with pride, but we've got to find a way to bring in a little more talent and a little more toughness.”
The high points of the season, for Tinkle, weren't particular wins.
“It was the fact that we went through some hard times and our guys never folded up,” Tinkle said. “For the most part our guys hung in there and practiced hard every day. I thought we did a good job as a staff at keeping our guys positive and motivated and I credit our guys for not ever falling apart.”
The low point was the aforementioned 52-point loss to Portland State.
“With the guys' performance against Northern Colorado two nights earlier, I thought we were poised to really play well and build momentum going into the tournament,” Tinkle said. “That didn't happen and that was a tough pill to swallow.”
Replacing Strait and Martin won't be easy. The duo combined to play in 243 games - starting 167 - in their four-year careers. They combined for 34 percent of the team's offense this season and 27 percent of its rebounds.
“Andrew, his stability and knowing night in and night out what he was going to give us, we lose that,” Tinkle said. “Matt was the Energizer Bunny that we knew could spark us at any moment. Their overall experience we'll miss. We're very excited about what we have coming back and coming in, but it takes some time to make up for that loss of experience on the court.”
In addition to the six players returning from this year's team, the Griz will add redshirts Jack McGillis, Michael Taylor, Derek Selvig and Tyler Hurley. McGillis, the Missoula Hellgate product, played two years at Oregon State before returning to Missoula, while Taylor played one season at Eastern Washington. Selvig and Hurley will be redshirt freshmen next season.
“Jack McGillis is not only a very talented player, but he's going to be a leader on the floor,” Tinkle said. “That's one thing we've missed since the departure of a couple of kids a couple of years back and that's going to spread. Michael Taylor brings that and Brian Qvale will continue to develop that toughness. Derek Selvig really came on the last five weeks of the season and turned the corner.”
That should take some of the burden off of Hasquet, who at times looked worn down by the end of the season.
“I think Jordan Hasquet knows now that he's going to have some guys out there every day playing as hard as he does,” Tinkle said.
The Griz will also add a couple of talented freshmen to the mix. Point guard Shawn Stockton, of Spokane's Ferris High, was recently voted Mr. Basketball for the state of Washington after guiding his team to back-to-back 29-0 seasons and two straight 4A state titles. Stockton averaged 10 points, four rebounds and four assists a game despite having his playing time limited due to the number of blowouts his team scored.
Mathias Ward, a 6-foot-7, 215-pound forward from Gig Harbor, Wash., averaged 23.5 points and 10.1 rebounds in his senior season. Among the 23 school records he set, Ward had a game of 56 points and 21 rebounds this season.
“We're really going to have a good group of guys who are playing with that edge that can spread through your whole roster,” Tinkle said. “That's what really has our blood boiling a little bit, knowing we'll have some fighters out there.”
Tinkle, in fact, has to catch himself from getting too excited about next year's team.
“I need to be a little bit cautious in my enthusiasm because we are going to have a lot of new faces,” Tinkle said. “The thing that really gets me excited is that for the first time in a couple of years we're going to have a good number of tough kids out there.”
Sports editor Bob Meseroll can be reached at 523-5265 or at sportsdesk@missoulian.com.
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