“We are very excited about this year's schedule,” third-year Griz head coach Wayne Tinkle said in a UM release. “Scheduling has become one of the hardest parts of the job here, especially trying to get home games. We feel good about the quality of the teams we are bringing in here to Missoula, as well as the challenge of our road schedule.”
The Griz begin with an exhibition against Northwest College on Halloween, and after taking on the University of Great Falls on Nov. 5, things could get scary: They play at Colorado State on Nov. 14, and after a home game against NAIA UM-Western, at Duke on Nov. 23.
Montana hosts Division I programs Mississippi Valley State (Nov. 20), Santa Clara (Nov. 30) and North Dakota (Dec. 2) ahead of its inaugural Karl Tyler Chevrolet Grizzly Basketball Classic, a three-day, three-team, round-robin from Dec. 4-6.
UM hosts Denver on Dec. 4 and Texas-Arlington on Dec. 6. Then it's back on the road for games at Fresno State, UC-Riverside and Big Sky Conference foe Portland State (Dec. 20).
After completing a home-and-home series with Utah Valley on Dec. 22, the Griz head to Washington for a Dec. 28 game.
“Washington presents a great opportunity for us as well,” Tinkle said. “We have a lot of alums in the Seattle area and a lot of our players are from the state of Washington. The Huskies will be a greatly improved team and present another great challenge, and that game should give us an idea of where we are as a team, and we begin our Big Sky schedule then following week, hosting Montana State Jan. 3.”
The schedule is challenging: The Grizzlies travel to Orem to play Utah Valley on Nov. 25, just two days after the Duke game. The Duke game, it can be noted, comes the day after the 108th Griz-Bobcat football game on Nov. 22.
“We've got some quality teams coming into Missoula, beginning with Mississippi Valley State, who was in the NCAA tournament last year,” Tinkle said. “Santa Clara is always one of the top teams in the WCC, and Denver and Texas-Arlington are two good opponents for the round-robin tournament that we are hosting.”
The Grizzlies currently have four televised games scheduled for this season. Both contests with intrastate rival Montana State (Jan. 3 and Feb. 7) will be aired on KPAX-TV of Missoula and its MTN affiliates in Montana.
Montana will also be featured twice by Altitude Sports and Entertainment's “Big Sky Conference Sunday Game of the Week,” on Jan. 25 at home against Northern Colorado and Feb. 22 against Idaho State, also in Missoula.
The Grizzlies will play no fewer than seven games in November, December and January, and things get busy around Christmas, with a Dec. 14 game at Fresno State.
“As far as conference goes, we were thrown a curve ball, as we have to open our Big Sky schedule on Dec. 20 at Portland State,” Tinkle said. “That means we have to play four games in nine days, and the first three of those games are on the road, including the one at PSU.”
2008-09 Grizzly men's schedule
*denotes Big Sky Conference game
Oct. 31 Northwest College (Exhibition)
Nov. 5 University of Great Falls (Exhibition)
Nov.14 at Colorado State, TBA
Nov. 17 UM-Western
Nov. 20 Mississippi Valley StATE
Nov. 23 at Duke, TBA
Nov. 25 at Utah Valley, TBA
Nov. 30 SANTA CLARA, 2:05 p.m.
Dec. 2 North Dakota
Dec. 4-6 Karl Tyler Chevrolet Grizzly Basketball Classic
Dec. 4 Montana vs. Denver
Dec. 5 Texas-Arlington vs. Denver
Dec. 6 Montana vs. Texas-Arlington
Dec. 14 at Fresno State, TBA
Dec. 18 at UC Riverside, TBA
Dec. 20 at Portland State*, 8:05 p.m.
Dec. 22 Utah Valley
Dec. 28 at Washington, TBA
Jan. 3 Montana State * (KPAX-TV)
Jan. 8 Northern Arizona*
Jan. 10 Sacramento State*
Jan. 15 at Idaho State*
Jan. 17 at Weber State*
Jan. 21 at Eastern Washington*, 8:05 p.m.
Jan. 25 No. Colorado * (Altitude), 2:05 p.m.
Jan. 29 Portland State*
Jan. 31 Eastern Washington*
Feb. 7 at Montana State* (KPAX-TV)
Feb. 12 at Sacramento State*, 8:05 p.m.
Feb. 14 at Northern Arizona*, 6:35 p.m.
Feb. 19 Weber State*
Feb. 22 Idaho State* (Altitude), 2:05 p.m.
Feb. 26 at Northern Colorado*
March 7 Big Sky Tourney quarterfinal
March 10 Big Sky semifinals
March 11 Big Sky championship (ESPN2),TBA
|
 |
 |
Add your comment now! Write your comment in the form below.
(Email address is for verification only. If you'd like to email a story, look for the link above)