Court Kings: Griz basketball provides

one of the best seasons in Montana history

One of the most successful seasons in Griz basketball history came to a close April 6 when several hundred die-hard fans gathered inside the Adams Center at The University of Montana to honor the 2005-06 men’s team.

It was a soggy day all around. Missoula set an all-time record for rainfall outside (1.87 inches), and more than a few eyes misted up inside during Basketball Recognition Night.

How good were these guys? They went 24-7, the third-highest win total in school history. They played a tough brand of team ball that knocked off traditional powerhouses like Stanford during the regular season.

And they danced into March Madness, winning a game for only the second time in team history. When the Griz upset Nevada 87-79, it was UM’s first NCAA tournament win in 31 years.

All great teams have their own peculiar recipe for success — a unique blend of power, heart and intelligence.

When these Griz needed power, they went to Andrew Strait, the sophomore who led the team in scoring and was 11th in the nation in field goal percentage (61.4). Senior Kevin Criswell, the walk-on from Colstrip in Eastern Montana, was the heart of the squad. He finished with 1,663 career points – fourth-most in UM history.

And these Griz got their basketball smarts from Larry Krystkowiak, their fierce, 6-foot-9, second-year head coach who starred as a player for UM before embarking on a nine-year NBA career. As a coach he is already 42-20 at Montana, with two NCAA tournament appearances. Competition burns through this guy’s veins, and don’t expect him to ever stop glowering during a game, even when his No. 12 team is about to send a No. 5 packing during the Big Dance.

But the most notable thing about these Griz is that they were a team. Six of them — Strait, Criswell, Virgil Matthews, Matt Martin, Matt Dlouhy and Jordan Hasquet — led Montana in scoring during the season.

This unselfish teamwork and hard work on defense paid big dividends, so April 6 in the Adams Center was a night to be savored. The players and coaches listened to congratulatory speeches from President George Dennison, Athletic Director Jim O’Day, Missoula Mayor John Engen, Gov. Brian Schweitzer and the state’s congressional delegation. Brad Cederberg, Associated Students of UM president, got Krystkowiak to crack a smile by saying, “Coach, if you are looking for a short, fat kid who can’t shoot, I’m your man.” Then it was time for the players to sign basketballs, T-shirts and posters for the fans.

It was a nice end to a great season.

No one could have guessed from the first game where the Griz were headed this year. They suffered a 69-90 loss against Boise State on Nov. 18. But they responded by reeling off 10 straight wins, including an 88-69 drubbing of Stanford. When they finally did lose to Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Dec. 30, it was by only four points to a team that had reached the NCAA Sweet 16 the year before.

Now fans knew these Griz were for real. Average home-game attendance jumped to nearly 5,000, up 1,500 from the year before. Dahlberg Arena rocked with the largest crowds since the 1995-96 season.

The Griz started Big Sky Conference play 6-1, with the lone 80-83 loss coming against Northern Arizona. That was a setback since Montana led by 19 at one point, but, coaches, players and fans still started dreaming of hosting the Big Sky Tournament for the first time in six years. But two rough road losses to Idaho State on Jan. 5 and Weber State on Jan. 7 put that goal out of reach. The Weber game was probably the low point of the season because the Griz lost by 25 after leading by six at halftime.

The losses seemed to harden the team, however, since they won five of their final six regular-season games, earning a first-round bye at the Big Sky tournament in Flagstaff, Ariz.

By now the Griz were playing their best basketball of the year. They survived an overtime scare against Eastern Washington in the Big Sky semifinals, and then crushed Northern Arizona 96-83 to earn their second straight trip to the NCAA tournament.

Montana entered March Madness as a No. 12 seed — the highest for any Big Sky team since 1985 when the NCAA tournament expanded to 64 teams. This matched the Griz against No. 5-seed Nevada, the Western Athletic Conference Champion.
It was a game for the ages. The Griz played nearly flawless ball — shooting 52 percent from the field — to upset the Wolf Pack 87-79 in Salt Lake City. In a consummate team effort, four Montana players scored 16 or more points.

The win gave Griz basketball fans a sense of euphoria that hadn’t been seen since 1975, when Montana surprised Utah State.

Up next were the bigger, stronger Boston College Eagles. The Griz stayed with the Eagles early, trailing by only two points at halftime, but Boston pulled away in the second half for a 69-56 victory.

It had been quite a journey.

So how does next year look? First, Montana wants to hold onto its coaching staff. Krystkowiak’s success hasn’t gone unnoticed, and at press time he was being courted by larger schools such as Pepperdine. (Though President Dennison said all the coaches should earn a bonus for this year’s performance and boosted attendance.) UM Assistant Coach Brad Huse already has left the team to coach the Montana State University Bobcats.

UM also is losing its stellar guards, Criswell and Matthews. But many veteran players will return, including Straight, the team’s scoring leader. He will be joined by David Vanderjagt, a 7-foot recruit from Australia, among others.

So, in other words, the future might be bright.

“We had a sign on our bulletin board that says, “It’s not about the destination, it’s the journey,” Coach K said. “The fact we had some success this year doesn’t mean we want to get complacent.”

So can the Griz keep the good times rolling? Time will tell.