Montana Grizzlies: 26-8, 16-4 in the Big Sky Conference
Head coach: Travis DeCuire (5th season)
Players to watch: Jamar Akoh (15.5 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 58.7 FG%); Sayeed Pridgett (15.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 61.0 FG%); Ahmaad Rorie (15.1 PPG, 4.0 APG)
Season recap: Montana's experienced squad rolled through the Big Sky Conference, winning the regular-season and tournament championships to earn its second straight NCAA tournament bid. Last season, the Grizzlies' offense was stifled by third-seeded Michigan in the first round as the Wolverines began their march to the national championship game, but many of Montana's key contributors from that contest are ready for another shot at glory.
However, the Grizzlies' chances at an upset took a hit when their leading scorer and rebounder, 6-foot-8 redshirt senior Jamar Akoh, suffered a wrist injury Feb. 7 against Idaho. He has been out indefinitely ever since, and his status is unclear for the NCAA tournament.
Montana lost two regular-season games without Akoh but rallied from an eight-point second-half deficit to beat Eastern Washington in the Big Sky championship behind 19 points from Sayeed Pridgett. The 6-foot-5 guard has taken Akoh's place in the starting lineup and plays more like a forward, shooting an efficient percentage and not attempting many 3-pointers. The Grizzlies' 56.3 percent clip on 2-pointers as a team is the 13th-best in the nation.
How they make a run: Akoh makes a triumphant return and gets a favorable matchup in the post against an undersized contender, putting up big numbers to lead Montana to a first-round upset.
How they falter: The Grizzlies have gotten away with having nobody taller than 6-foot-8 play at least 10 minutes per game against Big Sky competition, but that won't work against an elite team in the first round. They get dominated on the glass and fall by double digits for the second straight year.
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