The Montana Grizzlies return to the NCAA Tournament on Thursday morning for the first time in six years, taking on 3-seed Wisconsin in a First Round matchup in the East Region of the bracket. The game will tip at 11:30 a.m. and will be televised on TNT. Montana returns to the tournament following a 25-9 season, and they enter March Madness on one of the best runs in the country having won 14 out of 15 games, including three at the Big Sky Tournament to punch their ticket. In that time, Montana has been one of the best offensive teams in the country. They shot over 50 percent on the season, and torched the nets in Boise by shooting .652 from the field in the title game. The Grizzlies are deep with six players averaging at least 9.0 points per game and none over 13.5. They have embraced different individual roles throughout the season and come together for a two-month stretch that will go down in program history. Now, they will get their chance to dance. 

“We’re excited to play. It’s been a great year, one of my more fun years,” head coach Travis DeCuire said. “Obviously winning is going to be more fun than not, but this group really came together in a special way. It was a long year early, but it sped up towards the end. February and March went pretty quickly, which meant the guys were having fun.”

 This is the third trip to March Madness for DeCuire, and for the third time his team will face off against an opponent from the Big Ten. It’s the fourth time in the last five trips overall for Montana that they will play either Wisconsin or Michigan. The Grizzlies and the Badgers met in 2012 with Wisconsin winning 73-49. 

DeCuire scheduled hard in the non-conference, including trips to 2-seed Tennessee and 5-seed Oregon. Montana played without Malik Moore in both games, and while the results didn’t go the Grizzlies’ way DeCuire is hoping those lessons learned in November will pay dividends in March.

 “We’re excited to go out and compete on a national stage on Thursday. Wisconsin is a tough opponent, the Big Ten is always big and physical and that’s a major adjustment for us going into the game,” DeCuire said. “Hopefully our guys remember the experiences with the Tennessee’s and the Oregon’s earlier in November, which is why we schedule those games. We’re excited to compete.” For Montana, it has seemed improbable for them to reach this point and yet at the same time expected. The Grizzlies brought in nine newcomers over the summer and had just one returning player who had started at least 15 games. But the culture that Montana has historically, and particularly in the last 11 seasons with DeCuire, meant that the Grizzlies were still the favorites in the Big Sky Preseason Coaches’ Poll. They reached the Big Sky title game in 2024 but fell short. This year, they left no doubt in one of the best offensive performances in school history. The Grizzlies made 14 straight shots at one point in a victory over the No. 1 seed Northern Colorado Bears. For many schools, having to wait just six years for an NCAA Tournament appearance would be seen as a great thing. There are currently seven schools out of 10 in the Big Sky that have waited longer than that since their last appearance.  At Montana, six years is a drought. This is the first time that they’ve gone six years between appearances since the ’80s. The COVID year means that Montana failed to advance from just four Big Sky Tournaments during the drought. The expectation to be dancing year in and year out is part of what makes the program so special. “It’s special to be here and be in a program where six years is called a drought,” DeCuire said. “We’re often competing in recruiting with programs that haven’t been in 20, 30 years, if ever. At this level, to be considered a drought at six years, is a great situation to be in.” This year’s team has soaked in the moments since winning the Big Sky Championship game last Wednesday. Now, they get to live out their childhood dreams of playing on the biggest stage in basketball. 

Austin Patterson came to Montana this year in pursuit of a championship. The senior had spent the last two years at Sacramento State, winning 24 combined games over two seasons and just 11 Big Sky games.

 He may have had a reduced role this year, but his sacrifice has made his team better and led to a 25-win season, a 15-3 conference record, and a Big Sky title. He played a huge role in that, scoring 20 points in Montana’s semifinal win over Idaho. “It’s been a dream come true. I’ve dreamed of going to the NCAA Tournament my entire life, so I feel like the last four or five days I’ve been on cloud nine,” Patterson said. “But we’re getting back to business. We have a job to do, have a lot of people rooting for us, so we’re super excited to get ready to work.” Montana will have its hands full with a Wisconsin (26-9) team that ranks No. 13 in the country in the latest AP Top 25 Poll. The Badgers went on a run to the Big Ten title game, falling in the championship against Michigan in their fourth game in four days. Guard John Tonje is one of the best players in the country. The semifinalist for the Naismith Player of the Year award averages 19.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. 

Wisconsin has been very consistent with their rotation, starting four players all 35 games this season and another in 31 of them. They will have a distinct size advantage on Montana with two players over 7-foot tall in the starting lineup. Montana’s tallest starter is 6-8 Te’Jon Sawyer.

 

Joe Pridgen said he knows how physical he will need to be against the oversized Badgers. For the Grizzlies, the key will be to stick with the things that got them to this point.

 “I think for us the mentality is to be ourselves. Don’t try to do anything out of body, just make sure you show up,” Pridgen said. “I think we have a great coaching staff that is going to come up with a great gameplan for us, and as players I think all year, and especially this last month or two, we’ve been learning how to play with each other and find each other’s strengths. I think if we just be ourselves and bring a little extra physicality, we will be alright.” The staff has been hard at work in the hours since Selection Sunday preparing for one of the best teams in the country. “It’s another scout. Every scout, you show strengths and highlight weaknesses. You show things that you might be able to expose, and then you go out and try to expose them,” DeCuire said. “It’s up to them to make adjustments. They are going to try to do the same thing to us, find some weaknesses and expose them, and whoever does it the best wins.”

We’re dancing 🕺 https://t.co/FNUJ0IRjOp pic.twitter.com/yL1B2ym8od

— Montana Griz Basketball (@MontanaGrizBB) March 16, 2025

 

SERIES HISTORY VS. WISCONSIN

This will be the 4th meeting between Montana and Wisconsin, and the first since facing off in the 2012 NCAA Tournament in Albuquerque, N.M. The Badgers are 3-0 in the previous three meetings, winning by 24 in the last meeting. Wisconsin defeated Montana 78-61 on Nov. 30, 1997 as part of the Big Island Classic in Hilo, Haw. The first meeting between the schools came on Dec. 20, 1965, a 76-72 Wisconsin win in Madison. 

MONTANA VS. THE BIG TEN

This will be Montana’s 14th all-time meeting with a Big Ten opponents, and the second this year. Montana is 1-12 all-time against the league. The Grizzlies lost at Oregon in the first road game of the season back on Nov. 8, 2024. The previous two meetings against the Big Ten both came in the NCAA Tournament when Montana fell to Michigan in back-to-back appearances in 2018 and 2019. They lost on the road to Penn State 70-57 in 2017, making Coach DeCuire 0-4 in his career against the Big Ten. Montana’s lone win came on Nov. 26, 2006 when they defeated Minnesota 72-65 at the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, Fla.  

SCOUTING #18 WISCONSIN (26-9, 13-7 BIG TEN)

• The Badgers enter the NCAA Tournament after making a run to the Big 10 Championship game. They fell to Michigan 59-53 in the title game. It’s the fewest points in a game this season for Wisconsin.
• Wisconsin ranks 13th in offensive efficiency and 27th in defensive efficiency according to KenPom.com. They average over 80 points per game and outscore opponents by 9.7, the 28th best margin in the country.
• They are 24th in the country with 10.0 threes per game, making them at a 35.6 percent clip.
• Guard John Tonje is an All-Big Ten performer and semifinalist for the Naismith Men’s College Player of the Year. Tonje averages 19.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, and leads the Badgers with 80 made threes.
• Montana and Wisconsin have two similar opponents this year. The Badgers beat Montana State 79-67 back on Nov. 7. They also lost to Oregon 77-73 in overtime on Feb. 22. Montana swept the season series with Montana State and lost to Oregon 79-48.

 

BIG SKY CHAMPS AGAIN

Montana won the Big Sky Conference Tournament for a record-extending 12th time this season. The Grizzlies have more Big Sky Tournament Championships than any other school, and have also won the most games (51) at the tournament. This is the third title under DeCuire in six appearances in the championship game. He’s reached the title game in 60 percent of his appearances, winning it in 30 percent. 

The Grizzlies have 18 wins at the Big Sky Conference Tournament under Coach DeCuire. It’s the 14th most conference tourney wins in the NCAA in that time.

 

Montana also shared the regular season championship with Northern Colorado. It was the 13th regular season Big Sky Championship for Montana, the 2nd most in league history.

 The Grizzlies have now won seven Big Sky Regular Season Championships this century, more than any other school in the Big Sky. The 13 titles trail only Weber State, who have the most all time with 22. The Wildcats won eight of the first 10 championships from 1964-73. This is the longest time between trophies for Montana since going eight years from 1978 to 1986. 

BETTER ODDS THAN A COIN FLIP

Montana is shooting 50.2 percent from the floor this season, the 2nd best percentage in the entire country. They are one of only two teams that have made at least half of their attempts from the field entering the NCAA Tournament, and the only team that reached the tournament to do so. (Gonzaga is shooting 50.0 percent, but have made 1,049-of-2,100 attempts). 

The Grizzlies won the Big Sky Championship behind a field goal percentage of .652, outpacing the top shooting team in the country on that night in Boise. It’s the best shooting performance by a Grizzly team (vs. D1) since 2011, and the 42nd best in the NCAA this year.

 Montana has 21 single-game shooting percentages over 50 percent this season, tied for the most in the country and a new program record. 

The Big Sky Championship game was Montana’s 4th shooting 60 percent or better, the 2nd most in the NCAA this year.

 

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

Montana had three players named to the Big Sky Conference All-Tournament team, highlighted by the MVP Brandon Whitney. Whitney led Montana in scoring over the three games, averaging 16.3 points on 72.0 percent shooting. He also averaged 2.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists. Whitney scored 24 points in the Second Round win over Northern Arizona, sparking Montana to victory with 20 second-half points. 

Kai Johnson earned a place on the All-Tournament team after leading Montana to a win in the championship game. Johnson scored 23 in the title game, going 7-of-10 from the floor, 2-of-2 from three-point range, and 7-of-8 from the free throw line.

 

Money Williams also earned a spot on the All-Tournament team after averaging 12.0 points, 3.0 assists, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game at the tournament. Williams was steady in all three games for the Griz on their path to a title.

 

ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS

Montana’s balance has been a strength all season long, but it became a detriment to them in the individual awards at the end of the year. The Grizzlies had just one First Team All-Big Sky Conference selection (Joe Pridgen) with three players on the Second Team (Brandon Whitney, Money Williams, Malik Moore). Williams also earned the league’s Top Reserve award after moving to a sixth-man role with 11 games remaining in the season. 

DeCUIRE WINS BIG SKY COACH OF THE YEAR

Travis DeCuire was named the 2025 Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year. It’s just his second career honor despite winning four regular season titles and three Big Sky Tournament championships. DeCuire took a team with nine newcomers and just one returner that had started at least 15 games and turned them into Big Sky Champions. Montana improved throughout the season, ending the year on a 11-1 stretch that carried into three more wins at the Big Sky Tournament. 

RED HOT SHOOTING IN 2025

Since the calendar flipped to 2025, Montana has been the 2nd best shooting team in the country at 51.7 percent. The Grizzlies are 18-3 in the calendar year 2025. The 18 wins are also tied for 4th most in the country this year.

COLLEGEINSIDER.COM MID-MAJOR TOP 25

For the first time since 2019, Montana entered the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll. The Grizzlies finished the season ranked 21st in the final poll of the season released on March 17.

ADDITIONAL GRIZ NOTES AND NUGGETS

• Since Jan. 20, Montana has gone 14-1. The 14 wins are tied for the most in the NCAA during that time.
• Montana shot over 60 percent from three-point range for the third time this season in the Big Sky title game. It’s the 2nd-most games in the NCAA shooting at least 60 percent from arc.
• The Grizzlies are 21-1 when shooting a better percentage from three-point range than their opponents.
• DeCuire has equal-or-more title game appearances (6) as head coach than five of the other nine Big Sky programs do in their histories.
• Three different Grizzlies had at least 7 made field goals on 60 percent shooting in the Big Sky title game. It’s tied for the most players in a game this season in the NCAA.
• Montana placed three players on the Big Sky All-Tournament Team for the first time since 2013. Brandon Whitney became 10th Grizzly to be named Tournament MVP and first since Ahmaad Rorie in 2019.
• Since Dec. 21, Montana has lost just two out of 21 games in regulation.
• Montana has shot better than its opponent in 25 of the 34 games this season. They are 21-4 with a better field goal percentage.
• Montana’s 23-point semifinal win was the largest tournament win for the program since beating Weber State by 29 in the 2019 semifinal game. Tuesday night was the 3rd largest tournament win all-time for Montana.
• The 55 points allowed to Idaho in the semifinal were the second-fewest vs. a D1 opponent this season, and the fewest allowed in a tournament game for Montana since 2019.
• Brandon Whitney became the Big Sky’s all-time leader in career minutes played on Tuesday night. He now has over 4,700 minutes in a Montana uniform, passing Northern Colorado’s Jonah Radebaugh for the league record. It also moves him into the top 100 in minutes played in NCAA history, according to Stathead.com.
• The Grizzlies have won at least 24 games for the second straight season. They are one of 19 teams in the country with at least 24 wins in each of the last two years.
• The Big Sky semifinal was the fifth time this season that Montana won a game by 20+ points. They are 5-5 in games decided by 20-or-more points, and 20-4 in games decided by fewer than 20 points.
• Montana has held its opponent under 60 points six times this season. They are 6-0 in those games, and 13-0 when keeping their opponent below 70 points.
• Idaho shot just 30.9 percent from the field in the Big Sky semifinal (3/11), the lowest shooting percentage by a Grizzly opponent this year. It was the first time they’ve held a D1 opponent under 31 percent from the floor since Jan. 25, 2018 against Southern Utah.
• Montana improved to 9-1 when holding opponents below 40 percent shooting. They are 16-2 when keeping them below 45 percent, and 19-3 when holding them below 50 percent.
• The Griz had 19 assists to just 6 turnovers last Tuesday night. They improved to 10-0 when committing fewer than 10 turnovers this season.