Observations from Missoula -
Driving cross-state in a blizzard last night wasn't much fun but the game itself made it worthwhile.
Missoula's a great town....Flagstaff-ish with rivers and more mountains. Night life/bars were filled with entertaining folks and a plethora of good brew. The town has the same vibe as Flagstaff and people were welcoming. U of M's fan support is evident in football and was pretty good for basketball (student section didn't impress but friends who went to school there said all students seem to care about is football). I give them credit where it's due. Fans I sat by were knowledgeable, fun to talk to and welcoming. That being said....it was great to beat the Grizzlies.
A handful of Jacks fans were in attendance ..... what looked like Kyle Landry's family....my all-time favorite Jacks fan was in attendance as well...the doctor (name is escaping me at the moment) who sits courtside at NAU games was there with his family and his ever-present small blue NAU megaphone to harass officials and the U of M student section.....neat guy....I suggest chatting with him one of these days at a game if you can.....met an old NAU mens basketball guard, Mike Burns (think I'm correct on the name...little help here?) from the late 90s who's a Missoula native and lives back there....his kids were decked out in NAU facepaint
Wow...where to start about the game itself? First off I'll give major kudos to the team and coaches for the 40 minutes of hustle, emotion and defensive intensity. Bishop is a new favorite after watching him harass and befuddle the Grizzly guards all night. I wish I had a video to post of his block in the second half. Jacks really pushed the tempo in the first half to try to wear down the Griz, who are having depth issues from what I heard. NAU hit free throws when they needed them and made the plays in the end to win unlike the previous few losses.
I predict good things the rest of the way if this carries over for the last few games.
Go Jacks!
Driving cross-state in a blizzard last night wasn't much fun but the game itself made it worthwhile.
Missoula's a great town....Flagstaff-ish with rivers and more mountains. Night life/bars were filled with entertaining folks and a plethora of good brew. The town has the same vibe as Flagstaff and people were welcoming. U of M's fan support is evident in football and was pretty good for basketball (student section didn't impress but friends who went to school there said all students seem to care about is football). I give them credit where it's due. Fans I sat by were knowledgeable, fun to talk to and welcoming. That being said....it was great to beat the Grizzlies.
A handful of Jacks fans were in attendance ..... what looked like Kyle Landry's family....my all-time favorite Jacks fan was in attendance as well...the doctor (name is escaping me at the moment) who sits courtside at NAU games was there with his family and his ever-present small blue NAU megaphone to harass officials and the U of M student section.....neat guy....I suggest chatting with him one of these days at a game if you can.....met an old NAU mens basketball guard, Mike Burns (think I'm correct on the name...little help here?) from the late 90s who's a Missoula native and lives back there....his kids were decked out in NAU facepaint
Wow...where to start about the game itself? First off I'll give major kudos to the team and coaches for the 40 minutes of hustle, emotion and defensive intensity. Bishop is a new favorite after watching him harass and befuddle the Grizzly guards all night. I wish I had a video to post of his block in the second half. Jacks really pushed the tempo in the first half to try to wear down the Griz, who are having depth issues from what I heard. NAU hit free throws when they needed them and made the plays in the end to win unlike the previous few losses.
I predict good things the rest of the way if this carries over for the last few games.
Go Jacks!
