In the words of David Bowie the Bobcats were changing and this was not going to be easy. Coach Brick Breeden had taken over for Romney the last two years and not only had to try and replace some legends but most of the players coming back had little playing time sitting behind the magnificent Cat and his crew!  That was at least the rationale two years ago but last year there were no excuses for finishing under 500 overall and 6th in the Big Sky.  The spoiled Bozeman fans would not be helpful as Breeden attempted to move this program forward and if anyone else but this Bobcat legend was leading the team their might have been a revolt.  There is no way the Bobcats would ever be as good as they were before but no one expected the seasons the Bobcats would have the last two years?  For that Breeden was sent packing with a parting gift of having the new basketball Arena named for him as he went out the door.  Yes, folks the MSU Fieldhouse will be renamed the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse in the first home game of the year against Buffalo and not the Big Cat House as some had suggested.

Taking over the reins of the Bobcats will be another former player Mick Durham.  MSU is like Archie Bunker as they keep things all in the family and rarely go outside of the Treasure State even for recruits.  That has changed a bit this season as Durham grabbed his prized pair from Minneapolis and St. Louis of all places. Big Nate Holmstadt was the metro player of the year in the Twin Cities and at 6’8 240 is dominant inside and Johnny Mack (now that’s name folks) grew up under the Arch and this 6’2 ‘cat’ can flat score. These kids are going to have immense culture shock moving out to the great outdoors but should compete for minutes right away.  Durham was a tough as nails point guard who loves this area (who wouldn’t) and has shown he can recruit but can he move this program back on up to legitimacy coaching some guys he played with?  We shall see!  He does have a few studs coming back!

Senior big man Jack Gillespie has taken over the role of being the main man up front for the Bobcats.  The Great Falls prodigy (he led his high school to a state title) is the lone starter still around from the great teams from a few years back.  Gillespie is one heck of post player for the Bobcats.  Undersized (six foot or six nine depending on who you ask) as he may be, Gillespie continues to bang underneath with much bigger players and was one of the more effective rebounders in the conference.  Gillespie is also a solid scoring option in the post using an effective hook shot that he was equally adept with either hand.  He uses his quickness to get position on his bigger opponents and once he gets the ball is unstoppable to the hole.  He is not overly athletic and does not run the court much but he was without question the best player on this team leading the team in both scoring and rebounding and earning second team all-league. His leadership and consistency stand out in a stalwart career only overshadowed by the great Thompson in Bobcat lore.  He might never reach the level of the Big Cat who was the national player of the year but Gillispie has built a legacy that few others can match not only on Bozeman but anywhere!

Durham does have some other options up front though there was limited experience.  A trio of second year players will battle with a junior and a senior who got lots of playing time last year to see who starts next to Gillespie this year.  That junior, Scott Koelzer, had a solid year playing the post next to Gillespie though he did not average 20 minutes per game.  At 6’9 220 this Park City kid (Montana, not Utah, though he does love to ski) can score and board and does not mind getting dirty.  Koelzer had some issues guarding some of the dominant big men in this conference especially Larry Krystokowiak from the Bobcats hated rival in Missoula.  Bobcat fans do not like losing to the Grizzlies and losing both games last year was not good and Krysko dominated averaging 25 and 16 in the two wins.  Speaking of defense, Senior Kermit Young might be the best defensive player in the league. Young started last season in the carryover role of the defensive stopper up front next to Gillespie and he is damn good at it.  He earned his way onto the court as an Underclassmen by pushing his teammates to the limit with his defense.  His former teammate Thompson said ‘he will just not let the guy he is guarding get the ball.’  He held Montana legend Wayne Estes to his only game under double digits in an early game down in Logan. He is solid offensively but loves the defensive end but at 6’4 is nowhere big enough to bang in the paint with the new breed of studs in the Big Sky.  This tough minded kid will play a role but he is not a three (and the team is deep there anyway) and is not big enough for post?  Many a great player has fallen into the same predicament in D-1 basketball and though the Big Sky is not the Big 8 they do have in common that the big men are just that.  And we are not talking about a Tom Hanks movie.  Sophomore Doug Hashley will get the first shot next to Gillespie and is a solid if unspectacular player.  Hashley is only six foot seven but is a stud on the boards though not exactly a great offensive player.  The big boned kid from just up the road in Big Sandy can score and is athletic but does not have a great touch which limits him offensively but he is such a beast on the boards you almost don’t care.  Still, Durham was searching for more offense and he might have found it in Tom Domako.  Domako was recruited last year from Livonia Michigan but even though he is 6’9 215 is not exactly your prototypical post guy.  Domako uses his height to his advantage to enable himself to launch long-range bombs.  Domako is better suited realistically as a three but that is the Bobcats deepest position with two senior studs manning the position.  He does guard other bigs so he does fit into this category and is one heck of a weapon due to his diverse game up front.  Domako dominated much of last year on JV before he got called up and is the odds on favorite to start next to Gillespie unless Durham wants to go big.  Fellow Sophomore Tryg Johnson is that big.  Real big!  At 6’11 Johnson is a project underneath and only played big minutes on JV once Domako went up.  He has not developed much of an offensive game but man he would help on defense.  He is a long shot though to start though almost assuredly will get some minutes.  The battle for the paint will be won and lost with these guys and Coach Durham believes he has some gems in this young group.  Of course if the kid from Paul Westerberg’s town is as good as anticipated then all of this is for not as he will be the next great big man in a program renowned for having dominant players in the paint. 

Senior Larry Chanay is a legend in Bozeman.  He is the first black athlete to play for the Bobcats and to say he had some rough times on the road (and yes even at home) would be an understatement.  He became a valued sixth man over his first seasons and was vital to the team’s success.  Last year he got his chance to start and did a fine job.  Chanay is only six four and Durham wants more height in his lineup so the humble scoring machine from Pine Bluffs Arkansas (through a stint in the Air Force) might be tempted to go to the wunderkid from Michigan or even back to the bench if his sidekick on the wing cannot handle his switch to the two guard?  It might here that Chanay is best suited and it might help the team the most.  Chanay can flat score inside and out and is one of the greats ever to don the Blue and Gold but times are a changing and most wings are long-range (and long-armed) bombers who can flat get up and down the court.  Don’t get me wrong Chanay is a good athlete but is not that type of player.  Still, this 190 pounder can score and is solid help on the boards but must be able to guard quicker wings to stay in the starting lineup.    Durham wanted to get the six foot ten Sophomore Tom Damako into the lineup.  Damako is the tallest player on the roster but he manned the small forward position.!  Why?  Well Damako is a unique player.  Heavily recruited out of Detroit his game is more reminiscent of a European big man than a street ball player.  He can flat shoot and loves the three point line.  Damako has a good mid range game and can finish at the hoop but his bread and butter is his long range bombing and at six ten he can get his shot off over anyone.  He is also a terrific passer and runs the floor well.  He is not exactly a physical presence inside and does not rebound all that great for a big guy but he is solid on the offensive end.  A finesse player at six ten is unique in the Big Sky and this kid is so finesse he got time at the two spot as Durham tried to get more offense on the court.  The rules of the game have changed but this kid is good.  His consistency is valued but his leadership will be tested as he now becomes one of the leaders of this team.    Les Curry, Don Rae and Tom Storm are a trio of Senior forwards who had some bright moments in Bozeman but are all stuck in this strange abyss of playing the same position.  Durham has already said he is going to attempt to move Curry to the starting shooting guard spot.  Curry was the team’s second leading scorer last year and has one heck of a back story.  A 6’3 wing from Arlee Montana on the Flathead Reservation, Curry is a legend around these parts. Of Native American descent Curry can flat score in droves and his emergence as a bona-fide offensive star catapulted him to regional recognition.  His transition to the two depends on his ability to gain some handles and defend quicker guys as the offense will be there.  Rae is 6’4 196 from Butte (not pronounced that way) and is a terrific shooter.  He will be in the mix for the starting two though like Curry defense will be a problem against more athletic players.  Rae must play as this team needs someone who can stretch the defense and hit some three’s to make their inside game effective.  Storm is more of a swing forward as he goes 6’5 205.  This Great Falls native has played often inside but is better suited for the three.  There are no real openings but when this kid is on the court he can flat stir up a mess. Sophomore Kral Ferch is also in the mix and can seriously throw it down.  His dunks are legendary in Bozeman and he was the star of the JV but there are not many minutes left behind on the wings.  At 6’3 this Livingston kid seems like he would be a good fit at the two but is a true three and might have to wait another year to get much PT on the court.  The front court might not be the Bruins of Westwood but there is talent there even if it not quite Cat level!  The backcourt is an entirely different story and with one returning starter might not be coming back Durham has some decisions to be made ala the switch of Curry to the two.  

The starter at the two from last year’s team Fred Ingaldson decided to go back to Canada and play for the National team.  Ingaldson is a pioneer as he was one of the first players from Canada to swing down and play D-1 basketball.  This Winnipeg kid is 6’3 187 and can score is the actual first Manitoban to play in the States but his commitment might keep him on the road with the national team through the start of the year.  Junior Craig Finberg earned a starting spot early on last year with a diverse offensive game.  Finberg handled most of the point guard responsibilities and did a solid job distributing the ball. At 6’1 Finberg is also a solid scorer who loves to get to the hoop and can hit the open jumper.  This Columbia Falls kid can hit the three as well but is best setting up his teammates and running the show.  Finberg was best in big games against big opponents as his game against Gonzaga can attest.  He scored 28 points and handed out 10 assists in his coming out party (against the great John Stockton) and from then on this was his team.  His defense was questioned at times and Coach Durham tried several options of quicker players at the end of the season with next year in mind.  Still, Finberg is the man in Bozeman as long as he can keep running this team the way he did this year.  He might not be at the level of a Stockton but he is pretty damn good and fans adore him in Bozeman almost as much as the Spokanians live their pasty white gangster!  But he needs a running mate and Durham might have found the perfect complement to Finny in another small town Montana State kid who emphasized the ‘other’ part of the game.  Finberg replaced senior Bill Gillespie (not related) midway through the year when the upperclassmen went down with injury.  At 6’3 183 from Gary Indiana Gillespie has a complete game and is more athletic than Finberg.  He wants his job back but is not as good of a distributor or scorer but is a terrific defender.  Should be a good battle.  Fellow senior Joe McKethen is only 5’11 but can score.  A star in Thermopolis Wyoming McKethen has been productive in his three years here but is not really a point guard and too small for the two.  He adds experience and depth but his future depends on how good the kids are Durham has recruited.  Sophomore Ray Willis did not play on varsity last year but has some game.  More of a role player for now, the six foot Willis can defend but has the capability of being a good offensive player with his great quickness if he can get on the court.  Durham has an entire group of recruits vying for spots in the back court with these carryovers.  The aforementioned Mack is the ‘treasure’ of this group but there are two or three other freshmen vying for time.  Durham has even went out of the Bobcat norm and recruited some Juco kids to try and find a few gems, oh wait that is Idaho!    

The Montana State Bobcats went from the penthouse to the outhouse in two seasons in the Big Sky conference.  Of course when you lose the best player in the state’s history to the next level you know you may be hurting.  The Bobcats under new Coach Mick Durham are looking to get back on top of this league and he is going out of the region and recruiting nationally to find some talent. Will this team be able to bounce back into the elite class of this league?  Perhaps, but those days of this program being a national power are long gone!