Johnson, Montana win one for the ages

[dbackjon]

Anthony Johnson had spaced on his halftime ritual. He was already on the court at Weber State when he realized he had forgotten to rub lotion on his hands.


It's a bit of an obsessive habit, one that Johnson says is weird but he can't forget. But Wednesday night he did. And to Johnson if he doesn't put the lotion on, the touch of the basketball isn't the same.


Montana coach Wayne Tinkle was outside the visitor's locker room. He had emerged a bit too soon with more than three minutes on the clock, trying to collect his thoughts after watching the Grizzlies go down by 20 points in the Big Sky title game in Ogden, Utah.


"And then with 35 seconds left on the clock, here comes Anthony running past me and says 'coach you're going to see a different player in the second half,'' Tinkle said Thursday morning.


"I made sure I made eye contact with him,'' Johnson said.


Johnson, a 6-3 senior guard, was more than a "new man" as he later termed. He was something special, perhaps, nothing quite like anyone had seen in the Big Sky. He was the story of championship week so far. Harold "The Show" Arceneaux of Weber State did put on a display to beat North Carolina in the first round of the 1999 NCAA tournament in Seattle. And yes that was on a larger stage. But even Arceneaux would be hard pressed to match what Johnson did to get the Grizzlies into the NCAA tournament.


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[Grizalltheway]

[AZGrizFan]

What a great story.

[SeattleGriz]

Can't express enough how thrilled I am that an awesome story like this is coming out of Montana.

[polsongrizz]

Some funny stuff...

Do's and Don'ts for filling out your NCAA brackets

By Jeff Eisenberg

DON'T: Pay attention to which team's mascot would win in a fight. I like a Grizzly Bear in a death match against pretty much anything. But I don't like the Montana Grizzlies against the New Mexico Lobos.

[dbackjon]

Some funny stuff...

Do's and Don'ts for filling out your NCAA brackets

By Jeff Eisenberg

DON'T: Pay attention to which team's mascot would win in a fight. I like a Grizzly Bear in a death match against pretty much anything. But I don't like the Montana Grizzlies against the New Mexico Lobos.

Wolves vs Griz...

[AZGrizFan]

Pundits give the Griz no chance.

[Grizalltheway]

Pundits give the Griz no chance.

No kidding. I hope this schlub eats his words on Thursday.

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[putter]

Pundits give the Griz no chance.

No kidding. I hope this schlub eats his words on Thursday.

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Is anyone really surprised? It's a 3-14 matchup and no one is actually going to go on record and pick that upset. Most national media think that Montana is Anthony Johnson and no one else and the reputation of the Big Sky does not lend itself to top quality basketball. Thursday will be interesting.