The 1977–78 Montana Grizzlies basketball team represented the

University of Montana The University of Montana (UM) is a public research university in Missoula, Montana, United States. UM is a flagship institution of the Montana University System and its second largest campus. Fall 2024 saw total enrollment hit 10,811, marki ...

during the 1977–78 NCAA Division I basketball season. Charter members of the Big Sky Conference, the Grizzlies were led by second-year head coach Jim Brandenburg and played their home games on campus at Adams Field House in

Missoula, Montana Missoula ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Missoula County, Montana, United States. It is located along the Clark Fork River near its confluence with the Bitterroot and Blackfoot rivers in western Montana and at the convergence of five ...

. They finished the regular season at 19–7, with a record in conference to win the title and host the four-team Big Sky tournament. The Grizzlies defeated fourth-seed

Boise State Boise State University (BSU) is a public research university in Boise, Idaho, United States. Founded in 1932 by the Episcopal Church, it became an independent junior college in 1934 and has been awarding baccalaureate and master's degrees It ...

in the then were upset by third-seed Weber State in the final Montana had swept the season series with Weber. The Grizzlies were led on the court by senior guard

Micheal Ray Richardson Michael Ray Richardson (born April 11, 1955), known as Micheal Ray Richardson, is an American former professional basketball player and head coach. He played college basketball for the Montana Grizzlies. The No. 4 overall pick in the 1978 NBA dr ...

, on the all-conference team for a third consecutive year; junior forward Allan Nielsen was on the second team. An honorable mention

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

, Richardson was the fourth overall selection of the

1978 NBA draft The 1978 NBA draft was the 32nd annual NBA draft, draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on June 9, 1978, at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, New York, before the 1978–79 NBA season, 1978–79 season. In this dr ...

and a four-time NBA All-Star.

Postseason results

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References

External links

Sports Reference
– Montana Grizzlies: 1977–78 basketball season {{DEFAULTSORT:1977-78 Montana Grizzlies basketball team Montana Grizzlies basketball seasons

Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...

Montana Grizzlies basketball The Montana Grizzlies basketball team represents the University of Montana in men's college basketball. They compete at the NCAA Division I level and are members of the Big Sky Conference. Home games are played at Dahlberg Arena located inside t ...