Rogers' 10* NCAAB LATE SHOW
(NCAAB) Montana vs. Washington,
Point Spread: -4.50 | -110.00 Washington (Home)
Result: Loss
The set-up: The Montana Grizzlies are coming off a 16-16 season. They were picked third in the Big Sky's coaches' and media polls but served noticed they'll be in the title hunt with an 83-78 overtime victory at Pitt on Nov. 13, teh school's first win over a Power Five conference school since knocking off Oregon State in 2010. Montana (7-4) opens league play Dec. 28th, so this trip to Seattle will be the team's last non-conference game. The Washington Huskies 'fell of a cliff' last year with just nine wins (22 losses) but Mike Hopkins, who spent 22 years coaching under Jim Boeheim at Syracuse, has this year's team at 9-3 entering this contest. Sure, Fultz (23.2) was the NBA's first pick in the 2017 Draft but he's the only starter not back.

Montana: The Grizzlies 86-68 win over UC Irvine on Tuesday gives Montana three wins in its last four and a 7-4 overall mark.Three players average in double digits, guards Rorie (17.8-4.0-3.7) and Oguine (15.3 & 5.4) plus the 6-8 Akoh (11.1 & 6.4). Rorie was a second team All-Big Sky pick last season, Oguine just had a career-high 29 points in the win over UC-Irvine and Akoh is a transfer from Cal State Fullerton. Montana is averaging 73.7 PPG (211th), while allowing 69.5 PPG (125th).

Washington: Montana's defense will be tested by a Washington team averaging 81.8 PPG (56th) on 47.9% shooting (68th). The Huskies have looked good in their non-conference slate and have won three of four after dismantling the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats 106-55 on Tuesday night with a monster 63-19 second half run. The Huskies are the only team in the NCAA to record 16 steals and 15 blocks in the same game this season, after doing it in the win over Bethune-Cookman. Freshman guard Jaylen Nowell leads the team in scoring (17.3) and has lessened the loss of Fultz. Joining the freshman in double digits are the 6-8 Dickerson (16.0 & 8.0) plus guards Crisp (13.2 and Thybulle (11.2). Crisp leads the team in assists (43) and also has made a team leading 26 three-pointers. Thybulle has 42 steals this season and ranks third in the NCAA in that category with an average of 3.5 per game

The pick: Again, let me remind all that he Huskies have already matched their win total for the entire 2016-17 season when they finished 9-22 and all but one of the team's wins this year have come at home where Washington has gone 8-1. Lay it and make Washington a 10* play.