Moss (Tribune)

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Nice artlicle on Marvin.....

Rivalry a big deal to Moss
By SCOTT MANSCH
Tribune Asst. Sports Editor


Marvin Moss said he didn't fully appreciate the intensity of the Bobcat-Grizzly basketball rivalry when his Montana State team was winning the battle last season.

"It wasn't until we lost to them," said Moss, referring to UM's 79-67 victory in the semifinals of the Big Sky tournament last March. "I really wasn't into it until then. But losing to them, I didn't like that feeling at all.

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"So this whole rivalry thing, I'm with that."

Moss, a senior forward, figures to be one of the key players when the Bobcats meet the Grizzlies Saturday afternoon at 3 in Bozeman. The two Big Sky Conference unbeatens (both are 2-0 in league play) last met in a memorable matchup in Portland, where the Griz prevailed and then won the conference championship the next night.

Moss said the Bobcats, whose two regular-season victories over the Griz paled in comparison to the postseason defeat, have had a long time to think about it.

"They were just hitting shots against us," he said. "(Virgil) Matthews showed up big, (Matt) Martin played big ... they just did what they were supposed to do."

Similarly, the Bobcats are now playing the way it was predicted. Picked to win the Big Sky title before the season, the Bobcats were up and down during preconference play and only last weekend, in a pair of league victories over Weber State and Idaho State, did they seem to find some consistency.

"We're finally playing the way we should be," Moss said. "We're rebounding, lowering our turnovers, making the extra pass and knocking down shots. I'm glad we're finally getting it."

Moss came to Montana State as a heralded recruit, a 6-foot-6 power forward from Baltimore who had starred in California at West Hills (CC). He came to Bozeman for several reasons, it turns out.

"I thought there were opportunities here for my girlfriend (Abigail) and our daughter (Kaliyah, 3)," he said. "The family student housing is real good. I liked the coaches a lot, too. It seemed like they were more concerned about me as a person than a player."

Moss is most certainly a fine player. He earned all-Big Sky Conference honors last year when he averaged 12 points and seven rebounds. Though he got off to a bit of a slow start this season, Moss recently hit his stride. He grabbed 15 boards in Montana State's 12-point victory over Idaho State last Saturday.

"On nights when he's focused," said Montana State coach Mick Durham, "Marvin is as good as anybody in the league. He's coming off a 15-rebound game, and that's a pretty good sign right there."

Moss is a gifted offensive player, with silky-smooth moves in the paint and a soft touch from the perimeter. His support system, he figures, is another gift that he treasures.

"My daughter, she watches," Moss said. "I don't know if she understands, but she's always screaming and hollering at the games."

And his girlfriend?

"She's been with me since like the eighth grade," Moss said.

And apparently Abigail knows basketball.

"Oh yeah," Moss said with a chuckle. "She lets me know when I'm playing soft."

Moss's personal battle with Montana star power forward Andrew Strait figures to be in the spotlight Saturday. Next year, the limelight will most certainly fade for the senior. But that doesn't necessarily mean he'll be enjoying life less in Bozeman.

"Family-wise, it's worked out great for me," Moss said. "My girlfriend likes her job and my daughter likes her preschool. Plus we enjoy the community. I think I'm going to end up spending another year here, and that's not going to be a problem at all."