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Going International

By Beacon Staff

There was little doubt when record-setting post Brian Qvale completed his four-year University of Montana career as the top shot blocker in Big Sky Conference history, the Grizzlies would experience a huge void on both ends of the court.

But hanging up his maroon and silver jersey a little over a year ago was by no means the end of Qvale’s time on the hardwood.

With NBA teams in the midst of a lockout, the 23-year-old Qvale opted to toil his wares a mere 6,000 miles and nine time zones away from the North Dakota farm on which he was raised to the port city of Izmir, Turkey on the central coast of the Aegean Sea.

The confines may be a tad different and the language tough to understand, but the way Qvale is performing in a starting role in the post is much the same as his early UM years.

The 6-foot-11-inch Qvale is averaging just short of nine points and grabbing nearly five rebounds a game while shooting better than 58 percent from the field and blocking more than a shot a game.

It wasn’t until his junior year at UM that the Williston, N.D. product became a dominating force for the Grizzlies. He started every game but one in a 30-game season, averaged double figures, corralled better than seven rebounds per game and blocked 61 shots, moving into third on the all-time list on a Grizzly team that upset Weber State and advanced to the NCAA tournament where it fell to New Mexico State University.

In the top division of Turkish professional hoops, Qvale is playing for a Aliaga Petkim team that stands 8-7 and tied for eighth in the 16-team Turkish Basketball League.

They stand five games back of league leader Anadolu Efes, a team they play early in February about a week after their next game on Jan. 28 against Hacettepe.

Also a member of the Aliaga team is former Utah Valley sharpshooting guard Ryan Toolson, who is averaging just south of 15 points a game, while dishing out four assists a game, shooting 54 percent from the field and better than 90 percent in free throws.

A veteran of international play, Toolson, who once scored a record 63 points for the Wolverines and gave Montana fits in games in Orem, Utah, has played for three other teams in Italy and Turkey.

A third American, 6-foot 10-inch Kevinn Pinkney from the University of Nevada, splits time with Qvale in the post and is also a veteran of international play, with stints in Russia, Slovenia, Israel and Italy before joining the Aliaga team.

Qvale has been accompanied overseas by his fiancé, Misty Atkinson, a former Montana Lady Griz, and their adopted rescue dog appropriately named “Turkey.”

Qvale’s brother Brent (6-7, 320) is an offensive guard at Nebraska and his dad Sanford played football at North Dakota State University before being drafted by Buffalo in the 16th round in 1975.

Although Qvale missed being home for the holidays since his team played on Christmas Day and the day before New Year’s, he did make it home recently for a week.

But for now, with 15 games remaining before the end of the regular season at the end of April, it’s back to business prior to a return to Missoula for the summer.