Interview With Montana Grizzly Joe Pridgen

Tuesday, December 31st's Daily Drive with Ace Sauerwein featured Montana Grizzly Basketball stud, Joe Pridgen. In his first season in Missoula, Pridgen is averaging 15 points per game and 9 rebounds per game while recording 3 double-doubles along the way. To say the least, he's been a terrific addition to the Grizzly lineup. But the best parts of our conversation weren't necessarily about his game.

Pridgen says no to social media

"I had social media when I was, you know, middle school, high school," started Pridgen. "Being a college athlete, there's a lot of attention especially with NIL stuff going around now. Everybody's trying to, everyone thinks they're part of something maybe a little bigger than they are."

NIL is one thing but with the rise of legal sports gambling, Pridgen isn't going anywhere near Twitter or Facebook or Instagram or the rest.

"Especially with all the gambling and stuff, people they got too much easy, easy contact to an athlete. So you know I just try to limit all that."

Unfortunately for Pridgen, he had some gamblers chime in about a spread gone awry.

"When I was at Holy Cross, guys they [would call me out] messing up the spreads or whatever it is... I just don't even answer. You just delete the message and move on."

First holidays as Papa Pridgen

This holiday season was the first for Joe as a dad. Being a student-athlete is hard enough. Being a father is hard enough, but try to mix the two together and not many would succeed at both, but Pridgen thinks it's helped him this year.

"For me, man, to be honest, it's been helpful. It kind of just puts you always in a mindset of just always being on go. Basically always ready to do something," added Pridgen.