BILLINGS — Montana State Billings men's basketball coach Luke Fennelly has announced the addition of 11 student-athletes who will join the Yellowjackets for the 2026-27 season.
The class features a blend of local standouts, accomplished junior college transfers, Division I transfers, and international talent from Finland and New Zealand. The group adds size, experience, versatility, and production as MSUB looks to build off of its four consecutive 20-win seasons and remain among the top contenders in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
A major theme of the 2026-27 signing class is the addition of homegrown talent. Five signees have Montana roots, including Billings natives Chase Bad Bear from Billings Senior High School, Billings Skyview alumni Zakai Owens and Lane Love, Lockwood’s Zicciah Callison, and Lewistown's Fischer Brown.
Joining the team from neighboring states and beyond are Jefferson Neary from Gillette, Wyo., Conner Oertel from Salem, Ore., Braydon Olson from Chehalis, Wash., Joel Brown from Auckland, New Zealand, Cory Lovell from Wellington, New Zealand, and Eino Montin from Oulu, Finland.
"This signing class brings together everything we were looking for as a staff — size, skill, experience, toughness, and a strong connection to Montana basketball," Fennelly said. "We added proven college players who have produced at the Division I, Division II, and junior college levels, while also bringing in talented young players with tremendous upside.
"This group is highly competitive, versatile, and committed to our culture. We believe the roster can provide an exciting style of play that the Billings community and the state of Montana can be proud of. This class is balanced, has depth and is built not only for the present, but for the future as well. We can’t wait to get started as we work towards a successful 2026-27 season."
A local product from Senior High, Bad Bear joins the Yellowjackets after a decorated prep career. He lettered in basketball all four years and earned First Team All-State and First Team All-Conference honors. Bad Bear was selected to compete in the Montana-Wyoming All-Star Game and was also recognized as Academic All-State.
Sibling of Yellowjacket and Montana State University women’s basketball star Kola Bad Bear, the 6-foot-8 forward brings length, athleticism and a strong foundation as one of the top prospects to emerge from the Billings area in recent years.
Owens returns home after spending his freshman season at Dawson Community College to join his brother Rhyse, who just produced a productive redshirt freshman season for the Jackets. In 33 appearances with 10 starts at Dawson, Zakai averaged 6.1 points per game while shooting 54.5% from the field. He also contributed 163 rebounds, 47 assists, 43 steals, and seven blocks.
Prior to Dawson, Owens starred at Skyview High School, where he earned first-team all-state and all-conference honors while helping lead the Falcons to the 2025 Class AA state championship as the tournament's MVP.
Another Billings native, Love transfers to MSUB after spending three seasons at Montana Tech. During his collegiate career, he appeared in 38 games for the Orediggers.
Love enjoyed a standout high school career at Skyview High School, earning two all-state selections and being named the Eastern AA offensive MVP in 2023. He led Montana in scoring at 23.6 points per game while also leading the state in field goals made and free throws made. Love helped guide Skyview to a Class AA state championship in 2021.
Brown returns to his home state after spending two seasons at Division I Western Carolina. He appeared in 39 games for the Catamounts and showcased his versatility as a guard capable of impacting multiple areas of the game.
Before beginning his collegiate career, Brown starred at Fergus High School in Lewistown and later Wasatch Academy in Utah. He was named Montana player of the year after leading Lewistown to a state championship while averaging 23 points, seven rebounds, and three steals per game.
At Wasatch Academy, Brown averaged 12 points per game while shooting 43% from 3-point range and 93% from the free throw line. His Division I experience, scoring ability and familiarity with Montana basketball make him one of the most accomplished additions in the class.
Callison remains in Billings after a highly successful career at Lockwood High School, where he was a three-time all-state selection and three-time first-team all-conference performer.
Callison leaves Lockwood as the school's all-time leading scorer with more than 1,000 career points while also holding program records for steals and blocks.
