HELENA — The 2025-26 Frontier Conference men’s basketball all-conference teams and individual award winners were announced Thursday.
Isaiah Crane of Carroll was voted the 2025-26 frontier men’s player of the Year. Prior to the postseason tournament, Crane averages 19.4 points per game and shoots 48.9% from the 3-point line. He also shoots 53.4 % from the field. He scored at least 20 points in game 11 times this season.
Crane’s teammate Drew Jones was selected as the conference’s freshman of the year.
JJ Montgomery of Bellevue (Neb.) was chosen as the league’s defensive player of the year. His teammate Ahamad Bynum was selected as the conference’s newcomer of the year.
Asher Williams of Montana Tech and Luke Holecek of MSU-Northern shared the Frontier Conference’s sixth man of the year award.
Rocky Mountain’s (Mont.) Danny Neville earned coach of the year honors after guiding the Battlin’ Bears to the league title with 20-2 conference record. RMC, which finished at No. 7 ranking in the final NAIA coaches’ top 25, earned the first league automatic bid to the NAIA national yournament, which starts March 13-14 with the first and second rounds.
The 2025-26 Frontier postseason tournament begins with a pair of quarterfinal rounds on Friday and Saturday, followed by the semifinal contests on Sunday,and the championship game on Monday at 5 p.m.
2025-26 Frontier Conference men's basketball awards and honors
Player of the year: Isaiah Crane, Carroll
Defensive player of the year: JJ Montgomery, Bellevue (Neb.)
Freshman of the year: Drew Jones, Carroll
6th man of the year: Asher Williams, Montana Tech, and Luke Holecek, MSU-Northern
Newcomer of the year: Ahamed Bynum, Bellevue (Neb.)
Coach of the year: Danny Neville, Rocky Mountain
First-team all-conference
Isaiah Crane, Carroll
Ahamed Bynum, Bellevue (Neb.)
Kyle Gruhler, Montana Western
Hayden Diekhans, Montana Tech
Royce Robinson, Rocky Mountain
Omari NEsbit, Rocky Mountain
Nathan Ojukwu, Dakota State (S.D.)
Lukas Morgan, Dakota State (S.D.)
Emanuel Steward, Montana Western
Leon Sayers IV, MSU-Northern
Second-team all-conference
RJ Smith, Bellevue (Neb.)
Brayden Koch, Montana Tech
Jaden Phillips, Bellevue (Neb.)
Kellen Harrison, Carrolll
Isaac Round, Carroll
Carter McCoy, Rocky Mountain
Austin Ramos, MSU-Northern
Griffyn Doughty, Dickinson State
JJ Montgomery, Bellevue (Neb.)
JR Cison, Valley City State (N.D.)
All-defense
JJ Montgomery, Bellevue (Neb.)
Hayden Diekhans, Montana Tech
Royce Robinson, Rocky Mountain
Kellen Harrison, Carroll
Mekhi Jourdan, Rocky Mountain
