GREAT FALLS — Basketball season is almost here, and the University of Providence has a new coach at the helm of its men's program.
Michael Claxton has brought a philosophy built around speed — but he says it only works if his team can get stops first.
"It's one thing to be fast, to play quick, but it starts with us on the defensive end," Claxton said. "We want the game to be fast, but it's all going to be predicated on if we can get stops or not."
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Claxton's coaching career has taken him from Seattle, to Europe, and back to his home state of Montana. Since arriving on campus this summer, he said his first priority wasn't Xs and Os — it was getting to know the 12 to 13 new faces in his locker room.
"I want to start to try to build relations with these guys and build trust," said Claxton, who most recently coached the boys team at Gallatin High School in Bozeman. "I think it's important for us to start to gel, spend time off the court."
That process has paid off, he said, with a group he trusts to handle a long college season.
"I feel like we have a really solid group of characters," Claxton said. "Through all of my experience coaching internationally, if you don't have guys that are in it for the team, that want to build and are intentional about being good teammates, it can make for a really long season."
One of those characters is junior Quinn Swanson, who's embraced his new coach's basketball ideology after two seasons under a different system.
"We're really coming together with new guys and buying into his philosophy and culture, and I think that will help us this year," Swanson said.
Swanson agrees with his coach on another point, too: chemistry off the court is translating to buy-in on it.
"We hang out with each other outside of basketball. We all get along," Swanson said. "There's no cliques within the team. Everyone's kind of getting along, and I think that's good for us as a team aspect."
One of the biggest differences Swanson has noticed under Claxton is a shift in mentality.
"Just feel like everyone is here and striving for the same goal," Swanson said. "We're all in this together, and I feel like it'll buy us in as a team this year and hopefully improve from last year."
Now a junior, Swanson is also settling into more of a leadership role — one he admits doesn't come naturally in a vocal sense.
"Leading by example is a big one that I've tried working on, and I'm not really that vocal, so I'm trying to work on that as well," Swanson said.
Claxton has noticed. He calls Swanson one of the clearest examples of what he wants this program to be.
"He's a quiet spoken warrior, I'd say. He does the dirty work, he leads by example, but he also has a very high IQ," Claxton said.
Selfish basketball doesn't win games, and Claxton is counting on that buy-in to carry over once the Argos start facing real competition.
"We're going to be connected. We're going to share the ball," Claxton said. "There's been a huge emphasis on creating shots off the assist, creating opportunities for each other."
Swanson said the Argos have circled their season opener against Montana State Billings, roughly two weeks out, as the next benchmark.
"I think it's just building on days, stacking days," Swanson said. "So I just keep getting better, learning the offense, tightening up our defense, and coming together as a team."
Claxton had parting words for Providence basketball fans.
"Come check us out," Claxton said. "Come check out how hard these guys are going to play and the spirit and the fight that they're going to bring to the floor. I think it's going to be a fun style of basketball to support and get into.
