BOZEMAN — There's no question Seth Amunrud was a polished and productive high school basketball player.
Leading Manhattan Christian to back-to-back state championships as a junior and senior, Amunrud was among the state's top talents. He was also selected for one of the Treasure State's coveted roster spots for the Montana/Wyoming All-Star Basketball Series in 2023.
But even Amunrud knew that in order to succeed at the next level he had to refine his game. Making the jump from Class C to a four-year college program can be daunting.
Now that he's at Division I Montana State — and back in his hometown of Bozeman — it was worth the journey.
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"Coming out of high school, I needed a lot of development," Amunrud, a 6-foot-3 combo guard, told MTN Sports last week. "I needed to put on some muscle and have a lot of skill development and just playing against (better) competition."
So Amunrud chose the junior college route, and he spent the past two seasons at Dawson Community College in Glendive where he earned NJCAA All-America status, was named MVP of both Region XIII and the Mon-Dak Athletic Conference, and led the Buccaneers to within one win of the North Central District championship.
In two seasons under coach Joe Peterson at Dawson, Amunrud averaged 17.4 points while shooting 49.5% from the floor.
"Having that opportunity was super beneficial," Amunrud said. "And being able to play right away really helped keep my love for the game. Sometimes just practicing all the time and not being able to play is hard. So being able to play two years in a row on a really competitive team with really talented players and on a winning team was super helpful (for) keeping my love of the game going."
But his migration to Montana State took at least one sharp turn.
Amunrud initially signed with the University of Denver during the 2024 early signing period and planned to join the Pioneers the following season to suit up for coach Jeff Wulbrun.
However, Wulbrun and DU "agreed to part ways" this past March, leaving Amunrud in limbo.
"They had a great coaching staff there that I really, really clicked with and got along with well," Amunrud said. "And so it's unfortunate what happened with that staff. After they were let go, then I reopened my recruitment, and then Montana State became an option."
Amunrud said he and the Bobcats mutually pursued each other after he entered the NCAA transfer portal, and he officially signed with MSU this past May. Amunrud still has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
In a press release announcing Amunrud's signing, third-year Montana State coach Matt Logie called Amunrud "an incredibly efficient basketball player."
Amunrud said Logie and the MSU staff are "extremely knowledgeable about the game, all the tiny details both (on the) offensive and defensive side of the ball. Playing that system really helps. They prepare you for all kinds of situations."
So far, though, Amunrud hasn't been able to showcase his abilities on the court; a foot injury kept him sidelined through the first three games of the season, though he is slowly working his way back.
He missed the Nov. 9 home game against Denver, which deprived him of a chance to play against the team for which he thought he'd be playing.
"A year ago I thought I was going to be on the other side coming to visit Bozeman," Amunrud said.
Amunrud indicated that his goals for the next two years with the Bobcats are pretty specific.
"I want to play in March Madness," he said. "That's the goal right there. Win the Big Sky Conference and play in the tournament."
MSU isn't far removed from winning three consecutive Big Sky tourney titles to advance to the Big Dance, including in Logie's first season as coach in 2024.
With Amunrud's help, maybe the Bobcats can make it back.
