BOZEMAN — The Montana State men’s basketball program rounded out its 2026 signing class with the addition of a trio of transfers, head coach Matt Logie announced Monday.
The Bobcats added guard Isaiah Crane, forward London Praytor and guard Darnez Slater to the squad, completing their five-player signing class that also features freshman signees Daniel “DJ” Johnson and Hale Hansen. The 2026-27 Bobcat roster stands at 15 players, with Montana State retaining 100% of its scholarship players with remaining eligibility from the 2025-26 roster.
Crane joins the Bobcats from Carroll College, where he was a second-team NAIA All-American and the Frontier Conference player of the year during his redshirt sophomore season. A two-time first-team All-Frontier Conference selection, Crane started in all 30 games for the Saints in each of the last two seasons and averaged 19.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game during the 2025-26 campaign. He led the Frontier Conference in scoring in conference games with 20.0 points per game while ranking 20th in NAIA in total scoring with 589 points.
A sharp shooter, Crane shot 54.3% from the floor and 50.0% from 3-point range during his redshirt sophomore season, while also adding 30 steals. A native of Portland, Ore., Crane was the 2024-25 Frontier Conference freshman of the year and will join the Bobcats as a redshirt junior this upcoming fall.
"We are thrilled to add Isaiah Crane to our backcourt here at Montana State,” Logie said. “Isaiah is a hard-working, late-blooming guard who excelled at the NAIA level down the road at Carroll College for the last two seasons. Following in a long line of guards that have played for our basketball family from Portland, Ore., Isaiah exhibits many of the traits that lead to winning basketball.
"He is a very efficient player, shooting above 50% from both the field and the 3-point line. He is dynamic with the basketball and can get into the paint to score or make plays for others. Last but certainly not least, Isaiah wanted to be in a program that competes for championships and wants to be a part of something bigger than himself. We think he will be a great fit here at MSU.”
Praytor, a native of Colorado Springs, Colo., returns west after playing his freshman season at Toledo. He competed in 16 contests for the Rockets last season, totaling 36 points and 26 rebounds while averaging 4.6 minutes per game. A 7-foot forward, Praytor impressed with a 12-point, 12-rebound double-double in just 12 minutes of action against Central State on Dec. 1, 2025, while adding seven points in 10 minutes at No. 9 Michigan State on Dec. 16. He pulled down 10 rebounds in a career-high 15 minutes of action against Lourdes on Dec. 20, producing a strong output in limited minutes for the Rockets last season.
He helped guide the Rockets to a 19-15 record, including an 11-7 record in the Mid-American Conference, as Toledo advanced to the MAC championship game. Praytor will join the Bobcats as a sophomore and provide significant height in the frontcourt for Montana State.
"It is extremely exciting to add a player with London's size and upside to our frontcourt here at Montana State,” Logie said. “While his 7-foot size will be the first thing our fans notice about London — and his size is something our program sorely needed — it is his love for the game, work ethic and skill set that really makes him unique. We felt very strongly about London coming out of high school and are very excited to add him to our frontcourt at this time and surrounded by this group of teammates.
“Coming from the University of Toledo, London has been a part of a winning mid-major program already and will fit in seamlessly to the way we play. London has the ability to score in a variety of ways, both in the pick-and-roll game, as well as in the pick-and-pop and face-up game. He has added 20-plus pounds of size and strength in the last year to get to 225 pounds and will only continue to get better with time in our program.”
Slater joins former teammate Jaden Steppe in Bozeman following his redshirt freshman season at Colorado State. A native of Eastvale, Calif., Slater appeared in 23 games for the Rams during the 2025-26 season and compiled 35 points and 14 rebounds on 12-of-30 (40.0%) shooting while averaging 6.9 minutes per game. He posted a career-high 17 points on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting against Northern New Mexico on Dec. 14, 2025, and added nine points in a career-high 19 minutes at UNLV on Feb. 18, 2026. Slater and Steppe were both true freshmen at Colorado State during the 2024-25 season, with Slater set to be a redshirt sophomore for Montana State next season.
“Darnez Slater is another addition to our basketball family whose roots here run a bit deeper due to our previous relationship building,” Logie said. “Darnez was our first guard recruit who visited MSU as part of the first full recruiting cycle we went through back in 2023. That relationship foundation, as well as the ability for Darnez to see that the vision we painted for him back in 2023 was indeed coming to fruition here on a regular basis for our guards, makes this such a great time to team up.
“Darnez is a multifaceted guard with good size at 6-foot-4. He has played for winning teams, both on and off the ball, during his time at nationally renowned Roosevelt High School and Colorado State. Darnez's ability to hit 3s, touch the paint, score in the mid-range and at the rim, as well as create for others, will be a much-needed flavor to our backcourt. Having been a part of an NCAA Tournament team at Colorado State as a redshirt, Darnez has communicated a deep desire and willingness to do whatever it takes to get back to the NCAA Tournament, and we can't wait to get him integrated with the rest of a very hungry group of guys.”
Alongside Montana State’s five-player recruiting class, the Bobcats are set to welcome back 10 players from last year’s squad. Those players include Seth Amunrud, Jeremiah Davis, Cavin Holden, Howie Keene, Christian King, Waka Mbatch, CJ Purdie, Calum Rutherfurd, Steppe and James Steward. Montana State finished second in the Big Sky regular-season standings in 2025-26, compiling an 18-14 overall record and 12-6 conference record while posting an impressive 11-2 record at home.
Crane, Praytor, Slater, Johnson and Hansen round out next season’s squad as the Bobcats look to put together another strong campaign in 2026-27.
