MISSOULA — For those watching the first-round game between Scobey and Winnett-Grass Range at the Class C boys basketball state tournament Wednesday, it was like stepping into a time machine at Dahlberg Arena.
The Spartans were playing here for the first time since 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the state tournament after the semifinal round. That 2020 Scobey team that shared the state championship featured a lanky Caden Handran, who later went on to have a successful career at the College of Idaho.
And these 2026 Spartans have Bram Handran, Caden’s younger brother, in a starring role.
“He’s just so poised in there, just from all aspects of the game,” Scobey coach Jason Wolfe said of Bram Handran, who filled the stat sheet with 10 points, six rebounds, six assists, four steals and three blocked shots in Scobey’s 71-45 win over Winnett-Grass Range.
“He’s a three-level scorer. He’s right around a triple-double every night. He’s just a real selfless player and kind of the leader of our team.”
Bram sees the game the same way as his older brother and plays in a similar manner. In the first half, W-GR went to a zone defense and Bram went to work out of the high post, finding open 3-point shooters in the corners or cutters diving to the basket.
On one play, he rifled a no-look pass to a cutting teammate for an open lay-up. The shot missed, but the pass was still highlight-worthy.
“I’ve played a lot of basketball in my life. A lot of my teammates, we’ve been playing together since we were second graders, so we kind of know where everyone’s at all times,” Bram said. “Unfortunately, including myself, we weren’t really making many layups tonight, but hopefully that’ll feed the next night, so that’ll be good.”
Caden, who now manages a basketball facility in Hawaii, watched from the stands.
“Sometimes I’m like, ‘Take it into the hoop and go score,’ and then he throws a no-look pass, so sometimes he’s seeing things that I don’t really see,” Caden said. “But that’s just kind of how it goes, especially when you’re getting the ball in the high post in a zone like that. Some stuff opens up that you can kind of manipulate.”
While in high school at Scobey, Caden never lost a regular-season game and won two state championships. At College of Idaho, he played in 144 games as the Yotes went 135-12 and won two NAIA national titles during his career.
Wednesday was the first time he’s gotten to see Bram play in person.
“I flew in from Maui, so that should tell you a little bit,” Caden said of what it meant to him to be able to watch his brother play. “I took the red-eye and haven’t slept, I couldn’t sleep on the plane, so I’m a little bit delusional watching, but I loved every second and I’m happy to be here for the whole tournament.”
“We talk every single day. He’s always giving me pointers, what to do in the games,” Bram added. “It’s super special to have an older brother that’s as successful as he is to kind of give me pointers whenever I need, so it’s awesome.”
