GREAT FALLS — Thirty-two of the top high school boys basketball players in Montana have been at the University of Providence the past two days for the Montana Hoops training camp. The camp was organized by UP men’s basketball assistant coach and Montana Hoops director J.C. Isakson with the intent of creating a Montana-based travel ball club.
The camp was two days long and featured scrimmages, drills, video sessions, weights and nutrition lessons. Five teams are formed out of the 32 attendees, who fly to Las Vegas Wednesday to compete in the Bigfoot Las Vegas Main Event and Bigfoot Las Vegas Live. Previously, Montana players would play for clubs in other states, like the Idaho Selects.
Isakson said this club will give more opportunities for Montana players to get exposure to high-level competition and potentially big colleges.
“Your development gets limited when you’re playing against the same schools and the same kids. Just the natural circumstances of Montana, population-wise, you’re not seeing the athletes in the high level,” Isakson said. “So we take this as an opportunity to work together, go down to a bigger venue and test ourselves against high skill-level players and see where we fall. And it’s eye-opening for Montana kids.”
