GREAT FALLS — A positive charge is set to strike the Electric City.
The Great Falls Electric of The Basketball League begins its third season as a franchise this coming Sunday and Monday.
After a season in which the Electric claimed the Western Conference championship and an appearance in the league semifinals, a good deal of change took place in the offseason. New players were added, and a new head coach now leads the squad.
One of the new players, Deon Lyle, has tenured professional experience after being a Division I product at University of Texas-San Antonio and a former junior college All-American. He has also been a part of a TBL title-winning team.
"I'm excited to (win) here in Great Falls, I know they've gotten close and they're trying to get over the hump," Lyle said Tuesday during the Electric's practice at Paris Gibson Education Center. "That's the goal is to win this year ... (the) 2026 TBL championship and bring it back to Montana."
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Another who comes in with D-I experience is Emmanuel Izunabor, who played for High Point University and North Carolina Central. He said this will be his first stint in professional basketball.
"This year, we have to go all the way," Izunabor said. "(We're) just going to bring that energy and do all the right things, and hope everything works out. Once you hit the floor, you have to play every game like it's your last game."
As mentioned, there is a new face leading the Electric in Broc Finstuen, who previously played for Great Falls. Finstuen — a first-time head coach — takes over for Montana Coaches Association Hall of Famer Steve Keller.
"They brought me in to try to get over the hump," Finstuen said. "I think just being a player recently and having that respect from the guys knowing that it's like, hey, he's been in our shoes and he knows what he's doing."
With the first two contests of the season approaching, Lyle and Izunabor expect it to be, well, electric.
"We have a very exciting type of basketball we're going to put out on the floor," Lyle said. "We're all here for the same goal, to win a championship, and we think that this community deserves to be presented a championship."
"Everyone should just come out and support us," Izunabor said. "We're going to need that, for sure."
Great Falls tips off the 2026 campaign against the 4 Bears Roar from North Dakota on Sunday and Monday at Four Seasons Arena.
