(Editor's note: Montana State media release)
BOZEMAN – The Montana State men's basketball program received four National Letters of Intent on Wednesday, Nov. 11, as a part of the Division I early signing period. Alex Germer, Sam Lecholat, Patrick McMahon and Great Osobor each submitted their paperwork and will join the Bobcats in the fall of 2021 as freshmen from the prep ranks.
"I'm really excited about the future of this program with the addition of these four young pups," Montana State head coach Danny Sprinkle said. "I stress young as they are all only 17 years old, with the exception of Patrick who recently turned 18. They all bring a dimension to this program that will help us continue to get better. These four have the character and toughness my staff and I look for when recruiting. I love the size and versatility of these four. All of them are 6-foot-6 or taller and can play multiple positions. Their length, skill level and shooting ability will benefit our program immediately."
Three of the four student-athletes – Germer, Lecholat and McMahon – were recognized by Stadium Talk as the top ranked recruits in their respective states this summer. Osobor is currently a member of the Myerscough College Basketball Academy in Preston, England.
Alex Germer | 6-8 | Forward | Sentinel HS | Missoula, Mont.
Germer enters his senior season at Sentinel High School as a three-year member of the Spartan varsity squad. He's been a starter for two seasons and averaged double figures in each. Germer averaged 17.9 points and 8.5 rebounds per game as a junior, while shooting over 44% from the field. He ended the 2019-20 season as a Class AA All-State First Team selection following a sophomore campaign that saw him claim All-State Second Team honors. Germer also plays on the AUU circuit for Select Basketball.
"Alex is a skilled 6-foot-8 basketball player," Sprinkle said. "He hasn't even touched the surface of how good he will be in 2-3 years. His body is still growing and it will be interesting to see how different he looks two years from now. He can really shoot the basketball which is what caught our eye when we started recruiting him. He's very versatile and can play 2-3 positions. He has a quiet toughness to him and I think he will have a chip on his shoulder to prove something once he gets here."
Sam Lecholat | 6-7 | Forward | Sheridan HS | Sheridan, Wyo.
Lecholat comes off a junior season that saw the Sheridan High standout be named the Wyoming Gatorade Player of the Year and the Class 4A Player of the Year for the 2019-20 season. A two-time Class 4A All-State selection, Lecholat averaged 18.4 points, 11.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game as a junior.
Lecholat guided the Broncs to an appearance in the 4A quarterfinals last spring. He shot 40% from the 3-point line and had two games with over 20 rebounds. He led Class 4A in rebounds and was fourth in scoring. Lecholat is a three-year contributor for the varsity program and two-year starter, while he participated on the AUU circuit for Select Basketball.
"Sam is a physical, no-nonsense junk yard dog," Sprinkle said. "His physicality, competitiveness and skill level caught my eye immediately watching his high school & Idaho Select AAU team. He is going to make us tougher and more physical the second he steps on campus. Sam can really pass the basketball and makes everyone around him better. He's really become a very good 3-point shooter that will allow him to be very effective in our offense as a perimeter 4 or 5."
Patrick McMahon | 6-6 | Guard | Colony HS | Palmer, Alaska
McMahon was named the Alaska Association of Basketball Coaches 4A Boys State Player of the Year as a junior. McMahon helped lead Colony High to a conference championship with the Knights finishing 17-4 overall and 8-0 in conference play. McMahon averaged 23 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks per game last season. He shot over 60% from the field and over 30% from deep.
A 4A Boys First Team All-State selection as a junior, McMahon was also a First Team pick as a sophomore by USA Today. That year he was a member of a Knights squad that took third at the state tournament and was an All-Tournament Team selection. McMahon has been a starter for two seasons and contributed for the Knights as a freshman. McMahon has played AAU basketball for the Alaska Ambassadors.
"Patrick is an ultra-talented scoring wing," Sprinkle said. "I can't wait to see his development in our program from a skill and weight room standpoint. He is over 6-foot-6 and super athletic and has a fast twitch. Like the rest of this class, I would not be surprised to see him grow another inch or two. He can be explosive with the ball in his hands and he can also shoot the 3. I don't necessarily want to compare him to someone in our league, but he reminds me a lot of Jacob Davison at Eastern Washington who's a tremendous player."
Great Osobor | 6-8 | Guard/Forward | Myerscough College | Tudela, Spain
Great Osobor is currently heading into his second season at Myerscough College Basketball Academy based in Preston, England. During Myerscough's most recent European Youth Basketball League schedule, Osobor recorded highs of 18 points and six rebounds in a game while playing less than 15 minutes in each appearance. Osobor has been a member of teams that have won a EYBL regular season championship, Elite Academy Basketball League conference and co-playoff titles, and one earned a runner-up finish in NBL Division 2.
"Great is just scratching the surface on how terrific of a basketball player he will be," Sprinkle said. "He is close to 6-foot-8 and has grown almost 3 inches in the past year since we last saw him. It blows my mind when I watch him and think he's only 17 years old. We expect he will grow another couple inches. He has a 7-foot-4 inch wingspan which is crazy and you can see it when he goes up to dunk and it looks like he barely jumps. Great is extremely skilled for a player his size and can play multiple positions. He's very good playing on the perimeter and he's going to be a problem when he starts posting up smaller players. He can shoot the 3, but can also drive the basketball and make good decisions which will make him very hard to guard."
The Montana State men's basketball program currently has four seniors listed on its 2020-21 roster. The Bobcats look ahead to the beginning of the season with the Division I start date set for Nov. 25.
"All four of our signings are outstanding students who will represent our program in a first-class manner," Sprinkle said. "A lot of schools at our level are going the transfer route. In order to continue to build this program for success in the long term, we need to get young players who we can develop over 4-5 years that fit our basketball culture, academic profile and our community. I know we did that with this class!"
