When DeVonte Klines put pen to paper last week, it affirmed the arduous grind he has endured since graduating as a highly regarded recruit from Santa Margarita High.
The Saddleback Community College guard signed a National Letter of Intent last week with the Montana State Bobcats. The former CIF Division 3-AA Player of the Year finally made his Division I aspirations into a reality.
“It was like a dream come true for me, especially with where I came from and how hard it was to get to this point,” Klines said last Wednesday. “The past two years, I was getting recruited at a high Division I level but it always came up short for me, either my grades or they chose somebody over me. Maybe they felt those players were better than me. When I went to Saddleback, I started playing with a chip on my shoulder to prove everyone wrong that I’m a Division I player, not just a Division I athlete.”
The 6-foot-2, 180-pound point guard received interest from schools like Tennessee, Arizona State, Oregon State, Memphis, Old Dominion, Ball State and San Jose State. But no solid scholarship offers came.
With the graduation of All-Big Sky Conference point guard Marcus Colbert and the transfer of Nahjee Matlock to Alaska-Fairbanks, Montana State head coach Brian Fish knew he needed a point guard. Fish plans to play Tyler Hall, the Big Sky Freshman of the Year last season playing off the ball, at point guard next season. He also signed Harald Frey, a standout point guard from Oslo, Norway during the early period in the fall. But Fish and his staff like Klines’ toughness and think he can contribute in some fashion next winter. Klines comes to MSU with three seasons of eligibility remaining.
“DeVonte is a combo guard with some toughness,” Fish said, “and he has three years of eligibility. That balances our classes out. He’s won championships at every level he’s played at, and I certainly like that about him. I think he can be an impactful guy for us. I was always worried about losing Marcus’ toughness, so hopefully DeVonte can bring that to our program.”
Last season at Saddleback, Klines earned second-team all-conference honors in one of the top junior college leagues in the country. The Santa Margarita, California native averaged 7.2 points and 1.7 assists per game in 33 outings, shooting 43.9 percent from the floor and 39.2 percent from three-point range.
“I learned how to play different ways at Saddleback,” Klines said. “When you are playing on different teams, you have to fit into the system. It doesn’t matter how athletic you are. That’s not going to get you a scholarship. You have to have to skills. You can’t teach toughness and hard work.
“I had success by working. I would be the last one in the gym. I went hard at practice when other people weren’t. Playing time came because of hard work.”
As a prep senior, Klines earned All-CIF honors and Division 3-AA Player of the Year accolades as the point guard on Santa Margarita’s championship club during his senior season. His 17 assists in one game broke Klay Thompson’s school record. Klines said he can play off the ball but he much prefers playing the point position.
“I want to bring energy and control the tempo of the game,” Klines said. “I want to be the quarterback of the team, make sure everything is good and make the team better.”
Klines came on a visit to Montana State in early April. He said the small Montana town was “a little different” but liked the passion for sports in Southwestern Montana and said the small town feel will help him “focus on my craft.”
Klines also liked the disciplinary, straight forward style of Fish.
“He was just up front with me, telling me about how the school is, the academics,” Klines said. “I liked how he was real firm about that and how there is a lot of tutoring, how I can get a lot of help. And the program, the whole team was filled with energy when I came. I really enjoyed it.”
Montana State’s newest point guard said his primary goal while attending Montana State is to help the Bobcats to their first Big Dance since 1996.
“My No. 1 goal is making it to the NCAA Tournament,” Klines said. “Then after that, it’s trying to play professional basketball after I do a couple of years in Montana.
“This chance means everything to me because I know a lot of people don’t get these opportunities. I know how hard it was for me to get this opportunity. All the hard work has finally paid off.”
