Big Sky Conference

Bobcats sign Finland point guard Nikkarinen

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Brian Fish found his second point guard. And he went across the globe to land him once again.

As Fish enters his fourth season at the helm for the Montana State men’s basketball program, he and his staff have expanded their recruiting reach significantly. Last recruiting season, Fish and assistant coach Chris Haslam plucked standout southpaw point guard Harald Frey from Oslo, Norway.

During the current late signing period, Montana State had one scholarship to work with after the off-season transfer of redshirt freshman guard Mandrell Worthy. Fish and his staff brought Norwegian point guard Lars Espe and German forward Antonio Pilipovic to Bozeman for official visits but did not extend solid scholarship offers, instead continuing searching abroad for the perfect fit.

The Bobcats found that fit in point guard Lassi Nikkarinen. The product of Helsinki, Finland signed his official Letter of Intent on Monday, sewing up Fish’s 13th and final scholarship in the process. Fish confirmed the signing on Monday afternoon.

Former Montana State guard Quinton Everett

Former Montana State guard Quinton Everett

Montana State has open scholarships because of the ended eligibility of Quinton Everett and Sarp Gobeloglu plus Worthy’s transfer. MSU filled two with the signing of Oregon guard Isaac Bonton and Texas big man Luke Schultz in the fall.

The Bobcats return a roster that will feature seniors Zach Green, Benson Osayande, Joe Mvuezolo Jr., and Konner Frey. MSU also returns Frey, last season’s Big Sky Conference Freshman of the Year, and junior Tyler Hall, the Big Sky’s top freshman two seasons ago and a unanimous first-team all-league pick last season. MSU will receive a boost from Konner Frey, formerly of Utah Valley, and junior Keljin Blevins, a transfer from Southern Miss who like Konner Frey sat out last season.

Hall and Bonton, a 6-foot-2 slashing guard from Portland, can both play on the ball but Fish wanted to use his last scholarship to recruit a true point guard. He found what he was looking for with Nikkarinen, a 6-foot-1 20-year-old who also held offers from Hofstra, Niagara and Appalachian State.

Nikkarinen averaged 16 points, 4.4 assists and 2.4 steals in nearly 31 minutes per game for HBA-Marsky Helsinki in Finland’s 1st Division. In 24 games, he shot 45 percent overall and better than 41 percent from 3-point range. Nikkarinen also played on Finland’s U18 national team. He teamed with Arizona stud center Lauri Markkanen, a likely NBA Lottery pick this summer. Nikkarinen’s father, Eero, is a well-respected basketball coach who has won national titles at both the professional and junior levels in Finland.

Lassi Nikkarinen/ contributed

Lassi Nikkarinen/ contributed

The smooth-shooting, solid ball handler held his own while playing 30 minutes of pick-up basketball during his official visit to Bozeman on April 25. He showed good pace, fundamental ball skills, an ability to hit open 3-pointers and a surprising toughness that belies his 165-pound frame. He knocked down at least four open 3-pointers and held his own defensively during the informal battle.

Nikkarinen, Bonton and Schultz will all join the team this summer and participate in the 10 extra practices provided by MSU’s international tour. The Bobcats will play four games in five days in Calgary in August against college teams from across Canada. Per NCAA rules, men’s basketball teams are allowed to go on international tours once every four years.

Montana State posted a 16-16 record last season, including 11-7 in Big Sky play. Fish is 37-56 in his career at MSU.

Photos attributed. All Rights Reserved. 

About Colter Nuanez

Colter Nuanez is the co-founder and senior writer for Skyline Sports. After spending six years in the newspaper industry with stops at the Missoulian, the Ellensburg Daily Record and the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, the former Washington Newspaper Association Sportswriter of the Year and University of Montana Journalism School graduate ('09) has cultivated a deep passion for sports journalism during his 13-year career covering the Big Sky Conference. In August of 2014, Colter and brother Brooks merged their passions of writing and art to found Skyline Sports.

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