Brian Fish has stockpiled a roster with an array of skills during his first two recruiting classes. Montana State’s third-year osabdhead coach found athleticism and explosiveness in Zach Green in his first class. His second class netted a leDnthal scorer in Tyler Hall, a tough perimeter defender and tone-setting leader in Quinton Everett and one of the funkiest matchups in the league with 6-foot-10 3-point shooting Sarp Gobeloglu.
In his third recruiting class, Fish knew he needed to find a hard-nosed point guard to replace Marcus Colbert and a versatile forward to replace Danny Robison. He hopes skilled Norway product Harald Frey can develop into a fluid, skilled point guard over time. Fish thinks Utah Valley transfer Konner Frey can be a more athletic and diverse version of Robison right away.
The one thing Fish has not had in his first two seasons at the helm is a true shot blocking center. Eric Norman, a 6-foot-9 stretch forward, notched 50 of Montana State’s 91 blocks two seasons ago, using timing and crafty angles much more than prodigious jumping ability to protect the rim. Last season, that number fell to 62 blocked shots. No Bobcat blocked more than the 6-foot-3 Everett. The guard had 14 blocks as MSU ranked dead last in the 12-team Big Sky with just two blocks per game.
[restrict paid=”true”]Fish’s roster loses Colbert, Robison, sharp-shooting junior guard Stephan Holm (left the program), sophomore jumping jack forward Quinn Price (retired due to injury), lightning fast but largely unskilled point guard Nahjee Matlock (transferred to Alaska-Anchorage) and underwhelming big man Shy Blake (cut).
With a core led by Hall, Green, Everett, Gobeloglu and sophomore power forward Sam Neumann returning, Fish’s up-tempo attack is set on the perimeter on both sides of the court. The Bobcats desperately needed someone to protect the rim.
Fish thinks he’s found that rim protector in Benson Osayande, a 6-foot-9 post who MSU’s head coach calls “bouncy and athletic.” The transfer from Casper (Wyoming) Junior College signed with MSU earlier this month after averaging 5.4 rebounds and blocking 26 shots in 34 games for the Thunderbirds as a sophomore.
“Benson really brings length and athleticism to our program,” Fish said in an MSU press release. “He moves well and he’ll really help us on the defensive end. He can shoot it out to about 15 feet and is effective around the basket, but I really like what he brings us defensively. Benson is a different type of player than we have right now.”
MSU assistant Chris Haslam, a Wyoming alum who recruits the state’s junior colleges heavily, started courting Osayande early on during his sophomore season. Montana State also showed strong interest in Miami Dade’s Dalen Traore, Cochise (Arizona) College’s Emanual Shepherd, Western Nebraska’s Tyrell Williams, Trinidad State’s Treyvon Andres, Missouri State-West Plains’ Terrel Martin-Garcia, Blinn College’s Link Kabadyundi and East Central (Mississippi) forward Randy Phillips.
MSU brought Phillips, Andres and Traore to town for official visits and individual workouts. Williams ended up signing with Iona, Martin-Garcia was ruled ineligible by the NCAA, Phillips declined MSU’s offer, Traore committed to Evansville and Andres committed to Loyola-Chicago.
Osayande was the last of the JC big men to visit Bozeman. He decided after one day he wanted to make the Gallatin Valley his future home. He visited in mid-May and committed less than 24 hours after receiving an offer from Fish.
“I just liked the small college town feel,” Osayande said. “When I was out there, I liked the campus and just what the program has to offer. The relationships with the coaches were good and I wanted to come.”
Montana State posted a 7-23 record in Fish’s first season, In Year 2, the Bobcats doubled their win total and went from four Big Sky Conference wins to nine league victories. With the return of Hall, the Big Sky’s Freshman of the Year and the third-leading returning scorer in the league, MSU seems to have more upward trajectory in front of it.
“They told me they are on the rise,” Osayande said. “They are big on academics. I know they are on the rise and they just need a few more pieces to turn the program around.”
Osayande has a somewhat limited offensive game — he averaged 7.4 points per contest as a sophomore and shot 50 percent from the floor — but he committed to MSU knowing full well his role. He chose the Bobcats, the only team that offered him, although he did receive interest from Illinois-Chicago, Idaho State, Cal State-Fullerton and UC-Riverside.
“I want to use my athleticism and bring a defensive presence to the team,” Osayande said. “My athleticism and my ability to block shots and my motor are my best skills.”
The junior earned his associate’s degree in general studies from Casper and will be eligible to play right away. He is interested in studying kinesiology or human and health performance in preparation for a potential career in physical therapy.
Osayande’s parents still live in his native Elk Grove, California, a town of 160,000 just outside Sacramento. His father is a correctional officer and his mother is a teacher for adults with special needs. Osayande said their support has been a big boost as he has pursued his Division I dreams, aspirations that became a reality earlier this month.
“This means a lot because not a lot of people get the opportunity to play at the Division I level,” Osayande said. “All the hard work I put in at Casper has paid off. I can’t wait to get there.”
[/restrict]Photos courtesy of Casper Junior College – Benson Osayande. All Rights Reserved.
