Bozeman, Mont.- The off season for Montana State men’s basketball has been a busy one. Head coach Matt Logie is experiencing a transition in the program after losing a lot of seniors from the previous year, a transition that he went through when he first got hired at Montana State. One that requires roster reconstruction to the max, considering the Bobcats had five total players on the roster as of April 5th. 

That number now sits at twelve with the influx of transfer Montana State has signed in the last few weeks. A group of several key signings to bolster the 2025-2026 roster. The first being Davian Brown, who is the younger brother of former Bobcat Darius Brown II. Coach Logie on Brown via MSU Athletics said, “Davian is a tough, hard-nosed guard who has achieved excellence at every stop of his career.” Brown has over 1,900 career points and has played on four 20-win teams throughout his career. 

The second is Christian King, someone who coach Logie tried to recruit at his previous coaching destination, Point Loma. King will be a redshirt sophomore who is 6’8 and played for former Montana State Head Coach Danny Sprinkle. Coach Logie via MSU Athletics on King, “Christian is someone that we have followed as a player since high school and throughout his time at the University of Washington. He possesses great size on the wing to go along with tremendous shooting and scoring ability.”

Next up is junior scoring guard Cavin Holden. Holden is 6’2 coming from Central Washington, where he was named the GNAC Player of the Year, leading Central Washington to the GNAC regular season title. Coach Logia via MSU Athletics about what Holden brings, “Cavin will be a very dynamic addition to our backcourt here at Montana State,” Logie said. “Cavin is another player from Washington state who we have followed since high school. He has made incredible strides and improvements over the course of the last three years as evident by his recognition as the GNAC Player of the Year this past season as only a sophomore.” 

Graduate transfer Chris Hodges brings length and size from the University of Wisconsin, standing at 6’9 and weighing 257 pounds. Hodges was also recognized for the 2024 Big Ten Sportsmanship Award. Logie on Hodges via MSU Athletics, “Chris brings with him four years of experience at a highly successful program in Wisconsin and will bring Big Ten-caliber size and athleticism to the frontcourt. He has a level of experience from his time in the Big Ten that will help him maximize his opportunity here at MSU. However, it is the attitude, maturity, and leadership that Chris provides that is equally as exciting for us to have in our locker room.” 

One of the top-rated players in the state of Oregon in 2024, Jaden Steppe, joins the Bobcats as a Sophomore from Colorado State. Steppe was the No. 36 ranked power forward in the country by ESPN in 2024. Coach Logie via MSU Athletics on how Steppe fits in with the Bobcats, “Jaden has a combination of size and skill that will fit into our basketball vision extremely well and brings with him a year of Mountain West and NCAA Tournament experience that will help him in his next chapter of basketball here.”

One of the biggest questions heading into the off season for the Bobcats was size in the backcourt. Hodges may be the answer to that question, or it could be Florida State transfer Waka Mbatch. Coach logie vis MSU Athletics on Mbatch, “Waka has his best basketball in front of him still as he has spent the last two years at Florida State in the ACC after coming over from his home country of Gambia. Waka will provide much-needed size, athleticism, and activity to our front court and possesses a growing skillset we are excited to help him continue to develop.” 

Most recently, the Bobcats received a commitment from a hometown kid in Seth Amunrud. The name may sound familiar, as Amunrud was a standout player for Manhattan Christian. The news was first reported by Jucorecruiting.com. This past season as a sophomore guard at Dawson Community College, Amunrud averaged 21.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 55.2% from the floor, 46.8% from the 3-point line and 88.7% from the free throw line. 

The roster is rounding out for the Montana State men, who will look to get back to winning ways after an early exit in the Big Sky Conference Tournament. The Bobcats had previously won three Big Sky titles in a row, a mark that many are calling the golden age of Bobcat basketball. Head coach Matt Logie did a phenomenal job putting together a talented, winning roster in his first season, and one would expect this roster will be ready to compete in the 2025-2026 season. 

The most surprising news did not come from the men’s side of things for Montana State; it came from the women’s side. Senior standout Missoula product Lexi Deden decided to take her talents to Colorado State. Deden spent five seasons at MSU but saw her minutes dwindle as injuries took her off the floor. 

Stay tuned for more updates on both basketball programs coming soon.Â