Trio of players sign to play basketball for Griz

Montana signed three players to a National Letter of Intent this week, with Isaiah Kerr, Jaxon Nap and Rhett Reynolds all committing to play for the Griz.

A year after the COVID-19 pandemic restricted all in-person interaction, and led to Montana signing zero players during the traditional November signing period, head coach Travis DeCuire was excited to return to some form of normalcy this summer.

It not only made it easier to evaluate talent once the NCAA lifted its restrictions, allowing DeCuire and his staff to able to go to AAU tournaments across the country to see players compete in person, but it also helped bring the prospective student-athletes to Missoula, which is always a major selling point.

"Any time you can get a kid to campus, we feel like we have a good chance of sealing the deal, and we hadn't had that in more than a year," DeCuire said. "With this class, they got to experience that, and we got a healthy evaluation of them, and we're excited for them to be here."

For Reynolds, a Shelby, Montana, native, he didn't need an official visit to announce his commitment. He knew firsthand what Missoula and Griz Nation is like and pledged his verbal commitment in February.

Kerr was next, coming to Missoula for a summer camp and liking it enough to give his stamp of approval.

Nap got to experience Missoula in September, when all three took an official visit together, not only getting to meet each other and the team, but also get a full Montana experience with a Griz football game, exploring the city and more.

"We feel like all three of these players can fill current voids on our team, or fill voids that will be left after we graduate our current senior class," DeCuire said. "We needed depth, and we needed versatility, and we get that in these guys, who can all play multiple positions."

Kerr is a 6-3 combo guard from Palo Alto, California.

At Saint Francis High School, he earned first-team All-WCAL honors – the only sophomore on the list – while also being named second-team all-state by CalHi Sports.

That was a preview for a big junior season, which ended with Saint Francis earning a CCS D2 championship.

"He can play 1 through 3 (positions)," DeCuire said of Kerr. He can handle the ball and create for others, and I think he's developing into a potential point guard for us. He does a lot of things well and we're excited for that."

Kerr, who played against Robby Beasley III in high school, is interested in studying business administration at Montana.

Nap is a native of Renton, Washington, where he attends Hazen High School.

He's been a fixture since he got there, now in his fourth season on varsity. He was named a team captain as both a sophomore and junior.

But his potential really took off during the pandemic, when he grew seven inches (currently 6-7) and expanded his game from an unproven talent to a Division-I-caliber player

"He once was a point guard, but now can play three or four positions – and defend multiple positions," DeCuire said. "Seeing his growth – size and game – has been exciting, and he adds to that versatility as a guy with good size for a perimeter player."

Nap becomes just the second Hazen High School basketball player in the past two decades to earn a Division-I scholarship.

As an honor-roll student with a 3.88 GPA, Nap intends to study business administration.

Reynolds comes from a basketball family, with his mother, Wendy, playing at Montana Western, and his father, Tom, playing for both MSU-Northern and Montana Western. His older brother, TJ, is currently playing basketball for MSU-Northern.

Rhett Reynolds, though, is the first to break through to the Division-I level. He comes to Montana as a 6-9 forward.

As a freshman at Shelby High School, Reynolds earned second-team all-conference honors. By his sophomore year, he was a first-team selection, which was repeated last year as a junior. Playing for his father, Reynolds also earned all-state recognition and was the KSEN All-Sport Athlete of the Year in 2021 after averaging 19.7 points per game.

Apart from the individual accolades, Shelby earned district and divisional championships last spring.

"Any time you can bring a Montana kid in is important, and we know that the community will support him as he continues to develop and grow," DeCuire said. "We had a good time evaluating him this summer as he played against some teams at elite AAU events. Watching his team perform and beat some of those teams – and he was a big piece to that – shows that he's not afraid of competition and that he shines against competition."

Reynolds is undecided on a major, but has been named to the honor roll every semester of high school. He also was an all-state tight end and defensive end in football and placed fourth at state in the high jump.

All three prep stars are in the beginning stages of their senior seasons and will join the Grizzlies over the summer.

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