Bobcat basketball reaches across the Atlantic

At first glance, there appears to be nothing remarkably unusual about the roster for the Montana State Men’s Basketball Team. However, a quick look reveals an interesting peculiarity: a number of players on the team hail from England.And, they have really made a splash. 

Three players from last year’s team call England home: Amin Adamu, Jubrile Belo, and Great Osobor. The contributions made to last year’s season by these three were far from average. Belo was the 2022 Big Sky MVP, leading the conference in blocks along the way to collecting a number of accolades to go with the award. Adamu was the third leading scorer and rebounder for the Bobcats, as well as one of the leading team members in assists. Osobor made impressive use of his minutes as a freshman. 

Head Coach Danny Sprinkle praised his players from across the pond, saying, “They each bring something different. They’re tremendous athletes. They’ve impacted the team and the league from an athletic standpoint. Great Osobor was 17 when he got here. He was playing behind league MVP last year, but we’re gonna find a way to get him on the court even more this year.”

Jubrile and Osobor will be returning for the upcoming season, and they will be joined by another English player; Caleb Fuller is headed to the Bobcats after several years at UC Davis. 

Having British players make such an impact on a basketball team from Montana is strange to say the least, but the connection between MSU basketball and the UK is far from tenuous. Assistant Coach Chris Haslam has recruited a number of players from England, and has even played for the British National team himself. According to his roster biography, he has played a key role in the on-court development of both Jubrile and Great. 

Given the nature of the team’s relationship to the nation across the Atlantic it is no surprise to learn that the connection extends to life off the basketball court as well. 

The team traveled to England over the summer, taking advantage of the NCAA rule that allows international trips once every four years. 

“We wanted to take a lot of guys back to England,” Sprinkle said , “We’ve had four great players, and a chance for them to play in front of their family and friends, that was important to me and my staff. I wanted our other players to see where those guys grew up, a different culture, going to Buckhingham palace, going to the London eye.” 

Sprinkle stressed the importance of making the trip about more than just basketball. “The trip was more for learning purposes than playing the games. It was more about giving them a student athlete experience and the chance to see something they might not see again,” he said. 

The MSU basketball team has been wildly successful in the past seasons, and this is undoubtedly due in no small part to the contributions of English players and staff. While MSU is roughly 4,500 miles away from the UK, the bond of basketball ties the two countries together.