carroll guard Isaiah Crane is headed to Montana State, a move he announced Saturday after a big year in Helena. The reigning Frontier Conference player of the year said he’s committed to play for the Bobcats next season at the NCAA Division I level.
Crane was one of the top players in the conference this season, averaging 19.6 points on 54.3% shooting from the field and 50% from 3-point range. He also chipped in 4.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists and one steal per game. A 6-foot guard from Portland, Ore., he joined the Fighting Saints in 2023, took a redshirt year and then broke through as the Frontier Conference freshman of the year in 2024-25.
He said the choice came down to fit as much as opportunity. Crane told MTN Sports that he didn’t want to leave Carroll for a situation that wouldn’t help him keep growing and chasing his goals. Montana State, he said, felt like the right place to do that. According to his father, more than 40 Division I programs showed interest after Crane entered the transfer portal on March 21.
Crane also made a point to thank the people around Carroll College and the wider Helena community. He said he felt welcomed even though he didn’t grow up there, and that it mattered to hear people recognize him around town after games. “Honestly, I just want to say thank you to everyone in the community,” he said. “So, just honestly thank you. Thank you to Carroll and to the Helena community just for all the support.”
The Saints finished 20-10 overall and 17-5 in the Frontier this season before falling in the conference semifinal and then losing to Wayland Baptist in the first round of the NAIA tournament. Crane still has two years of eligibility left. He’ll join a Montana State team that went 18-14 last season, earned the No. 2 seed in the Big Sky tournament and lost to Idaho in the quarterfinals. The Bobcats also announced that all eligible players from their 2025-26 roster are set to return next season.
