BILLINGS — When a versatile 6-foot-3 Division I basketball dropdown lands into your program, in particular at the NAIA level, you breathe easier as a coach.
And that’s what Wes Keller and Rocky Mountain College have this season in Fresno State transfer Sydney Dethman.
“Obviously I slept a little better at night knowing that she was coming into the program,” Keller, entering his 11th year with the Battlin’ Bears, said of Dethman during a recent interview with MTN Sports.
Dethman is no stranger to Rocky. Her older sister Mackenzie played there from 2019-23, and Keller recruited Sydney heavily out of Class C Froid-Lake even though she had D-I talent and aspirations.
Coaches in the league already think Dethman will make a significant impact — she was selected to the preseason all-conference team last week despite not yet playing a Frontier game.
Still, Dethman and Keller aren’t too interested in individual accolades.
“I think it’s awesome to be recognized and all that, but I’m here to win games,” Dethman said.
Added Keller: “We can sit here and talk about how great it is to have her, but let’s go produce. That’s where we’re at right now. The talk is over. Now it’s up to us to go prove it every single day.”
Like countless athletes have done, Dethman entered the NCAA transfer portal following the 2023-24 campaign at Fresno State in the Mountain West, a season in which she started 31 games and averaged 6.4 points and 3.9 rebounds.
She had offers to play for other programs, such as the D-I Montana Lady Griz as well as Division II contender Montana State Billings, but her familiarity with Keller and her desire to finish her psychology degree in a more personalized setting gave the edge to Rocky.
It also helped that Dethman and Rocky guard Gracee Lekvold, a fellow senior and Scobey product who was also named preseason All-Frontier, were close friends growing up.
Dethman is also familiar with the Frontier’s reputation as a tenacious league and is prepared for the grind that awaits. And her role is becoming more defined since her arrival last spring.
“Division I, Juco, NAIA, anything … if you want to be there and you want to win, that competitiveness is not going to go away,” Dethman said. “I feel like I’ve kind of got to take a vocal role sometimes, whether its positivity or getting on someone if they need it.”
Keller knew his chances of signing Dethman out of high school weren’t great simply because of the Division I interest she garnered. But Keller and Dethman remained in contact. A text here, a happy birthday message there.
Keeping those lines of communication open proved beneficial to Rocky when Dethman decided to leave Fresno State. Now that Dethman is on board, Keller's hopes are high for both her and the team.
“Sydney can be as good as Sydney wants to be,” Keller said. “I expect her to give us, you know, 15 to 20 points and 10 rebounds a game. But Sydney’s going to get pushed. I’m going to push her to the point where she’s a little bit uncomfortable, and I think there will be some growth there on the offensive end.
“Defensively, she can guard 1 through 5, in my opinion. So that gives us some versatility on the defensive end.”
Rocky has had success with Division I transfers in the past.
In the 2021-22 season, with Butler dropdown N’Dea Flye winning the Frontier’s MVP, defensive player of the year and newcomer of the year awards, the Battlin’ Bears went 29-5, won the league’s regular-season and tournament titles, and made a run to the Round of 8 at the NAIA national tournament.
Dethman's sister Mackenzie was a key piece of the puzzle that year, too.
This season, Rocky was picked in a tie for second place (with Carroll College) in the Frontier preseason coaches poll. Providence, after a trip to the national title game a year ago, was selected No. 1.
So there are expectations for Rocky to meet — and to surpass. Dethman’s presence should give the Battlin' Bears a big component to help achieve their goals. It all starts for real when the season opens on Oct. 31.
Said Dethman: “I feel like if we show up and work hard it will all take care of itself.”
