MISSOULA — The Montana basketball program has added a fourth new member to the squad from the transfer portal, signing Tyler Isaak to a scholarship contract. Isaak joins the Grizzlies from Citrus College of the Western State Conference.
Isaak, a 6-foot-4 guard, averaged 18.6 points per game last season, shooting 56.4% from the floor and 41.1% from 3-point range. He also averaged 5.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.
“I think the strength of our backcourt over the years has been depth and versatility. I think Tyler provides that,” head coach Travis DeCuire said. “He’s a guy that can play multiple positions, score the ball, shoot the ball, make plays. I think you win with guys that make more positives than negatives, and I think he’s a very skilled and cerebral player that will be a great addition to the Griz.”
Isaak has a career high of 28 points, which he reached on three different occasions in the 2024-25 season. He scored 20-plus points in 14 different games last year. Isaak also recorded three double-doubles.
He began his collegiate career at Cal Baptist before dropping down to the junior college level. He now rejoins the D-I ranks with Montana. It’s a very similar career path to Te’Jon Sawyer, who also began at Cal Baptist before a JuCo stop. Sawyer was one of the most important players on Montana’s 2025 NCAA Tournament team.
Isaak is originally from Danville, Calif., which is in an area that Montana has recruited heavily under DeCuire. The familiarity with the area helped Isaak make his decision to become a Grizzly.
“Obviously, a lot of Bay Area kids get recruited by Montana,” Isaak said. “It was a lot easier to relate to the coaches because a lot of them are from NorCal. Te’Jon also had a similar route to me, so just to see that he had success at Montana helped me make this decision.”
He played in seven total games at Cal Baptist and totaled 49 minutes as a freshman. He scored five points, had five assists, and added three rebounds. Isaak had a taste of D-I hoops and is excited to be returning to that level with Montana.
The recent success for Montana under DeCuire, which includes three NCAA Tournament appearances since 2018, played a role in his decision to come to Montana.
“I’m super excited, it’s been a goal of mine since I went JuCo to get back to the Division One level,” Isaak said. “I’m excited to join a winning program, and it’s always been a goal of mine to make March Madness. I don’t think there’s a better place to do it than at Montana.”
His numbers last season are eye-popping in terms of scoring and shooting ability. While fans will have to wait until November to see him in action for the Grizzlies, Isaak said that he’s coming to Montana to make help continue the winning tradition.
“I can definitely score the ball. It’s always something I’ve been able to do, I shoot it really well,” Isaak said. “Just try to make the right play, my game is super simple, but I just try to make winning plays and impact winning as much as possible.”
Isaak is the fourth player this offseason to sign a scholarship contract with Montana. He joins Kadyn Betts (Minnesota), Courtney Anderson Jr. (Colorado) and Trae Taylor (Chico State).
