Defending Champ ‘Yotes Place 3rd, Gear Up For Another Deeeeep Run

It has been a great run for the College of Idaho ‘Yotes men’s basketball team, which has punched its ticket to three consecutive National Association of Intercollegiate Athletic (NAIA) Men’s Basketball National Championship Tournaments in Kansas City, Missouri.

In those three seasons the ‘Yotes, slang for Coyotes, qualified for the Elite 8 in the 2021-22 season, winning one game then losing in the quarterfinals; won the national title in 202223 by winning four straight games; placed third last month when winning their first two games but losing in the second semifinal game.

This past season’s College of Idaho (33-4, 31762377, 85.8-64.2) roster featured three players who were part of last August’s Caden Handran Basketball Camp. It was held in the back half of July in the Scobey School large gymnasium, a temporary replacement for Jim Stergar’s annual Camp of Champions, which could not occur as the gym floor was having work done on it and could not be re-scheduled for later in the summer. In addition to Handran (SHS ’21), his ‘Yotes teammates Samaje Morgan, an electrifying point guard, and Great Falls, Montana’s Drew Wyman, a strong presence on the court along with ‘Yotes baseball player Cole “The Administrator” Roberts, conducted the two camps for 46 total kids.

It is a rare occurance when Daniels County kids desiring to be better at the game get the amazing opportunity to learn from national championship players. The exception being those who make the trip over to Plentywood in the summer for Coach D’s Basketball Camp, that being Rocky Mountain College men’s head coach Bill Dreikosen, who guided the Battlin’ Bears to the national ...