I've listened to a number of coaches discuss this before, at all levels, about the economics of recruiting. I don't think coaches, particularly at the college level, have the type of patience level in terms of scholarship allotment even at the back of the bench. Travis has been rather consistent on taking flyers on walk-ons who are Montana kids and Sprinkle did similar things in Bozeman before departing to Logan.
I understand and had made this point elsewhere, but the fans of the LG were spoiled for years because many Montana HS players were at or above average than their peers. Moreover Montana and Montana State had a captive market and it made them successful. We've reached that point in the development of the womens game that is no longer the case, and why Montana HS's still commonly produce more Division 1 caliber players per capita than most states it doesn't compare at all to what it used to be. Moreover they aren't beholden to Montana or Montana State anymore, as evidenced by their presence on rosters of Pac-12 and MWC teams as well as other BSC conference teams.
Montana has created as a state probably no more than 5 players on the men's side over the past 15 to 20 years that would be considered elite level basketball talent and not much more that would be considered even BSC level players. That number has gotten smaller and smaller progressively over the past decade. The lone kid this year is Fisher Brown and he's in SLC at Wasatch Academy and at least on socials doesn't hold an offer from either Montana school. In part as I said about the Couture girl verballing to MSU, there has to be interest both ways. Brown holds an offer from Penn on VC and that is it. Somewhere along the way there was some level of communication, because I've heard next to nothing about Montana or MSU recruiting him and he's the one kid every five years that can play.
Are there kids that could be like Criswell or the kid from Oakland if given the opportunity to develop? Could have Malatare? Maybe. I think so, but as I said in the prior post about Macey I just don't think there is the patience on either side to let it play out over a four or five year period. While I think we all want to see Montana kids succeed at the highest levels and more importantly star for their home state schools, I am not under the illusion that those kids are available every year.