NO REGRETS

At Big Sandy High School, Blake Brumwell did it all. He was a three-sport star who played in two state championship basketball games, including winning one in his senior year. He played in a football state title game, and was one of the top track and field athletes in Montana during his tenure. Oh yeah, and he was also a 4.0 student as well as student body president.

And when his high school career was over, as a Pioneer, he had nothing left to prove.

Needless to say, Brumwell had plenty of options when it came to college, sports and his future. He could have played football or basketball for any school in the Frontier Conference. He could have followed in his brother Gage's footsteps and played hoops at Carroll College. He could have played football at Montana State or the University of Montana. He pretty much could have gone anywhere if he wanted to be a thrower in track and field.

In other words, when you're a 6-7 powerhouse of an athlete with as impressive a high school resume his age in Montana, like Brumwell was, a lot of people want you.

But when it came down to choosing his collegiate path, at least from an athletic standpoint, Brumwell decided he did have something to prove. He decided to prove he was good enough to play NCAA Division I college basketball. And that's what led him to Montana State and the Montana State Bobcats. And though there's been plenty of ups and downs, five years later, Brumwell has no regrets. And he never looks back anymore.

"I loved both football and basketball in high school," the Big Sandy native and MSU senior said. "So it was a tough decision at the time. I had all the Frontier schools in Montana recruiting me in both sports. And then I had a full ride offer from the Cats to play football, and the Griz were showing interest in me, too. And my brother went to Carroll to play basketball, and I'm sure a lot of people were wanting me to go in that direction. So at the end of the day, I did have a lot of options.

"And I remember a lot of people telling me my best option was to play football," he continued. "I think a lot of people doubted I could make it as a Division I basketball player. So, I guess I wanted to prove them wrong. And Montana State was my only Division I basketball offer, and I took it. I wanted to go to Bozeman and prove I could make it."

Make it Brumwell has. Of course, it's been an uphill battle, and of course, at times, at least early on, he questioned his decision. He saw opportunities he could have taken on the football field, or at Carroll, or even at MSU-Northern where his Big Sandy counterpart and lifelong friend Corbin Pearson went. But now, as a senior starting center for the Bobcats, and new head coach Brian Fish, Brumwell is certain he made the right call when then head coach Brad Huse offered him a full scholarship. Again, there's no regret.

"I feel like I've done what I set out to do," Brumwell said as his team prepared to head out to play Big Sky Conference road games at Portland State and Sacramento State. "I did five years of college basketball. I think I've worked hard to improve. I've played my way into a starting spot this year. I've done as well here as I could have. I'm happy with my decision and I wouldn't change it."

The Climb

Midway through his senior season, Brumwell can certainly be proud of what he's accomplished in a Bobcat uniform. But he'll be the first to say, it hasn't been easy. The jump from Class C basketball, where he was a four-time All-State selection, and a state champion during the greatest four-year run in Big Sandy boys basketball history, is a big one, and it took a lot of time for Brumwell to adjust.

He red-shirted his freshman year, then played sparingly as a red-shirt freshman and sophomore. But, out to prove the doubters wrong, and to prove something to himself, Brumwell never buckled under the pressure to make it. Day-by-day, he kept working, and day-by-day, he transformed himself into a player the Bobcats have grown to count on over the years.

"It was hard, it was a big challenge to learn to play at this level," he said. "Honestly, I wasn't even the best player on my own team in high school. That was Corbin (Pearson). He's so talented, he's a phenomenal basketball player and what he's done at Northern speaks volumes about how great he is. So I came to a Division I school and I wasn't even the best player on a Class C team in Montana. So that by itself was a pretty big challenge."

That mentality is also what drove Brumwell to get better. He knew, in the Big Sky Conference, and having to go up against teams like Kentucky this season, as well as other major basketball powerhouses over the years, that he would be in the same boat. He wasn't the best, or most gifted player on the floor, and therefore, every day, he had to work that much harder. He had to prove to himself that he belonged. And that's what he did – he kept working.

"In the beginning it was really tough," he said. "I was a big fish in a very small pond in high school, but then I get here and I'm the bottom man on the totem pole. And on top of that, I'm playing the center position at 6-7 when every guy I'm going up against is 6-9 or 6-10 and really skilled. So I had to learn how to play and be a help to my team even when every game, I'm playing against players who are more talented than me. It took a while, but I figured it out. I figured out things I could do to help the team when I was on the floor."

By the time Brumwell was a junior, he seemed to have figured out how to do just that. A year ago, he gave the Cats important bench minutes, and became one of their top defensive players, as well as a strong rebounder. This season, he's blossomed into a starting role, a leader on a Bobcat club that is struggling to find its way with a new head coach, a new system and a lot of new players.

Now, five years after leaving the little pond in Big Sandy, Brumwell's game is at a place he's comfortable and confident with. He knows and cherishes his role, and now, after all the hard work and dedication, after even some doubt, and after everything he's gone through, he knows he's a Division I basketball player, and he's proud of it.

"It was a challenge, it continues to be a challenge," he said. "But I feel like I've improved a lot over the years. I'm crafty out there and I've learned to play to my strengths. I'm really proud of the fact that I'm in a leadership role with this team now. Coach Fish has talked about my leadership qualities to the media a couple times this season, and that means a lot to me. I just know now I'm going out there to play as hard as I can, so that I can be successful and help my team be successful."

No Looking Back

At times, it would have been easy for Brumwell to question his decision to play basketball at MSU. That can happen when you go through the uphill battle that he has the last five a years, a battle that continues to this day as his Bobcats have struggled to a 4-15 overall record, and are currently 1-6 and in last place in the Big Sky.

But now, as a veteran player who has been through it all, including playing against Big Sky greats like current NBA star Damien Lillard, a former Weber State Wildcat, there's no need for Brumwell to wonder what might have been. There's no need for him to look in the past. Now, when he looks back, he only appreciates the journey, and those who have helped him along the way. He doesn't question the path he chose anymore.

"There were times when I would go to Cats' football games and think, that would have been a lot of fun, too," he said. "But, I don't look at it like that anymore. Now, I'm just proud of what I've done, I'm focused on helping this team win basketball games, and I'm grateful for everything I've been through.

"Even though I didn't get a chance to play all five years for him," he continued. "Coach (Brad) Huse is someone I will always appreciate. He was the only one who believed in me enough to offer a scholarship to play Division I basketball. So I will always be grateful to him for that. Bobby Howard is someone I else I learned so much from. My red-shirt year, I got to watch him and practice with him, and I learned so much about the game at this level from him. And another guy who really helped me was Mohammed Fall. He was only here one season, but I got to go up against him every day in practice. He was a big guy and so talented, and he really helped me develop my game.

"I've also developed a great relationship with Coach Fish really quickly," Brumwell noted. "I'll say it right now, give him some time, two or three years to get the guys and his system in place and he's going to have this program at a different level. He's a great coach. And he's been really good to me."

And Brumwell is good for Montana State. As a student, the exercise science major is well respected across campus, and is well known. And it's the same inside the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse. Brumwell is a fan favorite, only one of two Montana-born players on the current MSU roster. And while the success of his Cats hasn't come as easy as he would have liked, just like his own personal success has never come easy in his time in Bozeman, he's proud of it all. He's proud to be a Bobcat.

And once again, the former Pioneer star has no regrets.

"This is my fifth year, and yes, it hasn't been easy, it's even been trying at times," he said. "As a team, we haven't had as much success as we would have liked. We had some good seasons I think, and we've had some really big wins over the years. Right now we're struggling but we're working hard and we've been right there in a lot of games. It's frustrating, but this is a great group of guys and we're not going to stop working or stop trying to get over the hump. There's a lot of season left, and I think we can do it. We just have to string some wins together.

"As for me, I've made it through five years of Division I basketball," he continued. "I'm proud of that. I'm proud of my career. It's crazy. I came in with a recruiting class of seven guys, and I'm the only one left from that class. And, I think, back then a lot of people would have probably said I would have been the first one to go from that group. So I'm proud of that, too. I'm proud that I stuck with it. I think sticking with something through times of adversity is much harder to do than to stick with it when times are good. I think that shows character, and I'm proud of what I've done with my career here. I'm definitely proud to be a Bobcat."

You are a Bobcat Blake. You are a Division I basketball player. You are a great student. And when you leave MSU, you'll have many options, just like you did when you left Big Sandy. And once again, you'll leave with nothing left to prove, and once again, you'll leave with no regrets.