Triple Double Threat: Warriors rising star hopes to live up to growing expectations

by Jason Blasco
| February 2, 2017 2:00 PM

Arlee High School junior guard Phillip Malatare is trying to filter out expectations that are growing on a week-by-week basis as he and his Warrior team continue to raise the proverbial bar higher with each passing victory.

As a junior Malatare has generated interest from smaller colleges and the NCAA Division-I college, the University of Montana Grizzlies, as he attempts to be the first Division-1 recruit out of Arlee since Les Curry, who played for the Montana State Bobcats in the 1950s, according to Warriors’ Coach Zanen Pitts. Curry passed away in 2003.

Pitts said he sees the bigger picture of Malatare’s success and he also sees a positive side to the heightened expectations he created for himself.

“You have to keep everything in perspective,” Pitts said. “Now he knows he has to be smart, continue to work out and shoot because he is now an example. He knows he could make a difference to help mentor some of the younger kids in the community and be an example for the whole reservation. Indian country really needs kids to be successful.”

Pitts even made reference to a handful of Native Americans that have reached the Division-1 level including University of Wisconsin-Madison guards Bronson Koenig and Will Decorah, Kentucky forward Derek Wells, Holy Cross guard/forward Eric Green, and Wichita State Shockers guard Ron Baker.

“Those players are positive role models who many kids on the reservation try to be like,” Pitts said. “For our little res and in our valley, Phillip is that kid.”

Malatare continued to raise expectations in a rematch with Plains. With two of Arlee’s key players, Tyler Tanner and Will Mesteth, in foul trouble, Malatare took over the second half to help lead his team to a 82-59 victory over the No. 1 ranked team in Class-C Plains. The Warriors avenged their earlier-season loss to Plains 71-67 on Dec. 20.

Pitts said he saw exponential growth in Malatare in the manner in which he was able to take over the Plains game and carry his team. They needed him to elevate his level of play and he answered the call.

“He’s really grown and every one of those kids have really grown,” Pitts said. “They have changed over the years and they still come in with the ability to dribble, have natural quickness and get to the cup anytime they want.”

Pitts said his performance in Plains was a testament to the work he and teammate Tyler Tanner put in during the off season.

“Malatare committed to improving his game, jumped in with both feet, and changed his game drastically,” Pitts said. “His decision making has improved and he has a good mentor around him in Tyler Tanner. He and Tyler role play and just continue to feed off of each other, talk a lot, and improve drastically. They all continue to improve and they are relying on basketball common sense. In the last game (against Plains), Malatare developed a general sense of being a leader by controlling the tempo, burning the clock, and attacking the rim.”

Answering the call

During the winter break Pitts issued a challenge to his entire team to improve on areas that they weren’t strong in.

Pitts said he felt his team answered his call and are now starting to “buy in” with the big victory over Plains.

“I know we are talking to him and the whole team, and they all bought into their roles,” Pitts said. “It was because Phillip was so stable in his mind. He composed himself and carried the team through his leadership. They carried a poise about themselves and that became contagious. (Tyler and Phillip) focused on clock-management, fouls and it all starts with those two leaders.”

Since Pitts saw Malatare play in the 7th grade, he claims he was “special.”

“I was the head boys basketball coach and I got to watch everyone,” Pitts said. “I knew he was a very special kid. During 8th grade, Phillip came with us to a summer tournament. As a rule, I only had four kids, and with Phillip that made five. He scored 25 points on the varsity that summer. He actually even went on a scouting run with me as a sixth grader in the semifinals five years ago. He’s been around me his whole career.”

There is no ‘I’ in team

Pitts knows Malatare didn’t get to the level of player he is growing into without a lot of help from his Warrior teammates and hard work.

“It works out really well with those two as leaders,” Pitts said. “Their passion is basketball and when someone is struggling, they are going to look to find an answer. If one of the players is struggling, they work with them. They remain humble, go ask other people, and they are willing to show other kids their knowledge. They might be a little rough on you and hold you accountable but they are encouraging each other to do better.”

According to Tanner, he, Malatare and his Warrior teammates spend “countless” hours in the gym.

“We spend hours playing against each other, hours where his dad and my dad help us play,” Tanner said. “We’ve developed a friendship through basketball and one of our goals is to win the state championship together. I don’t think anyone’s friendship can match the friendship that we have.”

Malatare and Tanner feed off each other and learn different phases of the game together in the gym.

“There was some choice words about each other’s game,” Tanner said. “We would point out things that the other needed to do and what we can do to help the whole team. Sometimes, things would get chippy but it’s all love. We take the most out of each other’s game that we can. When we were younger he was a way better three-point shooter than I was. I added the three-point shot to my game and he added the post to his game. We just keep adding to our own game.”

Tanner said the amount of hours he and Malatare have devoted to the game is “crazy.”

“We put all of those hours in the gym with each other,” Tanner said. “It is good for him to make the most of every opportunity that he could and get to the point where he wants to be in his game now. It is is really neat to see his progression and him benefiting from all of that work we put in.”

Malatare said he was a benefactor of playing ball with older kids at the Arlee Community Center when he was younger.

“I’ve been playing basketball with older guys at the community center and that made me a better basketball player when I was younger,” Malatare recalled. “That really helped me get to the next level faster than most kids did. Then I would practice on my own. You’ve just got to keep working because there is someone else out there working harder than you.”

Pitts said Malatare could be a star track athlete with his natural ability.

“I would love to see that kid do track,” Pitts said. “He would be a triple-jump, distance runner, and middle-runner phenom.”

With the Warriors’ big victory against the number one state ranked team in Class-C, they now assume their role as the number one team in the conference and possibly the state in Class-C.

“It’s a fine-line, the positive and negative, and it’s a testament to the hard work all of our kids have put in,” Pitts said. “We are known as one of the big dogs now and we have to hold it down. Our boys like pressure but there are a lot of good teams out there. There is Hayes, Manhatten Christian. I just hope we can get through districts and divisionals before we think about state. That is our goal.”25 points on the varsity that summer. He actually even went on a scouting run with me as a sixth grader in the semifinals five years ago. He’s been around me his whole career.”