Arlee basketball standout Tanner inks with Dawson
Arlee High School standout player Tyler Tanner signed his letter of intent to play with Dawson Community College for the 2017-2018 season.
Tanner, who was one of the centerpieces of the Arlee High School Class-C state championship team last season, is the latest edition to Joe Patterson’s recruiting class.
“I’ve watched Tyler for a couple of years now in the state tournament,” Patterson said. “His skills and poise really impressed me. He makes big plays in big moments. Plain and simple, Tyler Tanner is a winner. He has had a tremendous amount of success on the basketball court and in the classroom with a 3.5 GPA. He has grown up on a farm and loves to hunt and fish, so I think he will enjoy coming out to eastern Montana.”
Tanner was selected to participate in the Montana-Wyoming All-Star game coming up on June 9-10. This past season, Tanner led the Warriors to their first-ever state championship with a 71-67 win over Manhatten Christian and was named the state tournament MVP after scoring 24 points and pulling down 14 rebounds in the championship game.
For the season, Tanner averaged 19.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.7 steals per game while shooting 52 percent from the field and 76 percent from the free throw line.
“The Dawson program and coach Peterson gave me a great opportunity to play the game,” Tanner said. “I like the way coach Peterson came to me and told me about Dawson.”
Tanner has been selected as an All-conference player and All-state player for three straight seasons. He has led his team to a record of 73-6 over the past three years which has included three district championships. To finish off his high school career, Tanner has won 50 of his last 52 games. As a junior, he helped his team win 24 straight before losing in the State Championship Game to Box Elder, which was the only game in his high school career he lost by more than four points. As a senior, their final record was 26-1 and ended with a state championship.
“It’s a privilege and honor for Tyler to play at that level,” Warriors’ coach Zanen Pitts said. “I’m super excited for him to join a good program which will develop his weaknesses and make him a better all-around player.”