Montana Tech Basketball Star Makes the Jump to the Pros

It's no secret that the state of Montana produces some of the hardest working people and incredible athletes. Recently, a Montana native and Fort Benton alumni rocked the sports world with an announcement that he's going pro.

Montana Tech Basketball Announces an All-Time Great is Going Pro

In a post shared by Montana Tech basketball yesterday, it was announced that the 6'6 senior forward out of Geraldine is going professional.

"BREAKING NEWS," the post from Montana Tech Orediggers reads, "Montana Tech all-time great @haydendiekhans is taking his talents to Japan for the 2026-27 season. He will make his debut in the prestigious B.League in August."

"Go make us proud, Hayden!!"

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Diekhans is coming off an absolutely stellar career at Montana Tech, finishing as the school's 7th all-time leader in points with 1,523, and is just the second player in program history to earn All-American honors according to the official sire for the Orediggers.

According to the Orediggers, Diekhans "led the Orediggers back to the NAIA national tournament for the fifth-consecutive season in the 2025-26 campaign, averaging 13.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game on his way to first-team All-Frontier Conference and All-West Region accolades."

What is the Japanese B.League?

The B.League is a three-tier professional league in Japan that's produced a variety of NBA-caliber talent including Rui Hachimura, Yuki Kawamura, and Stanley Johnson according to BasketNews and SportsPulse.

Diekhans will be coming into the league at the perfect time as the league prepares to celebrate its 10th anniversary this September.

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It'll be fun to see how Hayden adapts to the league, culture, and what kind of interest he could draw from NBA scouts who are always overseas looking for the next big thing.

Who knows? The NBA could be welcome another Montanan a la Phil Jackson or Adam Morrison sooner than later.

You can learn more and dive deeper into the league HERE.