FAMILY TRADITION: Wasilla senior to play basketball at Mount Marty College, his dad’s alma mater

WASILLA — Like his older brother and sister, Reilly Devine spent his time as a Wasilla High basketball player helping the Warriors win region titles and advance to state tournaments. Now, the Wasilla High School senior is following another Devine basketball family tradition.

Devine will attend Mount Marty College in Yankton, South Dakota, and compete for the same Lancers basketball program his father Mike played for.

“I’ve been dreaming about this since middle school,” Devine said Wednesday night during a ceremony that honored 11 Wasilla High seniors who will compete at the college level next year. “The fact they offered me as much as they did, how bad they wanted me, it’s so cool.”

Devine said he went on four official visits, and narrowed his list to a pair of schools.

Mount Marty and UAA, the school his older brother Connor and older sister Alysha played for. With either decision Devine would follow in the footsteps of a family member. Ultimately, Devine opted to chance to wear the same colors his dad wore in college.

“I went with my gut, went with my heart,” Devine said.

Devine said opportunity to play early in his career also factored into his choice.

“The past two years they’ve really struggled,” Devine said of the NAIA program led by second-year head coach Cody Schilling. “The focus is on rebuilding.”

Mount Marty has added a bevy of new recruits, Devine said, to help rebuild a program that earned six during the 2017-18 after a winless season the year before.

“I got to meet them during my visit, and I was like, these dudes can hoop,” Devine said. “I want to be part of this rebuild.”

Devine said he’s been told he will have the chance to compete for minutes right away.

“Their starting big man, I’ll be switching with him,” Devine said. “So I could have a chance to start next year, depnding on how hard I work. That’s another thing that really attracted me to them, playing right away, having a big role.”

Devine, a 6-foot-5 forward, helped lead the Warriors to a 4A state title in March. He was named first-team all-state.

“There might not be a tougher kid in the state in regards to physical presence, how hard he plays and his willingness to do whatever is necessary, needed, to win games,” Wasilla head coach Ryan Engebretsen after Devine garnered all-state honors.

Engebretsen also lauded Devine’s team-first mentality.

“Truly, in his heart he seeks team success first,” Engebretsen said.

Devine, a three-year varsity starter, also helped Wasilla win back-to-back Northern Lights Conference championships.

Devine was one of 11 Wasilla High senior athletes recognized during the school’s annual signing ceremony. The group also includes Taylon Ottinger, Kyle Graham and Austin Robertson, who will play baseball at Dillon College; Jewel Fleckenstein, who will play women’s softball at Williamette; Christion Alexander, who will wrestle at Grey’s Harbor;

Azlyn Brandbenburg, who will play women’s basketball at Colorado Mesa; football players TJ Laumatia (Allen Hancock College); Aeron Milliron (Montana Western); Sean McDermott (Culver Stockton) and Thomas Rivera (Trinity Bible College).

For more on Ottinger, Graham, Robertson, Alexander and Fleckenstein, see an upcoming edition of the Frontiersman. For more on Brandenburg, Laumatia, Milliron, McDermott and Rivera, see stories about their commitments at frontiersman.com/sports.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.