United Tribes' Carlow taking shooting skills to D-II

Montel Carlow possesses the hottest skill going these days in basketball – he can really shoot it.

After two strong seasons at United Tribes, Carlow is taking his 3-point shooting talent south.

The Fort Yates, N.D., native signed with NCAA Division II Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo. Lindenwood plays in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association, home of defending D-II national champion Northwest Missouri State.

 "I can't wait," Carlow said. "They play some of the top (D-II) schools. It's going to be really tough competition."

Carlow gave strong consideration to other D-II schools – but Lindenwood's personal touch sealed the deal.

"They seemed like the school that wanted me the most," Carlow said. "They flew me down there. Put me up in a hotel room. They knew my favorite snacks. They made me feel wanted. You can't ask for more than that."

Carlow made 132 3-pointers last season, tied for second-most at any of the three junior college levels. He also ranked among the top 20 in percentage at 44.4 percent.

He also was deadly accurate from the foul line, making 92.3 percent of his free throws. Additionally, the Solen High School product increased his scoring output from 10.4 points per game as a freshman, to 24.3 points per game this past season, fifth-best at the D-II JUCO level.

"I put in a lot of work in the summer, trying to improve in all areas," Carlow said. "My teammates deserve a lot of credit. They were really good at getting me the ball when I was open."

Carlow and Rob McClain Jr. formed a dynamic 1-2 punch for head coach Pete Conway's Thunderbirds. McClain Jr. signed with NCAA Division I University of Texas Rio Grande Valley earlier this month.

Carlow and McClain Jr. both understand the unique responsibility they have in with their growing basketball profiles.

"Me and Rob have a good bond. Not a lot of Native Americans make it his far or have these kinds of opportunities," Carlow said. "There's not a lot of opportunity on the reservation so it's important that we show young kids what can happen if you work really hard and put your mind to something. It doesn't have to just be in basketball, but in anything. You just have to be willing to work hard and be committed to what you're doing."

After studying engineering initially, Carlow wants to be a coach in the future and plans to host basketball camps in Fort Yates, starting this summer.

"I feel like I can help and basketball is a good way to reach people," Carlow said. "I've been fortunate to have a lot of good things happen to me and you just want to be able to turn that into something good for the future."