Former Montana Grizzly Kareem Jamar signs with Great Falls Electric hoop team

By Kevin Scott

GREAT FALLS, Mont., December 5, 2023 — The Great Falls Electric professional basketball team are playing their first season in The Basketball League (TBL) for the 2024 season is proud to announce the signing of another recruit to their roster.

Kareem Jamar, who played with the Big Sky Conference’s University of Montana Grizzlies men’s basketball team from 2010-2014, started 18 games as a freshman for head coach Wayne Tinkle’s squad is the newest addition to the Great Falls Electric roster in an announcement made on Tuesday afternoon at a press conference at Street Burgers in Great Falls. The Venice, California native averaged 8.1 points and 4.8 rebounds per game in his first season.

As a sophomore (2011-12), he became one of the top Big Sky Conference players averaging 13.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game while helping the Grizzlies to an appearance at the NCAA Tournament. Jamar also made the All-Conference team during the 2011-12 season.

During his junior season in 2012-13, he helped lead the Grizzlies to 25 victories and a second appearance at the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Kareem was also named the Big Sky Conference Player of the Year as he averaged 14.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, and four assists each game.

The four-year hoops standout won two back-to-back Big Sky basketball championships and was a three-time All-Big Sky Conference First Team Selection while playing with the Grizzlies.

The 6’5” California hoops product, who led his high school basketball team (Westchester High School) to two state championships, played professionally for eight years in 15 countries after his college career ended. Kareem had stops in Greece (Kolossos Rodou), Cyprus (Omonia Nicosia), Austria (Kapfenberg Bulls), Israel (Elitzur Yavne), and Ukraine (Kharkivski Sokoly). He re-signed with the Bulls in 2021 in his most recent professional stint.

After retiring from playing professionally, Kareem returned to Montana and settled in Great Falls where he started the Prolific Basketball Academy for youth. Since the 2022-23 season, he is also serving as an assistant coach for the CMR High School girls’ basketball team.

“As the general manager of the new pro basketball team, I am so excited to have a player like Kareem (Jamar) playing for us,” said Electric team owner and general manager, Jim Keough. “He brings great leadership and is an outstanding player with a lot of professional experience in playing over in Europe for six years.”

As of right now, he plans on playing in all the home games for the Electric and playoffs and is still in talks to play the regular season road contests.

In September 2023, the Electric announced two former Montana prep and college standouts from the Great Falls area would be signing with the Great Falls Electric. Brendan Howard and Isaac Howard, who both played at the University of Providence in Great Falls.

The Electric also hired the current University of Providence (MT) Argos men’s basketball coach, JC Isakson as their first Director of Operations (see story). Johnny Clark, a former professional basketball player who had stint as an Assistant Player Development/Shooting coach in the pros and was an Assistant Coach for the Great Falls Explorers of the Continental Basketball Assocation during the 2006-07 team (see story) will be the team’s first head coach.

Brendan Howard was a former Great Falls High basketball player, who played under his father, Bob Howard during his four-year Montana prep hoops career. He led Class AA in scoring (25.0 points per game and 10.4 rebounds) during his senior season. He won the Montana Gatorade Player of the Year twice. After high school, the 6’6” forward redshirted at Eastern Washington University (Cheney, WA) and then transferred to Montana State University-Billings for three seasons averaging 17.9 points per game before making a stop at the University of North Dakota and then coming home to play for the University of Providence in his hometown. He played professionally last season in Iceland.

Isaac Howard was born in Great Falls, Montana and played his hoop career at Choteau High School in Choteau, Montana under former Great Falls High Coach, Larry Lucero. He made the All-State Team Basketball team during his prep career. During his senior season, he averaged 21 points and 8 rebounds at Choteau. The 6’5” guard took his talents to the University of Great Falls (now the University of Providence) for his freshman season in 2012 where he majored in Health and Human Performance.

Click here for Brendan and Isaac Howard’s press release.

About the Great Falls Electric Basketball and the Basketball League

The Great Falls Electric will play and be affiliated with The Basketball League (TBL) starting in March 2024 as Great Falls businessman and former Great Falls Americans Junior A Hockey Owner, Jim Keough will now serve as the Team Owner and General Manager. The Electric will compete in The Basketball League’s (TBL’s) West Conference with other teams in Oregon and Washington. The first home games will be played in March at Swarthout Fieldhouse on the campus of Great Falls High School (see schedule).

About The Basketball League

The Basketball League is dedicated to delivering a World Class Professional Basketball experience to our community, our fans, and business partners. The Basketball League, Where the Spirit of the Game Lives.

The TBL, which began in 2018, currently features 39 teams across four conferences (East, Midwest, Central and West) with the West Conference consisting of teams from Washington, California, and Oregon. Great Falls is the only team from Montana set to begin play in early 2024 and will be the tenth team in the Western Conference.

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