Another Tatarka headed to Northern

When it comes to the last name Tatarka, Montana State University-Northern men's basketball fans perk up. That's because former Great Falls High star Shaun Tatarka thrilled Lights' fans for four years at MSU-N on his way to becoming one of the Lights all-time leading scorers.

Now, Northern will have another Tatarka on its roster starting next fall. On Monday, MSU-N head coach Shawn Huse announced the signing of GFH senior Dylan Tatarka to an NAIA national letter of intent. The younger Tatarka just wrapped up a very successful career for the Bison, in which he was a three-year starter, a two-time Class AA All-State selection, and twice was an Eastern AA First-Team All-Conference performer.

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Great Falls High standout Dylan Tatarka has signed to play with the Montana State University-Northern men's basketball team starting next fall. Tatarka, a Class AA All-State performer, is the younger brother of former MSU-N great Shaun Tatarka.

"We are very excited Dylan chose to be a Light," Huse said. "He understands the tradition and history of what we've accomplished up here and is anxious to do whatever he can to help us keep it rolling. He is a team-first guy who plays with a great deal of hustle, heart, competitive spirit, and positive energy. Just as his older brother did for us, Dylan makes plays on both ends of the floor with his quick hands and his activeness in general. He had a strong finish to his senior season and I really believe his best basketball is ahead of him."

The 6-3 Tatarka finished his senior campaign averaging 11.4 points per game, while also dishing out 4.2 assists per outing. That total was second best in Class AA this season. He also grabbed five rebounds per game, while averaging 1.7 steals per night. For his efforts, he was also selected to the prestigious Tribune Super State Team last month. Tatarka helped the Bison to a third-place finish in the Eastern AA this season, and they also went on to win a game at the Class AA state tournament last month.

"I know they have a good program up there," Tatarka told the Great Falls Tribune Monday. "Huse is a great coach. I've been up there four or five years watching my brother play. I know how they play. I like their style. They're always hard-working."

Tatarka said he looked into a few other schools around the Midwest, but the familiarity with MSU-Northern and coach Huse's track record of success in the Frontier Conference made the decision easy.

"It's pretty exciting to see my brother following in my footsteps," said Shaun, who now works in Laurel. "He has the potential to have a very great career up there. It's going to be pretty exciting going into that gym and seeing him."

Tatarka is also a standout football player for the Bison. Also a good student according to Huse, Tatarka will major in business at MSU-N.