5A SIC boys basketball preview: Idaho’s toughest, deepest league is loaded again
Rocky Mountain and Borah have traded places atop the high school boys basketball heap in the 5A Southern Idaho Conference for the past five years.
The two expect to contend for district and state championships again. But they are not alone in arguably Idaho’s toughest and deepest league.
We broke down the favorites to hoist trophies in February and March, and the players who will have a say in that race, below.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Austin Bolt, Borah
The 6-4, 215-pound senior forward’s future lies on the football field, where he has offers from Boise State and Utah State. But he first dominated on the basketball court, where he’s averaged a double-double each of the past two seasons. He racked up 14.8 points and 11.0 rebounds to lead the Lions to a state title and earn first-team All-Idaho honors last year.
“I love his tenacity. He has a motor unlike any player I have ever seen,” Boise coach Manny Varela said. “His athleticism is unparalleled and almost makes him unguardable.”
Briggs Ranstrom, Rocky Mountain
Standing at 6-6 and 200 pounds, the senior guard is a mismatch the second he steps on the floor. Idaho State has signed the Grizzlies’ do-it-all weapon, who is coming off a first-team All-Idaho season that saw him tally 13.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.2 blocks per game.
“Briggs is very dangerous in the open court and is the hub of the wheel at Rocky Mountain,” Meridian coach Jeff Sanor said. “He does a little bit of everything for them on both ends of the floor.”
Tanner Hayhurst, Eagle
After leading the conference and the 5A classification with 18 points per game a year ago, the 6-6 senior guard remains the favorite for another scoring title. He can score from every spot on the floor, and Idaho State has extended an offer. He also added 6.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists to nab a spot on the All-Idaho second team.
“He shoots it really well off the bounce and can take you off the dribble,” Mountain View coach Jon Nettleton said. “He is a problem as soon as he touches the ball.”
Townsend Tripple, Rocky Mountain
Most guards don’t lead the league in blocks (1.9). But that’s just what the 6-7 senior did a year ago. Combined with his offensive game (9.4 ppg) and rebounding (4.9), he nabbed a spot on the All-Idaho second team. But it’s his improving shooting and range that has him on Division I radars with an offer from Idaho State.
“I love how much he has improved over the last few years,” Varela said. “His ability to knock down a 3-pointer has really made his game more complete. His length and ability to shoot means he can score from the inside out.”
Donovan Sanor, Meridian
A dead-eye shooter who can take over a game in the blink of an eye, the 6-4 senior guard scored 11.5 points per game to earn second-team all-conference honors. But he’s no one-trick pony. He can put the ball on the ground, fly over defenses and mix it up in the paint, adding 7.5 rebounds a night.
“(He’s an) athletic wing who can light it up from the 3-point line,” Timberline coach Travis Noble said. “Some nights he can get it going in a hurry.”
THE FAVORITE
ROCKY MOUNTAIN GRIZZLIES
Last season: 23-4, 17-1 5A SIC
Coach: Dane Roy, ninth season
Returning starters: Briggs Ranstrom, sr., G; Townsend Tripple, sr., G; Cooper Frith, sr., G; Jaden Hansen, jr., G
The Grizzlies won state titles in 2017 and 2018, and they’re loaded for another title run. The defending conference champ only lost one senior starter and returns its top three scorers from a team that spent most of last season ranked No. 1 in the state.
Rocky Mountain will field a size advantage over nearly every team it faces with the 6-7 Townsend Tripple and the 6-6 Briggs Ranstrom. It will also field one of the state’s most athletic lineups, leading to an even tougher defense than the one that held opponents to a 5A SIC-low 46.1 points per game.
THE CONTENDERS
BORAH LIONS
Last season: 24-3, 16-2 5A SIC
Coach: Jeremy Dennis, fourth season
Returning starters: Austin Bolt, sr., F
Graduation hit the defending state and district champion hard, including the loss of 5A All-Idaho Player of the Year Ellis Magnuson, now the starting point guard at Eastern Washington. But expectations remain high for the perennial power.
Austin Bolt gives the Lions another player of the year candidate. He already put the Borah football team on his back, and he’s more than capable of doing the same for the basketball squad. But he’s the only returning starter back, which could lead to some early struggles with an untested lineup.
MERIDIAN WARRIORS
Last season: 13-10, 12-6 5A SIC
Coach: Jeff Sanor, third season
Returning starters: Donovan Sanor, sr., G; McKay Anderson, jr., PG; Brody Rowbury, jr., C; Jordan Pearce, sr., C
The Warriors made waves last season, finishing third in the regular season. But a two-and-out performance at district extended their state tournament drought to 13 years, the longest active streak in the 5A classification.
Four returning starters give Meridian the weapons to make another run. Donovan Sanor leads a group of deadly shooters. And with the 6-8 Brody Rowbury (10.7 ppg, 6.5 rebounds in six games) back from injury to anchor the middle, opposing defenses face a pick-your-poison scenario.
THE DARK HORSES
EAGLE MUSTANGS
Last season: 11-12, 9-9 5A SIC
Coach: Dennis Kerfoot, first season
Returning starters: Tanner Hayhurst, sr., G
Dennis Kerfoot takes over after an ugly fall that saw its previous coach plead guilty to sexual battery of a child 16 or 17 years of age. But he has plenty of experience with the program, serving as an assistant when Eagle made it to state last year and leading the Mustangs from 1995 to 2005.
Points won’t be hard to come by with Tanner Hayhurst lighting up the scoreboard every night. He has plenty of athletic weapons around him as Eagle tries to run the floor and push the pace. But Kerfoot has focused on trying to shore up the defense, which allowed 57.2 points per game last year, third-most in the league.
BOISE BRAVE
Last season: 12-11, 10-8 5A SIC
Coach: Manny Varela, fifth season
Returning starters: Whitt Miller, jr., PG; Vince McFarland, sr., F; Max Woodall, sr., G
After a disappointing two-and-out performance at district last year, Boise has three solid pieces to rebuild around and gun for another state tournament berth.
Whitt Miller ranked second in the conference in assists (5.7) as a sophomore, and Vince McFarland (8.2 ppg) and Max Woodall (7.8 ppg) give the Brave two dangerous scoring options. But only four of the 12 current players have ever stepped on the floor in a varsity game, so growing pains are all but assured.
THE UNDERDOGS
MOUNTAIN VIEW MAVERICKS
Last season: 12-15, 7-11 5A SIC
Coach: Jon Nettleton, 15th season
Returning starters: Josh Gillespie, jr., W
Nine seniors graduated from last year’s state tournament qualifier, leaving question marks all over the floor and making a bid for a fifth straight trip to state a tough task. Mountain View coach Jon Nettleton said he has his young team focused on shoring up the defensive end first before it can think about another late-season run.
TIMBERLINE WOLVES
Last season: 7-15, 5-13 5A SIC
Coach: Travis Noble, second season
Returning starters: Nick Zenner, sr., G
Travis Noble spent much of his first season shoring up the defense, which cut its opponents’ scoring average by nearly seven points. But that improvement came with a drop in offensive production as the Wolves ranked last in the league with 46.7 points per game. A young and untested group will have to boost that number to contend. But it has the benefit of a full year in Noble’s system to build off of.
CENTENNIAL PATRIOTS
Last season: 11-15, 6-12 5A SIC
Coach: Josh Aipperspach, fifth season
Returning starters: Garrett Cleverley, sr., PG; Keaton Gamble, sr., G
The Patriots lost their top four scorers to graduation, so Centennial coach Josh Aipperspach starts the year looking for reliable offensive options. Garrett Cleverley (4.2 ppg, 1.7 assists) returns to run the offense. But Aipperspach said the Patriots will need to rest their hat on an improved defense to get back into contention.
CAPITAL EAGLES
Last season: 11-18, 6-12 5A SIC
Coach: Scott Moore, fifth season
Returning starters: Aiden Fox, sr., PG; Jonah Blackham, sr., C
After making a late-season run and qualifying for state through a play-in game, the Eagles start over with the loss of 10 seniors. That could lead to some early lumps as Capital breaks in a new lineup and searches for consistent scoring. But don’t bet against another February run.
SKYVIEW HAWKS
Last season: 4-18, 2-16 5A SIC
Coach: Aaron Sanders, 11th season
Returning starters: Nathaniel Vasquez, sr., PG
The Hawks received a rude welcome in their first season back at the 5A level, finishing last in the conference as they allowed a league-high 59.5 points per game. But Skyview coach Aaron Sanders said he has a deeper lineup this winter, which will allow him to ratchet up the defensive pressure to try to surprise a few of the league’s blue bloods.
This story was originally published December 5, 2019 at 7:26 PM.
