Championship picks: Favorites, top contenders at Idaho basketball state tournaments
Thursday marks the start of the Idaho boys basketball state tournament. And with it comes a weekend full of potential history.
The 5A state tournament favorites are all gunning for their first state titles. Idaho could also crown first-time champions in the 4A, 3A and 1A Division II tournaments.
The historic weekend extends to the tournament seeding, too. For the first time, Idaho used MaxPreps computer rankings to place teams in brackets instead of having predetermined matchups.
The change came after years of complaints about seeing the top two teams meet in the first round or semifinals. But the new system comes with a tradeoff — several conference rematches in the first round.
So who’s going to hoist the blue trophies on Saturday? Below are the top teams to watch.
CLASS 5A
THE FAVORITE: Rarely does a team seeking its first state title hold the favorite status. But rarely does a team like Lake City (22-1) come around.
The Timberwolves went wire-to-wire as the No. 1 team in the state media poll after finishing second a year ago with a sophomore-heavy lineup. They’ve proved they have no trouble winning in the Treasure Valley, going 6-0 over two trips with wins on the home floors of 5A state qualifiers Eagle and Meridian. And they field three future Division I athletes in juniors Kolton Mitchell, Blake Buchanan and Zach Johnson.
The only blemish on the record is a five-point loss at Lewiston. Lake City got revenge with a 49-point victory for the district title.
THE CONTENDER: Owyhee (21-3) broke all the rules for a first-year program, rolling to a state tournament berth and a district championship.
The Storm spent all season as one of the top-ranked teams, never falling lower than third in the state media poll. Jack Payne, a Colorado State commit, is the state’s top 2022 recruit and a force in every aspect of the game. And sophomore Liam Campbell led the 5A SIC in scoring (18.0 ppg) while fielding seven known Division I offers.
Owyhee even finished third at a prestigious California tournament. So a state title for the new school may be historic, but don’t call it a surprise.
THE DARK HORSE: Add Eagle (20-4) to the list of 5A powers in the hunt for their first state title.
The Mustangs remain the only Idaho team to beat Owyhee, taking the Storm to four overtimes in December. They feature a deep lineup with plenty of state tournament experience, led by Donovan Jones, Landon White and Gage Jones. And their mixture of size and athleticism make them a tough out.
CLASS 4A
THE FAVORITE: Hillcrest (22-2) went young three years ago. Now, that youth movement has paid off for the Knights.
The top seed enters on a 21-game winning streak. Its only losses came on the road to a pair of Utah powers that are a combined 40-10. And the Knights feature two of 4A’s top players in senior guard Cooper Kesler (19.0 ppg, 3.2 assists) and 6-7 sophomore center Isaac Davis (13.8 ppg, 9.3 rebounds).
Hillcrest has yet to win a state title. Its best finish came in 2018, when it fell in overtime in the 2018 5A state finals. This finally looks like the year a banner heads back to Ammon.
THE CONTENDER: Reigning state champ Middleton (23-2) will have plenty to say about that, though. The Vikings enter as the No. 4 seed, setting up a potential matchup with Hillcrest in the semifinals.
Tyler Medaris (13.4 ppg, 10.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists) is mounting an even better season than the one that won him the 4A All-Idaho Player of the Year award last year. And he has plenty of help, with three more teammates averaging 7 or more points.
The Vikings won 18 in a row before an upset in the district semifinals, forcing them to win three straight eliminations just to get back to state. But in true championship pedigree, they did just that, and now seek to defend their title.
THE DARK HORSE: Pocatello (21-3) emerged from the loaded three-team South East Idaho Conference as its lone representative. And it closed the year winning 15 of 16 games, proving it can perform in the biggest games.
Watch out for a breakout performance from Julian Bowie. The 6-3 sophomore guard already holds offers from Boise State, Utah State and Idaho State.
CLASS 3A
THE FAVORITE: Reigning state champ Marsh Valley (21-2) enters on a 16-game winning streak and looks like a juggernaut again.
The Eagles went 10-0 against state tournament qualifiers, including 6-0 vs. 3A state qualifiers. Their only losses came to a pair of much larger Utah schools who are a combined 35-14.
THE CONTENDER: McCall-Donnelly (18-2) had the best season in program history last year, finishing second. Now the Vandals look to break their own record.
Reigning 3A All-Idaho Player of the Year DJ Green (18.1 ppg, 2.8 assists) gives the Vandals a dynamic scorer who can take over a game, or a tournament, at a moment’s notice. But he’s not alone. Ethan Tinney (8.8 ppg, 6.8 rebounds) and Alex Johnson (8.4 ppg) also started on last year’s runner-up, giving the Vandals loads of big-game experience.
THE DARK HORSE: Snake River (21-6) has yet to solve district rival Marsh Valley, going 0-4 against the Eagles this season. But with a veteran coach (Robert Coombs) with five state titles and more than 500 career wins, don’t count out a fifth matchup at the Idaho Center.
CLASS 2A
THE FAVORITE: North Fremont (20-2) won back-to-back titles in 2019 and 2020, then saw its chances at a three-peat derailed last year when St. Maries’ Colby Renner hit a half-court shot at the buzzer in the semifinals.
The Huskies return loaded to avenge that loss, with two-time 2A All-Idaho Player of the Year Jordan Lenz leading the way. But the MaxPreps’ seedings didn’t do them any favors, with Melba and Ambrose on their side of the bracket.
THE CONTENDER: Melba (21-2) enters on a 12-game winning streak while playing in the toughest 2A league in the state. Yet somehow it is the No. 4 seed. That’s a head scratcher.
The Mustangs have the firepower to contend with anyone. Joe Reiber (19.9 ppg) looks to make a splash after dislocating his elbow at last year’s state tournament. And sophomore Cache Beus (10.2 ppg, 11.7 rebounds) is a double-double machine.
Both could challenge Lenz for the 2A Player of the Year award.
THE DARK HORSE: The last team to knock off Melba? Ambrose (20-4), the reigning state runner-up. And the two meet in Thursday’s first round.
The Archers bring back three starters from a team that fell a last-second runner short of a state title. Hudson Hughes (16.3 ppg) and Johnny Sugarman (15.2 ppg) headline 2A’s top offense (65.5 ppg) as it tries to get back to the Idaho Center.
CLASS 1A DIVISION I
THE FAVORITE: Lapwai (24-0) could be the title favorite in nearly any classification.
The Wildcats feature one of the state’s top players in senior guard Titus Yearout, an Idaho signee. The defending state champs have won 33 straight games. And they average 82.9 points per game, the most in all classifications.
The next closest is Hillcrest (4A), at 66.5 points per game.
Sit back and enjoy the show. Dominant teams like this don’t come around often.
THE CONTENDER: No one in the Whitepine League has stayed within 20 points of Lapwai. So all eyes turn to contenders around the state.
Grace (18-5) stands atop that list. The veteran Grizzlies reached the finals two years ago, and all five of their losses either came out of state or to teams from a larger classification.
THE DARK HORSE: Knocking off Lapwai will start with defense. Kamiah (18-6) brings the classification’s second-best defense (37.6 ppg) to state and has already faced the Wildcats three times. So the Kubs have a detailed scouting report as they search for their first title.
CLASS 1A DIVISION II
THE FAVORITE: Rockland (20-3) may enter as the No. 3 seed and with a young roster, but the Bulldogs can rely on one thing that always travels well to state — the stingiest defense across all classifications, at 28.4 points allowed per game. That kind of suffocation has Rockland on the verge of bringing home its first state championship banner.
THE CONTENDER: On the other side of the coin, Camas County (20-3) fields the classification’s top offense: 61.4 points per game. The Mushers challenged themselves with a tough schedule, going 4-1 against state qualifiers in all classifications. Those early tests ought to pay off for the No. 1 seed, which is making its first trip to state since 2005.
THE DARK HORSE: Carey (19-6) and Camas County battled for Sawtooth Conference supremacy all year. Carey took the regular-season meeting before falling to the Mushers for the district title. The Panthers enter as the No. 2 seed, setting up a potential rematch in the state finals.
This story was originally published March 2, 2022 at 2:07 PM.
