4A SIC girls basketball preview: The players, teams that will return the league to glory
Only one girls basketball team brought a state title back home to the 4A Southern Idaho Conference in the past six years.
Instead, the power has shifted to East Idaho in recent years. But a bounty of returning talent has the SIC eyeing a return to prominence.
Rising coronavirus cases led the league to start two weeks late. And two teams — Nampa and Columbia — remained sidelined until at least Dec. 16 as the Nampa School District shifted fully online.
How that hurdle will play out on the state level won’t be evident until February. But these are the top players and teams to watch locally this winter.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Ali Chatterton, Bishop Kelly
The Knights remain a nightmare to defend in the open court because of Chatterton. The senior guard and Boise State soccer signee brings elite athleticism and toughness to the court, ensuring defenders always have to know where she is.
She was one of the league’s top players last year, finishing second in assists (2.9 per game) and fifth in both points (12.1) and steals (2.7).
Piper Curry, Nampa
The 6-foot senior point guard can do it all for the Bulldogs. Her range makes her a threat from outside. She can get to the basket at will. And she’s a terror on the defensive end, averaging 10.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.5 steals and 2.5 blocks per game a year ago.
A natural part of the class of 2022, she will graduate this year and has verbally committed to play at Lewis & Clark College, a NCAA Division III program in Portland.
Anna Schmautz, Bishop Kelly
The 5-6 guard took the 4A SIC by storm as a sophomore a year ago, finishing among the league leaders in points (second, 13.7 per game), steals (third, 2.8 per game) and assists (fifth, 2.4) a year ago.
Her lightning-quick first step makes it impossible to stay in front of her. Another year of varsity experience spells trouble for the league’s defenders.
Jazzy Jenkins, Emmett
Don’t blink while guarding the senior point guard. Because if she spots any delay, she’ll pop off and sink one of her patented long-range shots.
The sharpshooter’s quick release and extended range have already allowed her to set the program record for 3-pointers. She was the league’s third-leading scorer as a sophomore (12.5 ppg) and finished fourth (12.7 ppg) last year.
Payton Hymas, Middleton
The 5-8 junior broke into the Vikings’ lineup as a freshman, became a starter last year and now the team is all hers.
Her court vision, ball handling and nose for the basket make her a threat in open and halfcourt sets. But where she really shines is setting up her teammates, which makes the Vikings a threat for another postseason run.
THE FAVORITE
MIDDLETON VIKINGS
Last season: 17-8, 15-1 4A SIC
Coach: Trent Harrison, first season
Returning starters: Payton Hymas, jr., G; Emma Kraupp, sr., G; Reesa Whitworth, jr., G
Harrison steps in as the Vikings’ fourth coach in the past four years. And he’s tasked with keeping one of the state’s perennial powers atop the conference.
He has plenty of size, length and varsity experience to work with. The Vikings feature a bevy of shooters that make them a balanced offensive threat and give Hymas loads of options to distribute the ball to.
But Harrison said Middleton must improve on the defensive end after allowing 40.0 ppg last year, a far cry from its normal suffocating standards.
THE CONTENDERS
BISHOP KELLY KNIGHTS
Last season: 14-10, 11-5 4A SIC
Coach: Mike Griswold, first season
Returning starters: Anna Schmautz, jr., G; Ali Chatterton, sr., G; Addie Hiler, so., G
The Knights missed the state tournament in back-to-back years for the first time since 2001 and must replace the league’s longest-tenured coach in Derek McCormick.
While that’s sure to lead to some growing pains, Bishop Kelly finds itself with plenty of preseason expectations again. A youth movement last year allows three starting guards to return. That gives Griswold a host of athletic weapons to work with and will allow the Knights to get out and run with anyone.
But the first-year coach cautioned depth is limited early in the season.
NAMPA BULLDOGS
Last season: 11-12, 8-8 4A SIC
Coach: Colette Gall, first season
Returning starters: Piper Curry, sr., PG; Audrah Radford, jr., P; Ashlyn Nichols, sr., P
The Bulldogs turned the program over to Curry and Radford (11.7 ppg, 6.0 rebounds) as freshmen two years ago. They changed the trajectory of the program, leading Nampa to double-digit wins both years. Now they must face something new — expectations.
They’ll have some familiar faces around them as Nampa brings back experience for the first time in years. It will have to break in an entirely new coaching staff. But ending a six-year state tournament drought is within reach.
CALDWELL COUGARS
Last season: 23-4, 14-2 4A SIC
Coach: Ashley Green, third season
Returning starters: Courtney Williams, sr., F/C; Kaydence Moore, sr., G
The defending district champs and third-place finishers at state find themselves looking up in the preseason coaches’ poll. That’s the result of losing three college-level players to graduation.
But the Cougars still have the tools needed to contend. Williams (6.1 ppg, 5.0 rebounds) gives Caldwell one of the league’s top posts to build around. Moore (5.0 ppg, 1.9 steals) headlines the backcourt. And the Cougars’ trademark pressure always gives opponents fits.
Caldwell may remain short on household names. But it has won 62 games in the past three years for a reason.
THE DARK HORSES
EMMETT HUSKIES
Last season: 9-15, 6-10 4A SIC
Coach: Stu Peterson, third season
Returning starters: Jazzy Jenkins, sr., PG; Haylee Jewkes, sr., F; Trinity Sammons, jr., G
Graduation cost the Huskies the 4A SIC’s leading scorer in Gemma LaVergne (15.1 ppg). But Jenkins ought to step seamlessly into that role, and Emmett arguably fields a more balanced attack that should make life harder for opposing defenses.
Jewkes (6.7 ppg, 6.4 rebounds) gives Emmett a true threat inside, one that prevents teams from selling out to stop Jenkins. But any shot at making it back to the 4A state tournament for the first time since 2005 starts with shoring up a defense that gave up a league-high 53.3 points per game a year ago.
VALLIVUE FALCONS
Last season: 5-19, 3-13 4A SIC
Coach: Jordan Ax, second season
Returning starters: Alondra Osuna, so., G; Daisha Kiester, jr., G/P
Vallivue enters the season with little experience on the offensive end of the court without its top four scorers from last year. So Ax said the Falcons will make up for it with a variety of defensive pressures designed to speed up the game, take advantage of their athleticism and lead to easy buckets.
Osuna (4.0 ppg, 2.1 steals) steps into a leading role after starting as a freshman in both basketball and soccer. She and the rest of a young team will need to grow up fast to snap Vallivue’s eight-year state tournament drought.
THE UNDERDOGS
COLUMBIA WILDCATS
Last season: 5-18, 4-12 4A SIC
Coach: Neal Robertson, second season
Returning starters: Mia Nottingham, sr., G; Sage Myers, sr., G
The Wildcats are still searching for the first state tournament in program history. But they have plenty of reason for hope with improved size, rebounding, depth and the return of junior point guard Lexi Robertson, who started as a freshman but missed last year with an ACL injury.
Neal Robertson said Columbia’s basketball IQ and decision making have also improved. Those will be key to improve an offense that scored just 34.0 points per game last year.
RIDGEVUE WARHAWKS
Last season: 1-19, 1-15 4A SIC
Coach: William Rodgers, first season
Returning starters: Sarah Means, jr., G; Jasmin Villa, jr., W/F
Rodgers inherits a program that has struggled since its founding, going 6-83 in its first four years and scoring a league-low 30.2 points per game last year. But he rebuilt a long-struggling Caldwell program before, giving the Warhawks optimism he can do it again.
Means (9.2 ppg) and Villa (8.7 ppg, 7.1 rebounds) give Ridgevue two experienced players to build around. But Rogers said any turnaround starts with shoring up a leaky defense (53.2 ppg) and forcing opponents to beat them in the halfcourt instead of in transition.
This story was originally published December 8, 2020 at 3:41 PM.
