Write it down. These six teams will win Idaho girls basketball state titles this week
The Idaho girls basketball state tournaments tip off Thursday with 48 teams heading to the Treasure Valley dreaming of a championship.
But who will hoist trophies Saturday at the Ford Idaho Center? We broke down the favorites, contenders and dark horses in all six classifications below.
[Related: Scouting reports on all 48 teams | State tournament brackets, scores]
5A STATE TOURNAMENT
THE FAVORITE: Boise (22-1) turned the 5A Southern Idaho Conference into a one-team show this winter, winning 19 straight games by an average of 32.2 points with a simple formula — Avery Howell and the state’s best defense (31.1 ppg).
Howell, the second McDonald’s All-American in Idaho history, remains worth the price of admission all by herself. The USC signee posted a double-double in 15 of 23 games, averaging 20.2 points, 10.3 rebounds and 3.1 steals a night. Boise fields plenty of shooters around Howell to prevent teams from focusing all their attention on her. And the Brave added a key reinforcement at district with the return of Kaity Haan, a 6-foot forward averaging 10.1 points and 5.8 rebounds.
THE CONTENDER: Lake City (23-2) remains the only team to beat Boise this season, handing the Brave a 49-43 loss on their home floor way back on Nov. 16.
The Timberwolves had to win a play-in game just to make it to state, but they still received the No. 2 seed, and Montana signee Avery Waddington (17 ppg, eight rebounds) and Sophia Zufelt (15 ppg, four assists) power 5A’s top offense (63.7 ppg).
THE DARK HORSE: Defending state champ Coeur d’Alene (17-5) upset Lake City for the district title and has all the tools to make another run.
Teagan Colvin (17 ppg, seven rebounds, six assists) missed parts of the season with a broken hand, but the UNLV signee returned in time for the district and state tournaments. Add in her younger sister — Brookeslee Colvin, a freshman with offers from Washington State and Iowa — and the Vikings field a backcourt capable of contending with anyone.
4A STATE TOURNAMENT
THE FAVORITE: Shelley (22-0) isn’t just the only undefeated boys or girls basketball team in Idaho. The Russets have annihilated the competition since taking second last year, posting an average margin of victory of 30.5 points per game. That includes a 40-point win over second-seeded Pocatello in December.
Senior Brinley Cannon has continued the torrid pace that made her the 4A All-Idaho Player of the Year last season. The BYU signee is averaging 22.1 points, 11 rebounds and 1.2 blocks at the head of the state’s top offense across all classifications (69.2 ppg).
THE CONTENDER: Pocatello (17-5) looms on the opposite side of the bracket ready for another shot at the Russets. The Thunder have won 11 straight vs. 4A teams since that 40-point loss to Shelley. That streak includes wins over 4A state qualifiers Skyline and Lakeland, as well as Sandpoint, the No. 2-ranked team most of the year until it was upset at district.
THE DARK HORSE: Skyline (17-7) remains the only team to challenge Shelley all season, falling 64-62 to the Russets in Shelley three weeks ago. Shay Shippen (23.8 ppg, 12.9 rebounds) carried Skyline to the finals two years ago as a freshman. Don’t be surprised if she does it again.
3A STATE TOURNAMENT
THE FAVORITE: Teton (22-1) has never won a state title, but the Timberwolves bring a veteran squad ready to chase that elusive banner. Five seniors and five juniors return from a program that took third last year and second in 2022.
All that experience built 3A’s top offense (61.4 ppg) and its second-best defense (37.5 ppg). Plus, Teton has already swept a season series against defending champ Snake River.
THE CONTENDER: Snake River (17-6) thought it lost Rylie Edlefsen (17.6 ppg) for the season with a broken hand on Jan. 3, but the reigning 3A All-Idaho Player of the Year and Northwest Nazarene signee returned for the district championship and to chase another state title.
The Panthers faced one of the toughest schedules in Idaho, going 11-2 against state qualifiers. With Edlefsen back, Snake River has all the tools to repeat.
THE DARK HORSE: Few programs boast as much state tournament experience as Timberlake (16-6), which has made the state finals nine times in the past 13 years. The Tigers return the bulk of a squad that captured a state runner-up trophy last year. Then they added point guard and leading scorer Kurtsten McKellips (11.1 ppg) from Lake City.
2A STATE TOURNAMENT
THE FAVORITE: Grangeville (21-2) started the season with wins over 2A powers Melba and Cole Valley Christian and never slowed down. The Bulldogs lead 2A with 64.2 points per game, and their only losses came to Sandpoint (4A) and Washington’s Clarkston, a 21-0 team that would play in Idaho’s 3A classification.
THE CONTENDER: Bear Lake (20-3) broke Soda Springs’ stranglehold on District Five, beating the Cardinals for the first time in 14 years for the district title. The Bears started the season as a surprise, but with 20 wins, their most since 2008, they won’t sneak up on anyone now.
THE DARK HORSE: Cole Valley Christian (17-6) and Melba (16-6) have traded the state title the past three state years. And with a reigning first-team All-Idaho pick on each team — Cole Valley’s Hadley Fraas and Melba’s Brooklynn Dayley — both will have a say in who brings home a banner this year.
1A DIVISION I STATE TOURNAMENT
THE FAVORITE: Grace (19-3) enters the tournament with the No. 1 seed and on a 13-game winning streak. But more importantly, the Grizzlies know what it takes to make it to the Ford Idaho Center. Sydnee Smith (11.8 ppg), Melodie Straatman (10.8 ppg) and Jacie Christensen (7.4 ppg) all played key roles as freshmen on Grace’s 2021 state championship team.
THE CONTENDER: It wouldn’t be a state tournament without Lapwai (18-5), which heads to the Treasure Valley for the 24th straight year, the longest streak in Idaho girls basketball. The Wildcats field a young squad with just three seniors, but they’ve won eight straight to gel at the right time.
THE DARK HORSE: Oakley (17-5) lost seven seniors from last year’s state runner-up; however, the Hornets have won nine of their last 10 games with a hard-nosed defense (34 ppg) to earn the No. 2 seed.
1A DIVISION II STATE TOURNAMENT
THE FAVORITE: Defense always travels to state. And Kendrick (20-3) fields one of the state’s toughest defenses, holding opponents to 28.6 points per game. The two-time defending consolation champs are the only 20-win team in either 1A classification. That resume includes a 7-2 record against state qualifiers in all classifications.
THE CONTENDER: Dietrich (18-3) returned three key players from its state runner-up team and started the year unbeatable, winning 11 straight. The Blue Devils dropped back-to-back games in January before rebounding to win four in a row and secure the top seed.
THE DARK HORSE: Council (12-5) finished unranked in the final state media poll but earned the No. 3 seed. The defending champion fields three players averaging 10 or more points per game, and Rhianna Iveson (17.1 ppg) remains one of the classification’s most elusive guards.
This story was originally published February 14, 2024 at 1:10 PM.
