Top storylines for all 17 Treasure Valley teams at boys basketball state tournaments

Below is what to watch for from the 17 Treasure Valley teams that qualified for the Idaho high school boys basketball state tournaments in all six classifications.

Wondering how the brackets shape up? You can view the full brackets in every classification here.

BOISE BRAVES

Record: 18-5

State seed: District Three runner-up

Coach: Manny Varela, second season

Players to watch: G Paul Pennington, jr.; W Lucas Centeno, jr.; P Andrew Theobald, sr.

Notes: At state for the first time since 1997, when it finished third. … Varela, a former Borah assistant, has built Boise in the Lions’ image, holding opponents to a classification-low 44.5 points per game. … 1-5 vs. teams in the 5A state tournament. … Pennington leads the 5A SIC in scoring and enters state averaging 18.3 points, 5.6 assists and 3.0 steals. … Centeno (11.0 ppg, 6.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists) is an athletic threat equally capable of shooting from outside and dunking on the break. … Has won five state titles, the last in 1986. … Last reached the finals in 1991.

CENTENNIAL PATRIOTS

Record: 15-10

State seed: District Three fourth-place finisher

Coach: Josh Aipperspach, second season

Players to watch: G/F Delveion Jackson, sr.; G Brooks King, sr.; G Jaydon Clark, sr.

Notes: At state for the second year in a row. … Jackson (14.7 ppg, 8.5 rebounds) has verbally committed to a full-ride scholarship from UC Davis. … Can heat up behind the 3-point line with King (16.5 ppg, 42 percent 3-point shooter) and Clark (9.6 ppg, 50 percent 3-point shooter). … Five players average seven or more points per game. … 2-5 vs. teams in the 5A state tournament. … Won two titles, the last in 2003. … Last state trophy was in 2011, when it finished second.

MOUNTAIN VIEW MAVERICKS

Record: 16-7

State seed: District Three third-place finisher

Coach: Jon Nettleton, 12th season

Players to watch: G Cam Howard, sr.; F Jalen Galloway, jr.; F Juan Aguilar, sr.

Notes: At state for the fifth time in seven years. … Returns four starters after going two-and-out at state last year. … 2-3 vs. teams in the 5A state tournament. … Offense is led by Howard (18.1 ppg), who shoots 41.5 percent behind the 3-point line. … Features two 6-6 forwards in Galloway (13.2 ppg, 8.6 rebounds) and Aguilar (10.8 ppg, 6.0 rebounds). … Won its only state title, appeared in its only championship game and captured its last state trophy in 2011.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN GRIZZLIES

Record: 23-1

State seed: District Three champ

Coach: Dane Roy, sixth season

Players to watch: F Kolby Lee, sr.; PG Kobe Terashima, sr.; F Tyler O’Donnell, jr.

Notes: At state for the fifth year in a row. … Two-time defending state consolation champ. … Has won 22 straight games. … Outscoring opponents by an average of 20.8 points. … Only loss came to Utah’s Timpview on Dec. 1. … 6-0 vs. teams in the 5A state tournament. … Lee (16.9 ppg, 9.3 rebounds, 2.4 blocks) has signed a full-ride scholarship with BYU. … Terashima has a hand in everything, averaging 10.9 points, 6.7 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game. … Five players average seven or more points per game. … Never won a state title and reached only championship game in 2013.

BISHOP KELLY KNIGHTS

Record: 19-4

State seed: District Three champ

Coach: Ryan Kerns

Players to watch: G Max Rice, jr.; G Bronson King, sr.; G Jacob Russell, sr.; PG Dan Sabala

Notes: Qualified for state for the fifth year in a row and eighth time in nine years. … Is the two-time defending state runner-up, losing to Preston in ‘16 finals and Rigby in ‘15. … Uses a five-guard lineup to push the pace and ramp up its defensive pressure. … Averaging a classification-best 65.0 points per game. … Rice (18.2 ppg) is the son of Boise State coach Leon Rice. … The 6-1 Russell led the 4A SIC with 7.1 rebounds per game. … Won two state titles, the last in 1998 at the 3A level.

MIDDLETON VIKINGS

Record: 16-8

State seed: District Three runner-up

Coach: Alex Maxwell, first season

Players to watch: F Caden Stevenson, sr.; F Reece Robinett, sr.; G David Kofoed, sr.

Notes: In state for the third year in a row. … Won the 4A SIC regular-season title. … Only losses in 4A have come to Bishop Kelly (0-3 vs. the Knights). … Stevenson led the team this season in both scoring (10.3 ppg) and rebounds (5.5). … Robinett and Kofoed added 9.9 and 6.8 ppg, respectively. … Won its only state title in 1965 at the 2A level and last reached the finals in 2004.

VALLIVUE FALCONS

Record: 18-7

State seed: District Three third-place finisher

Coach: Ryan Lundgren, second season

Players to watch: G Nick Fitts, sr.; G Jordan Moran, sr.

Notes: At state for the first time since 2010. … Dropped back to the 4A level this season with the opening of Ridgevue. … Was one of four teams to defeat District Three champ Bishop Kelly. … Fitts, who was the 2A WIC player of the year last year at Melba, transferred and averaged 17.4 points, 3.2 assists and three rebounds per game this season while shooting 40 percent on 3-pointers and starting every game. … Moran also started every game this season, averaging 7.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists. … Won three state titles, the last in 2008 at the 5A level.

PARMA PANTHERS

(Defending champ)

Record: 13-10

State seed: District Three runner-up

Coach: Scot Garrick, second season

Players to watch: F Payton Pinz, sr.; F Braydon Jensen, so.; G Jared Nielsen, so.

Notes: Just like last season, Parma squeaked into state after a mediocre regular season. The Panthers upset Fruitland in the District Three second-place game after losing to it three times previously. … Pinz averaged a double-double this season with 14 points and 11 rebounds per game. … Jensen was the team’s leading scorer at 15 ppg, while Nielsen was close behind at 14 ppg.

WEISER WOLVERINES

Record: 21-1

State seed: District Three champ

Coach: Brad Adolfson, fourth season

Players to watch: W Alberto Sanchez, sr.; G Bridger Bumgarner, sr.; G Braden Bumgarner, so.

Notes: At state for the second time in three years. … Enters on a 13-game winning streak with its only loss coming to 4A Caldwell during a holiday tournament. … Sanchez (17.6 ppg, 4.8 rebounds) and Bridger Bumgarner (14.8 ppg, 7.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.6 steals) shoulder the load offensively. … Did not play a home game for more than a month due to severe winter weather. … Won its only state title in 1995 and reached the finals only one other time in 2011.

MELBA MUSTANGS

Record: 9-14

State seed: District Three runner-up

Coach: Bob Lenz, 19th season

Players to watch: F Eli Bangerter, sr.; G. Justin Trappett, jr.; C. Scott Orr, sr.

Notes: Back at state for the fourth straight year. … Still made the tournament despite losing 2A WIC Player of the Year Nick Fitts to Vallivue and losing three or more games in a row on three different occasions this season. … Entered its six-team district tournament as the fifth seed, but pulled upsets over Marsing and Cole Valley Christian, the regular-season champ, to complete its unlikely run back to state. … Lone state title came in 2011.

NAMPA CHRISTIAN TROJANS

Record: 15-10

State seed: Play-in game winner

Coach: Randy Brothers, fifth season

Players to watch: G Joshua de Jong, sr.; G Griffin Carson, jr.

Notes: At state for the third straight year. … Won four out of five games and three in a row, including knocking 2A WIC regular-season champ Cole Valley Christian out of the district tournament. … Coming off a 12-point win over Grangeville in the state play-in game. … de Jong is the only player on the roster that has been to state all three years and averaged 12 ppg this season. … Carson was the team’s leading scorer, averaging 16 ppg. … Only state title came in 1996 in the 1A classification.

NEW PLYMOUTH PILGRIMS

Record: 12-10

State seed: District Three champ

Coach: Mark Van Weerdhuizen, ninth season

Players to watch: G Cody Fernley, sr.; G Riley Harris, sr.; G Lah Say, sr.

Notes: At state for the first time since 2013, when it finished second. … Won seven straight games, including last week’s district championship, its first since 2013. … Harris was the team’s leading scorer this season with 13 ppg. Harris was one of eight players to score in double figures this season for the Pilgrims, including Fernley and Say, who averaged 9 and 6 ppg, respectively. … Only state title came in 1993.

AMBROSE ARCHERS

(Defending champ)

Record: 18-5

State seed: District Three champ

Coach: Jay Hughes, first season

Players to watch: G Ethan Christianson, jr.; G Jaxon Hughes, sr.

Notes: At state for the fourth year in a row. The only year it missed as a full IHSAA member was 2013. … Has earned a state trophy in each of its previous three trips — championship in 2015, consolation in ‘14 and runner-up in ‘13. … Winner of three straight district titles. … Won 14 of its last 16 games with the two losses coming to the 1A Division I No. 1-ranked team (Lapwai) and the 1A Division II No. 1-ranked team (Dietrich). … Christianson (19.6 ppg) and Hughes (18.0 ppg) form a potent one-two punch, but Jack Roberts (9.4 ppg) and Paul Yenor (8.9 ppg) keep defenses honest. … Hughes, a two-time second-team All-Idaho pick, is a four-year starter and Jay Hughes’ son.

HORSESHOE BEND MUSTANGS

Record: 16-9

State seed: District Three third-place finisher

Coach: Tivon Miller, second season

Players to watch: PG Gavin Miller, jr.; F Quade Renfro, so.; G Michael Osorio, sr.

Notes: At state for the first time since 2012 and the fifth time in the program’s 26-year history. … Never won a state trophy, going a combined 3-8 in four previous trips to state. … Won nine of its last 11 games. … Miller leads the Mustangs in scoring (20.7 ppg), rebounds (8.3), assists (5.5) and steals (3.0). … Three players (Miller, Renfro and Osorio) average 12 or more points per game.

RIVERSTONE OTTERS

Record: 17-4

State seed: District Three runner-up

Coach: Eric Chapman, sixth season

Players to watch: G/F Dedi Seme, sr.; F Jack Goltry, sr.; G/F Sam Cole, sr.

Notes: First team in school history to qualify for state since becoming a full IHSAA member in 2010-11. … Basketball is the only boys sport offered at the private east Boise international baccalaureate school. … Chapman’s career includes working in media relations and as a video coordinator with the Golden State Warriors in the 1980s, assistant coaching in the CBA and setting up the Idaho Stampede as the director of player personnel. … Won nine in a row before losing to Ambrose in the District Three championship. … Semi (20.0 ppg, 8.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists) can, and has, played all five positions and is the program’s leading career scorer at 1,027 points. … Goltry averages 9.9 points and 9.4 rebounds, and Cole averages 8.8 points.

WILDER WILDCATS

Record: 11-11

State seed: Play-in game winner

Coach: Juan Colunga, first season

Players to watch: G Fabian Blanco, sr.; G Isaiah Renteria, jr.; P Ezequiel Vargas, jr.

Notes: At state for the first time since 2011. … Seeded ninth in the 12-team District Three tournament before a string of upsets, including a shocking win over second-seeded Liberty Charter. … Continued its Cinderella run in the state play-in game, knocking off Genesee 40-37. … Blanco, the lone senior, scored 12.5 ppg this season. … Renteria added 7 ppg, while Vargas was the team’s leading rebounder (7 per game). … Won four state titles, its last in 1998.

COUNCIL LUMBERJACKS

Record: 13-5

State seed: District Three champ

Coach: JC Tucker, first season

Players to watch: W Braden Nichols, fr.; PG Brett Rosengrant, jr.; F J.T. Mahon, sr.

Notes: Defending runner-up qualified for state for the third year in a row. … Seeded second at district after two regular-season losses to Salmon River, then pulled the upset over Salmon River to win its third straight district title. … Three players average double figures in scoring: Nichols (13.3 ppg, 7.1 rebounds), Rosengrant (11.9 ppg) and Mahon (11.8 ppg, 7.5 rebounds). … Never won a state title, finishing second twice in 2016 and 2004.

This story was originally published February 28, 2017 at 8:14 PM with the headline "Top storylines for all 17 Treasure Valley teams at boys basketball state tournaments."