5A SIC boys basketball preview: A new powerhouse will emerge atop the league
Don’t expect another predictable boys basketball season in the 5A Southern Idaho Conference. A shakeup is on its way.
Perennial powers Borah and Rocky Mountain must rebuild from massive graduation losses, opening the door for fresh blood — including one team that hasn’t won a league title since 1991-92.
Meridian came out as the clear favorite in a preseason coaches’ poll, completing its multi-year rise from pushover to title contender.
Teams in the Boise and Nampa school districts remain sidelined as rising coronavirus cases forced their classes to move fully online. But the other half of the league tips off this weekend after a two-week delay.
Here are the top teams and players to watch in this uncertain winter.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Brody Rowbury, Meridian
Opponents will have to throw out their defensive game plan when facing the 6-11 senior power forward.
He dominates the paint with his size, pure strength and soft hands, racking up 13.3 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks a year ago. No one can match up with him one-on-one. But a zone also spells trouble against the 45% 3-point shooter.
Rowbury presents a pick-your-poison scenario coaches will spend all year trying to solve.
Whitt Miller, Boise
A College of Idaho commit, the 6-2 senior point guard has a hand in every pot for Boise.
He led the league a year ago with 6.1 assists per game. But mistake him for a pass-only guard at your own risk. He can fill the basket with anyone, averaging 12.1 points a night (eighth in the league). And he’s a threat on the defensive end, too (2.3 steals, second in the league).
Jack Payne, Boise
The only one who kept Miller from leading the league in steals a year ago was Payne, who averaged 3.0 steals as a sophomore.
His size (6-5), athleticism, never-ending energy and finishing skills make him a handful. His already impressive numbers — 11.5 ppg, 6.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists — should only improve with more varsity experience and a larger role.
Cooper Lumsden, Timberline
Montana Western (NAIA) and Pacific Lutheran (NCAA Division III) have already extended offers to the senior guard.
He poured in 10.5 points per game last year as one of the league’s top pure shooters. But he’s also a threat to put the ball on the floor and attack the rim, with one opposing coach describing him as tough and crafty.
McKay Anderson, Meridian
The Warriors ranked second in 5A in points per game a year ago. And they bring back their top trigger man in Anderson (7.8 ppg, 2.7 assists).
The senior drives the Warriors’ breakneck pace, wearing teams out in transition and feeding all of Meridian’s weapons. He’s also a threat himself with a dangerous outside shot and nose for the basket should any defender decide to slouch off him.
Sean Austin, Kuna
His future remains on the football field, where the 6-2 junior has committed to play quarterback at Montana State. But he also led the 4A SIC in scoring last year with 17.6 points per game and ranked among the league leaders in rebounds (6.1) and assists (3.0).
The competition will grow stiffer at the 5A level. But he showed he was up to the challenge in football. There’s no reason he can’t do the same on the hardwood.
THE FAVORITE
MERIDIAN WARRIORS
Last season: 20-7, 15-3 5A SIC
Coach: Jeff Sanor, fourth season
Returning starters: Brody Rowbury, sr., PF; McKay Anderson, sr., PG; Joe Mpoyo, sr., SG
Meridian snapped a 13-year state tournament drought last year, then the longest active streak in 5A. Now the Warriors are the clear favorites for a league title they haven’t won in 29 years.
It’s not hard to see why. The Warriors return largely intact with three of their top four scorers back, including Mpoyo (9.9 ppg). Rowbury remains a one-man wrecking crew inside the paint. The Warriors’ up-tempo style is tough to match. And depth will also be a strength with seven returning players.
The Warriors have slowly climbed the conference standings, finishing third two years ago and second last year. Now is the time to finally take the top spot.
THE CONTENDERS
ROCKY MOUNTAIN GRIZZLIES
Last season: 25-2, 18-0 5A SIC
Coach: Dane Roy, 10th season
Returning starters: None
The Grizzlies stand as a model of consistency, posting a 98-10 record the past four years. But they hit the reset button after losing their only returning starter, senior guard Jaden Hansen (6.2 ppg, 2.6 assists), to an ACL injury.
That leaves a team full of question marks, ones that have only grown larger with a delayed start to the season. Roy said a new group must prove itself at the varsity level to find out what kind of team it can be.
But you can count on a tough defense from Roy. His teams have never finished worse than third in points allowed in the SIC during a four-year run of 20-win seasons.
BOISE BRAVE
Last season: 13-12, 9-9 5A SIC
Coach: Manny Varela, sixth season
Returning starters: Whitt Miller, sr., G; Jack Payne, jr., W; Cooper Howell, sr., W
After missing back-to-back state tournaments, Boise is a favorite to make it back to the Idaho Center.
Miller and Payne give the Brave two of the league’s top players to build around. And Varela said he’ll have one of his trademark tough, gritty defenses to rely on.
Boise will need that defense as it won’t field much size. Its tallest player stands 6-4, forcing the Brave to get creative against the league’s larger teams.
THE DARK HORSES
BORAH LIONS
Last season: 22-5, 14-4 5A SIC
Coach: Jeremy Dennis, fifth season
Returning starters: Ray Bergersen, jr., PG; Luke Hoetker, sr., G
The Austin Bolt era is finally over. The Boise State tight end led the Lions to back-to-back state titles, averaging a double-double for the third straight season and winning every player of the year award possible along the way.
But graduation losses don’t stop there. Borah must also replace Isaac Dewberry, a second-team All-Idaho pick.
That leaves an inexperienced squad led by Bergersen (7.0 ppg, 2.7 assists) and Hoetker (5.1 ppg). Dennis said to expect growing pains. But defense remains the cornerstone at Borah. When nothing else goes right, the Lions can always count on that and try to grind out victories.
MOUNTAIN VIEW MAVERICKS
Last season: 6-16, 5-13 5A SIC
Coach: Jon Nettleton, 16th season
Returning starters: Noah White, sr., PG; Bayler Perrin, jr., G; Tyler Clayton, sr., W
After back-to-back losing seasons, the Mavericks are a threat with an experienced lineup returning.
Perrin (9.5 ppg), White (8.1 ppg, 2.9 assists) and Clayton (7.1 ppg) were leaders on last year’s team. The transfer of Josh Gillespie (8.8 ppg) to Garden Valley and a football injury to Leyton Smithson (5.9 ppg) dampen expectations a bit. But a deep rotation with plenty of varsity experience should allow the Mavericks to contend for a spot at state again.
TIMBERLINE WOLVES
Last season: 12-16, 7-11 5A SIC
Coach: Travis Noble, third season
Returning starters: Cooper Lumsden, sr., G; Garret Long, sr., F/G
The Wolves made a surprise, late-season run to the state tournament last year with just two seniors on the roster. They’ll look to do the same again with more varsity experience.
Expect another disciplined, deliberate team that will work for the shots it wants. The Wolves scored just 46.1 points per game last year, third fewest in the league. But they return two of their top scorers in Lumsden and Long (8.0 ppg), so the playbook might open a little bit.
Noble said he has some size but rebounding will be key to solidify Timberline as a serious contender.
EAGLE MUSTANGS
Last season: 16-10, 11-7 5A SIC
Coach: Cody Pickett, first season
Returning starters: Donovan Jones, jr., F; Gage Jones, jr., G
Pickett steps in as the Mustangs’ fifth coach in the past eight years. Eagle hopes he can provide some stability after leading its girls basketball program to a 137-48 (.741) record and its only state championship.
Eagle made the state tournament each of the past two years. But it must replace its top three scorers, including Tanner Hayhurst (21.1 ppg), the 5A classification’s leading scorer two years in a row.
Gage Jones (6.8 ppg) and Donovan Jones (6.2 ppg) played key minutes as sophomores. The rest of the team is brand new to the varsity level, though.
THE UNDERDOGS
CENTENNIAL PATRIOTS
Last season: 10-14, 7-11 5A SIC
Coach: Josh Aipperspach, fifth season
Returning starters: Lukas Broadsword, sr., F; Kyle Schabot, jr., G
The Patriots missed the state tournament twice in a row. But that plays into what Aipperspach called a sleeper team.
Centennial brings back a crew of long, athletic players who can rebound and fuel its transition offense. The 6-6 Broadsword leads the way as the team’s top scorer (8.2 ppg) and rebounder (5.5) with four small-college offers.
Aipperspach said offensive execution remains a work in progress. But if the Patriots can get out and run, they can mask that weakness for a while.
KUNA KAVEMEN
Last season: 18-9, 12-4 4A SIC
Coach: Pete Longgood, fifth season
Returning starters: Sean Austin, sr., G; Cade Randall, sr., G; Gavin Gordon, jr., F
Kuna moves back up to the 5A classification after making the 4A state tournament last year. The Kavemen previously held their own in 5A, going a combined 18-30 in 2016-17 and 2017-18. But they have higher goals with a host of returning talent.
Austin remains the straw that stirs the Kavemen’s drink and will draw the bulk of defenses’ attention. He’ll have help with Randall (10.4 ppg, 2.0 assists) back alongside him in the backcourt. But Kuna must prove itself before earning respect in the 5A SIC.
SKYVIEW HAWKS
Last season: 5-18, 3-15 5A SIC
Coach: Aaron Sanders, 12th season
Returning starters: Abram Zweigle, sr., G/F; Danny Graviet, sr., G
The former 4A power has yet to find its footing at the 5A level, going a combined 9-36 the past two years. Now they have to replace their top two scorers from a year ago.
But Sanders said he has a more balanced squad this year, one that could have a different leading scorer every night. That will make the Hawks tough to game plan for. But to climb out of the conference cellar, Skyview will have to drastically cut down on its turnovers.
CAPITAL EAGLES
Last season: 3-18, 1-17 5A SIC
Coach: Scott Moore, sixth season
Returning starters: Nate Cherry, jr., G
The Eagles hit the reset button after finishing last in the conference standings, last in scoring offense (45.1 ppg) and last in scoring defense (60.9 ppg) last season.
Moore said he has a talented squad. But varsity minutes are in short supply, especially after Max Clark’s shoulder injury during the football season. A host of new faces will have to grow up in a hurry to return Capital back to contention.
This story was originally published December 10, 2020 at 3:45 PM.
