5A SIC boys basketball preview: How a brand-new program will take the league by storm
First-year high school programs are supposed to struggle.
School districts rarely draw boundaries to benefit the new school. Seniors within those boundaries can refuse to switch schools. Wins are few and far between.
Owyhee learned that with its fall sports, but don’t expect its boys basketball program to follow suit.
The Storm are the clear favorite in the 5A SIC preseason coaches’ poll, thanks to several transfers and Division I prospects.
Who will challenge Owyhee? And who are the top players to watch this winter? We surveyed the league’s coaches to find out.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Jack Payne, Owyhee
The 6-5 Colorado State commit dons a new shade of red after transferring from Boise to Owyhee. The reigning 5A SIC defensive player of the year and second-team All-Idaho selection averaged 15.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.9 blocks a year ago. His size, strength and athleticism make him a threat to throw down a dunk, swat a shot into the stands and lead the break — all on the same possession.
Liam Campbell, Owyhee
The Storm received another major transfer in the 6-5 sophomore guard. A freshman starter last year at California power Harvard-Westlake, he already owns offers from Boise State, Portland, UC Santa Barbara, Montana and Montana State. His size and physicality, packaged with elite guard skills, make him a matchup nightmare.
Davis Thacker, Meridian
The 6-3 guard started on last year’s state championship team. But he filled a small role (5 ppg, 3 rebounds) on that loaded Warriors squad. Expect the four-year varsity member to break out this winter. An elite defender, he allows Meridian to get creative defensively. And his athleticism and basketball I.Q. make him a danger offensively, too.
Donovan Jones, Eagle
His future may lie on the football field. But the 6-5, 205-pound senior forward also dominates on the hardwood. He does it all for the Mustangs on both ends of the floor, using his physicality and nonstop motor to control the game. He racked up 11 points, 5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.3 steals a year ago.
Kaden Christensen, Centennial
A pure scorer who can fill the bucket at all three levels, the 5-11 senior shooting guard may lead the 5A SIC in scoring this season. He shot 43% behind the arc last year to average 13.5 points per game. That shot has only improved in the offseason, making him a threat to post big numbers night after night.
Bayler Perrin, Mountain View
The Mavericks’ offense runs through the 5-8 senior point guard, who is now in his third season on varsity. All that experience pays off as he knows the playbook inside and out, and uses it to break down opponents and get teammates involved. He’s a threat to post up the league’s smaller guards and blow past bigger bodies.
THE FAVORITE
OWYHEE
Last season: 0-0, 0-0 5A SIC
Coach: Andy Harrington, first season
Players to watch: Jack Payne, sr., G; Liam Campbell, so., G; Machaon Savedra, fr., PG; Titus Bailey, jr., G
No first-year program has qualified for the 5A state tournament since Mountain View in 2003-04. The Storm stand not only as a favorite to make it to state, but the favorite to win the 5A SIC and make a deep run at state.
A bounty of transfers infused talent into a program normally expected to struggle. Payne and Campbell both have a Division I future. Savedra adds an explosive option at point guard, and Bailey proved himself a deadly shooter at Capital last year.
Add it all up and Owyhee fields a load of talent to spread the floor and run. But the Storm have little experience together and few varsity minutes overall, with just one senior, Payne.
THE CONTENDERS
MOUNTAIN VIEW
Last season: 10-10, 6-4 5A SIC
Coach: Jon Nettleton, 17th season
Players to watch: Bayler Perrin, sr., PG; Blake Logsdon, sr., G; Dylan Logsdon, sr., G; Nate Ojukwu, jr., W
An always tough defensive unit, the Mavericks may lead the league defensively with a veteran squad returning. That includes only two starters, Perrin and Blake Logsdon. But Nettleton said he has a large group with three to four years of experience in his system.
Perrin returns to run the offense and will have his hand in everything. Blake and Dylan Logsdon both pose a threat on the guard line. And Ojukwu can play above the rim. He spent last season on JV and is a candidate for a breakout season.
EAGLE
Last season: 14-9, 8-2 5A SIC
Coach: Cody Pickett, second season
Players to watch: Donovan Jones, sr., F; Gage Jones, sr., G; Tristan Fleming, sr., PG; Landon White, jr., F
The Mustangs surprised in Pickett’s first season, going from seventh in the preseason poll to their third straight trip to state. Now the school’s former girls basketball coach received a full offseason to put his stamp on the program.
Graduation cost Eagle the 5A SIC Player of the Year (Jason Janish) and the league’s assists leader (Isaac Deedon). But it still has plenty of talent, with Donovan Jones and Gage Jones (9 ppg) in their third year in the starting lineup. Their experience, athleticism and confidence smooth over a lot of cracks as a young group gets up to varsity speed.
MERIDIAN
Last season: 20-1, 9-1 5A SIC
Coach: Jeff Sanor, fifth season
Players to watch: Ethan Pearce, sr., SF; Davis Thacker, sr., SG; Brock Voegele, sr., SG; Ladu Kaden, sr., SG
A loaded senior class led the Warriors to their first state title in 29 years last winter. But Meridian hits the reset button with just one returning starter, Thacker.
He’ll lead a group out to prove the Warriors are no one-year wonder. Sanor said he has a host of players who can score in a variety of ways. None are household names yet. But Pearce is a crafty weapon with a high basketball IQ, Brock poses a threat as a shooter and Kaden provides an athleticism rarely seen in high school.
THE DARK HORSES
TIMBERLINE
Last season: 7-8, 5-5 5A SIC
Coach: Travis Noble, fourth season
Players to watch: AJ LaBeau, jr., F; Jacob Anderson, jr., G/F; Jachin Mertes, jr., SG; Flynn Davis, sr., SG
The Wolves can always count on their hard-nosed defense. After allowing a 5A-low 42.2 points per game last year, expect Timberline to frustrate opponents again.
But filling the basket remains a struggle, one only compounded with the graduation of Cooper Lumsden (15.5 ppg) and the return of a single starter (senior guard Wade Zenner). At 6-11, LaBeau gives Timberline one of the league’s top inside forces. He’ll lead what Noble expects to be a more balanced, and productive, attack.
CENTENNIAL
Last season: 6-7, 3-6 5A SIC
Coach: Josh Aipperspach, sixth season
Players to watch: Kaden Christensen, sr., SG; Hayden Fletcher, jr., PG; Weston Johnson, sr., SG/SF; Tyler Shipp, sr., SG/SF
The Patriots lost do-everything forward Lukas Broadsword to graduation. But three returning starters and a bevy of shooters soften the blow.
The Patriots look to light up the scoreboard, with Christensen leading the way. Johnson, a 6-4 lefty, can play all five positions. And the addition of Shipp, a 6-6 transfer from Las Vegas, gives Centennial another weapon. But to climb the standings and make it back to state, Aipperspach said the Patriots will need to improve their defense and rebounding.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN
Last season: 15-5, 10-0 5A SIC
Coach: Derek Pegram, first season
Players to watch: Tegan Sweaney, jr., G; Jack Andrews, jr., G; Drew Sauer, sr., G
The perennial power takes on a different look this season, with a new coach and only a single returning varsity player. That puts 5A’s longest active state tournament streak (nine years) at risk.
But Pegram said the Grizzlies’ commitment to defense won’t change. With a young and guard-heavy roster, the former Nampa coach said he plans to institute a full-court press and wear opponents down. That ought to help an inexperienced unit learn a new playbook and ease the transition.
THE UNDERDOGS
BOISE
Last season: 8-8, 5-5 5A SIC
Coach: Manny Varela, seventh season
Players to watch: Luke Britt, jr., G; Jake Thompson, jr., G; Jude Porter, jr., W; Braiden Rhodes, jr., W
The loss of Jack Payne to Owyhee and Whitt Miller to The College of Idaho leaves massive shoes to fill. But the Brave still return three starters from the first Boise team to win a state tournament game since 1997.
Britt (5.5 ppg, 2.1 assists) will shoulder more of the scoring load as a lightning-quick guard. Porter (3.3 ppg) and Thompson (3.1 ppg) provide a pair of shooters to stretch defenses. But Boise remains short of size, meaning it will have to outsmart and outwork the league’s top teams.
BORAH
Last season: 5-8, 4-6 5A SIC
Coach: Jeremy Dennis, sixth season
Players to watch: Lance Anderson, jr., PG; Ryan Willoughby, jr., F; Konrad Benner, sr., SG
The Lions saw their 12-year streak of winning seasons snapped last winter. And the only returning starter from that team, Ray Bergersen, moved to Spokane.
That leaves the perennial power to rebuild with a young and inexperienced lineup. But Dennis said he has an athletic lineup with plenty of shooters to stretch the floor. That should translate into another lockdown defense, a hallmark of the Lions’ program.
KUNA
Last season: 4-11, 3-7 5A SIC
Coach: Pete Longgood, sixth season
Players to watch: Gavin Gordon, sr., F; Parker Chandler, sr., F; John Evans, sr., G
The Kavemen allowed a 5A-high 60.1 points per game last year. But expect a turnaround this year from a unit Longgood said is the strength of the team.
Kuna will pressure the ball, looking to force turnovers in bunches and fuel a transition offense. That takes pressure off the offensive sets with just two returning starters. Gordon (11 ppg, 5 rebounds) headlines the team as a versatile forward who can handle the ball. But varsity experience remains in short supply beyond him.
SKYVIEW
Last season: 3-15, 1-9 5A SIC
Coach: Aaron Sanders, 13th season
Players to watch: Sean Murphy, sr., G/F; Max Cutforth, jr., G/F; Christian Collins, sr., PG/G; Eloy Chaparro, jr., PG
The Hawks are a combined 12-51 (.190) since moving up to the 5A level three years ago. They’ll try to prove they belong in their last season before returning to 4A.
Sanders said he has more balance, ball handlers and 3-point shooters than in recent years. That balance is key without a dedicated No. 1 scorer to rely on. And all the guards will need to pressure the ball and limit opponents to one-and-done possessions to cover a lack of size in the paint.
CAPITAL
Last season: 0-10, 0-9 5A SIC
Coach: Blas Telleria Jr., first season
Players to watch: Nate Cherry, sr., G; Avery Downey, sr., G; Max Clark, sr., G
Telleria rebuilt Capital’s girls basketball program into a contender. Now he looks to do the same with the Eagles’ boys, who are coming off back-to-back last-place finishes in the 5A SIC.
Three starters return in Cherry (9.2 ppg), Clark (7.1 ppg) and Downey (4.2 ppg), giving Capital talent to work with after averaging just 35.7 points a year ago. Expect growing pains with a new coach. But with an infusion of young talent (three freshmen, two sophomores), the pieces are in place for a late-season run.
This story was originally published December 1, 2021 at 1:08 PM.
