Mark it down. These six teams will win an Idaho boys basketball state title this week
The winter high school sports season concludes with a bang this weekend.
The boys basketball state tournaments tip off Thursday, with the champions earning their crowns Saturday at the Ford Idaho Center.
We looked into the crystal ball, and these are the teams to beat in all six classifications.
5A STATE TOURNAMENT
THE FAVORITE: Lake City (23-0) brought a sparkling record and the No. 1 seed into last year’s tournament, only to get upset in the first round. But the Timberwolves enter as the overwhelming favorite again, and it’s not hard to see why.
Virginia signee Blake Buchanan remains one of Idaho’s most sought-after recruits in years. Point guard Kolton Mitchell is already the program’s all-time scoring leader and will suit up at Idaho State next year. And Lake City sports an average margin of victory of 30.6 points, including a 20-point rout of No. 2 Owyhee in December.
THE CONTENDER: Normally a defending state champ that lost one player would automatically qualify as the favorite. But Owyhee (19-5) enters looking up at Lake City thanks to that 20-point loss.
The Storm have a pair of their own Division I prospects in Liam Campbell and Jackson Rasmussen. They’ve played their own murderer’s row of a schedule, including the No. 1 team in the country. And they showcased a lethally efficient brand of basketball at district.
So don’t count the champs out yet.
THE DARK HORSE: Call Madison (18-6) the giant slayers. The Bobcats enter state on a 15-game winning streak. And that streak includes ending Hillcrest’s 13-game winning streak and Pocatello’s 17-game winning streak.
Should the seeds hold up, Madison would get a chance to end Lake City’s 24-game winning streak in the semifinals.
4A STATE TOURNAMENT
THE FAVORITE: Reigning state champ Hillcrest (22-1) looks like a juggernaut again. And it all starts with Isaac Davis, a force Idaho has not seen in a long time, if ever.
The reigning 4A All-Idaho Player of the Year remains a monster in the paint with his combination of size and athleticism. He commands a full game plan just to slow him down. But the Knights have plenty of weapons around them, evidenced by their 4A-leading 73 points per game.
THE CONTENDER: Pocatello (23-2) fell to Hillcrest in last year’s championship game. Now the two are on a collision course for another matchup at the Idaho Center. Boise State commit Julian Bowie remains the star attraction. But 6-10 transfer Gage Ontiveros also gives the Thunder a threat in the post and a big body to match up with Davis.
THE DARK HORSE: Blackfoot (15-8) may be 0-3 against Hillcrest, but it has pushed the Knights like few teams have, coming within five points of the upset earlier this year. Montana State football signee Javonte King (19.2 ppg, 8.1 rebounds) gives the Broncos a true game-changer, one who could put the team on his back for an upset.
3A STATE TOURNAMENT
THE FAVORITE: Perennial power Sugar-Salem (20-3) hasn’t made much noise the past two years. Expect that to change this weekend.
The Diggers enter state on an 11-game winning streak. And that comes after playing 3A’s toughest schedule, where it went 8-0 against state tournament qualifiers.
THE CONTENDER: Bonners Ferry (21-1) has never won a state title or played in a championship game. But the Badgers drew the No. 1 seed thanks to the classification’s best offense (71.9 ppg) and their record honed against out-of-state competition. After a young roster got its first exposure at state last year, look for the Badgers to make a run as that group returns almost entirely intact.
THE DARK HORSE: Snake River (17-6) returns to state for the 17th time in the past 18 years. And the Panthers have captured 11 trophies during that run, so never count them out. Defense remains Snake River’s calling card under Robert Coombs, who is in his 30th season as coach. Snake River hasn’t allowed 60 or more points since Jan. 4.
2A STATE TOURNAMENT
THE FAVORITE: There must be something in the water in Melba. Because after the Mustangs’ girls basketball team capped an undefeated season two weeks ago, the boys team (23-0) enters with the chance to do the same.
Four players average 9 or more points per game, and the Mustangs average 10.3 more rebounds per game than opponents. Only three wins have come by single digits.
THE CONTENDER: Bear Lake (22-2) hasn’t won a first-round game since 2018, but the Bears enter on a 13-game winning streak and feature 2A’s top defense, a key ingredient to breaking that streak and challenging Melba.
THE DARK HORSE: Cole Valley Christian (19-5) is 0-3 against Melba. But no one has given Melba a tougher challenge than the Chargers’ four-point loss in the district championship last week. And no one knows the Mustangs better, setting the stage for a possible Saturday upset.
1A DIVISION I STATE TOURNAMENT
THE FAVORITE: Do yourself a favor and find a way to see Lapwai (24-0).
The two-time defending state champs are riding a 60-game winning streak. They’ve topped 100 points four times this season, leading all of Idaho with 82.4 points per game. And Kase Wynott, who holds four Big Sky offers, is averaging a jaw-dropping 35 points and 14 rebounds per game.
The Wildcats are more than worth the price of admission.
THE CONTENDER: Grace (20-4) had to win a play-in game to make it to state due to its home in a three-team conference. But don’t let that fool you. The No. 2 seed honed itself against 4A, 2A and out-of-state competition. The Grizzlies have won 13 of their last 14 games, with the lone loss coming to Blackfoot, the No. 3 seed in 4A.
THE DARK HORSE: Lakeside (15-3) lost by 13 points to Lapwai in January. Normally, that wouldn’t be much to brag about. But that’s the closest a 1A team has gotten to the Wildcats all year. With an elite scorer, Vander Brown (23.8 ppg), the Knights could get another shot on Saturday at the Idaho Center.
1A DIVISION II STATE TOURNAMENT
THE FAVORITE: Defending champ Rockland (21-2) looks to use the same formula to capture its second state title. The Bulldogs once again own the best defense across all classifications (29.7 ppg). And reigning All-Idaho Player of the Year Teague Matthews returns alongside first-team All-Idaho pick Brigham Permann to hunt for more hardware.
THE CONTENDER: Kendrick (17-3) hasn’t won a state title since 1985. But the Tigers have yet to lose to a 1A Division II opponent. And they’ve scored some impressive wins over 2A and 1A Division I teams.
THE DARK HORSE: Richfield (21-4) provides the largest difference between the media and MaxPreps rankings. MaxPreps made them the top seed, while the final media poll placed them at No. 5. But the Tigers enter state battle-tested, winning two elimination games in overtime to make it to state.
This story was originally published March 1, 2023 at 1:38 PM.
