Take it to the bank. These six basketball teams will win an Idaho state title this week
Forty-eight teams enter the Idaho boys basketball state tournaments this weekend. But only six will leave Nampa’s Ford Idaho Center with a championship trophy.
We broke down the tournament field in all six classifications and made our state title predictions below.
[Related: Scouting reports on all 48 teams | Tournament brackets, scores]
5A STATE TOURNAMENT
THE FAVORITE: Owyhee (21-3) enters as not just the best team in Idaho, but one of the best teams in the West. The Storm are 18-0 against Idaho teams, with an average margin of victory of 29.2 points per game. But the top line of their resume may include those three losses to California teams. Two were at the hands of Salesian, the open division section champ in Northern California, and Roosevelt, the open division section runner-up in Southern California.
A first-round upset last season forced Owyhee to settle for the consolation trophy. But the Storm returned all five starters from that team, including USC signee Liam Campbell (17.3 ppg). Add in Jackson Rasmussen (14.4 ppg, 6.5 rebounds) and transfer Logan Haustveit (8.5 ppg), and Owyhee starts three returning All-Idaho selections.
THE CONTENDER: The MaxPreps rankings didn’t favor Madison (22-2), seeding the Bobcats fourth after they spent all season at No. 2 in the state media poll. They lost to Owyhee by 19 points in December only to win 18 straight since. Madison always has a chance with 5A’s top defense (43.1 ppg) and junior point guard Nash Humpherys (19.7 ppg, 4.6 assists), a second-team all-state selection, at the helm.
THE DARK HORSE: Coeur d’Alene (20-3) returns to state for the first time since 2012 with a resume that includes a 3-1 trip to the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas. Carter Rupp (14.5 ppg) gives the Vikings a dangerous shooter capable of carrying them, and Logan Orchard (10.8 ppg, 6.3 rebounds, 6.2 assists) will give opponents fits all weekend.
4A STATE TOURNAMENT
THE FAVORITE: Hillcrest (17-6) enters as the two-time defending state champ and as the No. 1 team in the media poll the past four weeks. BYU signee and 6-7 power forward Isaac Davis (14.3 ppg, 7.4 rebounds) remains a force with no equal. But Ike Sutton (17.1 ppg, 4.6 assists) has emerged as the leading scorer on 4A’s top offense (71.9 ppg), giving the Knights balance. A stacked nonconference scheduled led to six losses, but the Knights enter on a 13-game winning streak.
THE CONTENDER: Pocatello (19-5) emerged from the loaded Southeast Idaho Conference as its lone state representative and was rewarded with the No. 1 seed. The Thunder and Hillcrest waged epic battles in the past two state finals, but Pocatello went home with a second-place trophy each time. Julian Bowie will look to break that streak in his final performance. The Boise State signee and reigning 4A All-Idaho Player of the Year set the tournament scoring record last year at 29.7 points per game.
THE DARK HORSE: The 4A tournament comes with two overwhelming favorites. But Bishop Kelly (18-5) has the tools to pull an upset. The Knights’ long list of athletes and press defense make them a nightmare to prepare for and a 32-minute bear to endure. Add in Rakeem Johnson, a future Michigan State offensive lineman in the middle, and Bishop Kelly is a dangerous underdog.
3A STATE TOURNAMENT
THE FAVORITE: Snake River (21-2) has dominated all season, winning 16 games by double digits. The state’s wire-to-wire No. 1 team rolls in on an 18-game winning streak thanks to the lethal one-two punch of Luke Higginson (21.4 ppg) and Marcus Coombs (18.6 ppg). And the Panthers are already 10-0 vs. 3A state qualifiers.
THE CONTENDER: Asher Williams powered Bonners Ferry (19-3) to its first state championship game appearance as a sophomore last year. The 6-5 guard and reigning 3A All-Idaho Player of the Year returns with an explosive (76.5 ppg) and battle-tested group around him. The Badgers’ only losses were to larger schools, Coeur d’Alene, Lake City and Spokane’s West Valley.
THE DARK HORSE: McCall-Donnelly (19-1) flew under the radar much of the season. The Vandals reached the state finals two of the past three years, field 3A’s top defense (40.9 ppg) and can rely on one of the classification’s most dynamic scorers in junior guard Sam Penny (19.9 ppg). They enter state on an 18-game winning streak.
2A STATE TOURNAMENT
THE FAVORITE: Cole Valley Christian (23-2) spent the entire season as 2A’s top-ranked team. That includes a vote after an upset loss in the district semifinals. The Chargers and their state-leading defense (42.6 ppg) rewarded that faith by rebounding to win three elimination games to make it to state. Expect a battle-hardened group once the tournament tips off Thursday.
THE CONTENDER: A horrid offensive night cost Ambrose (18-6) a district title in the state’s toughest league. But don’t let that fool you. The Archers field an explosive group, ranking second in 2A with 63.7 points per game. And Ty Hughes (20.1 ppg, 8.1 rebounds) remains a game changer every time he steps on the floor.
THE DARK HORSE: Nampa Christian (15-7) already made one underdog run to the district title. Why not another one? The Trojans haven’t won a game at state since 1997. But they enter the tournament with no fear after knocking off Cole Valley and Ambrose for the district crown.
1A DIVISION I STATE TOURNAMENT
THE FAVORITE: Perennial power Lapwai (22-2) spent the entire season as the unanimous No. 1-ranked team in the classification, and it’s not hard to see why. Utah State signee Kase Wynott became the state’s all-time leading scorer this season and has racked up 16 triple-doubles so far. But the Wildcats field plenty of other weapons as they chase their 13th state title.
THE CONTENDER: Lakeside (15-4) remains the only 1A Division I team to beat Lapwai in the past four years, snapping the Wildcat’s 62-game winning streak in the state finals last year. The defending champs are the only team with enough firepower to keep up with Lapwai, leading all classifications with 81.4 points per game.
THE DARK HORSE: Few know Lapwai better than district rival Potlatch (18-5). The Loggers have dropped three games to the Wildcats this season. But they’ve kept each game relatively close, losing by 12, 13 and 12 points. All that familiarity could pay off in a fourth matchup.
1A DIVISION II STATE TOURNAMENT
THE FAVORITE: Camas County (20-3) hasn’t won it all since 1974, but it returns six seniors who played on the 2022 state runner-up team. That experience led the Mushers to the top offense in the classification (67.5 ppg) and the No. 1 ranking in the state media poll all season. Their resume includes a 7-0 record vs. state qualifiers in both 1A classifications.
THE CONTENDER: All Kendrick (19-4) does these days is win state championships. The defending champs return four starters after hoisting a banner last year. And the roster remains filled with decorated members of Kendrick’s football team, winner of three straight state championships.
THE DARK HORSE: Rockland (19-4) fields the state’s top defense across all classifications (36.7 ppg) and 6-foot-5 center Teague Matthews (15.3 ppg, 10.2 rebounds, 3.4 steals), the two-time 1A Division II All-Idaho Player of the Year. That combination led to a state title in 2022 and a third-place trophy last year.
This story was originally published February 28, 2024 at 3:30 PM.
