Championship picks: Here’s who will win every Idaho boys basketball state tournament
Championship week is finally here, with 48 Idaho high school boys basketball teams headed to one of six state tournaments in the Treasure Valley.
The state’s district tournaments saw plenty of upsets, sending multiple title contenders home early and replacing them with several Cinderella stories. But will those underdog runs continue at the state tournament, or will the traditional powers assert their dominance?
We looked into the crystal ball and picked the state title favorites, top contenders and dark horses in all six classifications below.
[Related: Scouting reports for every team | State tournament brackets, matchups]
6A BASKETBALL STATE TOURNAMENT
THE FAVORITE: Defending champ Owyhee (20-4) enters as the overwhelming favorite for a third title since opening four years ago. The Storm have won 39 straight games against Idaho opponents, including 16 this season by an average of 20.4 points per game.
The roster remains loaded with at least six college-level players. Senior Boden Rice (18.4 ppg) signed with Rice in November, and junior point guard Logan Haustveit (11.4 ppg, 4.0 assists) owns three Division I offers. Meanwhile, Jayce Allen (Vanguard), Cameron Downie (Northwest) and Jackson Rogers (College of Idaho) have all picked their college destinations. And Heath Sasser-Gunson holds an offer from the College of Southern Idaho.
No one can accuse Owyhee of resting on its laurels. The Storm went out and played the state’s toughest schedule again, creating another battle-tested team. Two of its four losses came to California’s Harvard-Westlake, the No. 2-ranked team in the country, and D.C.’s Gonzaga Prep, the No. 19 team in the country, according to USA Today.
THE CONTENDER: Madison (21-2) brings arguably the state’s top player to his third straight state tournament. Senior point guard Nash Humpherys, a two-time all-state selection, signed with Boise State and runs the highest-scoring offense in the 6A tournament (68.4 ppg). He and the Bobcats fell to the eventual state champs in the semifinals the past two years. But Madison received a favorable draw opposite of Owyhee this week.
THE DARK HORSE: Lake City (19-4) returns four starters from last year’s state consolation champs, including a bona fide scorer in Reese Strawn (18.5 ppg, 5 assists per game), a reigning second-team All-Idaho pick. It suffered a 20-point loss to Owyhee and a 12-point loss to Madison in December. But the Timberwolves are 14-1 since then to earn the No. 2 seed.
5A BASKETBALL STATE TOURNAMENT
THE FAVORITE: The stacked District Five produced another title contender in Preston (22-1), which fields two returning all-state players in Reggie Larnsen (18.2 ppg) and Cruz Harris (17.1 ppg, 3.9 assists), and spent the entire season atop the state media poll. Preston fields 5A’s top offense (64.7 ppg) and defense (43.8 ppg), winning 19 of its 22 games by double digits. Only a one-point overtime loss to 6A state qualifier Timberline disrupted its perfect season.
THE CONTENDER: Hillcrest (18-5) hit the reset button, starting the season with a new coach and without three all-state players. But the Knights return to a familiar position atop the rankings and are looking for a fourth straight trip to the finals. Titan Larsen (17.6 ppg) headlines a new group that has won 12 straight games against 5A competition.
THE DARK HORSE: Middleton (17-7) started the season 1-5 against a loaded schedule. But the Vikings enter the tournament as one of the state’s hottest teams, winning 16 of their last 18 games behind junior guard Tye Cornwall (15.4 ppg) and senior forward Blake Bishop (12.8 ppg, 6.3 rebounds).
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4A BASKETBALL STATE TOURNAMENT
THE FAVORITE: Add Bonners Ferry (21-1) to the list of wire-to-wire No. 1-ranked teams this season. The Badgers have won 38 of their past 39 games, and Montana Tech commit Asher Williams (28.7 ppg) enters as the two-time All-Idaho Player of the Year. He led Bonners Ferry to its first state title last year, and he erupted for 50 points on Jan. 18.
THE CONTENDER: Snake River (23-3) limps into the tournament, needing to win a play-in game after falling twice to Marsh Valley at district. But the Panthers remain the most battle-tested team in the bracket, posting an 8-2 record against the field. Marcus Coombs, a two-time all-state pick, became the program’s all-time leading scorer last month and returns for one last go-round.
THE DARK HORSE: Marsh Valley (13-11) already mounted one Cinderella run, upsetting Snake River twice to win its district tournament. Why not another? The Eagles enter on a four-game winning streak, including three victories over teams ranked in the state media poll.
3A BASKETBALL STATE TOURNAMENT
THE FAVORITE: Declo (23-1) stubbed its toe in the district tournament, dropping its first game of the season. But the Hornets rebounded with three straight wins to secure their trip to state. Declo fields the state’s top defense (39 ppg), owns a 6-1 record vs. the tournament field, and suits up eight members of its state runner-up football team.
THE CONTENDER: Firth (18-5) brings another elite defense (45.7 ppg) to the tournament. That formula won Cougars coach Scott Adams seven titles, tied for the most in Idaho boys basketball history, in his first stint with the team. The X-factor could be sophomore Wyatt Killpack, who averages a double-double of 10.6 points and 10 rebounds.
THE DARK HORSE: Wendell’s (17-6) district tournament featured the No. 1- and No. 2-ranked teams in the state. Yet it was the Trojans who took home the title. Junior guards Jonathan (18.4 ppg) and Jordon Swainston (14.5 ppg, 4 assists) are more than capable of carrying the Trojans on another tournament run.
2A BASKETBALL STATE TOURNAMENT
THE FAVORITE: Valley (22-0) remains Idaho’s only undefeated team, posting an average margin of victory of 33 points per game. The Vikings somehow earned the No. 2 seed in this tournament, but they shouldn’t sweat the rankings. Their draw provides a much clearer path to Valley’s first state title since 2001.
THE CONTENDER: Kamiah (21-2) mounted its own run at a perfect season before dropping two of its last five games. That forced the Kubs into a state play-in game, where they rolled to a 35-point win. Kamiah fields one of the state’s most dangerous weapons in 6-6 senior David Kludt, a reigning first-team all-state pick signed with the College of Idaho.
THE DARK HORSE: Lakeside (15-5) didn’t receive much love from the state media, finishing unranked in the final poll. But the defending state runner-up can light up the scoreboard, averaging an all-class-leading 76.1 points per game. Tyson Charley (23.8 ppg, 8.7 rebounds, 7.7 assists) and Hallah Peone (20.2 ppg) can catch fire and carry the Knights on another run.
1A BASKETBALL STATE TOURNAMENT
THE FAVORITE: Watersprings (20-3) starts as the No. 3 seed but owns arguably the most impressive resume. The Warriors are 2-0 vs. the No. 2 seed, Rockland. They field the state’s second-best defense (39.2 ppg). And they can rely on the state’s most imposing center in 6-10 senior Titus Driver, who is averaging 13.7 points, 12.7 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game.
THE CONTENDER: Defense wins trophies. Rockland (20-3) can always rely on that, creating the state’s toughest defense (35.5 ppg) across all classifications for the second year in a row. The Bulldogs would get another shot at Watersprings in a possible semifinal matchup.
THE DARK HORSE: Dietrich (19-3) made a run to the state football finals behind Connor Perkins. The all-state quarterback will try to do it again on the hardwood. He averages 20.1 points and 4.1 steals at the head of the 1A’s top offense (69.5 ppg), and the Blue Devils earned the favorable draw that comes with the No. 1 seed.
