2011 Boys basketball state tournament capsules
Borah Lions
Record: 18-5
Head coach: Cary Cada, 17th season
Road to state: Beat Meridian 63-38 in first round of District 3 tournament; beat Timberline 63-45 in semifinals; lost 47-37 to Centennial in championship.
Players to watch: G Jeremy Jones, sr. (35.3 3-point percentage); W Ben Tucakovic, jr. (14.6 ppg, 7.6 rebounds); G Isaiah Wright, fr. (4.6 assists)
Notes: Borah finished the regular season as the top team in the 5A Southern Idaho Conference, but the Lions have been inconsistent at times. Borah beat Centennial by 10 points two weeks before losing by 10 to the Patriots in the district title game. … Senior starter Austin Scott missed the championship game because of an ankle injury, but he is expected to return for the state tournament.
Centennial Patriots
Record: 18-5
Head coach: Tom Aipperspach, 23rd season
Road to state: Beat Rocky Mountain 59-55 in first round of District 3 tournament; beat Mountain View 53-35 in semifinals; beat Borah 47-37 for championship.
Players to watch: G Patrick Manning, sr. (12.0 ppg, 4.3 assists); F Faruk Huskic, sr. (15.3 ppg, 9.7 rebounds); F Nick Saras, sr. (55.6 FG percentage)
Notes: After a rough patch in mid-January, the Patriots are hitting their stride in time for tournament play. Centennial has one of the deepest and most talented benches in the tournament, as 11 of the 12 players on its roster saw time in the district championship game.
Coeur d’Alene Vikings
Record: 15-7
Head coach: Kent Leiss, eighth season
Road to state: Beat Lake City 66-52 in semifinals of District 1-2 tournament; beat Lewiston 67-58 in a championship game postponed three straight days by snow.
Players to watch: G Deon Watson, jr. (16.8 ppg, 8 rebounds), F Chad Chalich, jr. (14 ppg, 7 rebounds), G Jake Matheson, sr. (13.4 ppg).
Notes: How balanced was the 5A Inland Empire League this season? The No. 3 (Coeur d’Alene) and No. 4 (Lewiston) seeds played for the region title. … Coeur d’Alene is making its first trip to state since 2008, when the Vikings lost to Vallivue in the championship game. None of the current Vikings have previous state basketball experience, though Watson, Chalich and Matheson were key members of the Coeur d’Alene football team which last fall won its first state title since 1985.
Eagle Mustangs
Record: 14-10
Head coach: Tom Seifert, sixth season
Road to state: Lost 65-61 to Timberline in first round of District 3 tournament; beat Meridian 67-46 in elimination game; lost 39-37 to Mountain View; beat Vallivue 72-52 in fifth-place game.
Players to watch: F David Gillmore, sr. (17.8 ppg); F Braden Shaw, soph. (7.0 rebounds, 2.3 blocks); G John Van Dyk, sr. (3.6 assist, 73.6 FT percentage)
Notes: Though they enter as the District 3’s fifth seed, the Mustangs have the potential to surprise teams. Eagle has posted wins over all four of the teams above them in the 5A SIC (Borah, Centennial, Timberline and Mountain View). … Senior David Gillmore has been the key to the Mustangs' success. He finished second in the conference during the regular season with an average of 17.8 points per game.
Idaho Falls Tigers
Record: 13-11
Head coach: Darin Monk, eighth year
Road to state: Beat Skyline 70-65 in OT in first round of 5A District 5-6 tournament; beat Highland 62-52 in semifinal; lost to Skyline 65-61 in OT in first championship; beat Skyline 59-48 in second championship.
Players to watch: G Sean McCarthy, jr. (15.9 ppg, 2.9 ast, 89.6 FT percentage); F Derek Despot, sr. (12.3 ppg, 6.9 reb, 76.8 FT percentage); G Daniel Craig, jr. (10.5 ppg, 78.7 FT percentage).
Notes: Idaho Falls is tied with Pocatello and Moscow for the most state titles all-time with 10. But this is the program’s first trip back to state since 2003. It went in 2003 and 2002, going two-and-out both times, and hasn’t won a tournament game since reaching the finals in 1999. … Idaho Falls lost six straight games after the winter break, but have won eight of their last 11 as it moved McCarthy to point guard. … Idaho Falls’ top three players all shoot above 76 percent from the free-throw line.
Mountain View Mavericks
Record: 18-5
Head coach: Jon Nettleton, sixth season
Road to state: Beat Vallivue 65-43 in first round of District 3 tournament; lost 53-35 to Centennial in semifinals; beat Eagle 39-37 (OT) for third place.
Players to watch: G Tyson Percifield, sr. (21.0 ppg, 2.7 assists), G Tanner Percifield, soph. (40.0 3-point percentage), P Brandon Luedtke, jr. (8.1 rebounds, 1.4 blocks)
Notes: Two of the Mavericks' best players - Tyson and Tanner Percifield - happen to be brothers. Senior Tyson led the 5A Southern Idaho Conference in scoring during the regular season with 21.0 points per game, the 11th best scoring average in the 5A SIC since 1983.
Post Falls Trojans (defending champion)
Record: 19-4
Head coach: Mike McLean, fourth season
Road to state: Lost to Lewiston 72-64 in semifinals of District 1-2 tournament; beat Lake City 42-38 in loser-out game; beat Lewiston 59-43 for region’s second berth to state.
Players to watch: G Connor Hill, sr. (21.7 ppg, 6.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.2 steals), PG Marcus Colbert, jr. (16.0 ppg, 5.3 assists, 1.3 steals), P Matt Lickfold, sr. (8.0 ppg, 5.3 rebounds), G Michael Hillman, jr. (5.4 ppg, 8.4 rebounds).
Notes: Hill and Colbert were starters, and Lickfold was a key reserve, last year when Post Falls won its first state title since 1964. ... Hill is being recruited by Washington State and Idaho.
Timberline Wolves
Record: 15-8
Head coach: Josh Downey
Road to state: Beat Eagle 65-61 in first round of District 3 tournament; lost 63-45 to Borah in semifinals; beat Vallivue 48-42 for fourth-place.
Players to watch: G Marcus Graham, sr. (14.6 ppg. 3.4 assists, 1.8 steals), F Jackson Reed, jr. (5.9 rebounds)
Notes: The Wolves' success starts with 6-foot-3 senior guard Marcus Graham, the son of former Boise State men's basketball coach Greg Graham. Head coach Josh Downey is the older brother of junior guard Jarid Downey.
Bishop Kelly Knights
Record: 15-8
Coach: Larry Crump, seventh season
Road to state: Beat Nampa 48-40 in District 3 quarterfinals; beat Kuna 51-46 in semifinals; beat Skyview 66-64 in finals.
Players to watch: W Andy Harrington, sr. (11.9 ppg, 4.9 rebounds); P Austin DeSilvia, sr. (7.8 ppg, 5.6 rebounds).
Notes: The Knights had a rough start to the season after three of their key players were members of the Bishop Kelly football team which won the 4A state championship a week before their first game. ... Bishop Kelly has won nine of its last ten games. It’s lone setback in that span was a 60-33 loss at Skyview. The Knights avenged that loss in the district finals. ... Crump has been to the state tournament in five of his seven seasons as Bishop Kelly coach.
Century Diamondbacks
Record: 13-9
Coach: Cody Shelley
Road to state: Beat Preston twice, 63-60 and 70-69, to win 5th district title.
Players to watch: G Ben Bopp; F Nathan Wall; F Ty Ravsten; G Zachery Cuttlers
Notes: The Diamondbacks have senior leadership and an athletic, strong lineup. However, they do get sloppy at times, so they will have to limit their turnovers at state.
Madison Bobcats
Record: 14-8
Coach: Bill Hawkins, 23rd season
Road to state: beat Rigby 71-63 in District 6 semifinals; beat Shelley 63-54 in district championship.
Players to watch: PG Kyle Blanchard, sr. (12.0 ppg, 4.2 assists); F Ryker Pierce, jr. (13.1 ppg, 6.3 rebounds); C Austin Blair, sr. (7.8 ppg, 6.2 reb).
Notes: Madison has been a model of consistency under Hawkins, reaching the state tournament five straight years and 10 of the last 11 seasons while bouncing between the 4A and 5A classifications. … Madison took some losses early, but peaked at district as usual and took the crown in a tough, six-team High Country Conference. … Madison's game relies on patience and execution, which starts with the heady play of point guard Kyle Blanchard. Ryker Pierce plays bigger than 6-foot-2, giving Madison a matchup advantage with his inside-out game.
Minico Spartans
Record: 22-1
Coach: Mike Graefe, 11th season
Road to state: Beat Canyon Ridge 56-44 in second round of District 4 tournament; beat Jerome 48-31 in semifinals; beat Twin Falls 53-28 for district championship.
Key players: C Kevin Jurgensmeier, sr. (11.7 ppg, 6.8 rebounds, 2.6 blocks); G Casey Christiansen, sr. (10.4 ppg, 3.4 assists); G Kade Miller, sr. (12.2 ppg)
Notes: Minico won its first district championship since 1988, and is making its first state tournament appearance since 1989. … The Spartans enter the state tournament on a 19-game win streak. They’ve done it with defense, with outside shooting, and by jumping on the back of the 6-foot-10 Jurgensmeier, whatever the situation calls for. … The roster is entirely comprised of seniors. … Minico’s only loss was at Class 5A Highland and 17 of its 22 wins came by double digits.
Moscow Bears
Record: 8-13
Coach: Tracy Donaldson
Road to State: Beat Sandpoint 47-38 in District 1-2 first round; beat Sandpoint 55-37 in championship.
Key players: Lane Brooks, Roby Jung, Max Langfield.
Notes: As always, Moscow's overall record is deceptive. The Bears play in the Inland Empire League alongside the likes of 5A squads like Post Falls, Coeur d'Alene and Lewiston. … After losing a core group of seniors that helped Moscow charge to last season's state title game, Moscow coach Tracy Donaldson has gotten a lot out of a little in the experience department this go round.
Rigby Trojans
Record: 16-10
Coach: Justin Jones, third season
Road to state: Beat Blackfoot 65-45 in District 6 quarterfinal; lost to Madison 71-63 in semifinal; beat Bonneville 84-77 in loser-out game; beat Hillcrest 79-58 in loser-out game; beat Shelley 79-58 in second-place game; beat Middleton 64-57 in state play-in.
Players to watch: F Dylan Jones, jr.; G Kamen McCullough, jr.; G Nate Clark, sr.
Notes: Rigby is back to state for the second straight year after a nine-year drought. … With five players 6-3 or taller, Rigby can hold its own against big teams. … Rigby's success is built on the inside-out tandem of junior forward Dylan Jones, who scored 36 in the district’s second-place against Shelley, and guard Kamen McCullough, a deadly shooter and one-on-one playmaker.
Skyview Hawks
Record: 19-4
Coach: Aaron Sanders, second season
Road to state: Beat Emmett 76-32 in District 3 quarterfinals; beat Middleton 68-45 in semifinals; lost to Bishop Kelly 51-46 in finals
Players to watch: PG Kyle Dranginis, sr. (24.0 ppg, 9.0 rebounds, 4.8 assists); F Matt Rudder, sr. (10.7 ppg, 7.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists); F Andrew Timmons, sr. (7.9 ppg, 4.7 rebounds)
Notes: Kyle Dranginis, who has signed with Gonzaga, set a school record with 54 points in the opening game of the season. But the Hawks are hardly a one-man show. In addition to Rudder and Timmons, Daniel Slemmer (7.3 ppg) and Mike Iordanescu (6.0 ppg) can put up points for the Hawks ... Skyview has shot 46.2 percent from the field as a team this season. Timmons leads the team with 60.7 percent (82-of-135) of his shots falling this season. ... Dranginis is the only player currently on the Hawks roster who also was on the roster two years ago when Skyview won the 4A championship.
Twin Falls Bruins (defending champion)
Record: 18-7
Coach: Matt Harr, ninth season
Road to state: Beat Wood River 62-33 in first round District 4 tournament first round; lost to Jerome 57-48 in second round; beat Canyon Ridge 63-49 in elimination game; beat Jerome 53-50 to qualify for state; lost to Minico 53-38 for district championship.
Key players: G Eric Harr, jr.; G Robert Sanchez, jr.
Notes: This isn’t the same Bruin team that breezed to the 4A title a season ago. With the tallest player on the team at 6-foot-3, they rely heavily on 3-point shooting and transition play. … Sanchez has emerged as a solid ‘B’ option for Twin Falls, but this team will go as far as Harr can lead it.
Fruitland Grizzlies
Record: 16-6
Head coach: Mike Fitch, 12th season
Road to state: Beat Payette 74-65 in District 3 semifinals; beat Weiser 65-61 (OT) for championship.
Players to watch: F Jake Crim, sr. (14 ppg, 6 rebounds), G Travis Holt, sr. (14 ppg), F Joey Martarano, soph. (8 rebounds).
Notes: The Grizzlies hope to translate their success on the football field -- where they won a state championship in November — to the basketball court. Nine of the 12 players on Fruitland's roster also played on the football team. … This is the ninth consecutive trip to state for the Grizzlies, who last won a state title in basketball in 2008.
Kimberly Bulldogs
Record: 17-5
Coach: Marvin Mumm, third season
Road to state: Lost to Filer 54-36 in first round of District 4 tournament; beat Filer 56-45 in elimination game; beat Buhl 69-60 and 52-46 to win district championship.
Key players: G Brian Crane, sr.; G/F Derek Maloney, sr.
Notes: Some teams just boast about being 12 deep. Kimberly actually is. Crane and Maloney carry the bulk of the scoring weight for the Bulldogs, but any number of players can come off the bench and contribute with little drop-off. … Kimberly won three straight elimination games to reach the state tournament. … Two of the Bulldogs’ five losses came to Class 4A Jerome.
Marsh Valley Eagles
Record: 10-10
Coach: Jason Brower
Road to state: Beat Snake River 53-45 in opening round of district tournament; beat Bear Lake 56-48 in district championship.
Players to watch: Tanner Hunsaker, Kelby Benson
Notes: Marsh Valley’s run in the district tournament was nothing short of amazing. After pulling off two upsets in a row, Brower has his Eagles playing at a very high level. If they can keep those emotions flowing and continue to rely on Hunsaker and Benson, Marsh Valley could brew another upset in its opening round game.
Priest River Spartans (defending champions)
Record: 17-5
Head coach: Ryan Bodecker, fourth season
Road to state: Beat Bonners Ferry 67-64 (OT) in semifinals of District 1 tournament, beat St. Maries 52-34 in championship game.
Players to watch: G Max Salesky, sr. (18 ppg), G Eric Holbrook (12 ppg, 7 assists, 2 steals), F Mikey Bach, sr. (6.5 rebounds).
Notes: Salesky and Holbrook were key members of last year’s squad, which won the first state title in school history. “At state you have to be playing well and get a little lucky, so, for now, we’re just focusing on Fruitland and will try to tackle anything after that,” Bodecker said. “We play a different style (this year); a little more up and down. We’re smaller, but we’re faster.”
Snake River Panthers
Record: 17-5
Head coach: Bob Coombs, 18th year
Road to state: Lost to Marsh Valley 53-45 in first round of District 5 tournament; beat American Falls 57-38; beat Bear Lake 55-31; beat Salmon 58-54 in state play-in game.
Players to watch: G Candon Watt, sr; F Jacoby Johnson, soph; G Keegan Keller, sr.
Notes: Snake River head coach Bob Coombs has notched 301 career victories in his 18 seasons at Snake River. The Panthers have made the state tournament in 7 of the past 9 seasons, winning the state title in 2002 and 2005. … Bear Lake swept Snake River handily in the regular season by 20-plus points. But the Panthers rebounded in the district tournament for a 22-point win to advance to the state play-in game. … Snake River senior Candon Watt holds the school single-game scoring record and is nicknamed "Junior Jimmer" by the Snake River student body.
St. Maries Lumberjacks
Record: 18-5
Head coach: Craig Wicks, first season
Road to state: Beat Kellogg 59-41 in semifinals of District 1 tournament; lost to Priest River 52-34 in championship game; beat Kellogg 64-61 (OT) for district’s second berth to state.
Players to watch: G Zach Lehman, sr. (11 ppg), G Jake Mercer, sr. (10.8 ppg), P Ian Heath, sr. (7 rebounds).
Notes: It’s the third straight trip to state for the Lumberjacks, who brought home the consolation championship two years ago, then went two and out last year. It’s Wicks’ first season leading St. Maries to state as a head coach, though he was an assistant when the Lumberjacks went to state in 1998 and ’99.
Sugar-Salem Diggers
Record: 16-7
Head coach: Jay Miller, fourth season
Road to state: Beat South Fremont 56-50 in first round of District 6 tournament; beat Salmon 63-54 in semis; beat Salmon 59-54 in title game.
Players to watch: C Colt Davidson, sr.; G Chasen Marler, sr.; G Bo Briggs, sr.
Notes: Sugar-Salem won the third-place trophy in 2009, but hasn’t been to state since then. ... The Diggers topped Salmon twice in the district tournament after losing to Salmon twice during the regular season. … Sugar-Salem plays a deep bench with all 13 players seeing time during the regular season.
Weiser Wolverines
Record: 19-4
Head coach: Neil Stutzman
Road to state: Beat Parma 60-37 in District 3 semifinals; lost 65-61 (OT) to Fruitland in district championship; beat Payette 59-42 in second-place game.
Players to watch: P Drew McKie, jr. (14 ppg, 6 rebounds, 3.5 bpg), G Austin Winegar, sr. (22 ppg, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals), Issac Zanelli, jr. (5.5 ppg, 3.0 assists)
Notes: Weiser finished the regular season as the top-ranked team in the state media poll, and 3A SRV foe Fruitland was close behind in third. … There are only three seniors on the Wolverines' roster - Nyles Sterling, Spencer Chandler and Austin Winegar. Winegar scored a game-high 35 points in the district championship game.
Firth Cougars (defending champion)
Record: 19-4
Head coach: Scott Adams, seventh season
Road to state: Beat West Jefferson 88-42 in first round of District 6 tournament; beat Butte County 69-43 in semifinal; beat Butte County 56-29 in final.
Players to watch: F Kory Andersen, sr. (13.7 ppg, 8.7 reb, 2.9 ast, 4.0 stl); PG Mitch Orme, soph. (12.2 ppg, 2.6 ast, 3.7 stl); F Jacob Fielding, jr. (8.6 ppg).
Notes: After winning the past four 2A state titles, Firth is looking for a first in state history – a five-peat. No boys or girls team in Idaho history has ever won five straight state titles. … Firth had won 53 straight Nuclear Conference games until it lost 38-37 at Butte County on Feb. 2. Since then, it has won five straight games, including two against Butte County, by an average margin of 30.6 points per game. … Including that Butte County loss, Firth has won 12 of its last 13 games. On its way to winning the previous four titles, it has closed the season on 16-, 18-, 15- and 17-game winning streaks, respectively. … On average, Firth is outscoring opponents 59.0 to 40.8 this season.
Kamiah Kubs
Record: 22-1
Head coach: Ryan Ball, 11th year
Road to state: Beat Orofino 77-44 in the first round of the District 2 tournament; beat Grangeville 62-43 in the title game.
Players to watch: G Jack Nygaard (19 ppg, 5 assists), jr.; F Eric Hill, soph,; F Kevin Hill, soph.
Notes: When Kamiah entered the state tournament a year ago, it was an under-the-radar club that was a jumper away from beating Firth in the title game. Now the top-ranked Kubs, who rely on the efforts Nygaard and the team's overall athleticism, enters the fray with the proverbial target on their back. … Kamiah has just one senior, Tucker Harding, who is one of four starters back from last year’s second-place team. … Crafty junior guard Jack Nygaard is perhaps the finest guard in the classification. Kamiah -- which has just one senior -- is led inside by sophomores Eric and Kevin Hill. Lone upper classman Tucker Harding is also one of four starters back from a year ago.
McCall-Donnelly
Record: 16-9
Coach: Tim Thomas, second year
Road to state: Beat Nampa Christian 52-39 District III in first round; Lost to New Plymouth 66-52 in semifinals; Beat Marsing 60-47 in elimination game; Beat Cole Valley 57-51 in third-place game; beat Grangeville 40-28 in play-in game
Key Players: G Clint Thomas jr.; P Matt Rickert sr.; G Kyle Whalen sr.
Team Breakdown: By beating the Bulldogs in the state play-in game, McCall-Donnelly advanced to the state tournament for the first time in 22 years. … The Vandals, who were 4-17 two years ago, are in the first year of playing at the 2A level after moving down from 3A. … McCall-Donnelly handed Kamiah its only loss of the season.
Melba Mustangs
Record: 15-6
Coach: Bob Lenz, 13th season
Road to state: Beat Cole Valley in District 3 semifinals; lost to New Plymouth 49-33 in finals.
Players to watch: F Joey Nebeker, jr. (20.0 ppg, 5.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists); F Mark Beus, sr. (10.0 ppg, 5.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists); Taylor Leavitt (7.4 ppg)
Notes: Nebeker, who is a three year starter, has verbally committed to Boise State’s 2012 recruiting class. ... This is the third straight season the Mustangs have made it to the state tournament. In each of the past two years, Melba has won the 2A consolation championship.
New Plymouth Pilgrims
Record: 17-5
Coach: Mark Van Weerdhuizen, 3rd year
Road to state: Beat McCall-Donnelly 66-52 in District 3 semifinals; beat Melba 49-33 in finals.
Players to watch: G Carson White, jr. (12 ppg, 6 rebounds, 4 asssists); P Matt York, sr. (7 ppg, 7 rebounds); P Alex Bennett, sr. (9 ppg, 4 rebounds)
Notes: New Plymouth, which is in the playoffs for the second year in a row, went 11-1 in league play and enters state on a five-game winning streak. ... The Pilgrims have spread the ball around with eight players recording at least 13 points in a game at some point this season. “We don’t have any big scorers, but we have a bunch of guys who average 5 to 9,” Van Weerdhuizen said.
Soda Springs Cardinals
Record: 18-3
Coach: Greg Bergholm
Road to state: Beat Malad 60-52 in first round of district tournament; beat West Side 60-53 in double overtime; beat 60-57 West Side for championship.
Players to watch: F James Frankos, C Kaden Smith,
Notes: Soda Springs used its strong leadership from Bergholm and from its seniors on the court to win three straight district tournament games, including two wins over West Side. … Frankos has been on fire for the Cardinals and there is no reason to expect that to change. … As long as they stay focused and play their game, the Cardinals should find themselves in the semifinals, looking for a spot in the championship game.
Valley Vikings
Record: 15-8
Coach: Steve Hunter, third season
Road to state: Beat Declo 49-46 in first round of District 4 5ournament; lost to Wendell 44-41 in semifinals; beat Declo 49-48 in elimination game; beat Wendell 55-54 and 55-49 (OT) to win district championship.
Key players: F Justin Johnson, soph. (12 ppg, 5.8 rebounds); F Austin Shawver, jr. (11.2 ppg, 6 rebounds); F John Cauhorn (9.8 ppg, 4.8 rebounds); G Matt Ivey, sr. (7.2 ppg, 4.2 rebounds, 3 assists)
Notes: This is the Vikings’ first trip to state since 2003. They last won the championship in 2001. … Valley completed a remarkable turnaround to reach state after posting a 2-20 record last season. … The Vikings’ five district tournament games were settled by an average of 2.8 points. … Valley has played 14 single-digit games this season.
West Side Pirates
Record: 17-6
Coach: Tyler Brown
Road to state: Beat Aberdeen 72-48 in first round of district tournament; lost to Soda Springs 60-53 (2 OT); beat Malad 76-52; lost to Soda Springs 60-57 in championship game; beat Wendell in elimination game; beat Butte County 60-43 in play-in game.
Players to watch: F JD Cook, F Dallas Turnbow
Notes: West Side earned its fifth consecutive state tournament bid the hard way, winning two consecutive loser-out contests against Wendell and Butte County. … Brown has his team playing well and JD Cook is terrorizing opponents on the offensive end. … The Pirates face a tough opponent in Kamiah, which was last year’s runner-up in the state tournament. As long as West Side can keep playing solid defense, it has a chance to advance.
1A Division I
Cascade Ramblers
Record: 18-5
Coach: Conor Kennedy
Road to state: Beat Liberty Charter 56-39 in District 3 quarterfinals; beat Greenleaf 47-33 in semifinals; beat Wilder 40-39 (OT) in finals.
Players to watch: Jacob Schimpf (13 ppg, 9.3 rebounds); Zach Walter (11.7 ppg, 7.5 rebounds); Joey Kennedy (10 ppg, 5 rebounds, 2.7 assists).
Notes: Cascade is in the state tournament for the 24th time in the past 26 seasons. ... The Ramblers went undefeated in conference play this year, finishing 12-0 in the Long Pin league.
Clearwater Valley Rams
Record: 18-7
Head coach: Adam Uptmor
Road to state: Beat Lapwai 53-50 in District 2 tournament quarterfinals; lost to Prairie 58-55 in the semifinal; beat Troy 51-49 in loser-out game; beat Lapwai 78-76 in loser-out game; beat Lakeside 64-55 in state play-in game.
Players to watch: G/F Eugene HeavyRunner, sr.; G Shane Owens; F Jake Squires.
Notes: Uber-athletic Clearwater Valley returns to the state tournament for the first time since 1965. HeavyRunner has been the backbone of his club, which has won a number of tight games. It has also won 13 of its last 14. … Do-everything senior Eugene HeavyRunner, a 6-foot-2 guard-forward, averaged 24 points a game in the district tournament. … The run-and-gun Rams are especially potent with shooting guard Shane Owens and forward Jake Squires, who both average double figures in scoring, in the mix.
Genesee Bulldogs
Record: 17-6
Head coach: Jeff Boyd
Road to state: Beat Kendrick 48-33 in District 2 tournament opener; beat Potlatch 48-37; lost to Prairie 44-31 in championship.
Players to watch: G Sam Druffel, jr.; P Allan Berry, sr.
Notes: The defensive-laden Bulldogs won't wow many clubs with what they do on the offensive end of the floor, but Genesee is about as staunch of a defensive unit in Idaho at any classification. The 2009 state champions were the No. 1 seed in the district tournament ahead of Prairie. … Druffel, a sure-handed junior, was arguably the best guard in the Whitepine League and bullish senior post Allan Berry only helps the Bulldogs stretch out defenses. The two provide a 1-2 punch for a team that doesn't put up a lot of points.
Grace Grizzlies
Record: 17-7
Coach: Rory Lloyd
Road to state: Beat Glenns Ferry 70-44 in first round of District 5-6 tournament; beat Hagerman 56-47 in semis; lost to Shoshone in championship 38-35; beat Glenns Ferry 50-41 for second place.
Notes: Grace qualified for state thanks to great play from on-the-court leaders Jensen and Brady. The Grizzlies bring that leadership and momentum into their opening round.
Notus Pirates
Record: 21-2
Coach: Tony Haddock, 3rd season
Road to state: Beat Idaho City 63-23 in District 3 quarterfinals; lost to Wilder 43-32 in semifinals; beat Greenleaf 41-39 in third-place game
Players to watch: P Hayden Clason, jr. (13 ppg, 8 reb); P Domenic Valerio, sr. (12 ppg, 8 reb); PG Andrew Pritchard, sr. (9.5 ppg).
Notes: This is the first state tournament appearance for the Pirates since 2007. ... Valerio set the school’s single-season rebounding record as a junior and Pritchard is three assists away from the single-season school record. ... In addition to their three leading scorers, Vicente Luna has averaged 7.5 points per game and Michael Barragan averaged 11.7 points in the Pirates’ three district tournament games.
Prairie Pirates (defending champion)
Record: 18-5
Head coach: Teel Bruner, fourth season
Road to state: Beat Deary 50-30 in District 2 tournament quarterfinals; beat Clearwater Valley 58-55 in semis; beat Genesee 41-33 in championship.
Players to watch: W Devin Schmidt, sr.; G Beau Schlader, sr.
Notes: The top-ranked Pirates, who were the No. 2 seed at districts, have grown exponentially throughout the year after starting out thin in letter winners. Prairie doesn't have the gunners it's had in the past, but it has serviceable players around Schmidt -- the only one with state tournament experience. … Senior swingman Devin Schmidt is the lone starter from last year's state title team and has paced the Pirates in scoring all season. Senior guard Beau Schlader has also emerged for Prairie, where he is the primary outside threat.
Shoshone Indians
Record: 19-4
Coach: Larry Messick, 36th season
Road to state: Beat Hansen 70-43 in first round of District 4-5-6 tournament; beat Oakley 56-44 in semifinals; beat Grace 38-35 for district championship.
Key players: G Skye Axelson, sr.; F Thomas Lanham, sr.
Notes: With back-to-back appearances, Shoshone is making only its second trip to state since 2002. The Indians finished third in 2010. … Skye Axelson is the team’s go-to scorer. … In his 36th season, there isn’t much Messick hasn’t seen. His son, Joe, who is the head coach at Jerome starred on the 1989 championship team.
Wilder Wildcats
Record: 18-3
Coach: Jon Conner, fifth year
Road to state: Beat Horseshoe Bend 69-43 in District 3 quarterfinals; beat Notus 43-32 in semifinals; lost to Cascade 40-39 (OT) in finals.
Players to watch: Gabino Silva, sr. (12.5 ppg, 5 assists); Antonio Rocha, jr. (11.5 ppg, 9.5 rebounds); Cody Conner (12 ppg, 7.5 rebounds)
Notes: Two of the Wildcats seniors, Silva and Bernardo Arias, have been with the program for four years, and helped Wilder earn a state tournament appearance two years ago. ... Cody Conner, the coach’s son, is in his first full year with Wilder after transferring from Payette. ... Sophomore Miguel Gonzalez (9 ppg, 6 rebounds) may miss the state tournament due to an injury.
1A Division II
Carey Panthers
Record: 21-2
Coach: Dick Simpson, ninth season
Road to state: Beat Community School 71-19 in first round of District 4 tournament; beat Murtaugh 33-31 in semifinals; beat Castleford 57-56 for district championship.
Key players: G Blair Peck, sr.; F Baley Barg, jr.
Notes: Runners-up last season and consolation winners in 2009, Carey is no stranger to the state tournament. The Panthers trailed the entire game against Castleford before gutting out the victory in the final minute to win the district championship. … Peck is an accurate shooter from the 3-point line and Barg is a serviceable forward.
Castleford Wolves
Record: 18-2
Coach: Tracy Vulgamore, first season
Road to state: Beat Richfield 49-36 in first round of District 4 tournament; beat Dietrich 61-35 in semifinals; lost to Carey 57-56 for championship; beat Murtaugh 53-38 in second-place game.
Key players: F Tyler Hansen, sr.; F Kale Weekes, sr.
Notes: Moved down a division in 2010-11 after finishing second last season. They last won the championship in 2003. … Suffered a devastating loss to Carey in the district championship game after leading the entire game. Also lost to Carey in football semifinals. … Led by Hansen and Weekes, the Wolves are a senior-laden team that relies on the 6-3 Hansen in the paint.
Kootenai Warriors
Record: 6-11
Head coach: Andrew Whipple, fourth season
Road to state: Beat Mullan 47-23 in championship game of District 1 tournament.
Players to watch: G Jake Zarpentine, sr., G Hayden Kraack, sr.
Notes: Kootenai went 0-2 at state last year. Ten of Kootenai’s 11 losses came to schools in larger classifications — four to 3A schools, one to 2A squads and five to 1A Division 1 teams.
Meadows Valley Mountaineers
Record: 10-10
Head coach: Dick Yoakum, third season
Road to state: Beat Garden Valley 60-50 in District 3 play-in game; lost 72-59 to Tri-Valley in semifinals; beat Council 65-45 in loser-out game; beat Tri-Valley 77-56 in second-place game.
Players to watch: W Justin Swift, sr., PG Bryan Dixon, sr., F Tyler Bentz, sr.
Notes: Coach Dick Yoakum says his team is on the smaller side, so the Mountaineers often rely on their speed and aggressive defense to get past opponents. Justin Swift is the Mountaineers' tallest player at 6-foot-3, and the senior was key in his team's do-or-die victory against Tri-Valley last Saturday, scoring 27 points.
Murtaugh Red Devils
Record: 13-9
Coach: Adam Johnson, fourth season
Road to state: Beat Camas County 80-48 in first round of District 4 tournament; lost to Carey 33-31 in semifinals; beat Dietrich 53-52 in elimination game; lost to Castleford 53-38 for second place; beat Sho-Ban 46-36 in state play-in game.
Key players: G/F Humberto Pacheco, jr. (20 ppg); F Austin Stanger, jr. (11 ppg)
Notes: Pacheco single-handedly kept Murtaugh in the state tournament race, scoring 29 in an elimination game against Dietrich and 30 against Sho-Ban in the play-in game. … Murtaugh has precious little depth but starts four players that played on last year’s third-place state tournament team.
Nezperce Indians (defending champion)
Coach: Dave Baldus, 11th year
Record: 14-8
Road to state: Defeated Summit Academy 74-28 in first round of District 2 tournament; beat Timberline 49-33 for championship.
Players to watch: Christopher Riggers, Sawyer Wahl, Morgan Mizer
Notes: Nezperce is 11-3 in the state tournament in the four seasons it's qualified under Baldus. The team has placed first, second, third and fourth in those appearances. … All eight of Nezperce's losses are against state-qualifying teams in the 2A and 1A Division I brackets. … Christopher Riggers, Sawyer Wahl and Morgan Mizer all return from last year's title team. Riggers has been averaging about 12 points per game while Wahl has been averaging 11 points
Rockland Bulldogs
Record: 16-2
Coach: Dan Ralphs
Road to state: Beat Mackay 43-34 in semifinals of District 4-5-6 tournament; beat Sho-Ban 64-54 for championship.
Players to watch: Ty Colton, Matt Nelson, Tyrell Turley
Notes: Rockland has a senior-dominated lineup with athletes who have had success in both football and basketball. Their experience includes a very balanced scoring attack and some bruisers on the front line.
Salmon River Savages
Record: 16-6
Head coach: Charlie Shepherd
Road to state: Beat Council 44-35 in District 3 semifinals; beat Tri-Valley in district championship.
Players to watch: Jacob Manley, sr.; Ethan Couie, jr.; Charlie Shepherd, soph.
Notes: This will be Salmon River’s second consecutive trip to the state tournament. It went two-and-out at state a year ago. … Many of the players on the Savages' roster helped lead the football team to the state semifinals in November.