The Front Row with MARK NELKE March 4, 2012
It was fun to watch some entertaining point guard play at the state 5A boys basketball tournament, which concluded Saturday night at the Idaho Center in Nampa.
We've enjoyed the past four years from the dynamic Marcus Colbert of Post Falls.
Borah sophomore Isaiah Wright and Centennial junior Daryl Robertson were also fun to watch at state this year. Both are aggressive and try to take their man off the dribble, but both can hit the 3.
Robertson scored 23 points vs. Post Falls in the Trojans' 56-55 comeback victory on Thursday in the first round - won by Colbert's end-to-end dash in the closing seconds.
Wright had 15 points in Borah's 49-45 win over Coeur d'Alene in the first round. Last year, his coast-to-coast drive for a basket at the end of regulation against Post Falls in the first round forced overtime, and Borah went on to win in OT.
"Marcus, he's a pretty good point guard for high school," Post Falls coach Mike McLean dryly said, in more than a bit of an understatement. "Centennial's guard (Robertson), and even the Wright kid, he might be a little bit quicker, they might say he's more athletic than Marcus, but what Marcus is is he's so physically strong, that when he gets in there and he gets bumped, it's almost to his advantage. Marcus is a very strong kid. He's got a quick first step, he's strong, and he can finish with both hands. And what separates him from most high school kids - any high school kid that I've seen at this state tournament - is mentally, he's not to be denied."
Mountain View coach Jon Nettleton also had praise for Colbert, after his Mavericks lost to the Trojans in the semifinals Friday night.
"I wouldn't say he's quicker than Daryl or Isaiah in our league, but he's probably one of the best finishers that I've seen in some time," he said. "He plays bigger than he is. That first step is so explosive and as soon as he gets on the other side of your hip, it’s tough for everybody else to recover.”
THANKS TO Post Falls for not letting District 1 teams take the collar at state.
Post Falls notched a thrilling first-round victory, and made it to the state title game for the second time in three seasons, but the other four teams all went two and out — Coeur d’Alene (5A), St. Maries and Kellogg (3A), and Kootenai (1A Division II).
Kootenai came in with a 7-12 record, so you could understand that one.
But Coeur d’Alene was ranked third in the state in 5A, and St. Maries and Kellogg were ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in 3A.
MOST OF Jim Thacker’s more than 500 coaching victories took place in the state of Washington.
But Thacker, who coached Lake City High’s boys for three seasons a few years back, was honored Saturday night for a feat from way back in the early 1970s.
His 1972 Gooding Senators received a “Legends of the Game” award from the Idaho High School Activities Association at halftime of the state 5A boys basketball tournament at the Idaho Center in Nampa.
Gooding went 26-0 in 1971-72, Thacker’s second season there and his second year coaching after college. In the state semifinals Gooding defeated Post Falls 77-47, then beat Marsh Valley 73-50 in the title game.
After that season, Thacker coached two seasons at Omak (Wash.) High, then spent 29 seasons at Walla Walla High, where he went 395-298.
His final coaching stop was at Lake City, where he went 41-29 in three seasons (2005-08). His career record is 534-333.
Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at CdAPressSports.