The Front Row with MARK NELKE Feb. 28, 2013

Aside from that real thick bacon, there is something therapeutic about a trip to southern Idaho this time of year.

You get a glimpse of what spring might be like, if it ever reaches North Idaho - snow's almost gone, temperatures rising, people out enjoying the warmer weather.

(Of course, you get home a few days later and you realize the snow is still here, winter is far from leaving, and the next month or two might be kinda wet and miserable. But forget that thought for a moment.)

For the teams headed down south for the state high school boys basketball tournaments, which begin today, there's also that glimpse of optimism - with eight-man brackets, a team can be one favorable matchup from a semifinal, and one solid effort from playing under the bright lights of the Idaho Center in Nampa in the state title game.

It would be a stretch to think all four District 1 teams - Lake City, Post Falls, Timberlake and Kootenai - will play for state championships. I don't think anyone's predicting an all-North Idaho title game in 5A, like they did with the girls.

THOUGH NONE of the Timberwolf players have played at state, Lake City has the makeup to play for a state title - a good decision maker at the point (junior Justin Pratt), a couple of active big men (junior Kyle Guice and senior Riley Moreen), and a couple of 3-point shooters (Drew Hocking and J.J. Winger).

Lake City, despite winning the Region 1 title, drew a tougher first-round foe (District 3 runner-up Rocky Mountain of Meridian) than did Post Falls, which snuck in through the play-in route (District 3 third-place team Mountain View of Meridian).

Rocky is the only team to beat Borah of Boise, the defending champion, this season. That snapped the Lions' 40-game winning streak. Rocky is coached by Dane Roy, son of legendary girls coach Emery Roy, who now also coaches at Rocky. Junior guard E.J. Boyce, the Grizzlies' leading scorer (11 ppg), sank seven 3-pointers in the district semifinals.

A Lake City win would probably mean a matchup with Highland of Pocatello in the semifinals.

You've got to love the heart Post Falls has played with all year long. The Trojans struggle to make baskets, but that doesn't keep them from flying around on defense, and attacking the glass. And who doesn't like to see springy-legged Tim Mueller, ahead of the pack on a breakaway, throwing down a two-handed rim-rattler?

(Remember, this is North Idaho - we get excited about dunks. It's not like they happen every day.)

Post Falls should have absolutely zero pressure on it this tourney, which will make the Trojans a tough out. Mountain View, which won the state title in 2011, returns four starters from last year, including senior guard and leading scorer Tanner Percifield (14 ppg). The Mavericks lost to the Trojans last year in the semis.

Actually, the best matchup of the first round is the game before Post Falls-Mountain View — Borah vs. Madison of Rexburg. Madison has many of those tall kids that played on the football team that beat Coeur d’Alene for the state title last fall. And, sorry to go all Dick Vitale on you, but Madison’s Bill Hawkins can flat-out coach. He has guided the Bobcats to five state titles since 1997. It will be interesting to see what game plan he cooks up to defend standout Borah point guard Isaiah Wright (16 ppg, 6.9 assists), a first-team all-Idaho selection last year, and the rest of the Lions.

IT’LL ALSO be interesting to see how Timberlake handles its first trip to state. The Tigers’ first-round foe (Fruitland) is missing two of its best players in Alec Dhaenens and Joe Martarano, both Boise State signees. But Fruitland is Fruitland — the Grizzlies just plug in the next guy from a seemingly endless stable. This year, their leading scorer is senior guard Bryce Nattress (18 ppg).

Timberlake and Fruitland have waged plenty of battles on the football field in recent years, with Fruitland getting the best of it on most occasions, including last fall in the state semifinals. Here’s a chance for the Tigers to exact a little revenge on the hardwood — and advance to the semifinals at the expense of the two-time defending champions.

Kootenai has gone two and out at state each of the last three years. This year, the Warriors draw a Carey team which has played in the state title game each of the last three years, including winning the program’s only title in 2011.

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached by phone at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at mnelke@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter at CdAPressSports.