Getting good knowledge for the fight ahead

Sure, some Division I college basketball coaches have to rebuild rosters on a yearly basis.

That is, if they’ve got a bunch of NBA prospects that are spending time at that level until they can go pro.

THOSE COACHES at the junior college level are doing so every other year, sometimes every year when there’s a year where they only have one sophomore back.

This year is that year for North Idaho College women’s basketball coach Chris Carlson. Returning only Zosha Krupa, this year’s team only has three forwards on the roster, along with eight guards.

And it’s not just the roster that had a bit of a change. Korina Baker, who played at NIC during the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons, is now on the coaching staff. Baker was a freshman in 2011 when NIC won the NJCAA Tournament.

“She’s played for Carey (Carlson, Chris’ wife and longtime assistant coach) and I before,” Chris Carlson said. “We’ve won together and are really familiar with how we work and do our stuff. She’s a great fit.”

Baker went on to play two years at Southern Methodist University in Dallas of the American Athletic Conference. Carey Carlson is not coaching at NIC this season, hence the opening.

“Being a point guard at SMU, she had to compete against UConn twice a year,” Chris Carlson said. “She brings a great level of point guard experience to the team right off the bat.”

NIC will face the Gonzaga club team on Saturday at noon during the Coeur d’Alene Inn-vitational.

“I don’t know much about them,” Chris Carlson said of the Gonzaga club team. “It’s kind of meshed in with the men’s tournament (which begins on Thursday). Gonzaga is supposed to be like a true club team of kids that played in high school, not an all-star team of former Zag players. We’re not really sure what to expect.”

THE ONE thing you can expect, at least in this area, is that area high school teams are going to be pretty battle tested when the regional/district tournaments roll around.

That’s one benefit of having the Tri-State Invitational in just a few weeks at North Idaho College.

The North Idaho Rumble at Coeur d’Alene High is another that tests most teams up north in late January.

But for those smaller schools at the 3A and 2A classification, it’s not always a sure thing they’ll get into those tournaments with the big boys.

The coaches at St. Maries High are doing something about it, hosting the Chad E. Ross Memorial Tournament, with a duals tournament on Jan. 4 and individual bracketed tournament on Jan. 5.

The tourney returned last season following a hiatus of a few years.

“We had great support from the community to bring it back,” St. Maries wrestling coach Dennis Humphrey said. “We’re gaining teams and exposure for it.”

As of Tuesday, St. Maries has 11 teams for the tournament, including wrestlers from 4A Lakeland and 5A Lewiston.

And who knows, maybe another tournament with a challenge that pays off down the road for those teams involved.

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at (208) 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at jelliott@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter @JECdAPress.