STATE HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENTS: Learning curve ... Tough schedule, road trips prepare Post Falls for state

Tough schedule, road trips prepare Post Falls for state

On a Saturday afternoon in Rexburg, Idaho, shortly before Christmas, the Post Falls High boys basketball team learned a lesson that the Trojans hope will pay dividends this weekend.

Playing three games in less than three days on a road trip to eastern Idaho, Post Falls opened with a 58-44 victory at Highland of Pocatello on a Thursday night.

The following night, with the host team celebrating its recently-won state 5A football championship, Post Falls handed Rigby its only loss of the season, 62-59.

But the next afternoon, the Trojans offered little resistance in a 50-34 loss at Madison.

“We prepared ourselves that we’ve got to play good for three games (at state),” Post Falls junior forward Alex Horning said. “Because we went down there and played one or two of the best games of our season, and then we played that third game not ready.”

“We learned a lot from that trip, and that was just getting worked over by Madison,” Post Falls coach Mike McLean said. “We had a big win against Rigby the night before, and we had a quick turnaround, and we did not respond at all. Not to take anything away from Madison, but we beat ourselves.”

Had Madison won its play-in game on Saturday, Post Falls would have gotten another shot at the Bobcats in the first round at state. But instead, the Trojans (20-3) will face Timberline (11-15) of Boise on Thursday in the tourney opener at 12:15 p.m. PST at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa.

Rigby (23-1) is on the other side of the bracket, so a rematch of teams both sporting the Trojans mascot couldn’t happen until Saturday.

But Post Falls could end up facing Rocky Mountain (23-1) of Meridian in the semifinals Friday night.

Last year at state, Post Falls upset Rocky, the presumptive favorite, in the first round.

But the Trojans lost in the semifinals the next night — to Madison — before bouncing back to beat Rigby in the third-place game.

“Us last year beating Rocky, didn’t help us at all against Madison,” McLean said.

Post Falls brought home a trophy from state last year with a young group that started three sophomores, a junior and a senior.

Four of those starters are back — senior Colby Gennett (13.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game), and juniors Horning (14.4 points), Caden McLean (14.0 points, 39.2 percent with 50 3-pointers made) and Cole Rutherford, who missed four games in January with a high ankle sprain.

Much the same players last year, but a different team, the Trojans say. The game has slowed down, and the players have matured.

“I think we learned a lot from last year’s physicality,” Horning said. “We went down and played Rocky and actually matched their physicality, even though they were way bigger than us. We definitely have brought it a lot more this year. Our rebounding stats have gone up a ton since last year. We learned physicality is the key to winning basketball games.”

“We’ve gotten more physical,” added Caden McLean. “We learned that one game doesn’t mean anything. Like, we beat Rocky, we were so excited, and we weren’t ready for Madison and we lost. So it’s like, after we win one game, on to the next game.”

“I definitely think it toughened us up,” Gennett said of state last year. “Those were three tough teams down there.”

“I think the growth our sophomores have made from last year, they are so much better,” Mike McLean said. “Last year we played on a lot of emotion, a lot of ups and downs. This year we control our emotions better. We still have a ways to go, but we play less on emotion and more on recognition. ... Their growth has been phenomenal.”

Teams are well aware of the high-flying 6-foot-4 Gennett, the four-year starter with the interest from colleges, mostly at the NAIA level. In recent games, the 6-5 Horning had had big games inside.

“Because teams are trying to take away Caden’s shooting,” Mike McLean said. “They squeeze Isaac (Ballew; another 3-point shooter) a lot. Teams really worry about our shooting, and that has allowed Alex to go get free in the lane. It’s one of those deals, early in the year, a lot of teams protect inside/out, which, our shooters were really hurting teams, and making a lot of 3s. Then, they cheat out to the shooters, and Alex will beat you inside. That’s what we want to do. We don’t really care who’s going to score, we don’t have to score THIS way. It’s about winning. They want to take away our shooting, we’ll go find an advantage somewhere else. Up here, in this league, Alex is a nightmare in the lane.”

Lake City tried a box-and-one on Caden McLean in the first round at regionals.

“We put teams in a bind with our abilities,” Mike McLean said. “And Colby can attack the rim so well, so can Cole. We can put teams in tough positions.”

McLean, in his 13th season at his alma mater, is taking a team to state for the 11th time in the last 12 seasons — by far the best showing of any 5A team in North Idaho.

McLean routinely seeks out the toughest nonleague opponents he can find — and usually have to hit the road to play them. Post Falls’ other nonleague loss this year was to Central Valley, a state 4A qualifier in Washington.

“That’s we do what we do,” he said. “We travel, we go anywhere and everywhere and every day in a row if we have to. Because there’s nothing like experience to get stuff done.”

The drawback — only eight of Post Falls’ 21 regular-season games were played at home.

“The reality is, by us choosing the schedule we have over the years, it’s actually hard on our fans,” McLean said. “We don’t get many home games. It’s hard to get people in here. But it’s about us getting better this time of year.”

Under McLean, the Trojans have won two state titles (2010 and ’15), with a runner-up finish, two thirds and a consolation title.

“We try to be the best in this area year in and year out,” said McLean, who plans to coach at state with help from a knee scooter and an iWalk, after suffering a dislocated right ankle and various fractures in a mishap on his farm on Super Bowl Sunday. “Everybody can make a run, but can you stay on top when everybody spends 12 months a year trying to figure out ways to beat you? That’s the challenge.

“We spend a lot of evenings in here in the summer, when a lot of kids are out and a lot of other coaches want to be out, doing whatever,” McLean said. “My staff and I and these players are in here, working on stuff. It’s not a lot of fun to do that in June and parts of July, but I’ll tell you what, it’s kinda nice on nights like tonight (after the Trojans won the regional title).”