Prospects To Key In On During Final District Tournament Weekend
As the final weekend of district tournament action looms, there will be plenty of matchups featuring some of the top prospects in the entire state giving their all before next week’s state tournament kicks off.
In what has been a wild week of prep hoop action in the Gem state, the drama and highlights are likely going to continue this weekend as a there are a number of interesting matchups still to play before the state tournament. Some last chance tickets remain as well as some district titles, with both opportunities up for grabs you know there will be some big time performances as a result.
Here are some of the top prospects we are eager to see in the final weekend of districts and who we think will show up big for their respective teams.
Friday Night
Beginning with tonight’s action there are certainly some intriguing matchups with standout players. Up first, the Genesis Prep vs Lakeside game will feature some excellent young talent. Jonny Hillman has been a staple this season in our POTW nominations and teammate Kon Ajang, a 6’9 forward, posted a double-double 15 points and 10 rebounds in their contest against Clark Fork. While Genesis Prep senior Junior Williams, whom was just selected to the Idaho State All-Star game, will likely have some good momentum heading in to the game as well.
For Lakeside, they boast arguably the most productive freshman in the state in Day Day Higgins who is fresh off a 19 point performance in their win over Mullan. These two teams are an excellent peek into the future talent in the state.
Moscow vs Lakeland will be a battle and another opportunity for Gabe Quinett to showcase his abilities as he has already posted 22 points against Lakeland in their matchup earlier this week. Look for another big time performance from him. For Lakeland, they may turn once again and lean on the steady all-around play from 2019 Josiah Haaland who had 13 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks. Teammate Jalen Skalskly who is a recent 2021 addition to our rankings could also shine for Lakeland.
In the Carey vs Lighthouse Christian matchup, Hayden Wayment will be a player to watch as he has shown great leadership and the ability to carry his team on multiple occasions this season while his teammate Kaden Koudelka recently popped onto our radar with a nice performance against Castleford.
With Timberlake vs Bonners Ferry it will likely feature some stellar play from 2018 post Colton Counts on the Timberlake side, whom put up 19 points in their recent loss to Kellogg. Jacob James is another Timberlake name to follow while Bonners Ferry features a team that gets contributions from anyone on any given night.
Valley vs Oakley will be a winner-to-state game this evening and will have some players looking to really step up in such a meaningful game. Jayden Palmer for Oakley has been a player we have had on our 2018 rankings list this season while 2019 guard Jason Hardy for Valley has shown an ability to pop for a big game as well.
Finally, perhaps the biggest matchup tonight will be when Rocky Mountain and Mountain View square off for 5A SIC honors. Rocky Mountain has been hot recently and it has been because of the play from Tyler O’Donnell. An extremely impactful player that will make his mark on this game for sure. Hunter Ranstorm and Briggs Ranstorm have been rolling as well. This team is hungry and this really could help them get the momentum going for a state title run next week.
In terms of Mountain View, it starts and ends with the play of Jalen Galloway. The do-it-all future College of Idaho Yote has been stellar and will be a major focal point in this matchup. Look for Cooper Anderson as well to find a way to make his mark too. Both teams are well coached and this should be a dog fight.
Saturday
Filer and Sugar-Salem will give us plenty to look for in terms of bright spots from skilled players. For Filer, Nick Meyerhoeffer recently posted a game high 16 points in their win over Buhl and will be someone to keep tabs regarding their team. On the Sugar-Salem side of things it could very well be the Chandler Pincock show as he has been tremendous as of late. He averaged 18.5 points in their recent split with Shelley.
Between Melba and Delco, Melba’s Justin Trappett and Caleb Fong caught our attention this season while Delco’s 2019 guard Keegan Duncan is a player that will look to put his touch on this matchup and is very skilled.
In the Prairie vs Wallace matchup, Wallace’s 2019 stud Zack Welch will be a player to key in on while on the Prairie side of things Hunter Chaffee could be a name to follow. Between North Gem and Mackay, Bronx Holbrook will be the guy to track here as he has led his team in scoring on numerous occasions this season and is a stud rebounder.
Vallivue and Emmett will square off in what will be a highly intense showdown with the state tournament on the line. Both have had battles recently in the 4A SIC district tournament featuring Vallivue’s Steele Hadlock (who was selected to the Idaho State All-Star Game) and also 2019 prospect Amoro Lado. These two players can score when they want seemingly and will be impact players in this matchup. In Emmett’s latest win, 2019 Brett Kern posted 17 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks. Vallivue will likely look to neutralize his impact because he can swing things in a game.
One of the more intriguing matchups this weekend is between Boise and Lake City. Both are fighting for their state tournament chances while Boise comes in reeling off their huge injury to senior guard Paul Pennington. Still, the Braves feature players such as Lucas Centeno, Emmett Plummer and Cole Alton. Alton can lead this team and will need to do so in this matchup for any state tournament hope. Lake City has some fire power as well especially in newly selected Idaho State All-Star selection James Carlson. Carlson is an electric scorer but also posted a double-double in their win over CDA recently. Exciting matchup here.
Finally, Skyview and Bishop Kelly will get together for the right to claim themselves as the 4A SIC district title champions. The game will take place on Skyview’s home floor and could go either way as these teams have had offensive duels as well as a low scoring affair. For Bishop Kelly, all eyes will be Max Rice who also recently earned an Idaho All-Star team bid and will look to carry his team in this one. Skyview remains balanced but could find success with Jayson Hibbard, another Idaho All-Star game selection who can dominate the glass. Chris Kielman and Cayden Wright are always in the mix for Skyview as well and will be names to watch for too. We can’t wait for this one.