Best Game May Come First
At least one coach in the boys State A-1 basketball tournament believes the Lake City-Pocatello first-round pairing might feature the best two teams in the field.
No, that coach isn’t Lake City’s Jim Winger. It’s Greg Evans of Pocatello, coach of the defending state champion.
“It might be the best game in the whole tournament,” Evans said. “The winner could get to the (state) final.”
It’s also a rematch for both teams. LC and Pocatello faced each other in last year’s first round.
Last year, talent-rich Pocatello, with a roster that went 13-deep, sprinted to a 19-2 lead.
In a comeback to rival many comebacks, though, the Timberwolves pulled within 45-39 by halftime. And with 1:15 left in the third quarter, LC took the lead at 58-57.
The Indians regained the lead at 61-58 going into the fourth quarter. That’s when LC ran out of gas, missing its first 12 shots of the period as Pocatello pulled away to a 76-63 victory.
Last year’s LC team would be no match to this year’s squad. The 1998-99 Timberwolves lacked a go-to player. Four of LC’s five starters this season are capable of scoring in double figures.
“I don’t like to compare teams, but we’re definitely a lot better than last year,” Winger said. “Last year’s team had a lot of heart. This year’s team has that too, but it also has more offensive abilities.”
This is Winger’s first team in eight years to reach the 20-win mark. His previous best record belonged to the 1995-96 T-Wolves who were 19-6. He’s taking his sixth team to state (four at LC, two at Coeur d’Alene).
Pocatello is the first champion to try to defend its title since the state tourney became a permanent fixture at the Idaho Center in Nampa in 1996-97.
No A-1 team has won back-to-back titles since Borah in 1993-94.
Evans likes his team’s chances of repeating.
“Statistically, we’re better than last year,” said Evans of his 23-3 team. “We shoot better, we rebound better, we defend better. We can go inside, we can go outside. We’re not one-dimensional by any means.”
Why does Winger believe his team will fare well?
“This team has proven that it deserves to have some confidence going to state,” he said. “There’s a reason this team is 20-3.”
Winger scouted Pocatello’s 68-64 win over Meridian in a cross- district playoff Saturday in Twin Falls. He came away impressed.
But he’s more than happy going against Pocatello.
“I’ve seen most of the teams at state and I wouldn’t trade my team for any other,” Winger said.
Lull you to sleep
Evans is glad his team isn’t playing in the A-1’s first game. The tourney opener features District VI champ Skyline of Idaho Falls (11-13) against District III runner-up Skyview of Nampa (20-5).
It’s Skyline Evans would fear, not Skyview.
Four potential Skyline starters transferred to other Idaho Falls schools, alleging abuse from their coaches. The allegations proved to be unfounded.
But the defections left big holes for Skyline coach K.C. Jones to fill.
“Nobody wants to play Skyline,” Evans said. “They’re scary. We beat them 45-42 at their place and they had a 3-point shot to tie it at the end. They’re the Princeton of high school basketball. They’ll make 17 passes and put you to sleep. (Jones) has done a terrific job.”
This sidebar appeared with the story:
Notable
One of the top players in all classifications perhaps the best in the state, period is 6-foot-8 Cory Violette of A-2 Bishop Kelly.
He’s signed to play at Gonzaga University. He averages 16 ponts and eight rebounds per game. He scored 29 points to lead Bishop Kelly to a district title.
Lapwai, a perennial A-3 power, has averaged 81.2 points per game. It scored a school-best 124 points in one game and had a 46-point fourth quarter in another.
Lapwai won 81 games in a row including three state titles from 1987-89.
Lake City had practices at the Spokane Arena and Reese Court at Eastern Washington University so its players could acclimate themselves to the open arena atmosphere.