We've reached the point in the boys basketball season where we are starting to know more or less which teams will be in contention come State Tournament time in March. That being said, the forecast is still cloudy for some teams as to where they really stand within their own conference.
In East Idaho this week there are four games, all in different classifications, which could clear up that cloudy forecast of where these teams are at heading into the District Tournaments.
5A High Country Conference - Madison at Hillcrest
With Highland having already wrapped up the regular season title and the No. 1 seed heading into the district tournament, it looks like a very important battle, both physically and mentally, for the No. 2 seed will ensue on Friday night in Ammon, where Hillcrest will host Madison.
The Knights have fallen once to the Bobcats already this season. But that game was in overtime and Hillcrest didn't have the services of Alex Cunningham (dislocated thumb) and Scott Baldwin (mononucleosis). This time around, Hillcrest will play in the comfy confines of their own gym, they have both Cunningham and Baldwin back, and Madison is without leading scorer Logan Lee for the remainder of the season (shoulder surgery).
That doesn't necessarily mean that Madison is out of it though. If you know anything about high school hoops in Idaho, you know that Bobcats head coach Bill Hawkins can get the best out of all of his players. Madison has won a few overtime games this season while Hillcrest has lost a few. We very well could see a repeat of the first game earlier this year.
The winner of this game will have the inside track to securing the No. 2 seed for the district tournament and get an extra two days worth of rest, not to mention the psychological advantage heading into the tournament.
4A High Country Conference - Century at Rigby
The last contest between these two teams ended up in a six-point Trojans victory. The matchup this time around can either solidify Rigby's ranking within its own conference and in the state overall, or it could get Century on a roll towards the district tournament much like they did last season.
Remember, Century had won only three games all season-long last year heading into the district tournament, including losing their last four games against cross-town rival Pocatello. But Century hit their stride at the right time, knocking off Pocatello in two straight games and clinching the District V berth for the State Tournament. Needless to say, the Diamondbacks have been in this position before.
With a record of 5-10 overall, including 3-3 in conference play, Century has a tall task in front of them Wednesday night, as they will face a Rigby team that doesn't lose very often at home: in fact, the Trojans have only four losses in the previous two seasons in their home gym. Rigby is 7-0 in conference play and would love nothing more than to lock up the No. 1 overall seed for the district tournament with a win over the Diamondbacks.
3A Mountain Rivers Conference - Sugar-Salem at Shelley
This is the first matchup as conference opponents for the two schools since the 2009-10 season. Shelley jumped up to the 4A classification during the last cycle and are now back in the 3A ranks. And wouldn't you know it, it's the No. 1 vs. No. 2 ranked teams facing off on Wednesday in Shelley.
Clyde Nelson's Diggers hold the top spot in the State Media Polls with a perfect 16-0 record. The Diggers are outscoring their opponents by an average of 20.9 points per game and are looking to advance to the Real Dairy Shootout once again. However, some people have pointed out that Sugar-Salem's schedule has been filled mostly with 2A schools and that they haven't been tested yet. While some may defend the schedule, one thing I do know: you don't rack up a perfect 16-0 record with untalented teams.
That's why their game against Shelley this week is so intriguing. The Russets have played only two games against teams in a classification lower than their own (both games were played against traditional rival Firth). Shelley also features point guard McKay Cannon, who will play basketball for Weber State University after his LDS mission. If you haven't watched Cannon play, well, the kid is a baller to say the least. Along with teammate Chad Leckington (who also will attend Weber State, but to play football) and the rest of the supporting cast and we have a showdown in the making!
Fortunately for fans of high school sports, we get to see this matchup not once, not twice, but possibly three to five times before we even hit the State Tournament, which is less than a month away. Either way, the Diggers can prove the doubters wrong or the Russets can take down the No. 1 team in the State. These kinds of games are what make high school basketball so much fun.
2A Nuclear Conference - Firth at Salmon
The Nuke is ALWAYS crazy come district tournament time and this year is no different. Three of the five teams are in contention for the No. 1 seed. This will be the first jaunt northward to Salmon for the Firth Cougars as conference opponents. And in the revolving-door of conference leaders in the Nuke, there is no game more important as of right now.
Believe it or not, Firth is an incredible 70-2 in conference play since the 2006-07 season. But the Cougars sit in third place in the Nuke as of this writing, a place they are not familiar with nor one they wish to stay at. Firth knocked off Salmon 48-44 in their first meeting on Jan. 16. This time around, however, the Cougars will travel over 175 miles to play their new rivals.
This game is especially important for Salmon. The Savages would own the top spot in the conference and get even closer to the No. 1 seed in the district tournament, along with a first round matchup against the lowest ranked team in the conference. There is plenty of motivation for this game as Salmon would love to show the Cougars that there may be a new king-of-the-court in the Nuke.
It will be a battle of heavy-weights in this game on Friday with big-time implications for the District Tournament.
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