Team Preview:
Written by: Sven Alskog
Since the 2008-2009 season when the 1AD2 classification was formed in Idaho there has been one constant in the boys basketball state tournament: the Carey Panthers.
Led by 13th year Head Coach Dick Simpson, the Panthers are expected to again be one of the primary contenders to bring home some hardware in March.
Many key playmakers return from the group last season that went 14-10 overall, highlighted by an 11-2 mark in the North Side Conference.
That unit had the unenviable task of squaring off with the eventual state champion Salmon River and their superstar Leighton Vander Esch in the first round, falling 65-45 to the Savages.
The Panthers responded with back-to-back wins over Cascade and Dietrich on their way to winning the consolation bracket. While it may not be exactly what Carey wanted when they began their season, it is always beneficial to earn a win in the final game of the season, especially at the state tournament level.
Senior guards Nate Adamson and Matt Whitworth will be relied upon to put points on the board often, while junior Joe Parke can also be expected to see an even bigger role.
Adamson missed the final four games of the previous campaign due to illness and will be heavily relied upon to be healthy and productive this year. He made 1AD2 All-Idaho First Team last season.
In order to continue their run of nine straight trips to the state tournament, the Panthers need to shore up their play on the defensive side of the basketball. In the 2013-2014 season, Simpson’s group allowed 54 points per game, the highest mark among teams to advance to Caldwell for state.
Much of that can also be credited to the up-tempo style of play which opposing coaches from throughout the state have come to expect from Carey, a team that totaled 55 points per game themselves last year.
This is a team that had just one senior on the roster last season, resulting in great continuity for what was already one of the top 1AD2 teams in Idaho.
The last state championship to come through Carey for boys basketball came in 2011, with a return trip the following year resulting in a 62-47 loss to Nezperce, the team they had beaten the previous season.
With such a large contingent of its core returning for the 2014-2015 season, Carey can be expected to be the favorite in the 1AD2 North Side Conference this year.
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