PLAYERS TO WATCH
Cooper Cammann, Bishop Kelly
Rakeem Johnson, Bishop Kelly
Zaylor Bruegeman, Caldwell
Bryce Pruett, Columbia
Eli Smith, Columbia
Javonte Boles, Ridgevue
Tucker Tiddens, Ridgevue
Cache Beus, Skyview
Tucker Lowber, Skyview
Anthony Berber, Vallivue
Jace Martinez, Vallivue
Written by: Lucas Gebhart
BISHOP KELLY KNIGHTS
2022-23 Record: 14-11
Head Coach: Ryan Kerns
Fresh off its latest football championship, Bishop Kelly now turns its attention to the basketball floor.
With much of the BK basketball roster also on its football roster, deep football playoff runs can sometimes stunt the start of the Knight’s basketball season.
It happened last year, according to head coach Ryan Kerns, but this year, he says, will be different.
Kerns says he doesn’t expect this year’s football championship to have as big of an effect on the start of this year’s basketball season in part because much of this year’s roster already has varsity experience.
Some of those returning players include star wide receiver and guard Cooper Cammann and the SIC’s Defensive Player of the Year and Oregon State football commit Rakeem Johnson.
Kerns says other players like Mason Suboh-Meuret, Will Green and Conor Goss will also play a key role in helping Bishop Kelly defend its conference crown.
SKYVIEW HAWKS
2022-23 Record: 19-8
Head Coach: Aaron Sanders
Skyview’s first season back at the 4A level was met with almost immediate success.
The Hawks won 19 games, had the league’s best scoring offense and booked a trip to the state semifinals.
It was one of Skyview’s best seasons in years, but much of last year’s core has been replaced with 2A transfers.
The Hawks lost point guard Eloy Chapparro, senior-leader Max Cutforth and three-point specialist Jonah Wockenfuss to graduation, but head coach Aaron Sanders says two incoming transfers should help keep Skyview at the top of the standings.
New to the roster this year are a pair of Mebla transfers in Cache Beus and Tucker Lowber.
Both helped lead Melba to a 2A state championship appearance last season and both were all-conference selections in the 2A Western Idaho Conference.
RIDGEVUE WARHAWKS
2022-23 Record: 9-16
Head Coach: Daniel Vint
Ridgevue has yet to make a state tournament in its short school history, but there is reason to think this could be the year.
The Warhawks return three starters that are all over 6-foot-5 in Javonte Boles, Tucker Tiddens and Tristan Correa.
Boles was a first-team all-conference selection last year, Correa was a second-team selection and Tiddens was an honorable mention.
All three are expected to be among the league’s best entering the new year and represent the three reasons why some of the league coaches are calling Ridgevue the “clear-cut favorite” to win the SIC.
COLUMBIA WILDCATS
2022-23 Record: 16-9
Head Coach: Dominik Fear
This year’s Columbia team will look almost nothing like last year’s.
The Wildcats lost 8 seniors, including the league’s Player of the Year Jack Keller, 2nd team all-conference selection Dan Bell and the league’s 6th Man of the Year, Mekhi Alexander.
That core helped lead Columbia to 16 wins, but the league’s best defense was left out of the state tournament.
Now Columbia will try and work its way back to state tournament contention with a new-look roster.
Head coach Dom Fear says senior guard Bryce Pruett will lead the Wildcat offense, calling him a “floor general.”
Pruett was an all-conference honorable mention a season ago and is just one of three returning players to the varsity roster.
VALLIVUE FALCONS
2022-23 Record: 7-16
Head Coach: Mario Betancourt Jr.
With all-conference guard Jace Martinez back in the fold, Vallivue is looking to improve off its seven win season from a year ago.
Head coach Mario Bentancourt Jr. says Martinez’s shooting ability will once again be Vallivue’s strength, but adds that some of the Falcons younger players will need to help out in the scoring column if the Falcons are going to jump back in the state tournament conversation.
Bentancourt also says the Falcons will look to pressure the ball more on defense last season as Vallivue had the SIC’s worst scoring defense last season.
EMMETT HUSKIES
2022-23 Record: 6-17
Head Coach: Dustin Lopez
New head coach Dustin Lopez knows there’s history at Emmett. Their new head man played for Emmett in the late 1990s, according to the Idaho Press.
Back then, Emmett was a 3A program, and a good one at that. But since moving up to the 4A level in the 2016-17 season, Emmett hasn’t had much success on the basketball floor.
The Huskies have yet to make a state tournament since joining the 4A ranks, but hope their new coach can help get them there.
CALDWELL COUGARS
2022-23 Record: 6-15
Head Coach: Rick Tigges
A second half spiral left Caldwell with just two SIC conference wins last season.
Caldwell opened the season with a 5-3 record, with two of the losses coming to 5A schools, but then closed the year by losing its last 11.
The two SIC wins came to Emmett and Vallivue.