PLAYERS TO WATCH
Logan Orchard, Coeur d’Alene
Carter Rupp, Coeur d’Alene
Caden Symons, Coeur d’Alene
Cason Miller, Lake City
Reese Strawn, Lake City
Jordan Bramlett, Lewiston
Rylan Gomez, Lewiston
Drew Hottinger, Lewiston
Tyras Blake, Post Falls
Neil McCarthy, Post Falls
Alex Shields, Post Falls
Written by: Brandon Baney
No one will forget what the Lake City boys’ basketball program was able to accomplish in 2022-23:
An undefeated 26-0 season
An undisputed championship
An incredibly balanced lineup featuring two Division 1 players (point guard Kolton Mitchell, now at Idaho State, and center Blake Buchanan, now at Virginia)
And the retirement of longtime head coach Jim Winger
A 26-0 sized hole has been left in the Inland Empire League, which may lead you to think that the league will be wide open and unpredictable. Not so fast, though: The Coeur d’Alene Vikings were selected as the unanimous preseason favorite in our coaches poll.
The Vikings went 15-8 a year ago, and after defeating Lewiston in overtime in their district tournament opener, the Bengals nipped them in the third place game, 58-54, effectively ending Coeur d’Alene’s season a game shy of a State Tournament Play-In Game.
Coach Jon Adams welcomes back several contributors from last year’s squad, including two-time All-IEL selection Logan Orchard. Most coaches agree; he’s the preseason favorite for IEL MVP. The senior will be joined in the backcourt by senior Gunner Larson, junior Carter Rupp and sophomore Caden Symons, who just quarterbacked the Vikings’ football team all the way to the 5A state championship game.
“Logan Orchard and Gunner Larson are the two best perimeter defenders in the league,” says Adams. “We want to force turnovers defensively and get up and down the floor.”
It’s a system that was dazzling to watch the past three years as point guard Steven Burgess, a “one-man press break”, according to Adams, led the attack. His graduation leaves some questions about who will assume those point guard duties, and it may be a combination of players that ultimately do the job. Post Alexander Nipp also graduated in the offseason, and Adams is looking to senior Max Entzi and junior Kai Wheeler to play inside.
“We’re a great shooting team that spreads the floor well and plays at a great pace, but we have a lot of mouths to feed,” Adams admits. “We need strong chemistry and we need everyone to commit to both ends of the floor.”
Post Falls went 6-17 a year ago and a young team took its lumps. “We have only had two seniors the previous two seasons,” says veteran coach Mike McLean. “Nine of our ten players this year are varsity returners, and eight of ten already have two years of varsity experience. One even started as a freshman last year.”
All of that returning talent is why Post Falls is considered the best of the rest outside of Coeur d’Alene. Four starting guards return to the Trojans’ lineup this year; seniors Neil McCarthy and Alex Shields, junior Tyras Blake, and sophomore Connor Carver.
“I believe we finally have a legitimate 5A roster after playing the past two season with players who were forced to play above their skill set,” McLean says. “We’re excited to get out and finally be able to compete physically with other teams.”
Lewiston went 16-8 a year ago, and fell by a single point to eventual 5A state runner-up Meridian in a State Tournament Play-In Game. That 55-54 loss set the tone for the entire offseason, as a new group of Bengals aim to put their stamp on the program.
“We have a lot of youth,” says second-year coach Brooks Malm. “I’m not sure who will step up, but a lot of guys will be given the opportunity.”
Senior guard Jordan Bramlett and senior forwards Rylan Gomez and Drew Hottinger will be leaned on to show the way in 2023-24. Although they all saw playing time a year ago, more is expected of them this year, as leading scorer Carson Way and top defender Austin Lawrence both graduated. “We move the ball well and take good shots,” says Malm. “We have multiple guys who can make a shot on the perimeter, and we play hard.”
As for Lake City, no team has more questions than the defending 5A champs. All five starters graduated, and head coach James Anderson is in his first season leading the T-Wolves boys after previously serving as Lake City’s head girls basketball coach. “We are an unknown, even to ourselves,” Anderson says. “It will be fun to see who steps up and competes.”
Junior Reese Strawn was Lake City’s Sixth Man a year ago, and will slide into the starting point guard role. He’ll be joined in the backcourt by fellow junior Cason Miller, who also saw limited varsity action last season. The third guard in Lake City’s backcourt is senior Braydn Arrieta, a varsity newcomer. And the post play will be green to start; sophomore Josh Watson and freshman Jordan Carlson are expected to start inside.
“The play of our young bigs will be critical to our success,” Anderson says. “Also, can we get better on defense as the year progresses?”
The IEL will once again have 1.5 bids to the state tournament. The district champ will automatically advance, while the second-place team will have a shot to advance as well via a State Tournament Play-In Game.