Preseason Coaches Poll
T-1. Pocatello
T-1. Preston
3. Century
Players to Watch
Bruin Fleischmann, Century
Isiah Harwell, Century
Julian Bowie, Pocatello
Matt Christensen, Pocatello
Ryan Payne, Pocatello
Jaxon Williams, Pocatello
Druw Jones, Preston
Brecker Knapp, Preston
Written by: Brandon Baney
Century head coach Ryan Frost is a straight shooter. So when he forecasts how the South East Idaho Conference preseason poll should go, his assessment, as usual, is spot on: "Pocatello will be the favorite because they return almost everyone. Preston will be ranked right next to Pocatello, because they should be #1 until someone beats them. Century will be ranked last because we graduated 4 of 5 starters."
It appears as if the South East Idaho Conference will again be one of the toughest three-team leagues in the entire state. A year ago, Preston (19-8), Pocatello (17-8) and Century (15-8) all boasted teams capable of advancing to the 4A state tournament. Alas, only one team got to participate, which made the district tournament thrilling and disheartening all at the same time.
The exact same situation presents itself in 2021-22. "Having only three teams will make things interesting," Frost says. "The team that is hot at the right time will be going to the state tournament."
The team that got hot at the right time last year was Preston. Not only did the Indians win the district title over Pocatello, but they advanced all the way to the 4A state championship game. Preston nearly came away with their fifth state title in six years, but fell to Middleton 47-45 in the 4A final.
Guard Gabe Hammons and posts Cole Harris and Braden Hess all graduated, leaving Preston coach Tyler Jones with three starting spots to fill. Senior point guard Steven Roberts and senior forward Brecker Knapp return, and will be joined by junior Cam Hobbs and sophomore Druw Jones in the backcourt and senior Rhett Larson at center. The Indians' trapping defense and fast break offense should be firing on all cylinders again in 2021-22.
Pocatello is the team most poised to take a step forward. The Thunder said goodbye to senior guard Brevin Vaughn, but otherwise return almost all of their key players from a year ago. Senior Ryan Payne is back to run the point, and he will be joined by senior forwards Matt Christensen and Jaxon Williams in the starting five. Sophomore Julian Bowie started almost every game as a freshman a year ago, and is one of the best players in the conference. Head coach Joe Green's team was one game away from a trip to state a year ago, so the Thunder will be plenty motivated to avoid a similar outcome.
Then there's Century. A lot of unknowns surround the Diamondbacks, as Century's varsity roster featured nine seniors, including four starters. "We graduated a majority of our scoring and rebounding," Frost says. "Titan Fleischmann, Isaac Panttaja, Eli Williams and Emmett Holt did a great job leading on and off of the court."
The lone returning starter is senior forward Bruin Fleischmann. He'll be joined by fellow seniors Nash Harding and Eric Anderson. Also joining Century this year is freshman Isiah Harwell, who simply overmatched his fellow 8th graders a season ago. How he develops at the varsity level could determine how quickly Century can enter the conference champion conversation.
No matter what happens in December and January, it's all window dressing for the postseason push in February and March. With just one state bid available, and three teams hungry for it, every game down the stretch will feature can't miss basketball.