Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Burley
2. Mountain Home
3. Minico
4. Twin Falls
5. Jerome
6. Canyon Ridge
7. Wood River
Players to Watch
Amari Whiting, Burley
Lynzey Searle, Burley
Sadie Drake, Mountain Home
Madilynn Keener, Mountain Home
Emily Harper, Mountain Home
Carlie Latta, Minico
Kendalyn Anderson, Minico
Logan Roberts, Canyon Ridge
Jordan Roberts, Canyon Ridge
Lily Teske, Canyon Ridge
Chowder Bailey, Twin Falls
Reagen Rex, Twin Falls
Olivia Adams, Wood River
Emma Ringling, Jerome
Taylor Toral, Jerome
Written by: Keller Sherman
The Great Basin Conference is unlike many conferences around the state as there really are no bad teams. Canyon Ridge head coach Kevin Cato knows this better than anyone as he states, “As far as I’m concerned, everybody in the conference this year will be pretty tough. It is going to be a fun year.” As one of the deepest conferences in the state with talent to be found at just about all of its members, expect nothing to be decided until the very end of the season. A University of Oregon commit and last year’s state player of the year, Burley senior Amari Whiting, will have a target on her back as teams look for ways to slow down her impressive play. She will look to shake off all competition and lead the Bobcats to a state title which would be the perfect send off for a player bound for a prestigious women’s basketball program like the Oregon Ducks.
After a 3rd place finish at state last season, Burley is ready to take the next step and go for a state championship. They return plenty of talent that will help them get there including Sydney and Lyndzey Searle and the State Player of the Year Amari Whiting, whom several other conference members are praising. Even with these returns, the team loses some notable players. “Kelsie Pope, offensive energy. Allie and Brook Hege, defensive impact. Whitnee Hill, defensive presence,” Burley head coach Amber Whiting said of the losses from last year’s team. The defensive players proved crucial for a team that puts a strong focus on defense. Whiting hopes to fill in those holes with Christina and Sadie Cook, Rowan Ontiveros, and Hailey Chapa, all of whom are stepping up to the varsity level this season.
If a team is to really challenge Burley this season, Mountain Home could be that team. The Tigers qualified for state last year and bring in two new assistants. “Mel Golo brings a ton of knowledge, playing experience and relates well with the players. Krysta Stephens brings a lot of enthusiasm and is also young like Melissa Golo and relates well with the players,” head coach Brent Keener said of the new coaches. Three first team All-Conference selections are back for Mountain Home: Madilynn Keener (who also was a second team all-state selection), Emily Harper, and Sadie Drake. All three will be key returners to the Tigers’ roster.
Jerome returns multiple key players, but is also dealing with some notable losses that include several of the team’s scoring leaders from last season. “We lost Hannah Schvaneveldt, Addy Wells, and Alexis White. They scored the majority of our points last season,” head coach Cory Musgrave said. There is plenty of excitement, though, about the young players within Jerome’s program and Musgrave hopes that these players will step up and help improve the team in both the areas they excelled and struggled in last year. “We did a decent job defending and will need to do even better this season. (We also need to) run in transition, both offensively and defensively,” Musgrave said.
Wood River was not able to play much last season due to COVID issues plaguing the program. As they enter a new season, there will be plenty of changes to the lineup. “We graduated five seniors in 2020 and those spots will be filled by young juniors, but hopes for energy from the younger girls to step up will boost our team to some wins this year,” head coach Kelsey Barg said. There will also be a good amount of returning talent as senior Olivia Adams comes back in addition to juniors Kacie Flolo, Lila Hess, and Sidney Wilson.
Of those players mentioned, there is one player in particular that Barg believes will make the most impact. “Sidney Wilson played most of the season on JV, but due to varsity injuries, she began playing lots of minutes on the varsity court. I’m excited to see her confidence grow,” Barg said. Lila Hess is another player expected to come in and make an impact at the varsity level. COVID will be a focal point for the Wolverines this season as Barg hopes that it will not impact the team as it did last season. Barg states, “COVID hindered our play so we are behind already. (We are) hoping this year COVID won’t conflict our play and we can improve by playing other teams.”
Canyon Ridge enters the 2021-22 campaign with plenty of returning talent that should give the Riverhawks confidence that they can finish in at least the top half of the conference this season. Jordan Roberts, Logan Roberts, Payton Swoboda, Lily Teske, and Shelby Geiger all return for the Riverhawks. Logan Roberts, Jordan Roberts, and Teske also brought home All-Conference honors. These returns have raised eyeballs all around the conference, especially from Mountain Home, Jerome, and Wood River, with all three naming Canyon Ridge as a team that could surprise this season.
The Riverhawks lost a key defensive player from last season and head coach Kevin Cato feels it will be a big one. He states, “Dorcas Lupumba was our leading rebounder at 10 rebounds per game. She was also the anchor of our defense.” Cato will look to freshman Berkeley Dille to have a major role within his “already strong stable of guards.” For the Riverhawks to have better opportunities to win the big games, they will need to improve on 3 point shooting. “We did not shoot the ball well from the 3 point line last year,” Cato says. “Our girls have been working hard in the offseason and I hope that will pay off in better shooting from long range.”
Just a little bit down the road, Twin Falls brings in a new head coach in Michael Amaya. Burley head coach Amber Whiting believes Amaya will bring “new ideas” to the Bruins. Twin Falls is coming off an 8-13 season with a 4-7 record in conference play. They bring back three third-team All-Conference selections in Chowder Bailey, Reagan Rex and Keeli Peterson who will look to elevate the Bruins into at least the top half of the conference this season after a 5th place finish last year. Those three will be key as Amaya admits, “We will again be a relatively young team with only three seniors.”
Minico finished right in the middle of the Great Basin Conference in 4th place with a record of 10-14 overall, 5-6 in conference. Head coach Anna Bateman welcomes back first team All-Conference selection Carlie Latta as well as an honorable mention selection in Kendalyn Anderson. With these two strong players being very young, they should help make the Spartans a tough out for any opponent.