PLAYERS TO WATCH

Sawyer Kondel, Burley
Jake Seely, Burley
Mason Hill, Canyon Ridge
Kade McEntire, Canyon Ridge
Wes Cook, Jerome
Ashton Peters, Jerome
Dom Soto, Minico
Ryker Stimpson, Minico
Mo Brooks, Mountain Home
Jared Mix, Twin Falls
Logan Pittard, Twin Falls
Cooper Fife, Wood River
Gage Wilson, Wood River

Written by: Dallin Fryar

After a very strong 2022-23 season as District Champions, the Minico Spartans are hungry for even more this season. After 18 years as an assistant coach, Doug Manning will enter his first season at the helm of the Spartans, and he preaches teamwork in all phases of the game.

“One of our strengths will be the team basketball that we play,” Manning says. “Sharing the ball, not caring who is scoring. With the returners we have and the new additions, we will be able to score the ball from each position.”

One of those returners is Ryker Stimpson, who shined in the state tournament last season on both sides of the ball and earned 2nd Team All-State honors. He leads a deep team, oozing with team chemistry, looking to continue where they left off last season.

Despite falling to the Spartans in the District Championship last season, the Twin Falls Bruins were able to get revenge on Minico in the State Tournament and take home the Consolation Trophy in a defensive battle.

Like Minico, the Bruins have a new leader in head coach Mac Stannard. Stannard is familiar with the Great Basin Conference having coached at Burley in 2020-21 and 2021-22. He knows that Twin Falls can score the ball offensively, but he really wants this group to make a strong statement on the defensive end as well.

“We plan to wear teams down with our depth and physicality. We have some tough individual defenders at the point of attack as well length to protect the paint,” Stannard says.

A team that will not have a new head coach is Jerome. Joe Messick has been around for 17 seasons now, and last season was a very strong campaign with a 14-10 overall record. However, the Tigers fell short of the State Tournament.

After graduating nine seniors last season, the Tigers will only have two seniors this year, including guard Ashton Peters. Peters will carry the load on the offensive end, but others will need to step up and contribute as well.

Even though they are young and might be a little inexperienced Coach Messick is excited to coach this group. He said, “I love how hard these kids work. Love how they have embraced the culture over the last 17 years.”

The Canyon Ridge Riverhawks are essentially the opposite of the Jerome Tigers. Last season they had only one senior, and this year return a plethora of varsity experienced players eager to make their mark on the hardwood.

They posted a respectable 12-11 record last season, and with all their experience back this season, one can expect that number has a good chance to rise. The Riverhawks also have a new head coach in Alex Wells.

Minico head coach Doug Manning had this to say about the Riverhawks: “Canyon Ridge has all the pieces and a new coach that will bring some new life and excitement.”

Another team that is littered with varsity experience is the Wood River Wolverines. Leading the charge on the floor is senior guard Cooper Fife, who earned 1st Team All-Conference honors last season. The Wolverines will look to play fast and expect better shooting than in years past.

With fast play, head coach Juan Martinez wants better team defense, which will lead to more offensive opportunities. He will rely especially on Santana Ubence. Coach Martinez had this to say about Ubence: “He plays with a ton of energy and is a crafty defender on the ball.”

The Wolverines were in the mix last season with a 14-9 record, and although the conference is going to be very deep again this season, they are definitely in contention for a state tournament birth

The 2022-23 season was not what the Burley Bobcats imagined it would be with a 3-19 record, but with a new season comes a fresh team, and a clean slate. Head Coach Brad Caresia, in his second season with Burley, is striving for team unity on both sides of the ball. “The strength of our offense is our team. I am most excited about our team chemistry,” Caresia says.

While they have several returning seniors, two sophomores, Ryker Page and Jake Seely, might be the X-Factors to this team’s success throughout the season. Burley will play quickly and together.

This conference is deep, and that does not stop with the Mountain Home Tigers. Last season the Tigers posted an 11-14 record, going 6-6 in conference, just like Minico and Canyon Ridge. Head Coach Brion Bethel will be back at the helm once again for the Tigers.

The Tigers will need to fill three 2nd Team All-Conference selections’ shoes, but you can expect with Coach Bethel that he will have his group ready to compete each and every night.