Welcome to Baney's Basketball Breakdown, a weekly reset that allows all of us to catch our breath and reflect on the past week of high school competition.  There will be lots to digest below, so let's get to it!

OPENING TIP

Many sports fans have lamented the fact that the transfer portal has killed their enjoyment of college athletics.  I think that's one of several factors that is ruining college sports, but this isn't the space for that discussion.  We have seen a flurry of high school athletes transfer from one school to another over the past several years, and I don't think this is a development that is going away anytime soon.  It's happening in large metro areas like Boise and Pocatello, where there are a larger number of schools to choose from.  An offensive tackle at Centennial one season suddenly appears on Eagle's roster the following year.  Or one sibling is starring at Pocatello High School, while the other sibling is at Century.  Some of these moves are legitimate (where the student-athlete and their parents actually move into the school district in question), but many aren't.  Some athletes try to appeal to the IHSAA via their hardship process, and some even take the matter to court.  Others accept the fact that they will have to sit out of varsity sports for 90 days, and will bide their time.  Some cross state lines, where the rules for eligibility are different.  Clarkston High School, for example, has had a number of basketball players from Lapwai and Lewiston join their high school over the past few years.  This issue was brought to the front of my mind again this week when Timberlake's girls basketball team had two players that had starred at other schools last year become eligible, just in time for a 51-19 win over Lakeside.  One player started for Coeur d'Alene High last year, while the other started for Lake City a year ago, but both now suit up for Timberlake.

Why does an athlete switch schools?  Oftentimes it's a lack of playing time, or a disagreement with coaching style.  Sometimes it's for serious reasons, like a bullying issue.  Sometimes, it's a legitimate move, where the family moves into the new community or school district.  But that raises another idea to consider: if a family has the financial resources to sell their home in one city and buy a home in another city, they're doing well in life.  Right now, the economy is stifling, and the housing market is upside-down.  So there's an economic wedge between the families that can afford to move from one school district into another, and the ones that can't.

Finally, there's something to be said for sticking with your old school and trying to make things work.  Again, I'm not saying that every transfer is fueled by unhappiness with coaching or playing time, but a lot are.  If you have a son or daughter competing in sports, and you allow them to transfer to a different school for a "better situation", how is that setting them up for success in life?  When you enter the working world, and have to answer to a boss and be a part of a team, there are going to be people and philosophies you won't agree with.  But you have to figure out a way to make it work, or you'll be churning through jobs quickly (which, again, in this economy is risky).

I attended a small high school in Montana (roughly the size of a 4A school in Idaho), and my sophomore season, 40 guys tried out for the basketball team.  My best friend and I were among the players cut from the team.  There was a smaller school (roughly the size of a 1A school in Idaho) just ten miles away, and we could have transferred there and made the basketball team just by showing up (in fact, one player from our school did just that).  But we accepted the fact that we just weren't good enough, and my best friend actually put in the hard work, sweat and tears, and made the team his junior year.

You tell me which experience was more rewarding and a better-preparer for life: the guy who immediately transferred to the smaller school, where he didn't have to compete?  Or my best friend, who realized that if he wanted to make the team, he would have to put in the hard work and dedication required?

Today, my best friend is the Vice President of a bank.  He has a beautiful family and an amazing career.  The other guy?  He bounces from job to job, and often blames everyone else on his way out the door.

GAME OF THE WEEK

In a Class 4A non-conference matchup on Friday, December 12, Cole Valley Christian (6-2) traveled to Gooding (4-5).  With 19 seconds remaining, the Chargers trailed Gooding 51-49.  Vienna Westhuis sank two free throws to tie the score at 51-51.   On Gooding's possession, Camryn Rycraft missed two shots at the basket, and Cole Valley Christian pulled down the rebound with 4.3 seconds to play.  Following a time-out, the Chargers inbounded the ball to Westhuis at the half-court line.  She then dribbled into the key on the left side and scored on a layup as time expired, giving the Chargers a 53-51 win.

UNDEFEATED WATCH

Each week in this space, we'll keep a running list of the teams that are still unbeaten in Idaho, with a look at the games that lie ahead on their schedule for the upcoming week:

6A: Rigby (11-0) - vs. Capital (East Idaho Holiday Shootout), vs. TBD (East Idaho Holiday Shootout), vs. TBD (East Idaho Holiday Shootout)
4A: Sugar-Salem (11-0) - No games
4A: Marsh Valley (8-0) - vs. Teton, at West Side
3A: Malad (10-0) - at Aberdeen, at Bear Lake
2A: Lapwai (7-0) - at Troy
1A: Salmon River (6-0) - vs. Carey (Nyssa Christmas Tournament), vs. La Grande (Oregon; Nyssa Christmas Tournament), vs. Nyssa (Oregon; Nyssa Christmas Tournament)
1A: Mackay (7-0) - vs. Rockland
1A: Deary (6-0) - vs. Genesee, at Nezperce
1A: Sho-Ban (2-0) - vs. Leadore
1A: Taylor's Crossing (3-0) - at Grace Lutheran

LIKE A GOOD NEIGHBOR

In this section, we'll keep track of how Idaho has performed against its competition from other states throughout the year.  As we head into Christmas Tournament time, there will be plenty of opportunities for Idaho to show its dominance over teams from across the nation.

Alabama (0-1)
California (2-2)
Montana (1-2)
Nevada
Oklahoma (1-0)
Oregon (5-3)
Tennessee (0-1)
Utah (5-5)
Washington (12-4)
Wyoming (2-1)

30-BURGER CLUB

Each week, we will highlight any player that breaks the 30-point mark in a single game (please send in 30-burger performers to brandon@idahosports.com).

Brookeslee Colvin, 11, Coeur d'Alene (31 points vs. Deer Park, Washington on Thursday, December 11)

TOURNEY TIME!

Each week, we'll list all of the regular season tournaments featuring Idaho squads:

EAST IDAHO HOLIDAY SHOOTOUT (MADISON HS / RIGBY HS)
Thursday, December 18 - Saturday, December 20
8 teams, bracket play
Capital, Madison, Rigby, Shelley, Twin Falls, Mountain Ridge (Utah), Mead (Colorado), Windsor (Colorado)

GREG LARSON MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT (FREEMAN HS - ROCKFORD, WA)
Friday, December 19 - Saturday, December 20
4 teams, 2 games for each team
Lake City, Lakeside, Freeman (Washington), Liberty (Washington)

INKR CHRISTMAS CLASSIC (RIDGEVUE HS)
Friday, December 19 - Saturday, December 20
4 teams, bracket play
Caldwell, Ridgevue, Wood River, Ontario (Oregon)

NIKE TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS (PHOENIX, AZ)
Thursday, December 18 - Monday, December 22
120 teams, 7 different brackets, bracket play
Coeur d'Alene, Eagle

NYSSA CHRISTMAS TOURNAMENT (NYSSA HS - NYSSA, OREGON)
Thursday, December 18 - Saturday, December 20
10 teams, 3 games for each team
Carey, Compass Charter, Council, Emmett, Homedale, Salmon River, Weiser, Burns (Oregon), La Grande (Oregon), Nyssa (Oregon)

PARMA HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT (PARMA HS)
Thursday, December 18 - Saturday, December 20
6 teams, 3 games for each team
Fruitland, Gooding, Marsing, Nampa Christian, Parma, Jordan Valley (Oregon)

TARKANIAN CLASSIC (LAS VEGAS, NV)
Friday, December 19 - Tuesday, December 23
48 teams, 4 brackets, bracket play
Middleton, Owyhee