Rating:

4.0 (3 votes)

The whirlwind of District Tournaments across Montana have come to a close after multiple challenge games wrapped up Monday night, putting the focus on the next level of play on the prep courts. Divisional Basketball begins on Wednesday, mostly with boys tournaments this first weekend, although there are a few combined tourneys giving fans a double dosage of hoops. We have already seen unbeatens fall, underdogs rise and bench players get their chance to shine, so one can only imagine what will come at the next level. Throughout the following blog, we take a look at some of the interesting match-ups and star players that should give fans their money's worth.

As always, the opinions are my own, but thanks to coaches, fans and other members of the media for their input. Enjoy the tournaments!

CLASS A

We can kick things off in the Central A which touches down in Great Falls starting on Thursday. The Browning boys seem the odds-on favorite to capture the crown at the end of the week, but if a team can slow down the Runnin' Indians, then we could see an upset here or there. In my eyes, Havre High appears to be the best-suited at an upset run, especially with the return of Logan Connor to the floor. Despite sitting out the better part of the season, Connor fits right in with Brandon Smith and Thurman Holdsclaw in the Blue Ponies rotation. Before Havre sets their sights on Browning they'll need to get through a resilient Park High team that actually swept the season series, posting double-digit wins each time. I see Browning topping Havre in the championship with each moving on.

The Central A matches up with the Eastern A when State tips off in Butte, and I don't think there's any doubt that Billings Central and Laurel will be punching their tickets into the Mining City. Seriously, these kids have put up dunks in nearly every game I have seen highlights of and they run the floor with the best of them on the fast break. Ryan Burke, Dylan Hanser and Daniel Meyer are just a few of the kids to keep an eye on, but expect at least one of them to explode offensively down at Rimrock Auto Arena. The Locomotives, meanwhile are rolling into the tourney as well, shown last week with a 35-point blowout against Lewistown. Brett Thompson, Bobby Anderson and Evan Jones scored a combined 47 points (outscoring the Eagles) and if the hot shooting continues, they may light up the scoreboard to an Eastern A title. Laurel won the first two contests, so I'll take Central over the Locos this weekend.

A few months back I picked Dillon as my preseason State A favorite, so I'll stick with the Beavers to win the Southwestern A and I think Stevensville joins them as the divisional championship game. Ben Folsom, JT Linder and Wes Knox each have All-State potential and will carry the Beavers to yet another trophy.

No surprises in the Northwestern A as Columbia Falls should sweep back through into the State Tournament behind the likes of Austin Barth, Parker Johnson and Luke Kazlauskas. Pending Divisionals outcomes, I think a Dillon vs. Columbia Falls State Championship would provide an entertaining 4 quarters (hopefully more) at the Butte Civic Center.

As far as the girls are concerned, I'm still riding the Locomotive train with Laurel as my State favorite and they are starting to play like it. Havre is one of those teams that can be dangerous if they play a complete game, and I have been high on Browning since the beginning of the season. Don't count out the likes of Butte Central (always a contender), Stevensville or Columbia Falls either.

CLASS B

The upset-bug hit the Class B boys basketball courts over District Tournament weekend with teams like Manhattan, Malta and Wolf Point all falling in their respective tourneys. One loss can't take away from a season of winning though, so each should be fine when things get going this week. Manhattan was in a similar situation a year ago, when the Tigers missed out on a trip to the final weekend. Getting out of the Southern B this season could be the most challenging task in Montana with teams like Whitehall, Shepherd and Lodge Grass waiting for their shot. It's important to remember that FOUR teams from the South will make the State Tourney, and I see Lodge Grass beating Manhattan in the title game, while Shepherd and Whitehall qualify as the 3rd and 4th seeds. Won't surprise me to see Forsyth with a trophy by Saturday night.

If that division isn't stacked enough to your liking, then the Northern B is where you should spend your time. Anyone from the aforementioned Malta and Wolf Point to the likes of Fairfield, Choteau and Cut Bank could walk away with a trophy. I know Malta lost (to Glasgow) at the District level, but I feel like the Mustangs are still the team to beat on their home floor with some strong guard play and two very capable posts. Beating Choteau is no sure-thing in teh first round, as Isaac Howard and the Bulldogs are playing well down the stretch. I watched Fairfield play in last Thursday's semifinal and thought the Eagles struggled, especially from beyond the arc (missed every 3-pointer) but I spoke with coaches on Saturday who thought Fairfield is the team to beat in Class B. How will they do against the defending State Champs (Wolf Point) in the opening round? They can't afford another down game, or they won't advance. It may be all the hype surrounding the two schools (especially with football) but I like Malta and Fairfield in the title game, with the Mustangs capturing the championship.

The teams in the western part of the state are the ones I don't see as often, therefore I know less about their programs. However, thanks to some help from various coaches, Bigfork appears to be the team to beat in Hamilton this weekend. If the Vikings win their first game, we could have a very interesting semifinal between themselves and the boys from Florence, who are no stranger to the State Tournament. Troy sits in the bottom half of the bracket, with perhaps a good shot of advancing to the championship. Since I know less about these teams, I'm taking a bolder prediction here, I see Bigfork beating Troy in the championship game, with Florence coming back the long way and earning a challenge game win to advance to Butte.

CLASS C

This is where things get fun for me, being a Class C guy myself. So many teams, so many great athletes, so many chances for someone to get hot at the right time and hoist a trophy at State. I'll start things in the Southern C where St. Labre has become a bit of a favorite to win this year's State Championship, after Plenty Coups fell in the District 6C title game. Labre used a monstrous run (something like 30-4) in one quarter to rally strong and win their district championship game and any team that can score that many points that fast is deserving of some love. If they each win their opening round game, we could see Labre and the Coups battle in the semis, which would surely pack the house in Glendive. I've been pretty high on Melstone this season (despite suffering that ridiculous run at the hands of Labre) and could see the Broncs bouncing back by rolling into the semis and championship. I think we'll see a challenge game in the Southern C, with St. Labre beating Melstone in the title game, and Plenty Coups knocking off the Broncs in a Monday challenge.

The South matches up with the East in this year's State brackets and the fans in Wolf Point should have plenty to keep them occupied this week. Fairview seems to have the best shot at winning the championship on Friday night, but don't sleep on the Culbertson team in the semifinals. The match-up that seems most intriguing to me is the potential Scobey-Opheim against Saco-Whitewater semifinal in the bottom half of the bracket. The defending champion Spartans could be getting hot again at the right time, but it appears the Panthers are on the right track as well. I'll give the edge to Scobey based on experience alone, but I still see Fairview escaping unharmed.

Fans and coaches alike have admitted that the Northern C as a whole is about as down as it has been in nearly 20 years, but that doesn't mean there aren't teams that can ignite the crowds. Roy-Winifred was a pleasant surprise in District 7C, getting past the likes of Denton and Stanford-Geyser. The Kananen kid is one of the fun players to watch in the North and get used to hearing the Stulc name again as well (Luke clocks in at around 6'5"). The Wolverines (Stanford-Geyser) played an outstanding 2nd half in Monday's challenge game against Denton, where Dylan Woodhall paved their way into Four Seasons Arena. They match up against Power in the final game Wednesday night, which could be the best of the opening round. Much of the talk surround the Pirates is surrounding Paulo Giacomelli, the Brazilian senior, but I won't even begin to touch on the controversy there (for more details, check this recent link from the GF Tribune: http://bit.ly/yAgyAI ). What I do know, is that the Pirates can play basketball. The team that has flown under the radar for much of the season, the Big Sandy Pioneers, is still my prediction as the champion, but the Pioneers absolutely must stay out of foul trouble to achieve that. If Highwood plays like they did in the 8C championship, they should easily play for a trophy on Friday night.

Here we go again with my admitted lack of true knowledge on the Western C, but I did pick Twin Bridges as my preseason State Champion and see no reason to change that prediction now. As athletic as the Falcons are, I think they could be built for this tournament and the next one in Billings. Drummond has been another team coaches have praised this year and it's easy to see why checking the box scores and stats. If I'm guessing on a sleeper pick, I'll have to choose Charlo, who enters as the top seed from the 14C.

Three of the four Class C Divisionals go this weekend (Northern, Eastern and Western) and each should have its fair share of close finishes. I have stuck with Belt all season long and will continue to live and die by the five in/five out type substitutions the Lady Huskies roll with. I'm not sure any of the athletes can be considered a true "star" but they seem to have a new girl lead in scoring, rebounds, assists, etc on any given night and that's important down the stretch. Winnett-Grass Range is another top-tier team fans will see at Four Seasons Arena in Great Falls, but I wonder how the Lady Rams will match up against some of the other teams. CJI (Chester-Joplin-Inverness) is one that has been outstanding this season (if my stats are correct, didn't lose a game in 10C regular season or tournament) and I think Geraldine will be the so-called surprise team that will finish 2nd behind the Lady Huskies.

Much like the boys, all eyes are on the Fairview girls in the Eastern C Tournament this weekend, as they seem to be a sure-thing to play on Saturday night. They have made pretty easy work out of their opponents this season, but a team like Circle would love a shot at knocking off any favorite. The two teams I'm keeping an eye on in Wolf Point this weekend are Hinsdale and Culbertson. We might get that matchup in the semifinals on Friday afternoon, and I like the winner to give Fairview a run for their money in the title game.

The only statement I feel confident in saying about the Western C is that the Twin Bridges girls seem destined to earn a spot in the State bracket. I don't see a more focused athlete than Peyton Ferris right now and the way she's playing shows she is ready to carry this team to the promised land. Good luck stopping a girl that put up nearly 60 points in two games!

So only time will tell which teams will earn their spots in their respective State Tournaments, but I can say with certainty, we are in for another great weekend of prep basketball here in the Treasure State.