4A

PRESTON INDIANS

Record: 17-7

State seed: District 5 champion

Coach: Tyler Jones, 11th season

First-round opponent: Twin Falls (District 4 runner-up)

Players to watch: G Gabe Hammons, sr.; G/F Cole Harris, sr. C Braden Hess, sr.

Notes: Defending state champion and winner of four of the last five 4A titles. ... Ten state titles in school history. ... Lost three crucial starters from last year’s 26-1 juggernaut — 4A Player of the Year Ty Hyde, first-team all-state selection Luke Smellie and sharpshooter Scott Dunn. ... Seven losses this year nearly matches the eight they’ve had in the past four years combined. ... Unranked but received votes in the final media poll. ... District rivals Century and Pocatello also received votes in the final media poll. ... Preston finished 5-2 against the Diamondbacks and Poky Indians to claim the only state-tournament spot out of one of the toughest districts in the state. ... Hammons led the team with 16.2 points per game going into the district tournament. ... Harris averaged 13.3 ppg going into districts and also led the team with 7.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.

3A

MARSH VALLEY EAGLES

Record: 19-6

State seed: District 5 champion

Coach: Kent Howell, first season

First-round opponent: Kimberly (District 4 champion)

Players to watch: G Bracken Howell, sr.; F Cody Hansen, sr.; G Karter Howell, jr.

Notes: Marsh Valley returns to state for the third year in a row. ... The Eagles went two-and-out in 2020. ... One state championship in program history (1988). ... Head coach Kent Howell is in his first year at the helm. ... Howell still holds the 3A state tournament record for 3s in a game with seven in 1995. ... Marsh Valley’s only double-digit loss was 64-52 to Soda Springs. ... Bracken Howell and Cody Hansen each averaged about 10 points and four rebounds heading into the district tournament, but Marsh Valley is a very balanced team. ... Ranked No. 3 in final media poll.

SNAKE RIVER PANTHERS

Record: 20-5

State seed: Play-in game winner

Coach: Robert Coombs, 28th season

First-round opponent: Fruitland (District 3 champion)

Players to watch: G Mitch Lindsay, sr.; F Chandler Coombs, sr.; G Noah Watt, sr.

Notes: The Panthers are making their sixth-straight state tournament appearance, and 20th in 28 years under head coach Robert Coombs. ... Consolation champions a year ago. ... Eight state titles in program history (five under Coombs), with the last coming in 2013. ... Ranked No. 1 in final media poll. ... The Panthers will meet their first-round opponent, Fruitland, for the fifth time in six years at the state tournament. ... Snake River has lost all four of the previous matchups by an average of 12.3 points, including last year’s 71-59 setback in the first round. ... The closest of those losses was a 52-45 defeat in the semifinals in 2018 (Snake River went on to win the third-place game). ... Four of the Panthers’ five losses this year were to district rival Marsh Valley. ... The two will not meet before the championship round of the state tournament, if they both get that far.

2A

BEAR LAKE BEARS

Record: 16-9

State seed: District 5 champion

Coach: Brandon Carlsen, 13th season

First-round opponent: Ambrose (District 3 runner-up)

Players to watch: G/F Owen Teuscher, sr.; G Brady Shaul, so.; F Matthew Hammond, sr.

Notes: The Bears return to state after a one-year absence. ... Won the consolation championship in their last appearance in 2019. ... Three-time state champion, including a recent back-to-back run with titles in 2017 and 2018. ... Beat No. 1 seed West Side twice in two days to avenge an earlier district tournament loss to the Pirates and take the District 5 championship. ... That was part of a stretch in which they won 10 of 11 games to close the season. ... Teuscher is 6-foot-5 and can play inside and out. ... He was averaging 12.8 points per game going into the district tournament. ... Shaul has been steady in his first year as point guard and hit a game-winning buzzer-beater against West Side in the district tournament.

WEST SIDE PIRATES

Record: 20-6

State seed: District 5 runner-up

Coach: Tyler Brown, 15th season

First-round opponent: North Fremont (District 6 champion)

Players to watch: F Bryler Shurtliff, jr.; G Blaize Brown, jr.; G Ryan Lemmon, sr.

Notes: Defending state runner-up after losing last year’s title game 42-37 to North Fremont. ... Lost point guard Ryan Beckstead and first-team all-state post Isaac Frankman from that team. ... The Pirates will get a rematch with North Fremont, the No. 1 team in 2A, in the first round this year ... Ranked No. 4 in final media poll. ... Third-straight state-tournament appearance. ... Two state titles in school history (1978, 1979). ... Of the Pirates’ six losses this year, three were to District 5 rival Bear Lake, one was to 3A state-tournament team Marsh Valley and two were to Wyoming teams. ... Shurtliff was first-team all-state in three positions (wide receiver, cornerback, kicker) for West Side’s state-title-winning football team in the fall. ... The lanky junior is one of the best scorers in the area. ... Blaize Brown was the quarterback for the football team.

1A DI

GRACE GRIZZLIES

Record: 10-12

State seed: District 5-6 champion

Coach: Rory Lloyd, 14th season

First-round opponent: Victory Charter (District 3 runner-up)

Players to watch: G Gage Stoddard, sr; G Trey Draper, sr.; G Payson Andersen, jr.

Notes: Defending state runner-up after losing last year’s title game 49-27 to Ambrose. ... Second-straight state-tournament appearance. ... Three state titles in program history, with the last coming in 2003. ... Bounced back from an unexpected district-tournament loss to Butte County, beating the Pirates twice at their place to clinch a state-tournament spot. ... Stoddard is returning from a second-team all-state season as a junior. ... Draper transferred in before the year from Riverton, Wyoming, where he was a football and basketball star. ... Along with Mountain View (5A) and Melba (2A), the Grizzlies are one of three teams with a chance to sweep the girls and boys basketball state titles for their schools.

1A DII

NORTH GEM COWBOYS

Record: 21-2

State seed: District 5-6 champion

Coach: Tracey Corta, second season

First-round opponent: Dietrich (District 4 champion)

Players to watch: G James Bodily, sr.; G Logan Corta, sr.; G Bridger Hatch, jr.

Notes: Second-straight appearance at the state tournament. ... Last year’s appearance, when the Cowboys lost the third-place game, snapped a decade-long drought. ... Only two losses were to district rival Watersprings, who the Cowboys didn’t have to play in winning the district tournament. ... Had a midseason winning streak of 10 games, and is currently working on an 8-game winning streak. ... Scored over 100 points in two games, and hit 98 in another. ... Three-time state champion, with their last title coming in 1995. ... Ranked No. 3 in the final media poll. ... Bodily averaged 21.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.6 steals and 1.1 blocks, leading the team in all five major categories. ... He shot 43% from 3-point range on over four attempts a game. ... Corta was a great sidekick, averaging 13 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.4 steals.

ROCKLAND BULLDOGS

Record: 19-6

State seed: District 5-6 runner-up

Coach: Shae Neal, fourth season

First-round opponent: Clark Fork (District 1 champion)

Players to watch: G Braden Permann, sr.; C Levi Farr, sr.; F Teague Matthews, fr.

Notes: First state tournament appearance since 2019 (two-and-out). ... Lost a one-point heartbreaker to North Gem in last year’s district tournament with a state spot on the line. ... Beat Mackay by one point in the same game this year to clinch their spot. ... Freshman Teague Matthews had 20 points and 11 rebounds in that game to lead the Bulldogs. ... Point guard Braden Permann and post player Levi Farr were first-team all-conference a year ago. ... Program is still looking for its first state title. ... After losing three straight games mid-season, the Bulldogs have won 12 of 14, with the two losses coming to district champion North Gem.