Nothing certain at NW A boys' divisional
When Bigfork topped Ronan on Saturday for its first conference victory in two years, two things became clear: Nothing is certain and no one is safe.
The Northwestern A divisional boys' basketball tournament begins today at Glacier High School, where six teams will vie for two berths in next week's Class A state tournament in Billings.
The only sure bet for the double-elimination divisional appears to be that No. 1 seed Polson (7-3 Northwestern A, 10-8 overall) and No. 2 Columbia Falls (7-3, 12-6) won't lose today - thanks to first-round byes.
No. 4 Whitefish (5-5, 10-8) battles No. 5 Libby (4-6, 9-9) at 4 p.m. That victor faces Polson on Friday at 4 p.m., while the loser heads to Saturday's loser-out play.
No. 3 Ronan (6-4, 13-5) didn't have to wait long for a rematch with No. 6 Bigfork (1-9, 6-12). The Chiefs and Vikings square off tonight at 8, with the winner advancing to Friday's 8 p.m. nightcap against Columbia Falls.
Led by John Rausch (12.3 points per game) and Zach Langston (11.5 ppg, 6.4 rebounds per game), Polson rode a late surge to its regular-season title and opening-round bye.
"There's some pros and cons to not playing, getting a bye and all that stuff," Pirates coach Karl Tait said. "We get a chance to practice (at Glacier) tomorrow, get a feel for the floor. We'll get a good sweat up, so it's just like playing in a way."
Tait said he doesn't care whether the Pirates face the Bulldogs or the Loggers on Friday, but he expects a formidable challenge either way.
Whitefish's Colt Idol (22.1 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.6 steals per game) is the conference's top scorer, followed closely by Libby's Jim Mee (21.6 ppg). The 6-foot-4 Mee is Northwestern A's top rebounder, averaging 8.6 boards. Whitefish, which won last year's divisional tournament, leads the conference with 63.5 points per game.
"We have to play who we have to play," Tait said. "Both teams are good. We split with both of them over the year."
The Pirates only hope that their hot streak carries over into what essentially is a new season.
"It does start over, but certainly the mental part of the game has to carry over," Tait said. "If you feel in your mind you can beat these teams, that gives you confidence. Whether you will or not is a different story, but knowing that you can beat them plays an important role against any opponent."
A perennial Class A power, Columbia Falls missed the state tournament last year when Whitefish and Libby played for the divisional title. Chase Grilley leads the Wildcats with 17.1 points, 4.9 assists, 2.9 steals and 6.4 rebounds per game. Grant Getts averages 4.9 rebounds, and the conference's top four shot blockers are all Wildcats.
"This is definitely one of the most balanced conferences that I've seen," said Columbia Falls coach Cary Finberg, who led the Wildcats to state titles in 2003, 2005 and 2006. "When you've got five teams with a conference record of .500 or better going into the tournament - I don't know if we've had that before. It's anybody's tournament."
Bigfork is dramatically improved from last year's winless campaign. Roland Benedict leads the Vikings with 13.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game, and leads the conference in steals, averaging 3.6.
Ronan's potent offense (62.17 ppg) ranks third in Northwestern A, just behind Columbia Falls (62.22 ppg). The Chiefs' Moss Tanner is one of the conference's most dangerous and versatile weapons, averaging 17.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.9 steals and 6.0 assists. Nolan Harris averages 14.4 points.
"Right now, we're not preparing for any team in particular," Finberg said. "We're just trying to get ourselves ready. You can control what you do, you can't control what's not in your hands."
According to Finberg, rebounding and defense, though always important, are paramount come tournament time as offenses can be erratic. He said the Wildcats did little wrong at last year's divisionals - they simply fell to a Libby squad that played a bit better.
"We're not really going to approach (this year's divisional) any differently," he said. "We're going in with the same focus that we've had for years. You just don't want to have a bad game at this time."
Northwestern A Divisional
Boys' Basketball Tournament
At Glacier High School
Today's First Round
4 p.m. - No. 4 Whitefish (5-5) vs. No. 5 Libby (4-6)
8 p.m. - No. 3 Ronan (6-4) vs. No. 6 Bigfork (1-9)
* No. 1 Polson (7-3) and No. 2 Columbia Falls (7-3) have first-round byes