Here is the first of four state tournament previews for the boys 5A bracket. While there will be team capsules that come out for each team, we wanted to look a little deeper at each team and then postulate as to how the game might look.
Coeur d’ Alene vs. Eagle
1:15 PM at the Idaho Center
The Eagle Mustangs (14-10) return to the state tournament after making it all the way to last year’s title game before falling to Post Falls. They return two players from that team, Daved Gillmor and Jon Van Dyk. Gillmor was a starter while Van Dyk played more of a supporting role.
The Coeur d’ Alene Vikings (15-7) qualify for the state tournament after winning the District I/II tournament. Their last appearance was in 2008 when they lost to Vallivue in the title game.
Eagle is led by the 6-6 senior, Gillmor, and 6-7 sophomore Braden Shaw. Gillmor finished the Southern Idaho Conference second in scoring and in the top 10 in rebounding. Shaw also finished in the top 10 in rebounds (click here to see all the statistics).
The Vikings are led by 6-4 junior Deon Watson. Watson is the team’s most athletic player and can play both in the post and on the perimeter. Cd’A will also get contributions from Chad Chalich. Chalich, though only about 6’0 tall, will do most of his damage from inside.
Both teams are athletic so the big question is how will they account for the other team’s advantages. Shaw was a league leader in blocked shots and defending Chalich gives him a large height advantage. However, Shaw, only a sophomore and performing on a bigger stage could be prone to foul trouble if Cd’A plays it right. Look for Eagle to start with Gillmor on Chalich and let Shaw roam the paint.
Still unaccounted for is Watson. With size and the ability to play multiple positions, it will be interesting to see how Viking’s coach Kent Leiss uses him and how Mustang’s coach Tom Seifert responds.