Here were SBLive’s 25 scorers in Idaho high school boys basketball in 2021-22

When Idaho high school boys basketball programs needed a bucket this season, these 25 players answered the call time and time again.

SBLive Idaho talked to coaches on identifying the most clutch scorers in Idaho. Names are broken down by classification, and listed in alphabetical order:

CLASS 5A

F Karson Barber, Rigby, sr.

Barber was a man’s man at 6-foot-4, 215 pounds. Once he got into the low post, it was a wrap. But he didn’t rely on others to feed him the ball. Barber regularly created his own shot, which included from the perimeter too. He particularly liked shooting it from beyond the arch.

C Blake Buchanan, Lake City, jr.

The 6-11 center was arguably already the most athletic player in the state. He used that to almost score at will inside, often capped by show-stopping dunks. But Buchanan added a perimeter game this season, shooting better than 36% from 3-point range. He holds five Division I offers, including Pepperdine.

G Liam Campbell, Owyhee, soph.

The 6-5 guard might be the best scorer on this list with his ability to score at a highly effective rate on all three levels. Even on the off chance of holding him in check, you’d look down at the box score and he still have 16 points. It all helped Owyhee make history in winning a state title in its first year of existence. He has several D1 offers, including USC.

G Logan Crane, Madison, sr.

Crane was listed on rosters at 6-1, but on the court he appeared much taller than that with his long body. He understood angles, slashed to the basket and shot the ball all extremely well. It all made him hard to contain as he led the Bobcats to a third-place finish for their fourth trophy in five years.

G/F Weston Johnson, Centennial, sr.

It didn’t matter where the 6-4 wing was lined up at. He was the definition of positionless basketball and could score from one through five. Johnson could have put up even bigger numbers if he wanted to, but knew his team needed rebounding. But when it mattered most, he delivered with a Cinderella run to the state title game.

F Donovan Jones, Eagle, sr.

Jones used his high basketball IQ to light up the scoreboard in a bevy of ways this season. It made sense, considering the 6-4 forward is heading to Stanford for football in the fall. Being athletic, long and moving his feet well all contributed to his scoring ability as well. It all resulted in him leading the Mustangs to their first 20-win season in 13 years.

G Kolton Mitchell, Lake City, jr.

The 6-1 point guard was the engine that made the machine known as the Timberwolves - the wire-to-wire No. 1 ranked team in the state this season - go. His driving ability helped him get a lot of easy baskets, shooting 61.4% from inside the perimeter. And even if opponents kept him out of there, he shot 37% from 3-point range.

G/F Nate Ojukwu, Mountain View, jr.

If the name sounds familiar, it should. The 6-6 wing followed in the footsteps of sister Naya Ojukwu (Utah), who is widely considered one of the best players ever to come out of Idaho. Like her, Nate Ojukwu overpowered players in the paint by playing above the rim. He also added a bit of a perimeter game towards the end of the year.

G Jack Payne, Owyhee, sr.

The 6-5 point guard’s role wasn’t to score. He was the facilitator on a team filled with underclassmen who had never played together before. But when needed, Payne could stuff the stat sheets with the best of them. The Colorado State commit went from teams leaving him open last year to shooting 37% from 3 by the end of this season.

G Austin Ramos, Meridian, sr.

It was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Warriors, who lost virtually everyone from the 2021 championship team. But the 6-1 guard made sure to give them a valiant title defense by nearly knocking off eventual state champion Owyhee in the state semis in a double overtime classic. Ramos made a name for himself with his knockdown outside shooting.

G/F Tyler Shipp, Centennial, sr.

Shipp joined his cousin Johnson from Las Vegas this season, and boy did the move pay off for him and the Patriots. He’s probably the best 3-point shooter on here. The 6-6 wing shot 47% from beyond the arch and won the 3-point shootout at the all-star game. But he found other ways to score with his smooth athletic ability.

CLASS 4A

G Julian Bowie, Pocatello, soph.

Thunder head coach Joe Green admitted there were several times this year that he forgot his 6-3 guard was a sophomore. Bowie certainly didn’t look like a second-year player. He developed things that it takes others years to. They include a college-level jumper, which he demonstrated a plethora of times, mainly with a hand in his face.

C Isaac Davis, Hillcrest, soph.

Knights’ head coach Dave Austin called the 6-7 center “the most dominating player in the state of Idaho.” It’s hard to argue with that statement. He was virtually unguardable downlow with his soft touch around the basket. Davis shot 68% from the floor en route to Hillcrest’s first title in school history.

G Isiah Harwell, Century, fr.

There’s usually growing pains with a ninth grader, no matter how talented he or she is. Consider Harwell the rare exception. It was pretty impressive being that Harwell is already 6-5 and his handles were as good if not better than anyone else’s. It allowed him to go inside and out almost at will. It’s no wonder schools like Texas Tech are already offering.

G Cooper Kesler, Hillcrest, sr.

The 6-3 guard was the leading scorer on a team that didn’t lose to anyone from the Gem State and ended the year on a 24-game winning streak. Few if any saw the floor better and he used that to score in a multitude of different ways. His bread and butter, though, was from behind the arch, shooting nearly 40% from there alone.

G Michael Lloyd, Jerome, sr.

Usually when a kid is 6-5, he’s either a backcourt or front court player. Lloyd was both, which made him difficult to game plan for and an even tougher matchup. His versatility included, and was not limited to, posting up in the low block and stepping back from 3-point range where he made 65 3s this season.

G Jacob Martinez, Vallivue, sr.

Martinez was relentless at getting to the rim. Not even face guarding could stop him from doing that. But the 6-0 guard also routinely made defenders pay from the outside too. This wasn’t by coincidence. He never missed a day and went so far as to hold 6 a.m. shootarounds himself.

F Tyler Medaris, Middleton, sr.

It would be easier to list what Medaris doesn’t do well. The answer is really nothing now. The 6-7 forward was really known for his dominance with his back to the basket. But he broadened his scoring ability by developing a perimeter game after personally getting advice from Utah Valley coach and former NBA player Mark Madsen.

CLASS 3A

G DJ Green, McCall-Donnelly, sr.

If there was one thing Green didn’t lack, it was confidence. Despite playing on a program that had been to state just once in 30 years prior to his arrival, the 6-1 guard routinely believed he was the best player every time he stepped on the floor. His quickness and burst also helped him lead the Vandals to back-to-back state runner-up finishes.

CLASS 2A

G Jordan Lenz, North Fremont, sr.

Before the 6-1 guard’s arrival, the Huskies hadn’t been to state in four years and posted just one winning season during that time. Lenz ended his prolific career with an 87-12 record that included a pair of state championships. He was prolific from 3-point range (45%) and at the rim with the ability to dribble-drive and finish with either hand.

G Joe Reiber, Melba, sr.

There was no containing the 6-2 guard this season. His athletic prowess and work ethic often went unmatched to the point where he scored at will from both inside and outside. It all led to the Mustangs getting past the opening round at state and winning a championship for the first time in 11 years.

CLASS 1A (D1)

G Vander Brown, Lakeside, jr.

No one averaged more points than the 6-0 point guard at 29 points per game. And that wasn’t a fluke with his ability to light defenses up from almost anywhere on the floor. Whether it was from downtown, free throws or driving the lane, Brown got his points.

F Kase Wynott, Lapwai, soph.

Wynott took the reins from Titus Yearout as the Wildcats’ go-to scorer. It largely had to do with the fact that he grew three inches over the summer to 6-6. Defenses just couldn’t account for those long arms and the athletic ability to boot as he helped Lapwai win its 12th overall title and finish unbeaten for the first time in 33 years.

G Titus Yearout, Lapwai, sr.

Yearout couldn’t make it three years in a row leading the entire state in scoring. But the 6-2 guard was one of the state’s most prolific scorers nonetheless while being guarded by the opponent’s best defender. The University of Idaho signee had to develop his shooting game, but still routinely found his way inside for his patented highlight reel dunk.

CLASS 1A (D2)

G Teague Matthews, Rockland, soph.

The Bulldogs claimed the first state title in program history and they owe a lot of that to their 6-5 sophomore. Even if opposing defenses were fortunate enough to stop him inside with that frame, he was so athletic enough that it often didn't matter with his outside game too.

HONORABLE MENTION

G Kaden Christensen , Centennial, sr.

G Scott Cook, Jerome, jr.

F Dallin Criddle, Liberty Charter, sr.

G Jaxon Dines, Homedale, jr.

G Tristan Gentry-Nelson, St. Maries, sr.

F Blake Hawthorne, Bishop Kelly, sr.

G Ryan Payne, Pocatello, sr.