Eastern Idaho Big School Players to Watch

<p>Wrapping up our tour of the beautiful state of Idaho, we head east toward Montana and Wyoming and the lovely views found in Yellowstone National Park. The eastern part of the state is home to a larger population base that is also filled with a lot of great schools who always seem to produce quality talent when it comes to basketball. A lot of players from this side of the state are born into families who have long lines of great basketball players and it is almost as if the skills and abilities are passed down from generation to generation. Continue reading for a look at some of the top players from big schools in eastern Idaho.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1108109" first="Cooper" last="Kesler"], Hillcrest:</strong> Kesler is one of the best shooters in the state of Idaho and he has routinely shown his ability to get hot and stay hot at any point throughout a game. Cooper has been working this offseason to find ways to become a better passer and dribbler in order to round out his game and make him even more of an offensive threat. Watch for Kesler to have a great senior year during the 2021-22 season of competition.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1108112" first="Ryan" last="Payne"], Pocatello:</strong> Payne has proven himself to be a great point guard for Pocatello and this next season will see him take on more of a leadership and scoring role. Payne is spending his offseason getting into great shape in order to be able to lead Pocatello’s run and gun style of offense that loves to score large amounts of points as often as possible. Along with this, Ryan is looking to increase his rebounding stats per game so that he can start the fast break without needing an outlet pass. Watch for Payne to blossom for Pocatello this season.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1108113" first="Garrett" last="Phippen"], Hillcrest:</strong> Pairing up with Kesler, Phippen is looking to be a leader for Hillcrest at the point guard position. Garrett already has really solid handles and passing skills, and more playing time in the upcoming season should help him to truly lead the team and put them in the right places at the right times. Look for Garrett to have a great season for Hillcrest.</p>