5A Inland Empire All-Conf. Standouts

<p>Compared to the prior article featuring the eastern part of the lovely state of Idaho, this article is exactly the opposite in almost every part of the imagination. The Inland Empire Conference features the best teams in northern Idaho, right across the border from the Spokane area. Although the Zags are still trying to recover from Baylor’s defensive tenacity, a lot of great basketball was played at the prep level in northern Idaho during this past season. Basketball has always been one of the best sports played up north and this year proved that a lot of great players deserve greater recognition from this area. Continue reading for a look at some of the best players from the 5A Inland Empire All-Conference team.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="919684" first="Caden" last="McLean"], Post Falls:</strong> McLean was one of the co-conference players of the year this past season and he did it all for Post Falls. Caden was an excellent scoring option and he finishes really well at the rim on drives to the basket and is also skilled with runners and pull up jumpers when he stops short of taking it all the way. McLean has developed a deadly jumper from deep during his time as a Trojan and McLean makes defenders have to reconsider their game plan to try and find ways to at least contain him.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="923086" first="Kolton" last="Mitchell"], Lake City:</strong> The other co-conference player of the year, Mitchell will be a problem up north for years to come. As only a sophomore, Kolton was a key part of a Lake City team that finished second in state this season and will be hungry for more in his remaining two seasons of eligibility at the high school level. Kolton has a great looking jump shot and he plays the game at a really high level all around. He finishes with finesse at the rim and one of his greatest skills is the ability to truly run the offense, even as an underclassmen.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="921077" first="Cameren" last="Cope"], Coeur d’Alene:</strong> With one season remaining, Cope will look to build on an excellent junior campaign with the Vikings. Cope is a double-double machine who is not afraid to get physical in the post. He likes to use his size and strength to his advantage and Cope is routinely the first player to the boards on both ends of the floor. Cameren will be a tough cover as he continues to expand his range and offensive skills.</p>