South Central Idaho Big School Players to Watch

<p>Heading east from Idaho’s capital city, we will now take a look at some of the best players from bigger schools surrounding the Chobani factory in south central Idaho. This area is home to one of the most dominant junior college basketball programs in the nation and there are usually a few players on the roster that come from local high schools. Many players here play a much more physical brand of basketball as a result of spending time in the summers on farms or generally playing against more physical players in open gyms. Continue reading for a look at some of the top players from big schools in south central Idaho.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1108108" first="Brandon" last="Bethel"], Mountain Home:</strong> Though Mountain Home could arguably be a part of the greater Boise area, their district is mainly made up of schools from south central Idaho and therefore they will be considered a part of this region. Nonetheless, Bethel is one of the best point guards in the state. He can score at a high level against any and all defenders and he has a great understanding of how to play the game in clutch moments. Bethel has been working this summer to improve his consistency from deep while extending his range as well to become even more of a threat.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1171710" first="Gatlin" last="Bair"], Kimberly:</strong> Bair has already shown a really special basketball ability at a young age. Gatlin plays with the skill and confidence of an upperclassmen and he never backs down from anyone on the court. Bair can score at all three levels and already does a great job of setting the pace and tempo of the game whenever he is on the floor. This summer, Gatlin is looking to improve his rebounding ability while also honing his passing skills in order to help get his teammates more involved on the offensive end.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1171749" first="JJ" last="Funk"], Canyon Ridge:</strong> JJ is already 6’5" and nowhere close to being done growing. He has a great ability to spread the floor as a stretch-forward while being able to knock down an outside jumper or battle in the post for tough finishes around the hoop. Funk is looking to improve on his long-range jumper while also working on his physicality and ability to guard in the post.</p>