Jakob Cummins thought it was fake news.
Surely, his Kimberly boys basketball squad would not open their season in an NBA arena. Has to be fake. Cummins didn’t even hear it directly from his coach. Surely, it can’t be true?
Can it?
“I didn’t believe it,” Cummins, a KHS senior, told the Times-News.
It was true.
Shocked or not, two Magic Valley squads will gain a taste of the big leagues as Kimberly will battle Wendell at 1 p.m. Saturday in the Utah Jazz’s Delta Center in Salt Lake City.
It marks the first regular-season boys game for Magic Valley teams.
“It is really awesome,” Wendell senior Bodey Cutler told the Times-News. “We’re grateful that we have a chance to play there. Not many teams get to experience that. Just a fun, cool experience.”
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The Trojans landed the spot thanks to a connection from Jysen Lancaster, the school’s girls golf coach and former Gooding girls basketball coach, Trojans coach AJ Kelsey told the Times-News.
Kelsey’s squad played in the arena on Dec. 26, 2019, a 59-52 win over Carey, but things will be different. The players will step on a purple court, the Jazz’s special edition floor for the NBA In-Season Tournament.
The arena rebranded to the Delta Center, formerly known as the Vivint Smart Home Arena.
“It is kinda a once-in-a-lifetime thing,” Kelsey said. “The kids are just super excited.”
It’s a trip that requires fundraising, too. The Trojans hosted a free throw-thon and the boys will also attend Saturday night’s New Orleans Pelicans-Jazz game.
Boys on each side said they are excited to see superstars such as Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and Jordan Clarkson in-person.
Expect fast-paced squads with plenty of shooting.
The Bulldogs, who claimed the 3A state championship in 2022, will rely on its length and athleticism as three players boast dunking capabilities. Don’t forget the experience with four returning starters.
“I feel like this year we are going to be playing super fast and aggressive,” Kimberly senior Kasen Hammond told the Times-News. “We have a lot of length on defense and offense.”
Kimberly rolls into the season with six seniors, including returning All-Sawtooth Central Idaho Conference talents Cummins and Hammond.
“It (senior leadership) is gonna be a difference maker I think,” Bulldogs coach Daren Garey told the Times-News. “I hope it is our separator and that is what we are expecting anyways.”
Broden Anthony, a junior, earned First Team All-Conference honors last season.
Wendell, meanwhile, returns plenty, just a younger squad. Freshmen Jordan and Jonathan Swainston, and Jett Jasper earned varsity playing time last season and Kelsey said they will play a big part in the Trojans’ search for its first state tournament qualification since 2021.
“You can expect a fun team,” Wendell senior Edwin Valera told the Times-News. “We’re gonna be running fast and scoring a lot of points.”