Columbia Falls boys basketball coach Cary Finberg has seen his share of state tournaments and state championships in his 14 seasons on the hardcourt.

He has guided the Wildcats to the state tournament seven of the last nine years, missing out in 2007 and 2008. His team has played on Saturday night five times during that stretch, winning three state titles, placing second once and third once.

Last year his Wildcats finished second to Dillon in an emotional tournament.

But heading into this year’s Class A state action, he says it’s far different from many of the others he’s witnessed or coached in.

“I don’t remember a year like this,” he said.

“Seven of the eight teams are back from last year.”

The other returnees are: Billings Central, Butte Central, Browning, Corvallis and Laurel.

Polson is in this year, replacing Whitefish.

And there is something different about this year’s field.

“The top two teams from each conference went,” he said.

“Normally there is an upset. That didn’t happen either.”

All of which will make for a very competitive tournament starting Thursday in the Butte Civic Center.

“The eight teams that should be there are there,” he said.

“Obviously, different matchups (from last year). You have a lot of teams that have that state experience, they know what to expect. That makes for a great tournament.”

Finberg also says that makes for “no easy games at this point.”

Like the first round matchup between Columbia Falls (18-2) and Laurel (18-3) at 6:30 p.m.

Columbia Falls, ranked No. 2 in Class A, won last week’s Northwestern A divisional, while No. 1 Laurel lost to Billings Central in the Eastern A divisional final, and then needed a challenge-game victory on Monday over Glendive, 59-41, to advance to state.

In the same bracket with the Wildcats are No. 3 Browning (15-5) and No. 4 Dillon (17-3). Dillon and Browning play at 8 p.m.

Those four teams have the best records in the tournament field.

“Billings Central and Laurel are teams that are very similar,” Finberg said.

“They played three games (this season). One went into five overtimes, one was in overtime. Either one of those teams are quality teams. We we’re going to have to play one (sooner or later) any way.”

Finberg’s main concern with Laurel centers on the team’s style of play.

“They are not overly tall,” he said.

“They have a couple 6-3 kids, but they are very physical, a very athletic team,” he said.

“They will get after you man-to-man, pressure the guards.”

Finberg said one of the areas the Wildcats tried to improve on this season was ball handling.

“I think we handled it better as the year went along,” he said.

“That was one of our concerns earlier in the year.

“I don’t know if we have seen the type of pressure Laurel will throw at us,” he added.

“Glacier, Flathead, Sentinel, Big Sky — those teams are very strong and athletic. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

Columbia Falls did fare well against those four AA teams, going 3-1.

“I thought we played probably our best overall basketball at the divisional tournament,” Finberg said.

“Twenty-four turnovers combined in the last two games. Defensively we played well in both games. It seemed we played with a calm and confidence that we hadn’t really seen for a lot of the year until later in the year. I’m just glad it carried over to the tournament.”

Columbia Falls can hang much of its success this season on several things ...

-- Finberg has gone with the same starting lineup in 18 of 20 games. Kaleb Johnson, a 6-foot-3 junior forward, missed two games with injuries but is back in the lineup.

-- Six different players — Johnson, Kyle Howell (5-11 senior guard), Michael Williams (6-1 senior guard), Mitchell Wassam (6-2 senior forward), Austin Barth (6-5 sophomore forward) and Nick Emerson (6-4 junior guard) — have led the Wildcats in scoring at one time or another. Howell is averaging 11.5 points per game, followed by Barth and Wassam at 9.5, Williams and Johnson at 9 and Emerson at 8. Johnson leads the team in rebounding, 8.5 per game, with Barth next at 6.3 and followed by Howell at 4.8. “We have balance,” Finberg said. “We just don’t have that one or two big scorers that we’ve had in the past. That can be a negative, or a positive, depending how you look at it. But we’ve had guys step up for us when we needed them to. Some of these guys would be bigger scorers on different teams or if they had different roles, but the kids have bought into the team concept.”

-- Defensively, the Wildcats are holding opponents to 31 percent shooting. That’s a percentage best during Finberg’s tenure. “Our size, length and athleticism has a lot to do with that percentage, he said. “Teams generally don’t get a lot of open looks against us.” And since the Wildcats outrebound their foes 34-24, there are not as many easy putbacks under the basket. “This team can do a few more things (defensively) than the other teams I’ve had,” Finberg said. “And having some size throughout the lineup, that’s something the other teams didn’t have.”

-- Columbia Falls is averaging 61 points per game, while allowing 43.

“Our goal at the start of the year was to get back to the state tournament,” Finberg said.

“We’ve accomplished that goal. Now we have to reassess and play that Thursday game.

“The state tournament is your reward for having a great season,” he added.

“The kids need to enjoy it, go down there and have some fun and see what happens.”

Class A State

Boys Basketball

At Butte

Thursday

12:30 p.m. — Billings Central (12-8) vs. Polson (12-9)

2 p.m. — Butte Central (14-6) vs. Corvallis (14-6)

6:30 p.m. — Columbia Falls (18-2) vs. Laurel (18-3)

8 p.m. — Browning (15-5) vs. Dillon (17-3)