RATHDRUM - Jay Plunkett is considered by the Lakeland High boys basketball team as the brains of the eight seniors that comprise the heart of the squad.

He is headed for the University of Oregon this fall, planning to major in nuclear physics on an academic scholarship. Plunkett, a 6-foot-5 starting post with a 3.97 cumulative grade-point average - the team has a combined 3.0 GPA - will earn his associates degree from North Idaho College this spring, as he has taken almost all of his courses, including the school's highest-level physics classes.

But Plunkett is definitely not the only interesting personality on the Hawks, who on Wednesday qualified for the state 4A boys basketball tournament for the first time since 2004.

Slader Ray, the team's other 6-foot-5 post, is another person with a funny story. In fact, leading scorer and guard Tyrel Derrick, the son of Lakeland athletic director Trent Derrick, fellow starting guards Jake Ram and Auston Henry, plus backup guards Kenny Cooper, Preston Roth and Devlin O'Neal, are all crackups.

But they have also been all business on the court for a team that is 16-6 and ranked No. 2 in the final boys basketball state media poll, headed into its first state tournament game, Thursday at 5:15 PST against Mountain Home (17-7) at Borah High in Boise.

The team plans on playing a mean game of Frisbee golf at a course near their hotel, although the team's no-Xbox rule curtails their preferred games of the militaristic video game, "Call of Duty."

Ask about the time Slader Ray's father threatened to take away his cell phone if he didn't try out for the basketball team, and it draws plenty of laughs from all eight of the players.

"It all started my freshman year," Ray said. "I was actually a football player and I got grounded, I don't remember what it was for. He told me, 'Hey, this will convince you to play basketball, then I'll give you your phone back.' And I was like, 'Who plays basketball? I thought basketball was dumb, right? Jay and I got into a little fight, so it got us (both) suspended but it was part of freshman year tryouts. But we made the 'C' (freshman) team and from that on I loved it and I've been working hard since then."

Jay and Ray, so to speak, have been a great team inside the lane.

"Slader and I got into a fight," said Plunkett, who has played with Ray during the past four years at various levels of high school ball. "From then on, it's been great. I feel we've played well especially after the incident. We became really good friends."

Ram is the new guy of the group, as he transferred from Bonners Ferry before his junior year last season, but has fit in nicely with the group. Ram's father, Warren Ram, works for Western States CAT Equipment Co. in Hayden.

"My parents gave me a choice of whether to go to Lakeland or Post Falls," Ram said. "I knew some of these guys (from playing against them in JV and 'C' squad games). They put me where my strengths were and I fit in pretty well."

Derrick, Henry, Cooper and Roth have played basketball together since fourth grade. Derrick called Ram and he "Splash Brothers", the nickname of the pair of NBA guards, former Washington State standout Klay Thompson and Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors.

"We've had a lot of fun and memories," said Derrick, who also played the saxophone for the high school band until this season. "Then I met these (other) guys in high school and the competitiveness of them, they bring it every day. I've seen them mature and I've matured with them and walking off that district court with a championship was surreal."

When Lakeland last played at state, Trent Derrick was head coach and the Hawks were in 3A. Each of the last three seasons these Hawks were in high school, Moscow won the 4A Region 1 title and the region's lone berth to state.

"It feels amazing," Cooper said. "It feels like we're starting a new trend here at Lakeland. The program gets an idea on its back that we need to go to state instead of being the bottom dog."

Derrick, like the other seven, was in first grade the last time the school advanced to state, finishing 1-2 in Meridian.

"I was actually really sick with the flu," Derrick recalled from that time. "I know those guys pretty well, it was Ricky Gallia and everyone. I looked up to them quite a bit, they took really good care of me. And I've always wanted to get back because it was such a fun time. It was always a goal and to have it achieved this last year, means a lot. I think our team's kind of a trail blazer for the program and coach (Dave) Stockwell does a great job of building basketball to a priority. I know we're going to have to rebuild (after this season). Hopefully, we've set a good example for the younger kids to look up to and excel for greatness and be proud of the school. I'm excited to see where it can go from here."

Stockwell is in his 29th season as a high school basketball head coach, 15th as a boys coach, and fourth season at Lakeland.

One of the turning points this season was when Lakeland went through its only losing streak of the season, when it lost on Jan. 22, 45-43 at home to Sandpoint, then lost again in its next game, 64-47 on Jan. 27 at Coeur d'Alene.

Lakeland learned quickly and went 6-1 the rest of the way, starting with a 68-35 nonleague rout of Lake City.

"After the loss to Cd'A, we didn't feel like we were as tough as a team playing zone (defense)," Stockwell said. "As luck would have it, we played Lake City and we played our best game of the season, when we went to a straight man defense. The good part about it is we're a good zone team as well."

Derrick averages 16.5 points per game, but he has had some good scoring support with Plunkett and Ram each averaging roughly eight points per game, with Plunkett showing 3-point shooting prowess at 38.5 percent. Ray is the leading rebounder with 5.5 boards per game.

Derrick was also the team's quarterback and plays golf with Roth and O'Neal. Cooper played football as a receiver and defensive back, on a team that reached the state 4A quarterfinals. Henry, Plunkett and Ram are all in track and field. Henry and Plunkett also played boys soccer.

"This is as close a team as I've ever had," Stockwell said. "I don't have to worry about them off the court. We have three team rules - do the right thing, do your best and treat others the way you want to be treated."

O'Neal was the leading scorer on the JV team last season before joining the varsity this season.

"Devlin is the glue to our team," Tyrel said. "Everywhere we go, we always take him and he makes us laugh."

Speaking of laughs, don't get Cooper anywhere near the fruit syrup.

"We have team dinners every Wednesday," Roth said. "It was breakfast for dinner at Jay's house. It was waffles and biscuits and gravy. Kenny Cooper had a waffle, but he doesn't like fruit syrup. So Auston and I put some fruit syrup on his fork when he wasn't looking and he got kind of upset. He threw my chair on the ground and I fell. Needless to say, his nickname is 'Fruit Syrup'."

Henry said those team dinners, bonding and making a strong team chemistry even better has shown at times on the court.

No shortage of laughs, good times and good hoops with these guys as they look to finish off their season with a state championship. No doubt, win or lose, there will be even more great memories.