KELLOGG – The 2025 Boys Silver Valley Tournament is sporting a new look this year. 

After decades as a four-team, two-day tournament, this year’s event will shift to a showcase format featuring the same four teams, but without the traditional bracket-style competition. 

Kellogg will host Wallace, Genesis Prep, and Kendrick. The Wildcats face Genesis Prep on Friday night and the defending 2A champion Tigers on Saturday. Wallace will take on Kendrick on Friday and Genesis Prep on Saturday. 

For years, the tournament included the three Silver Valley schools, but in 2018, Mullan opted out. Since then, Wallace and Kellogg have alternated hosting duties, inviting teams like Lakeside, Post Falls JV, Timberline, and Timberlake to round out the field. 

The State’s move to MaxPreps for ranking and seeding has increased the importance of strong non-conference schedules, prompting teams to rethink events with uncertain matchups. Under the new showcase format, teams know their opponents in advance, allowing coaches and athletic directors to gauge the value of each game. 

Kellogg coach Mike Martin feels that the change is good for the host teams and hopes to see it continue.

"It will be different than what we’re used to, but it does help balance out our schedule a bit," he said. "In prior years, we have wound up playing a team three times because we wound up getting matched up with them in the SVT, so this format helps us alleviate some possible schedule issues."

For Wallace, the showcase offers a chance to face Scenic Idaho Conference rival Genesis Prep in a non-league contest and measure up against one of the best in the 2A classification. 

“Kendrick is talented and they have great athletes,” Wallace coach Jared Young said. “It’s going to be a great test to see where we’re actually at.” 

The Miners, who open their season tonight on the road at Lakeside, will feature two new starters and await junior Emmett Myles’ return from a collarbone injury suffered during football season. Sophomores Cooper Miller and Lennox Radford join juniors Henry Larson and Reece Williams as the team’s foundation. 

“We have about a week and a half of basketball under our belts right now,” Young said. 

Meanwhile, the Wildcats, who host Moscow tonight, return a veteran core from last year’s 12-win squad but will be without one starter and a key rotation player for their first three games, including the season opener and matchups with Genesis Prep and Kendrick. 

Coach Martin will rely on juniors Porter Lewis, Ty Cheney, and Evan Vindasius, along with senior Cayden Honnerlaw, to lead the offense while incorporating promising young players and reserves from last season. 

Wallace faces Kendrick Friday at 5:30 p.m., followed by Kellogg vs. Genesis Prep at 7 p.m.