Picture courtesy of Tanner Colvin

If all goes according to plan this weekend, Salina South and Salina Central won’t have to wait until the final day to meet up in the 47th annual Salina Invitational Tournament.

If the two Salina schools, separated by just one game and one championship in the tournament’s rich history, can survive as first-round favorites Thursday in their home gyms, a semifinal matchup awaits the following night at Kansas Wesleyan’s Mabee Arena.

“Anytime you get a South-Central potential matchup, that ramps things up even a little bit more,” said Salina South coach Jason Hooper, whose top-seeded Cougars take an 8-4 record into Thursday’s 7:30 p.m. matchup against No. 8 Wichita South (1-8) in the South gym. “Last year we played in that third-and-fourth place game, and it came down to the last possession of the game.”

“Those games are always going to be close, no matter what has happened through the course of the year.”

But first things first. Not only must the Cougars get past Wichita South, but No. 4 seed Salina Central (6-6) has to beat No. 5 De Soto (5-6) in its 7:30 p.m. opener at Central to reach the semifinals. If both teams lose, they also will meet, only in a consolation semifinal at South.

In what appears to be an evenly matched eight-team field, the other first-round matchup at South High has No. 3 seed Great Bend (5-5) facing No. 6 Wamego, while No. 2 Buhler (7-4) takes on No. 7 Abilene (2-8) at Central. Both games start at 4:30.

The four first-round winners advance to Mabee Arena for the final two rounds and the losers finish the tournament Friday and Saturday at South.

“It’s always a great tournament, and I think this year’s tournament is absolutely wide open,” Central coach Chris Fear said. “Solid team, but I don’t thing anybody’s head and shoulders above anyone else.”

While Salina South claimed the top seed, the team comes into the SIT off back-to-back losses last week at Maize (63-48) and at home to Maize South (54-29). But Maize is ranked No. 7 in Class 6A and Maize South sixth in 5A.

“You look at our schedule and it’s brutal,” Hooper said of the Cougars’ 2-4 start in Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League Division I. “You think about the losses that we’ve taken. Derby was the last minute, down to the last couple of plays in the game.

“We had a nice win at Hutchinson (53-48), and at Maize it was a four-point game in the fourth quarter, and that’s a team that’s highly ranked in 6A. There’s two 6A powerhouses we’re dropping games to, but we battled.”

Against Maize South, the Cougars were without senior center Gavin Devoe, their leading scorer at 12.7 points per game and rebounder at 9.0, as well as third-leading scorer Kobie Henley (8.8 ppg). Both were sick with the flu.

Senior forward Sawyer Walker averages 9.3 points, Jaxon Myers 8.3 points and Easton Wilcox 8.0 to round out a balanced Cougar lineup.

While South dropped its last two games, Central was on a roll until falling 68-57 to Goddard Eisenhower last Friday, winning five of six before that.

“We have been playing really well,” Fear said. “We’re halfway through, and things are going good, but you’ve got to remember that if you don’t play, you’re probably going to lose. And so, it’s a lesson we’re going to have to learn, and I know we will and that we’ll be ready to go (Thursday).”

Sophomore guard Kaeden Nienke leads a potent Central offense with 17.3 points per game, followed by senior center Greyson Jones with 16.1 points and 5.8 rebounds, and sophomore forward Grant Ostmeyer with 11.3 points and 4.0 rebounds.

“I know I’ll have their attention (this) week, and this group is great,” Fear said of practices leading up to the SIT. “They feel terrible about (Friday), but they can do something about it and hopefully we do.”

“The SIT is going to be a really good test for us, and it always is. It’s three days and who’s got the good depth and who gets hot, and we’re glad we’re playing at home.”

Before the recent surge, Central lost a tight regular-season game to South at Mabee Arena, 59-55, on Dec. 12.”

Hooper would like nothing more than to see his South team and Central square off at Wesleyan on Friday. That would mean both teams advanced, and one will reach the final.

“I hope we’re both on the winner’s side,” he said. “But I know De Soto is decent and plays a tough schedule.”

“And we’ve got to make sure we’re not looking ahead to the potential of that. If the chips fall there, then we’ll get there when we get there.”

Not surprisingly for a tournament that has seen the lineup of teams change over the years, Central and South have enjoyed the most success in the SIT, though Great Bend is the defending champion. Central leads the way with 14 championships, but has not won it all since 2019, while South is next with 13 titles, the most recent in 2021.

Interestingly, the Mustangs and Cougars are almost dead even since the tournament debuted in 1980, with Central posting an all-time record of 97-41 and South right behind at 96-42.

SALINA INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT

Boys schedule (REVISED)

Thursday’s first round

At Salina Central

No. 2 Buhler (7-4) vs. No. 7 Abilene (2-8), 4:30 p.m.

No. 4 Salina Central (6-6) vs. No. 5 De Soto (4-5), 7:30 p.m.

At Salina South

No. 3 Great Bend (5-5) vs. No. 6 Wamego (3-9), 4:30 p.m.

No. 1 Salina South (8-4) vs. No. 8 Wichita South (1-8), 7:30 p.m.

Friday’s games

At Kansas Wesleyan

Semifinals

Buhler-Abilene City winner vs. Great Bend-Wamego winner, 12:30 p.m.

Salina South-Wichita South winner vs. Salina Central-De Soto winner, 3:30 p.m.

At Salina South

Consolation bracket

Buhler-Abilene City loser vs. Great Bend-Wamego loser, 12:30 p.m.

Salina South-Wichita South loser vs. Salina Central-De Soto loser, 3:30 p.m.

Monday’s games

At Kansas Wesleyan

Third-place game, 4:30 p.m.

Championship game, 7:30 p.m.

At Salina South

Seventh-place game, 4:30 p.m.

Fifth-place game, 7:30 p.m.