Player of the Year: Larsen sealed his place in Hillcrest lore with a magical senior season
Published at | Updated at
AMMON — Hillcrest High School, which opened in 1992, has sent a team to the boys basketball state championship five times. Senior Titan Larsen has played in four of those championship games — winning twice (in 2022 and 2023)
Add in the two state championship football games Larsen has played in — including a 5A state championship this year — and he has been involved in six title games, and part of three title teams.
“He’s definitely one of the best players that will ever go through our program,” said Hillcrest basketball coach Mat Barber.
Asked if he believes he ranks among the top athletes to ever don a Knights uniform, Larsen said he believes he isn’t the best nor the worst athlete to walk the Hillcrest halls. He chose, instead of taking credit, to pass it along to his coaches and teammates.
“It just goes to show how great my coaches were during those times,” Larsen said. “Coaches and teammates got me to those state championships, so I’m just grateful for them.”
Larsen led the Knights all season, averaging around 18 points, eight rebounds and four assists per game as a senior.
Despite this being his first year as the top scoring option — having been a starter but third or fourth scorer since his sophomore year — Larsen finishes his high school career with just under 900 varsity points scored, according to Barber.
That total got a bit of a boost on Feb. 12, when Larsen led Hillcrest to a 76-38 victory over the Shelley Russets. Larsen posted the night of all Knights, setting school records with 11 3-pointers made and 44 points scored.
Looking back on that game, Larsen said it will always hold a special place in his memory bank, but added that it did not feel like a special night out of the gates.
“I actually missed my first two,” he recalled. “I just kept shooting and I started making them.”
Barber said his senior led the team all night, but things got really special in the third quarter, when Larsen connected on six of his 11 triples.
The numbers, though records, did not come as a complete surprise to Barber, who said Larsen benefits from a tireless work ethic, something Larsen himself said he learned from his father — the hardest worker he knows.
“Not too many athletes have the work ethic that Titan has,” Barber said. “He works super-hard during the offseason, the season. … I couldn’t tell you how many times Titan text me on a Saturday afternoon, Sunday, and says, ‘Hey, can I get your keys to the gym.'”
Larsen, who estimates he takes somewhere between 10,000 and 15,000 practice shots per year, is not just a scorer, though, as evidence in his well-rounded averages. At 6-foot-2, he was one of Hillcrest’s most reliable rebounders this season — from the guard position. And on nights when his shooting is off, or defenses are hounding him, he is happy to take on the role of playmaker, setting up his teammates.
“He’s the guy that does everything that he can to win basketball games,” Barber said.
The proof is in the pudding for Larsen, whose six state championship appearances are more than some schools across the state.
As for what he plans to do after graduation, Larsen said he has some junior college offers for both football and basketball. Right now, he thinks he will take the gym route rather than the gridiron
Regardless of what he chooses for his future, Larsen has cemented himself among the most successful athletes to come through Hillcrest High School, and his record-setting senior season was the icing on the cake of that career.
EastIdahoNews.com comment boards are a place for open, honest, and civil communication between readers regarding the news of the day and issues facing our communities. We encourage commenters to stay on topic, use positive and constructive language, and be empathetic to the feelings of other commenters. THINK BEFORE YOU POST. Click here for more details on our commenting rules.