WIAA state boys basketball preview

MADISON, Wis. - THE CHAMPIONSHIPS: The 95th Annual Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Boys Basketball State Championships will take place Thursday-Saturday, March 18-20, at the Kohl Center on the campus of the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wis. Ticket prices for the tourney are $8 per session for all seating.

CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHEDULE AND PAIRINGS: The single elimination tournament features eight teams in Division 1 and four each in Divisions 2, 3 and 4.

*Note: The second game of each session will begin approximately 25 minutes following the first game of the session.

Thursday, March 18

9:05 a.m. 4 Royall (20-7) vs. Randolph (27-0)
10:45 a.m. 4 Clayton (25-1) vs. Green Bay N.E.W. Lutheran (17-10)*

1:35 p.m. 1 Antigo (24-0) vs. Appleton East (21-5)
3:15 p.m. 1 Madison Memorial (21-4) vs. Neenah (17-9)

6:35 p.m. 1 Milwaukee Hamilton (20-3) vs. Marquette (18-8)
8:15 p.m. 1 Arrowhead (22-3) vs. Verona (18-7)*

Friday, March 19
9:05 a.m. 3 Blair-Taylor (24-3) vs. Racine St. Catherine's (23-4)
10:45 a.m. 3 Regis (22-5) vs. Brillion (23-4)*

1:35 p.m. 2 Sauk Prairie (21-6) vs. Catholic Memorial (25-2)
3:15 p.m. 2 Northwestern (23-4) vs. Kiel (19-6)*

6:35 p.m. 1 Division 1 semifinal (Thurs. afternoon winners)
8:15 p.m. 1 Division 1 semifinal (Thurs. evening winners)*

Saturday, March 20
12:05 p.m. 4 Division 4 Championship Game
1:45 p.m. 3 Division 3 Championship Game*

6:35 p.m. 2 Division 2 Championship Game
8:15 p.m. 1 Division 1 Championship Game*

TEAM TOURNAMENT HISTORY: The first WIAA State Boys Basketball Championship Tournament was held in 1916. This will be the 13th year the Kohl Center has hosted the championships since moving from the UW Field House in 1998. The tournament featured a one-class format until 1934 when, for two years (1934-35), there were two classes. From 1936 until 1939, the tournament increased to three classes, and then returned to the one class format in 1940. A one-class tourney prevailed until 1972 when it again became a two-class event. The tourney went to three classes again in 1974 and remained that way until the current four-division format was adopted in 1991. Beloit and Randolph have won seven State championships, the most titles won by any member school. Milwaukee King, Milwaukee Vincent and Milwaukee Lincoln have won five championships. There have been 103 different schools that have won championships. Superior Central owns the record for the most State Tournament appearances with 27, followed by Beloit with 26 and then Eau Claire and Neenah with 25.

ABOUT THE DIVISION 1 FIELD: Defending champion Madison Memorial returns for its seventh consecutive appearance, which also accounts for the Spartans' overall total. They also won the State title in 2005 and finished runner-up in 2004, 2006 and 2008. They continue their string of appearances after defeating Middleton 56-54 in the Middleton Sectional final. The Spartans are co-champions of the Big Eight Conference with Madison East this season. Neenah will experience its 25th State Tournament, which ties for third-most among member schools. It is the Rockets' first appearance since 2000. They have won three championships. Those came in 1930, 1975, and 1978. In addition, they have an abundance of runner-up results, including 1920, 1939, 1969, 1970, 1972 and 1988. The Rockets finished third in the Fox Valley Association this season, and they advanced to State by virtue of their 48-42 win over Sheboygan South in the Oshkosh North Sectional final. Antigo has earned a berth in the State Tournament for the 13th time and its first since 1995. The Red Robins' have not advanced past the semifinals in any of their previous appearances. The return to State came by virtue of a 62-45 win over Merrill in the Marshfield Sectional final. The Red Robins were the champions of the Great Northern Conference this year. Appleton East qualifies for the final field of eight for the sixth time and for the first time since 1996. The Patriots finished runner-up at State on two occasions, in 1986 and 1990. They edged De Pere 42-40 in the Green Bay West Sectional final following a second-place finish in the Fox Valley Association this season. Milwaukee Hamilton will make the trip to Madison for the fourth time overall and the first time since 1992. The Wildcats were crowned champions in 1972. This year, they finished atop the Milwaukee City Conference standings and advanced from the sectional co-hosted by Germantown and Arrowhead at the Al McGuire Center with an 88-66 win over Racine Park in the final. Verona is back at State for the third time overall and for the first time since consecutive appearances in 2006-07. The Wildcats have fallen in the quarterfinals on both of those previous occasions. They defeated Kenosha Bradford 55-48 in the final of the Beloit Memorial Sectional after finishing tied for third in the Badger Conference this season. Arrowhead is also making its third appearance. The last time the Warhawks stepped on the court in the State

Tournament was in 2006 when they advanced to the semifinals. They defeated Menomonee Falls 50-48 in the final of the sectional co-hosted by Germantown and Arrowhead at the Al McGuire Center. The Warhawks placed runner-up to Division 2 qualifier Catholic Memorial in the Classic Eight Conference this season. Marquette makes it first-ever appearance at state following an 80-47 whipping of Milwaukee King in the final of the sectional co-hosted by Germantown and Arrowhead at the Al McGuire Center in Milwaukee. The Hilltoppers finished runner-up to Menomonee Falls in the Greater Metro Conference this season. Prior to joining the WIAA, Marquette won 15 WISAA championships and were runner-up nine times.

ABOUT THE DIVISION 2 FIELD: Northwestern is making its second straight tournament appearance and its third overall. Each of the previous experiences resulted in a loss in the semifinals. The Tigers won the Heart O'North Conference title this year. They defeated Onalaska 58-47 in the final of the Durand Sectional to earn their repeat trip to State. Sauk Prairie will experience the State Tournament for the third time and for the first time since back-to-back appearances in 1996-97. They finished runner-up on both those endeavors. This year, the Eagles qualify following a second-place standing in the Badger North Conference and a 54-41 win over Edgewood in the Waunakee Sectional final. Kiel advances to the State Tournament for only the second time and for the first time since 1974 when the Raiders finished runner-up in Class B. They defeated perennial power Seymour 52-49 in the Green Bay West Sectional after finishing in a tie for second place in the Eastern Wisconsin Conference. Catholic Memorial returns to the State Tournament for the first time since the Crusaders won the Division 2 title in their first-ever appearance in 2004. They defeated Whitefish Bay 52-35 in the sectional final hosted by Germantown and Arrowhead at the Al McGuire Center. The Crusaders are co-champions of the Classic Eight Conference this season. Before joining the WIAA as a former member of WISAA, they finished runner-up in 1995.

ABOUT THE DIVISION 3 FIELD: Defending champion Racine St. Catherine's returns to State for the fifth time, all coming in the last six years. The Angels won three straight State championships from 2005-07. The first of those was in Division 2. The Angels were also a perennial power in the now defunct WISAA. They won nine titles and finished runner-up 11 times. The championships came in 1958, 1959, 1961, 1969, 1971, 1977, 1985, 1992 and 1993. The Angels finished third in the Midwest Classic Conference this season. They advanced out of the West Allis Central Sectional with a 59-45 win over Winnebago Lutheran in the final. Blair-Taylor moves up a division after qualifying in Division 4 last season. It is the sixth overall State appearance for the Wildcats. They have lost in the semifinals in each of their five previous experiences at State. The Wildcats defeated Poynette 81-72 in the Baraboo Sectional final to earn their return engagement. They are the co-champions of the Dairyland Conference with Whitehall this season. Regis is appearing in its third State Tournament in the last four seasons, which also accounts for its overall total. The Ramblers have been eliminated from title contention in the semifinals in each of their previous two trips in 2007 and 2008. They earned their return to Madison with a 53-38 victory over Thorp in the Eau Claire North Sectional final after placing runner-up in the Cloverbelt Conference this season. While a member of WISAA, the Ramblers won championships in 1947, 1948 and in 1952, and finished runners-up in 1954, 1962, 1995 and 1997. Brillion is celebrating its first-ever appearance in the State Tournament. The Lions' earned the berth by defeating Marathon 66-63 in the Ashwaubenon Sectional final. They completed the Olympian Conference slate in third place this winter.

ABOUT THE DIVISION 4 FIELD: Randolph returns for the seventh time in the last nine years and for the 13th time overall. The Rockets won four straight titles from 2002-05 and to go with titles in 1996, 1998 and 2007. The seven titles are tied for the most of any member school. They also added a runner-up finish in 1997. The Rockets are the champions of the Central Trailways Conference this year. They defeated Barneveld 51-31 in the Fort Atkinson Sectional final to earn a return trip to the Kohl Center. Clayton will play in its third State Tournament overall and it first since 2002. The Bears only other appearance came in 2000. In both previous experiences, they lost in the semifinals. They defeated Prentice 66-49 in the Spooner Sectional final to earn their berth into the tourney field. The Bears are the champions of the Lakeland Conference this season. Royall will be making its first-ever appearance in the State Tournament. The Panthers earn their initial appearance by knocking off McDonell Central 47-42 in the Onalaska Sectional