The rest of the WIAA boys field
Here is a look at the out-of-area teams competing at the state boys basketball tournament.
Division 1
Oshkosh North (25-1, 17-1 Fox Valley
Association, first): The Spartans finished the regular season ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press and state coaches polls. First-year coach Brad Weber was an assistant to long-time coach Frank Schade, who retired after last season. Senior Tyrese Haliburton was named the Gatorade state player of the year last week. Sun Prairie (25-1, 17-1 Big Eight, first): The Cardinals finished ranked second in both state polls. Sophomore standout Jalen Johnson and his brother, Kobe, a freshman, are the sons of former Milwaukee Marshall standout Roderick Johnson, who went on to play at UWMilwaukee and Southeast Missouri State. Senior Marlon Ruffin was the conference player of the year.
Division 2
Kaukauna (23-3, 16-2 Fox Valley Association, second): The Galloping Ghosts, the 2016 state champions, have been the state’s top-ranked team for most of the season. They finished second to Oshkosh North in conference play. Jordan McCabe and Dylan Kurey started on the 2016 final.
La Crosse Central (24-2, 11-1 Mississippi Valley, first): The defending state champion’s losses came to Eau Claire North in the season opener and Onalaska on Jan. 19. The team, which was ranked No. 2 in both final polls, has won 13 straight games, including 10 straight by double digits.
Division 3
Prescott (24-2, 14-0 Middle Border, first): Last year’s runner-up has lost only to Minnesota schools. Senior guard Peter Brookshaw (30.3 ppg) ranks fifth in the state in scoring among players with at least 15 games played. The team’s highest final ranking was fifth by the Associated Press.
Valders (23-3, 12-2 Eastern Wisconsin,
first): The Vikings, ranked ninth by AP and 10th by the coaches, tied for the conference title with New Holstein, a team it lost to by 13 in the regularseason finale. They defeated topranked and previously undefeated Appleton Xavier in the sectional final and are back at state for the first time since 1984.
Division 4
Clear Lake (25-0, 12-0 Central Lakeland, first): The Warriors, ranked No. 2 and No. 4, respectively, by the AP and the coaches, are back at state for the first time since 1972. Junior forward Bailey Blanchard leads the team in scoring (19.6 ppg) and is second in rebounding (7.4 rpg).
Manitowoc Roncalli (21-5, 10-4, third
Eastern Wisconsin): The Jets, ranked ninth by the coaches, finished two games behind co-champion Valders and New Holstein in league play before reaching state for the second straight year.
Marathon (22-4, 12-4 Marawood
South, second): This will be the first trip to state for the Red Raiders since they won a title in 2011. They took second to Auburndale in league play but beat it by 24 in the sectional semifinal.
Pardeeville (23-3, 19-1 Trailways West,
first): The Bulldogs' last appearance was 1978. They were ranked fifth and seventh by the AP and coaches, respectively. Senior guard Nicholas Henke was the conference player of the year.
Division 5
Bangor (25-1, 13-0 Scenic Bluffs,
first): The Cardinals, who are making their first appearance since 1936, are led by senior guard Luke Reader, the two-time conference player of the year.
Chippewa Falls McDonell (17-10, 9-5
Cloverbelt West, fourth): The Macks, a champion in 2016, are back for the third straight season.
Deerfield (23-4, 12-1 Trailways, tied
for first): The Demons, a first-time qualifier ranked seventh and sixth, respectively in the AP and coaches polls, shared the league title with Palmyra-Eagle. Senior forward Nate Siewert was the league’s player of the year.
Green Bay N.E.W. Lutheran (15-12, 7-9
Packerland, sixth): This will be the Blazers’ seventh state appearance this decade. The team plays against much larger schools in conference play, which often causes it to have a much larger loss total than most teams in the field.