THE STATE TOURNAMENT: The 98th Annual Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Boys Basketball State Championships will take place Thursday-Saturday, March 7-9, at the Kohl Center on the campus of the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wis.
HOW TO GET TICKETS: Ticket prices for the tourney are $10 per session for all seating when purchasing at the Kohl Center one hour prior to the start of any session. Tickets are also available online up until two hours prior to the start of a session for $11. All online tickets are print at home only.
STATE TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE: The single elimination tournament features a five division format with four teams qualifying in each of the five divisions.
*Note: Subsequent games of each session will begin approximately 25 minutes following the previous game.
Thursday, March 7
Time Div. Pairings
1:35 p.m. 5 Drummond (24-2) vs. Green Bay N.E.W. Lutheran (27-0)
5 Elmwood (23-4) vs. Randolph (25-2)*
6:35 p.m. 4 Auburndale (25-1) vs. Amherst (22-3)
4 Cuba City (26-0) vs. Dominican (22-4)*
Friday, March 8
Time Div. Pairings
9:05 a.m. 3 Aquinas (22-4) vs. Little Chute (25-1)
3 Lodi (23-3) vs. East Troy (23-3)*
1:35 p.m. 2 Onalaska (24-2) vs. Pulaski (22-4)
2 Stoughton (18-8) vs. Wisconsin Lutheran (21-5)*
6:35 p.m. 1 Oshkosh North (23-3) vs. Germantown (26-0)
1 Mukwonago (22-4) vs. Milwaukee King (20-4)*
Saturday, March 9
Time Div. Pairings
11:05 p.m. 5 Championship Game
4 Championship Game*
3 Championship Game*
6:35 p.m. 2 Championship Game
1 Championship Game*
STATE TOURNAMENT ON THE AIR: The State Tournament will be televised live on WKOW-TV channel 27 in Madison, WAOW-TV channel 9 in Wausau, WXOW-TV channel 19 in La Crosse, WQOW-TV channel 18 in Eau Claire, WYOW-TV channel 34 in Eagle River, WMOW-TV 4 in Crandon, WMLW-TV channel 41 in Milwaukee, KBJR-TV digital channel 6.2 in Duluth/Superior and WACY-TV channel 32 in Green Bay and the Fox Valley. The Wisconsin Division of Quincy Newspapers, Inc., will produce the coverage. The championships will also be streamed on the statewide network station websites.
POST-GAME MEDIA CONFERENCES ON WIAA.TV: The post-game media conferences will be shown live on WIAA.tv eight minutes following each game.
TEAM TOURNAMENT HISTORY: The first WIAA State Boys Basketball Championship Tournament was held in 1916. This will be the 16th 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 a four-division format was adopted in 1991. The 2011 State Tournament introduced the first five-division format and qualifying four teams from each division. Randolph has won nine State championships, the most titles won by any member school. Beloit has won seven championships with Milwaukee King, Milwaukee Vincent, Milwaukee Lincoln and Racine St. Catherine’s each having won five. There have been 107 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 Germantown is back in the State Tournament for the fourth time overall. The Warhawks first two appearances came consecutively in 2008-09, which resulted in losses in the quarterfinals. They earned a return trip to State in an attempt to defend their title by defeating De Pere 73-59 in the final of the sectional hosted at Homestead. The Warhawks are the champions of the North Shore Conference this season and are one of three remaining undefeated teams in the tournament. Last year’s runner-up Milwaukee King is making its 14th overall appearance in the State Tournament. The Generals have hoisted the gold ball five times, winning titles in 1984, 1991, 1995 and back-to-back championships in 2003-04. In addition to last season, they were also runners-up in 1971, 1992 and 1994. The Generals shared the Milwaukee City Conference title with Milwaukee Washington this year, and they are the representatives out of the Racine Horlick Sectional following their 59-43 win over Racine Case in the final. Oshkosh North is making its second straight appearance and its sixth overall. The Spartans’ most notable advances in the State Tournament were to the semifinals in 1992 and 2009 when eight teams qualified. They are the champions in the Fox Valley Association Conference this season and advanced to State through the Stevens Point Sectional with an 81-48 whipping of D.C. Everest in the final. Mukwonago will return to State for the first time since 1996 and for the third time overall. The Indians finished runner-up in their most recent experience. Their first appearance resulted in a loss in the quarterfinals back in 1990. They are the co-champions of the Classic Eight Conference with Arrowhead this year, and they fended off all challengers in the Sun Prairie Sectional, including a 55-52 win over perennial qualifier Madison Memorial in the final, to advance to the State semifinals.
ABOUT THE DIVISION 2 FIELD: Defending champion Onalaska has its goals set on repeating last year’s feat. The Hilltoppers are returning to State for the ninth time overall. They won the Class A championship in 1988 and followed that with a Division 2 title in 1992. They earned their berth this year with a convincing 64-54 victory over Hortonville in the Marshfield Sectional final. The Hilltoppers are the champions of the Mississippi Valley Conference this season. Stoughton’s most recent experience in the State Tournament was during the Franklin Roosevelt presidency in 1939. The only other time the Vikings qualified was in 1937. They did not advance in the winner’s bracket in either or those appearances. They finished atop the standings in the South Division of the Badger Conference this season. Their celebration of a return to the State Tournament began after a 55-51 victory over DeForest in the Janesville Craig Sectional final. Pulaski is also making its third appearance, but their most recent visit only goes back to 1989. The Red Raiders first-ever experience in the State Tournament came in 1975. Both previous trips resulted in losses in the quarterfinals. To return, they dealt Grafton a 53-37 loss in the final of the Fond du Lac Sectional. The Red Raiders finished second in the Fox River Classic Conference standings this season. Wisconsin Lutheran qualifies for the State Tournament for only the second time and for the first time since winning the Division 2 title in 2009. Wisconsin Lutheran joined the final field of four following a 60-42 win over New Berlin Eisenhower in the West Allis Central Sectional final. The Vikings are the champions of the Wisconsin Little Ten Conference this season.
ABOUT THE DIVISION 3 FIELD: Aquinas returns to State for the sixth time and for the first time since 2011 when the Blugolds won the Division 3 championship. Their first experience in the tournament also turned up golden with a Division 2 championship in 2003. They won an additional Division 3 crown in 2008. The Blugolds have finished runner-up twice as well, in 2007 and in 2009. As a former member of WISAA, the Blugolds won titles in 1941, 1946, 1949, 1950 and finished runner-up on two other occasions. They are runners-up in the standings of the Mississippi Valley Conference this season, and they advance to State with a 66-49 win over Barron in the River Falls Sectional final. Lodi will make its second straight appearance after making its first-ever trip to the State Tournament last season. The Blue Devils earned the return engagement by downing Wisconsin Dells 73-59 in the Middleton Sectional final. They won the North Division title of the Capitol conference this season. Little Chute has now qualified twice in the past three seasons. The Mustangs made their first-ever appearance in the State Tournament in 2011, which resulted in a loss in the semifinals. They topped Brillion 59-37 in the final of the Ashwaubenon Sectional Saturday, and they are the champions of the Eastern Valley Conference this winter. East Troy is the third team in the bracket with only one other appearance in the State Tournament. That came is 1989, and it resulted in a loss in the semifinals. The Trojans claimed the North Division of the Rock Valley Conference title this year and beat Berlin 57-44 to advance to the State semifinals.
ABOUT THE DIVISION 4 FIELD: Defending champion Dominican qualifies for the State Tournament for the fifth time. The Knights also won consecutive State titles in 2004 and 2005. Prior to joining the WIAA, the Knights won seven championships while a member of WISAA, winning titles in 1974, 1978, 1979, 1991, 1997, 1998 and 2000. They also had a runner-up finish in 1999. This season, they won the Metro Classic Conference title and advanced to the State semifinals with a 52-39 win over previously undefeated Laconia in the Brookfield Central Sectional final. Last year’s runner-up Cuba City returns to the tournament field for the 12th time. The Cubans have won three State championships, claiming the title in 1981, 1991 and 1998. They also have one other runner-up finish. That came in 1938. The undefeated Cubans are champions of the Southwest Wisconsin Activities League, and they won the Baraboo Sectional with a 77-74 overtime victory over Luther. Auburndale advances to the State semifinals for the first time in nearly a decade. The Apaches most recent appearance came in 2004. They are making their ninth trip overall, a history that produced Division 3 championships in 1993 and 2000 and runner-up finishes in 1995 and 2003. The Apaches captured the crown in the South Division of the Marawood Conference in 2013 and have advanced through the Durand Sectional, capped by a 57-22 win over Unity in the final. Amherst will make its second appearance in the State Tournament. The only other time the Falcons reached the semifinals was in 1998, which resulted in a defeat. This year’s squad tied for the Central Wisconsin 8 Conference championship with Shiocton. They edged Reedsville 47-46 in the Waupaca Sectional final to continue their quest for a State title, a feat they accomplished in football in the fall.
ABOUT THE DIVISION 5 FIELD: Randolph returns for the ninth time in the last 12 years and for the 15th time overall. The Rockets own the distinction of having won the most titles of any school in the membership with nine. They won four straight titles from 2002-05 to go with titles in 1996, 1998, 2007, and back-to-back championships in 2010-11. They also added a runner-up finish in 1997. The Rockets are the champions of the Central Division of the Trailways Conference this year. They defeated last season’s runner-up Racine Lutheran 44-30 in the Fort Atkinson Sectional final to continue their bid for a 10th title. Drummond is back in the tournament field for the second straight season and for the fifth time overall. The Lumberjacks are attempting to win for the first time in the tournament, having fallen in the first round in each of their four previous experiences. They are the West Division champions of the Indianhead Conference this season, and they are the representative out of the Spooner Sectional following their 39-34 win over Clayton in the final. Elmwood makes its fourth State Tournament appearance and its first since 1996, when the Raiders finished runner-up to Randolph in Division 4. The two other State experiences came in 1921 and 1940. They finished second to Elk Mound in the Dunn-St. Croix Conference ledger this season and have advanced from the La Crosse Logan Sectional with a 49-44 victory over Royall in the final. Green Bay N.E.W. Lutheran is back at State for the third time in the last four seasons, which also accounts for its overall total of appearances. The Blazers fell to Randolph in the Division 4 title game in 2010 and lost in the semifinals in 2011. They defeated Niagara 63-40 to remain one of the four teams still in the title hunt. They finished first in the Packerland Conference during the regular season and are one of three teams entering action this week undefeated.
NEED RESULTS?: The quickest way to get results will be to access the WIAA website www.wiaawi.org and choose the appropriate link on the home page or the boys basketball Tournament Information page.
FOLLOW THE TOURNEY ON TWITTER: Receive the updates of the Boys State Basketball Tournament on the WIAA State Tournament Twitter account @wiaawistate with the hashtag #wiaawiboysbk.
FAN CENTRAL AT UNION SOUTH: Union South will be the official gathering location for athletes and fans at the WIAA Boys Basketball State Tournament. Watch all the games and catch a shuttle to and from the Kohl Center for $2 a day. In addition, you can sign a commemorative poster, receive special food discounts and enjoy bowling and billiards Union South is located at 1308 W. Dayton Street in Madison. Fan Central is a collabrative effort by the Wisconsin Union, the Greater Madison Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Madison Area Sports Commission.