2013 State Boys Basketball Preview: Division 5
Monday, March 4th, 2013 -- 1:36 PM
The 98th Annual WIAA Boys Basketball State Championships will take place this Thursday-Saturday at the Kohl Center in Madison. Division 5 semi-finals will be held Thursday afternoon starting at 1:35 pm.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.
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