100th Annual WIAA Boys Basketball State Tournament Preview: Division 2
Thursday, March 19th, 2015 -- 11:19 AM
The 100th Annual Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Boys Basketball State Tournament will take place this Thursday-Saturday at the Kohl Center in Madison. Here's a preview of the Division 2 field..Friday, March 20
1:35 p.m. Rice Lake (21-5) vs. Greendale (16-10)
3:15 p.m. West De Pere (20-6) vs. Mount Horeb (21-5)
ABOUT THE DIVISION 2 FIELD: Three of the four qualifying teams in last year's State Tournament return to the field this season. Last year's runner-up Rice Lake is making its second consecutive appearance in the State Tournament and its ninth overall. The Warriors won the Division 2 State championship in 1993 and finished runner-up in 1961 when the tournament featured only one class. The Warriors beat Merrill 44-32 in the Marshfield Sectional final to advance to the State semifinals. The Warriors are the champions of the Big Rivers Conference this season. Greendale has qualified for the State Tournament for the second straight year and for the third time overall. The Panthers first appearance resulted in a runner-up finish in 1995. They finished fourth in the West Division of the Woodland Conference this season. Their return to the final four was earned with a 41-40 win over Wauwatosa East in the final of the Brown Deer Sectional. West De Pere is also making its third appearance at State and its second in a row. Last year, they lost in the semifinals, and they fell in the quarterfinals in their only other appearance in 1933. The Phantoms finished runner-up in the Bay Conference this season. They turned back Slinger 69-54 in the Ashwaubenon Sectional final for another attempt at a State title. It's the fourth time Mount Horeb will be participating in the State Tournament. Their first three appearances came in 1926, 1936 and 1941. The Vikings most notable outcome in those appearances was a victory in the first round in 1941. They are this season's champion in the North Division of the Badger Conference. The Vikings notched a 41-38 win over Monona Grove in the final of the Sun Prairie Sectional to punch its first ticket to State in 74 years.
The State Tournament will be televised live in our area on WAOW-TV channel 9 in Wausau, WXOW-TV channel 19 in La Crosse, and WQOW-TV channel 18 in Eau Claire.
Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.