WIAA State Boys Basketball Tournament Preview....Division 4
Tuesday, March 12th, 2024 -- 10:56 AM
The 108th Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association State Boys Basketball Tournament will take place Thursday-Saturday, March 14-16, at the Kohl Center on the campus of the University of Wisconsin in Madison.
The State Tournament will be televised live in our area on WAOW Wausau, WXOW La Crosse, and WQOW Eau Claire.
Here's a preview of the Division 4 field....
Thursday, March 14
Semi-Finals
Division 4
#1 Marathon (27-1) vs. #4 Kenosha St. Joseph (19-9) - 6:35 p.m.
#2 Mineral Point (26-2) vs. #3 Aquinas (23-5)*
Championship Final - Saturday, March 16
Approx. 15 minutes following Div. 5 championship game
*Note: Subsequent games of each session will begin approximately 15 minutes following the previous game.
ABOUT THE DIVISION 4 FIELD: Top-seeded Marathon returns to the State Tournament for the first time since 2018 and for the ninth time overall. The Red Raiders were runner-up in that most recent appearance. The program has won four State championships through the years. Their most recent gold ball came in 2011. Additionally, they earned three straight Class C championships from 1975-77. The Red Raiders defeated Bonduel 68-61 in the D.C. Everest Sectional final to advance to the State semifinals. They are the champions in the South Division of the Marawood Conference this year. Second-seeded Mineral Point returns to the State Tournament for the fifth time and for the first time since 2015 when the Pointers fell in the semifinals. Their most notable accomplishment in their previous experiences was a runner-up finish in Class C in 1974. They also qualified in 1934 and 1935 in Class B but were eliminated from title contention in the semifinal round and in the first round, respectively. The Pointers topped Randolph 68-57 in the final of the Portage Sectional to advance to State. They are the co-champions in the Southwest Wisconsin Activities League this season with Darlington. Third-seeded Aquinas returns to State for the eighth time and for the first time since 2016. The Blugolds have won four State titles. The most recent was the Division 3 championship in 2013. They also captured Division 3 crowns in 2008 and 2011, and a Division 2 title in 2003. The Blugolds also have two runner-up finishes on their ledger, those came in 2007 and in 2009. They placed fourth in the Mississippi Valley Conference this season, and they punched their ticket to State by defeating Cameron 62-46 in the Eau Claire North Sectional final. As a former member of WISAA, the Blugolds won titles in 1941, 1946, 1949, 1950 and finished runner-up on two other occasions. Last year’s runner-up Kenosha St. Joseph Catholic is back in the tournament again this season as the fourth seed. The Lancers are making their fourth appearance overall. They qualified in Division 3 in 2001 and 2003, which resulted in losses in the semifinals. The Lancers rolled over Kohler 66-36 in the Oconomowoc Sectional final to qualify this season after placing fourth in the Metro Classic Conference, which was won by St. Thomas More, the #1 seed in the Division 3 bracket. As a former member of WISAA, the Lancers were back-to-back runner-up in Class A in 1988 and 1989, and a Division 2 runner-up in 2000.
Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.