Next 3 days will determine boys basketball teams bound for state tournament
Minnesota's version of March madness is ramping up in boys high school basketball and Wednesday night is the first of three consecutive nights of thrilling section championships.
On the line are trips to next week's state tournament. The big schools from Class AAAA and AAA have all reached the section championship round while schools in AA and A still have some semifinal games to be played Wednesday night.
In AAAA, Cambridge-Isanti is the only school to advance to the section championship with a seed lower than No. 2. Most of the top seeds in Class AAA are in the title round with the exception of Section 5, where upstarts Big Lake and Monticello will battle for a ticket to to the state tourney.
In AA, Minnehaha Academy, led by super recruit Jalen Suggs, is the heavy favorite to repeat as state champion, and in Class A there's an outstanding story unfolding as 11-seed Hope Academy one win from advancing to state out of Section 4.
Class AAAA
Section 1: #1 Lakeville North vs. #2 Rochester John Marshall - 8 p.m. Friday
Section 2: #1 Eden Prairie vs. #2 Prior Lake - 7 p.m. Friday
Section 3: #1 Eastview vs. #2 Burnsville - 7 p.m. Thursday
Section 4: #1 East Ridge vs. #2 Cretin-Derham Hall - 7 p.m. Thursday
Section 5: #1 Park Center vs. #2 Champlin Park - 7 p.m. Friday
Section 6: #1 Hopkins vs. #2 Wayzata - 7 p.m. Wednesday
Section 7: #1 Blaine vs. #3 Cambridge-Isanti - 7 p.m. Thursday
Section 8: #1 Maple Grove vs. #2 Buffalo - 7 p.m. Thursday
Class AAA
Section 1: #1 Austin vs. #2 Northfield - 6 p.m. Friday
Section 2: #1 Waseca vs. #2 Mankato East - 7 p.m. Thursday
Section 3: #1 Holy Angels vs. #2 St. Thomas Academy - 7 p.m. Thursday
Section 4: #1 Mahtomedi vs. #2 Totino-Grace - 7 p.m. Thursday
Section 5: #3 Monticello vs. #4 Big Lake - 7 p.m. Thursday
Section 6: #1 DeLaSalle vs. #3 Waconia - 7 p.m. Thursday
Section 7: #1 Hibbing vs. #2 Princeton - 7 p.m. Thursday
Section 8: #1 Bemidji vs. #2 Sartell-St. Stephen - 7 p.m. Thursday
Class AA
Section 1: Semifinals: Caledonia vs. St. Charles, Lake City vs. La Crescent-Hokah
Section 2: #1 Jordan vs. #1 St. Peter - 7:45 p.m. Friday
Section 3: #1 St. James Area vs. #4 Redwood Valley - 5 p.m. Thursday
Section 4: #1 Minnehaha Academy vs. #2 St. Croix Prep - 7 p.m. Friday
Section 5: Semifinals: Breck vs. Maranatha Christian, Minneapolis North vs. Litchfield
Section 6: Semifinals: Albany vs. Cathedral, Melrose vs. Spectrum
Section 7: #1 Esko vs. #3 Pequot Lakes - 7 p.m. Thursday
Section 8: Semifinals: Perham vs. Barnesville, Hawley vs. Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton
Class A
Section 1: Semifinals: Spring Grove vs. Hayfield, Randolph vs. Rushford-Peterson
Section 2: #2 Spring Valley vs. #2 Minnesota Valley Lutheran - 6 p.m. Thursday
Section 3: #3 Westbrook-Walnut Grove vs. #5 Dawson-Boyd - 8 p.m. Thursday
Section 4: #1 Christ's Household of Faith (CHOF) vs. #11 Hope Academy - 7 p.m. Friday
Section 5: Semifinals: Hinckley-Finlayson vs. BBE, Cromwell-Wright vs. Nevis
Section 6: Semifinals: Henning vs. Mahnomen, Parkers Prairie vs. Ortonville
Section 7: Semifinals: Lakeview Christian vs. Cook County, Deer River vs. North Woods
Section 8: Cass Lake-Bena vs. Ada-Borup West - 7 p.m. Friday
