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THE STATE TOURNAMENT:
The 97th Annual Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Boys Basketball State Champion-ships will take place Thursday-Saturday, March 15-17, at the Kohl Center on the campus of the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Ticket prices for the tourney are $10 per session for all seating.
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 15
Time Div. Pairings
1:35 p.m. 5 Sheboygan Luth-eran (23-4) vs. McDonell Central (25-2)
5 Drummond (24-3) vs. Racine Lutheran (25-2)*

6:35 p.m. 4 Oshkosh Lourdes (23-3) vs. Cuba City (26-0)
4 Colfax (24-2) vs. Dominican (25-1)*
Friday, March 16
Time Div. Pairings
9:05 a.m. 3 Brillion (24-2) vs. Lodi (24-2)
3 Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau (25-1) vs. Marshall (23-3)*

1:35 p.m. 2 Kaukauna (24-2) vs. DeForest (18-8)
2 Onalaska (25-1) vs. Pius XI?(23-3)*

6:35 p.m. 1 Germantown (26-0) vs. Madison Memorial (25-1)
1 Oshkosh North (19-7) vs. Milwaukee King (23-1)*
Saturday, March 17
Time Div. Pairings
11:05 p.m. 5 Division 5 Championship Game
4 Division 4 Championship Game*
3 Division 3 Championship Game*
6:35 p.m. 2 Division 2 Championship Game
1 Division 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 Web sites.
POST-GAME MEDIA CONFERENCES ON WIAA.TV:
The post-game media conferences will be shown live on WIAA.tv immediately following each game.
TEAM TOURNAMENT HISTORY:
The first WIAA State Boys Basketball Championship Tourna-ment was held in 1916.
This will be the 15th 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 the current 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 104 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 Madison Memorial makes its ninth consecutive appearance at State, which also accounts for the Spartans' overall total.
In addition to last year's championship, they won State titles in 2005 and 2009 and added runner-up finishes in 2004, 2006 and 2008. They defeated Mukwonago 57-52 in the sectional final played at Kettle Moraine to advance to the State semifinal. The Spartans are champions of the Big Eight Conference this season.
Milwaukee King is making its 13th overall appearance in the State Tournament and its first since 2007. The Generals won back-to-back titles in 2003-04 and have hoisted the gold ball five times, also winning titles in 1984, 1991 and 1995, and they were runners-up in 1971, 1992 and 1994. The Generals are the champions of the Milwaukee City Conference and are the representatives out of the Racine Horlick Sectional following their 71-59 win over Racine Park in the final.
Oshkosh North is making its first appearance since 2009 and its fifth overall. The Spartans' most notable advances in the State Tournament were to the semifinals in 1992 and 2009. They finished third in the Fox Valley Association Conference standings this season and advanced through the Stevens Point Sectional with a 53-44 win over D.C. Everest in the final.
Germantown is back in the State Tournament for the third time overall and for first time since consecutive appearances in 2008-09 resulted in losses in the quarterfinals. The Warhawks earned this year's State berth by defeating De Pere 57-45 in the final of the sectional hosted by Manitowoc Lincoln. The Warhawks are the champions of the North Shore Conference this season.
ABOUT THE DIVISION 2 FIELD:
Onalaska last enjoyed a State qualifying experience in 1992. The Hilltoppers are returning to State for the eighth 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 62-38 win over Antigo in the Marshfield Sectional final. The Hilltoppers are the champions of the Mississippi Valley Conference this year.
Kaukauna's only other State appearance came in 2001 when the Galloping Ghosts lost in the semifinals. This year's advancement to the State semifinals comes by virtue of their 59-44 victory over Plymouth in the Fond du Lac Sectional final. They finished first in the Fox Valley Association standings this season.
Pius XII qualifies for the State Tournament for the first time since its only other appearance in 2005. The Popes advanced to the semifinals in Division 1 that season before being ousted from title contention. Before joining the WIAA, the Popes had a rich tradition of success in the former private school association. They won five championships, winning titles in 1970, 1975, 1976, 1996 and in 2000, and placed runner-up four other times in 1957, 1971, 1972 and 1993. The Popes defeated Milwaukee Washington 63-55 to win the West Allis Central Sectional final after finishing first in the Classic Eight Conference this season.
DeForest will make the short jaunt to Madison and the State Tournament for the first time. The Norskies earned their first tournament berth following a 41-39 triumph over Stoughton in the Janesville Craig Sectional final. They placed second in the North Division of the Badger Conference this year.
ABOUT THE DIVISION 3 FIELD:
Marshall returns to the State Tournament for the first time since 2002, which culminated a string of three straight appearances with a State crown. The Cardinals also finished runner-up in the first year of that run in 2000. Their only other appearance came in 1992. They finished first in the South Division of the Capitol Conference this year and advanced to State from the Arrowhead Sectional with a 51-48 win over perennial power Racine St. Catherine's.
Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau celebrates a berth in the State Tournament for the first time since 1960. It is the Red Hawk's fifth appearance overall. The others came in 1916, 1917 and 1942. They punched their ticket to the Kohl Center with a 52-29 win over Somerset in the River Falls Sectional final. The Red Hawks claimed the Coulee Conference championship in 2012.
Brillion qualifies for the State Tournament for the second time in the last three seasons, making its first-ever appearance in 2010 when the Lions lost in the semifinals. They earned their berth by defeating Little Chute 39-35 in the Menasha Sectional final. They finished in a first-place tie with Wrightstown for the Olympian Conference title this year.
Lodi will make its first-ever trip to the State Tournament by edging East Troy 52-50 in the Middleton Sectional final. The Blue Devils won the North Division title of the Capitol conference this season.
ABOUT THE DIVISION 4 FIELD:
Cuba City returns to the tournament field for the 11th time and for the first time since 2005. The Cubans have won three State championships, claiming the title in 1981, 1991 and 1998. They also have one runner-up finish. That came in 1938. The Cubans are champions of the Southwest Wisconsin Activities League, and they won the Baraboo Sectional with a convincing 85-44 win over Luther in the final.
Dominican qualifies for the State Tournament for the fourth time and for the first time since 2008. The Knights won back-to-back 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. Dominican won the North Division of the Midwest Classic Conference title this season and advanced to the State semifinals with a 78-47 win over Howards Grove in the Brookfield Central Sectional final.
Oshkosh Lourdes will appear in its third State Tournament. Its previous two experiences came back-to-back in 2005 and 2006. The Knights finished runner-up in the first of those consecutive appearances. They gained their State berth with a 45-42 win over Amherst in the Antigo Sectional final. They finished atop the standings in the North Division of the Trailways Conference this season. Lourdes won one title as a former member of WISAA, winning the Division 2 crown in 1999.
Colfax is also making its third appearance in the tournament. The last time the Vikings advanced to State resulted in the championship in Class C in 1978. Their only other appearance came in 1933. They are the champions of the Dunn-St. Croix Conference this year, as well as the champions of the Eau Claire North Sectional following a 55-41 victory over Boyceville in the final.
ABOUT THE DIVISION 5 FIELD:
Drummond is the only team in the field with any WIAA State Tournament experience. The Lumberjacks return to State for the first time since 1997 and for the fourth time overall. They are looking for their first victory in the tournament, having fallen in the first round in each of their three previous experiences. The Lumberjacks are the West Division champions of the Indianhead Conference this season, and they are the representative out of the Spooner Sectional following their 36-32 win over Clayton in the final.
McDonell Central will make its first State appearance following a 72-64 triumph over Benton in the La Crosse Central Sectional final. The Macks are the West Division champions of the Cloverbelt Conference this year.
It will also be the first State experience for Racine Lutheran. The Crusaders defeated perennial power Randolph 46-27 in the Oconomowoc Sectional final to advance to the State semifinals. They finished in a two-way tie with Racine St. Catherine's for the South Division title in the Midwest Classic Conference. Prior to membership in the WIAA, the Crusaders won five WISAA titles (1975, 1991, 1995, 1996, 1998) and finished runner-up four times (1987, 1990, 1992, 1993).
Sheboygan Lutheran's first State appearance comes virtue of its 86-64 victory over Marion in the Waupaca Sectional final. The Crusaders were the champions of the Central Lakeshore Conference this season.