Preview: WIAA State Tournament Day 1
MADISON — The Division 3 and 4 WIAA State Tournaments get underway on Thursday from the Kohl Center…
DIVISION 3
#4 Kettle Moraine Lutheran (22-5) vs. #1 Valders (23-3) – 1:35 p.m.
Does Kettle Moraine Lutheran have another upset in them?
The Chargers have taken down Division 3 powers Dominican, Brown Deer, and Waupun just to get to Madison. Despite this magical run, KML didn’t get respect, entering Thursday’s tournament as the No. 4 seed. The East Central co-champions have won 13 of their last 14 dating back to Jan. 24.
Certainly worth of the No. 1 seed, Valders won the Eastern Wisconsin Conference, splitting the crown with New Holstein. UW-Platteville commit Kyle Tuma (15.0 ppg, 8.5 rpg) took down Division 3 favorites Xavier, snapping their 53-game winning streak to get to the Kohl Center.
#2 East Troy (21-5) vs. #3 Prescott (24-2) – 3:15 p.m.
Prescott has the best scorer remaining in the field. North Dakota State baseball commit Peter Brookshaw has put up monster numbers as a senior, posting 30.3 points and 4.8 assists per game. The Cardinals haven’t lost since Jan. 27 and haven’t been defeated by a team from Wisconsin all year.
East Troy has been battle tested in March. The Trojans got past Racine St. Catherine’s, Martin Luther, and Edgerton consecutively. 2020 forward A.J. Vukovich is having a breakout season. The sophomore leads the way with 20.5 and 10.1 boards per night. The Rock Valley Conference champs come in having won 14 of 15.
DIVISION 4
#4 Pardeeville (23-3) vs. #1 Roncalli (21-5) – 6:35 p.m.
Top seed Roncalli won a huge game over The Prairie School in the sectional final. The Jets feature a dangerous 1-2 punch of Chombi Lambert (20.0 ppg) and Mitchel Schneider (18.9 ppg). Despite finishing third in their own conference, Roncalli has gotten hot at the right time, winning 11 of 12 with their lone defeat coming to the No. 1 seed in Division 4, Valders. Defense is the calling card of this unit. The Jets haven’t surrendered more than 62 points since Jan. 22. In fact, in 17 of their 26 games, Roncalli hasn’t allowed more than 60.
Pardeeville is also coming off a huge win, knocking off Mineral Point in their sectional final. Winners of the Trailways West Conference, the Bulldogs are led by Nicholas Henke (15.3 ppg), who is shooting better than 40 percent from 3-point range this season.
#2 Clear Lake (25-0) vs. #3 Martathon (22-4) – 8:15 p.m.
Despite going undefeated, Clear Lake did not grab the No. 1 seed. The Warriors won 19 of their 25 games by double digits, including nine victories by 30 points or more. Bailey Blanchard is one of the top small school players in the state. The senior is averaging 19.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game, while shooting 51.4 percent from the field.
Marathon finished just a game out of first in a competitive Marawood South Conference that saw five teams win 10 games or more in conference play. The Red Raiders have three players averaging in double figures scoring, led by Carter Hanke (15.8 ppg). Hitting their stride in March, Marathon has rolled through the playoffs, collecting an average margin of victory of 23.5 ppg to reach the Kohl Center.