WIAA Basketball Tournaments

[hawing]

Who's following what team(s) in the WIAA basketball tournaments?

 

If I read the boys' D-2 bracket correctly, the late afternoon semifinal on Friday 3/7 features Monroe and New Berlin Eisenhower.

Burniebrewer, I'll be checking to see how long it takes you to post. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

 

I was rooting for Benton in D-4, as my brother used to teach there and their tiny school (enrollment 86) has never gone to state in any sport - but they ran into Randolph and the Rockets will be in Madison for the zillionth time (give or take an appearance).

[RyDogg66]

My alma mater, Oshkosh West won tonight, they are headed back for the 3-peat.

[bork]

I'm rooting for my alma mater, Dominican in Division 3. Going up against La Crosse Aquinas in the semifinals this week. Got to keep up the old WISAA schools dominance of Div 3.

And also longing for a way to get them into a real conference and a higher division. Is 400 the cutoff for Div 2? I think Dominican is up to 380 now.

[zachjack13]

Madison Memorial is in state tourney in D-1, I'll root for them as they beat the school I am going to, Watertown. Otherwise, if there is a "Cinderella" team, I'll go for them in any division. Hawing, I looked up the score for Benton and they lost by 2, and I checked their roster and they only have one senior, so hopefully they can make it next year, I'll be rooting for them.

[RyDogg66]

The Division 1 Bracket is interesting. This is the first time since 1978 that no Milwaukee City Conference schools have made it to state. Your Match ups will be.

 

#2 Madison Memorial (21-2) v. Lake Geneva Badger (18-5)

Oshkosh West (17-7) v. #10 Germantown (22-1)

#4 Bay Port (21-4)v. Brookfield Central (18-5)

Eau Claire North (18-4 NR) v. #3 Wauwatosa East (23-1)

 

Im proud that Oshkosh West has made it back. This is their weakest team of the last 3 state teams, they have rather weak guard play but have really talented big men, and play great defense. Their 7 losses are probably a bit misleading, as the FVA is a very tough conference, probably second behind the Milwaukee City Conference. Their bigs and defense allow them to play with anyone, but they will have to get through Germantown and them most likely Madison Memorial and Tosa East to 3-peat, and that looks to be a tough row to hoe.

[MadisonBrewerBlue]

I will be rooting for my alma mater Memorial again this year . Back in the 70's they were lucky to win a game a year. It was all about Mark Johnson and hockey championships back in the day.

[bball123h2]

Go Milwaukee Hamilton!

 

Oh yea... basketball failure since 1970. At least we have spring baseball...

[hawing]

Otherwise, if there is a "Cinderella" team, I'll go for them in any division.

Yeah, I enjoy both Cinderella efforts and small school success. For years I've made it a habit to take the Friday of the girls' tournament off and watch the D-4 and D-2 semifinals all day. I like seeing small towns turn out for their team (with the obligatory "Last one in town turn out the lights" signage). However, I'm reluctantly boycotting the girls' tournament until they're done playing at the second-rate Coliseum, so it's the boys this year for me.

 

So this year I have the extra fun of watching my school (Monroe) compete. The Cheesemakers won it all in D-2 last year and both the State Journal and Cap Times prep writers picked them to repeat. They had a bit of adversity a couple of weeks ago when one of their seniors fractured his leg, but it must be a hairline fracture, because he's been playing with a big brace. They are coached by one of Bo Ryan's Plattevillle players.

 

Monroe was bad at all the high-profile sports when I was in high school. At that time their most recent football trophy was from the 1920s (they were then good from 1986 throughout the 1990s) and until last year, their lone boys' basketball claim to fame was the undefeated season of 1964-65 - so it still seems novel to me when they succeed in basketball or football now.

[homer]

Go Tosa East.

[pitchleague]

anybody got a link to the brackets?

[lukevan]

http://www.wiaawi.org/index.php?id=226

[whizkid]

their lone boys' basketball claim to fame was the undefeated season of 1964-65

 

Yeah, I remember that team. I was a sophomore at Tosa East and when we beat Milwaukee North and Rufus King to get to state we were favored to win it all, then got blown out in the first round by Cumberland of all teams. Won the consolation championship. I still remember Keith Burrington from that Monroe team.

 

Didn't we have a glorious logo:

 

http://images.yuku.com/image/gif/b6025ed9b58780ed9a6525b90701142ec119d06_t.gif

 

 

[homer]

Whizkid, I received a framed color poster of that logo when we won the coveted 1991 intramurals basketball championship. It hangs in my parents rec room.

 

Aside: Holy cow, the governor of Illinois just walked into the coffee shop I'm in.

Aside 2: Geez, now the head writer from Conan O'Brien just walked in. It's like Chicago B celebrity fest in this place.

[Jimbo]

Randolph 49, Benton 47

 

My dad is a Randolph alum.

 

A wild, wild finish. The State Journal coverage didn't give it justice. Benton jumps out to a 17-10 lead on five treys, Randolph responds with a 15-0 to take charge. Just when they had things in hand, turnovers allow Benton new life. In the last 95 seconds, Randolph comitted at least three if not four or five turnovers, only to have Benton miss the tying basket.

 

They played last year. Each team has only one senior this year, so they may play again next year.

 

The game Friday against Eleva-Strum is also a rematch and could decide everything.

 

On edit: hawing, according to my dad it's 12 sectional titles in 15 sectional title appearances. I'll take his word for it, I lost count long ago.

[wisconsinfan47]

I will be rooting for my alma mater Memorial again this year . Back in the 70's they were lucky to win a game a year. It was all about Mark Johnson and hockey championships back in the day.

My alma mater as well...although what looks like much more recently than you. Memorial became good just as I was making my way through school, and March was always a fun time.

[paul253]

I find it real interesting that this is the first time in 30 years a team from Milwaukee didn't make. I know its supposed to be a state tournament, but I've always thought it was a joke how the tournament was set up. The fact that 4 of the top 10 teams in the state (Pius, King, Tosa East and Washington) are in the same sectional every year makes you wonder if they couldn't set it up better. I know its not realistic though. I think one thing they could do that is realistic is rank the teams in the state tournament 1-8 rather than having a formula to see who plays every year. Last year Vincent played Memorial in the quarters even though they were 1-2 in the state. It kind of takes away from the drama.

[jschris]

Once again, it's me vs. Jimbo (or, more accurately, Jimbo's dad). Great run for this group from Eleva-Strum. Third straight state basketball appearance after only going to state twice before in their history. Football team is the defending Div 7 champs after last year's runner up result. Heck, the E-S girls are two games away from their first ever state appearance. Good time to be a fan!

[RyDogg66]

I find it real interesting that this is the first time in 30 years a team from Milwaukee didn't make. I know its supposed to be a state tournament, but I've always thought it was a joke how the tournament was set up. The fact that 4 of the top 10 teams in the state (Pius, King, Tosa East and Washington) are in the same sectional every year makes you wonder if they couldn't set it up better. I know its not realistic though. I think one thing they could do that is realistic is rank the teams in the state tournament 1-8 rather than having a formula to see who plays every year. Last year Vincent played Memorial in the quarters even though they were 1-2 in the state. It kind of takes away from the drama.

1-2 are going to have to play at some point. better to have them meet in the quarters than not at all. Besides, Oshkosh West had lost 1 game all year at that point, so it wasnt like Vincent or Memorial would be going up against some sort of inferior competition. Besides, just because all these Milwaukee Schools are ranked highly doesnt mean anything. There are a lot of really good schools in the FVA and in other conferences as well.

[burniebrewer]

Burniebrewer, I'll be checking to see how long it takes you to post

 

I didn't even know Eisenhower was playing until today. But I'm here now and I'm gonna root for the Lions.

[paul253]

1-2 are going to have to play at some point. better to have them meet in the quarters than not at all. Besides, Oshkosh West had lost 1 game all year at that point, so it wasnt like Vincent or Memorial would be going up against some sort of inferior competition. Besides, just because all these Milwaukee Schools are ranked highly doesnt mean anything. There are a lot of really good schools in the FVA and in other conferences as well.

 

It would seem ideal to have 1-2 meet in the state finals, not the quarters. After beating the 2nd ranked team in the state last season, Vincent went on to play a Kimberly team that was 13-13 and beat them by 25. Can you honestly say you want to see that in the state semi-finals? I am not saying Oshkosh West is a bad team or the FVA is a bad conference, but history shows the City Conference is the toughest and the best. Since 1990 (18 years) a city team has been in the finals 16 times, and won 11 championships. Two times it was an all-city championship. 4 of the best city teams, Washington, King, Tech, and Bay View, are in the same regional, along with Tosa East and Pius, and obviously only one them can make it to the tournament. Its obvious the WIAA is more concerned about having teams from all over the state make it, rather than the best ones.

[RyDogg66]

1-2 are going to have to play at some point. better to have them meet in the quarters than not at all. Besides, Oshkosh West had lost 1 game all year at that point, so it wasnt like Vincent or Memorial would be going up against some sort of inferior competition. Besides, just because all these Milwaukee Schools are ranked highly doesnt mean anything. There are a lot of really good schools in the FVA and in other conferences as well.

 

It would seem ideal to have 1-2 meet in the state finals, not the quarters. After beating the 2nd ranked team in the state last season, Vincent went on to play a Kimberly team that was 13-13 and beat them by 25. Can you honestly say you want to see that in the state semi-finals? I am not saying Oshkosh West is a bad team or the FVA is a bad conference, but history shows the City Conference is the toughest and the best. Since 1990 (18 years) a city team has been in the finals 16 times, and won 11 championships. Two times it was an all-city championship. 4 of the best city teams, Washington, King, Tech, and Bay View, are in the same regional, along with Tosa East and Pius, and obviously only one them can make it to the tournament. Its obvious the WIAA is more concerned about having teams from all over the state make it, rather than the best ones.

Would you rather have 1 v. 2 in the quarters or not at all, I guess is what I am saying. And by-the-by, West beat Memorial and Vincent to win the last 2 state titles, I think in a 3 year span they lost all of 3 games, beating plenty of City Conference schools along the way...but that is neither here nor there...

What I am saying is, you could put all of those schools (Washington, King, BayView, Vincent) in different sectionals and they could all get beat before state and never meet. Or, if 1 and 2 make it to State and are on opposite ends of the Bracket, if one gets beat before the final, the two never meet anyway.

 

 

 

 

[paul253]

I don't want to get into a City vs Fox Valley debate b/c it will never end. Oshkosh West had a darn good team last year, but I don't think you can judge a how good a team is in comparison with one another because City teams, most notable King and Vincent, are known for playing national powerhouses. Vincent this season played 2 teams who spent time in the USA Today national top 25....but like you said..thats neither here nor there.

 

All I really want to see is the WIAA seed the teams in the tournament. Could 1 and 2 lose ahead of time? Of course they could, but why have them play in the quarters while a team with 12 losses is playing a team with 7 losses in another quaterfinal? It just makes more sense to me to do that, thats all. Kimberly still gets a chance to beat Memorial or Vincent or West, but they get that chance it the quarters as opposed to the semis.

[RyDogg66]

I am not going to argue FVA v. City Conference because it isnt close, the City Conference is better year in and year out, but every year it seems, there is an FVA school that can hold its own or even be better than the best City school. For those outside of the Fox Valley, what Oshkosh West has done the past 10 years or so has been amazing.

 

 

But getting to your point, I'd have no problem reseeding for the 8 teams that make it to the state tournament, but as far as reseeding for the sectionals (i.e. sending Milw. Washington or Bay View to play the likes of Hudson or Eau Claire) is silly. They (the Milwaukee Schools) are going to have to beat a Hudson or Eau Claire sooner or later and they are going to have to fight through schools in their own conference at some time as well. I would imagine that the WIAA would just as much like to keep it a "state tournament" and have schools from all over the state experience a weekend in Madison rather than having 6 City schools a school from Madison and a school from the Fox Valley every year

[paul253]

Well I know it will never happen basically because of the travel schedule. Its just nice to see some good, competitive games. Thats why I like that WBBY shootout in Milwaukee, the tournament where West beat Vincent.

[whynotthebrewers]

Would you rather have 1 v. 2 in the quarters or not at all, I guess is what I am saying. And by-the-by, West beat Memorial and Vincent to win the last 2 state titles, I think in a 3 year span they lost all of 3 games, beating plenty of City Conference schools along the way...but that is neither here nor there...

What I am saying is, you could put all of those schools (Washington, King, BayView, Vincent) in different sectionals and they could all get beat before state and never meet. Or, if 1 and 2 make it to State and are on opposite ends of the Bracket, if one gets beat before the final, the two never meet anyway.

You are exactly right. All of the schools "could" get beat before they make it to state. That is the point. The problem with this is that while these teams are playing 3 real tough games "just" to get to state while out of the city, some of the teams have a walk or maybe one tough game to reach state. I don't think the debate is whether or not some teams can hang with the city schools but playing them after going through the grind of making it to state may make it a bit easier. The goal should be to have the best games at state but that will never happen.

While West has done very well in state recently, this does not settle the debate for me. It has helped it but does not cover up the fact that there are far to many blowouts that result from this format. In almost any sport, this format results in plenty of quarter and even semi-final blowouts, which really takes something away from the state tourney. I played in enough of them and while it was great to win, it didn't feel like a state tourney. It is not possible to totally seed the entire state but you could spread it around a bit and at least improve this a little.