The 2026 WIAA Boys Basketball State Tournament is finally here. The year end showcase where four teams each in five divisions have earned their way to the Kohl Center for a chance at a gold ball.
The Division 3 playoffs will kick off with the afternoon session on Thursday where the two semifinal games will be played, and the championship game will be the final game of the early session on Saturday night, putting a cap on the 2025-26 basketball season.
Below we’ll preview each team, their journey here, and then give a prediction at the bottom.
To see the full tournament field with game times, click here.
Division 3 State Tournament Schedule
Semifinals - Thursday, March 19 - 1:35 p.m.
Game 1: #1 Seymour (27-1) vs. #4 Saint Croix Central (19-9)
Game-2: #2 Lake Mills (26-2) vs. #3 Racine St. Catherine’s (23-4)
Championship Final - Saturday, March 21 (15 minutes following complettion of Division 4 championship game)
The Teams
Record: 27-1
Bound Power Index Ranking: #1 in Division 3; #2 Overall
Strength of Schedule Ranking: 101
Head Coach: Bobby Kuchta - 6th year with Seymour, 260 career wins
Conference: 16-0, Bay Champion
Points Per Game: 76.5
Opponents Points Per Game: 55.4
Previous State Appearances: 14 trip this year: 1935, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011
Previous State Championships: 3x State Champion: 1997, 2001, 2006
Playoff Path
Beat Menominee Nation 77-36 in Regional Semifinal
Beat Wittenberg-Birnamwood 56-35 in Regional Final
Beat Freedom 56-49 in Sectional Semifinal
Beat Xavier 71-52 in Sectional Final
Top Players
Kyler Marks, 6-4, sr, Bay Conference Player of the Year - 20.6 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 3.9 apg, 1.3 spg; shooting splits: 62/40/77
Isaac Feske, 6-3, jr, 2nd Team All-Bay - 15.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 2.1 apg
Jordan Krause, 6-0, soph, 2nd Team All-Bay - 11.8 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.4 spg
Xavier Salzman, 6-0, sr, Bay Defensive Player of the Year - 9.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 4.4 rpg
Teage Cornell, 5-10, soph - 7.7 ppg, 2.1 rpg
Sam Geyso, 6-0, sr - 4.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 3.6 apg
Notes
Seymour has put together an impressive run to Madison, specifically in their sectional play where the Thunder beat Freedom and then handled Bay conference rival Xavier in the sectional final. The Thunder are one of the more balanced teams in all of Division 3 with 6-7 kids rotation kids that know their roll, can step up when needed, and don’t turn the ball over. Kyler Marks is a coaches dream as he does everything and leads by example with his effort. The Thunder play with great IQ and share the ball with quick rotations. On top of that, Seymour defends. 52 points was the high given up by the Thunder in these playoffs, including holding Freedom and Donovan Davis to just 49 points.
Record: 26-2
Bound Power Index Ranking: #3 in Division 3; #11 Overall
Strength of Schedule Ranking: 135
Head Coach: Steve Hicklin - 14th year at Lake Mills, 284 career wins
Conference: 10-0, Capitol-North Champion
Points Per Game: 73.4
Opponents Points Per Game: 51.0
Previous State Appearances: 4th trip this year: 2017, 2021, 2025
Previous State Championships: None
Playoff Path
Beat Evansville 79-60 in Regional Semifinal
Beat East Troy 70-45 in Regional Final
Beat Watertown Luther Prep 68-58 in Sectional Semifinal
Beat Lancaster 85-53 in Sectional Final
Top Players
Tyler Wollin, 6-3, jr - 18.0 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 6.8 apg, 2.4 spg
Brady Benish, 6-1, sr - 14.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.8 spg
Collin Christian, 6-2, jr - 14.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.6 spg
Ashton Winger, 6-3, sr - 10.6 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1.6 apg
Jenner Wellman, 5-10, frosh - 6.5 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.8 apg
Notes
Lake Mills plays a pretty brand of basketball, where the L-Cats share the ball well and create great shots via quick ball movement and inside out looks. This squad fell short in the state semifinals a year ago, but are primed as any time to take home the program’s first gold ball. Tyler Wollin is a great point-forward that has a high IQ and makes his teammates better. Brady Benish can light it up from deep, but his overall game has taken a step forward. Both Collin Christian and Ashton Winger have done a great job of stepping into bigger roles this season for Steve Hicklin and it’s paying off in their efficiency and scoring ability on the court. This L-Cats squad plays with a high team IQ which is pleasant to watch as a fan.
Record: 23-4
Bound Power Index Ranking: #5 in Division 3; #24 Overall
Strength of Schedule Ranking: 73
Head Coach: Ryan Thompson - 5th year with St. Cats, 101 career wins
Conference: 11-3, second in Metro Classic
Points Per Game: 73.8
Opponents Points Per Game: 58.3
Previous State Appearances: 8th trip this year: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2021
Previous State Championships: 6x state champion: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2021
Playoff Path
Beat Saint Thomas More 83-63 over Regional Semifinal
Beat Audubon Tech 86-63 in Regional Final
Beat Racine Lutheran 65-62 in Sectional Semifinal
Beat Oostburg 74-58 in Sectional Final
Top Players
LaMont Hamilton, 6-0, sr, 1st Team/DEF All-Metro Classic (Minnesota football recruit) - 26.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.1 apg, 2.2 spg
Eddie Vinson Jr, 5-10, sr, HM All-Metro Classic - 12.0 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 1.3 apg
Jayden Phillips, 5-10, jr, HM All-Metro Classic - 10.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.7 apg
AC Ward, 6-3, sr, HM All-Metro Classic - 9.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.7 apg
Antoine Ozier, 5-11, sr - 6.8 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 1.2 apg
Richard Watson, 6-0, sr, HM All-Metro Classic - 5.0 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.8 apg
Notes
St. Cats has been to seven state tournaments and came home with a gold ball in six of those trips. This squad is built to get number seven. Head coach Ryan Thompson got win number 100 earlier in these playoffs. The Angels got thru Metro Classic rival Racine Lutheran in the sectional semifinals before beating a very good Oostburg team in the sectional finals. LaMont Hamilton is one of the best players that will be at this year’s state tournament hands down. He’s electric with the ball in his hands (similar to how he is on the gridiron), and is a threat to go off for 50 points on any given night. Around him, Vinson, Phillips, and Ozier provide quickness on the defensive side but are all capable ball handlers and downhill attackers off the dribble. St. Cat’s played a tough non-con on top of its Metro Classic league slate, with games against Kenosha Bradford, Milwaukee Academy of Science, Milwaukee hamilton, and Nicolet.
Record: 19-9
Bound Power Index Ranking: #23 in Division 3; #110 Overall
Strength of Schedule Ranking: 157
Head Coach: Matt Bailey - 4th year with Saint Croix Central, 95 career wins
Conference: 10-4, Middle Border co-champion
Points Per Game: 60.5
Opponents Points Per Game: 57.0
Previous State Appearances: 2nd trip this year: 2021
Previous State Championships: None
Playoff Path
Beat Ashland 54-36 in Regional Semifinal
Beat Saint Croix Falls 59-45 in Regional Final
Beat Osceola 65-63 in Sectional Semifinal
Beat Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau 61-53 in Sectional Final
Top Players
Matyas Larson, 6-4, sr, 2nd Team All-Middle Border - 13.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg
Tanner Grinnell, 6-9, sr, 2nd Team All-Middle Border - 12.2 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 2.1 apg, 2.1 bpg
Braiden Rasmussen, 6-0, sr, HM All-Middle Border - 11.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.2 apg
Chayton Gottfredsen, 6-3, sr - 8.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.1 apg
Aaron Siler, 6-0, jr - 7.3 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 3.5 apg
Braden Pierce, 5-10, soph - 6.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.4 apg
Notes
Saint Croix Central battled its way to earn its spot at the state tournament, winning all four of their playoff games by 18 or less points, including single-point victories in the sectional play. The Panthers are well coached, as Matt Bailey was the Coach of the Year in the Middle Border conference. On top of that, this group is senior-led, where that maturity and experience has aided the Panthers in their run to the Kohl Center. Size and strength are in abundance as Tanner Grinnell is a presence on the interior at 6-9 while Matyas Larson is a lanky and athletic wing that can guard nearly every position on the court. Rasmussen, Gottfredsen, and Siler are all capable ball handlers and defenders, filling out the SCC starting five.
Prediction
State Semifinals:
Seymour over Saint Croix Central
Lake Mills over Racine St. Catherine’s
State Championship
Lake Mills over Seymour
Colton Wilson serves a contributor and member of Bound Wisconsin. Wilson has worked in high school sports for 10 years, covering the state of Wisconsin in various sports. He has had roles in content creation, boys basketball coverage, director of events, and data management. Wilson is a graduate of Richland Center High School where he will currently serves as the Varsity Reserve boys basketball coach, entering his eleventh year coaching at the high school level. Wilson also has officiated basketball and organized youth tournaments for multiple years. You can follow him on Twitter at @ColtonWilson23 or reach him at [email protected].
