MONROE — The WIAA announced Jan. 14 its updated tournament assignments for girls and boys basketball, as well as updated information on the upcoming wrestling postseason.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the state’s governing body of high school sports has adjusted all sports seasons for the past 10 months, from starting dates and state championship locations to player safety protocols.
Due to local restrictions, more than 3 dozen schools across the state have opted out of the winter sports postseasons entirely — including many schools in Madison and Milwaukee.
The WIAA has since adjusted the divisions for the basketball playoffs, as well as come to decisions for wrestling’s state championships.
In basketball, the WIAA kept the playoffs at five divisions for both the boys and girls tournaments, but evened out the number of schools in each division. That meant the Division 2 schools with higher enrollment moved into Division 1 to filled the void of the missing Madison and Milwaukee teams. To balance, each division lost and gained some schools.
In order to cut down on travel and potential spread of COVID-19, all regionals are in pods of five or six teams, with the higher seed hosting each game. The four regional champions will be reseeded for the sectional, with the higher-seeded team hosting.
The state championships will not be held in one location, which has typically been the Kohl Center in Madison, but rather will likely be held in pods based on division, much like the volleyball tournament in the fall. The WIAA has not yet determined the locations of the state championships yet. The WIAA also announced that the 3-point Challenge will be canceled this season.
In wrestling, the WIAA allowed an increase to six teams per gathering beginning this week, and up to eight teams beginning Jan. 30, which will allow the tournament series to partake.
The top two wrestlers in each weight class will advance from the 16 regionals per division, and then again in the sectional. In all, eight wrestlers will qualify for state in each weight class per division.
The individual and team state tournament for wrestling will be held at various locations around the state, instead of the Kohl Center in Madison. In Division 1, both team and individual tournaments will take place at Kaukauna, while Division 2 will be at Adams-Friendship, Team state in Division 3 will be held at Wausau West, but the location for the D3 individual state tournament has yet to be decided.
How it affects local schools
Locally in boys basketball, New Glarus and Darlington moved from Division 4 into Division 3, joining Brodhead. Monroe stayed put in Division 1, and all of the Six Rivers East teams remained in Division 5.
Across the state, 19 ranked teams in boys basketball moved up a division, including eight of the top 10 spots in Division 5. Monticello (11-2), ranked ninth in D5 in the most recent WisSports.net Coaches Poll, is one of who schools remaining ranked in the division (No. 5 Hustisford, 5-1), which is the smallest in the state.
In Division 2, Monroe’s sectional loses eight schools, including Badger Conference rivals Milton, Monona Grove, Oregon and DeForest, as well as Elkhorn, Waukesha North and Waukesha West. Edgewood, Edgerton, Evansville, Lake Mills, Turner, Platteville, Waupun, Wisconsin Dells, Big Foot and Adams-Friendship come into the sectional.
In girls basketball, New Glarus was the only local school to move up a division, joining the ranks in D3 for the tournament. Darlington remains in D4.
Boys Basketball
Schools opting out (39)
Division 1 (9): Madison East, Madison La Follette, Madison Memorial, Madison West, Milwaukee Hamilton, Milwaukee King, Milwaukee Pulaski, Milwaukee Riverside and Milwaukee Reagan.
Division 2 (9): Milwaukee Madison, Milwaukee Vincent, Milwaukee Arts, Milwaukee Bradley Tech, Milwaukee Marshall, Milwaukee School of Languages, Milwaukee South, Milwaukee Washington, Milwaukee Bay View.
Division 3 (7): Carmen Northwest, Golda Meir, Messmer, Milwaukee North, Obama School of Career Tech, Tenor/Veritas, Saint Anthony.
Division 4 (4): Destiny, Milwaukee Juneau, Salam, Milwaukee Collegiate Academy.
Division 5 (10): Eastbrook Academy/Chesterton Academy, Milwaukee Lifelong Learning, University Lake/Trinity Academy, Wayland Academy, Abundant Life/St. Ambrose, Madison Country Day, Community Christian of Baraboo, Young Coggs, Cornell, Phelps.
Division movement
From Division 2 to Division 1 (30)
Holmen, Hortonville, Green Bay Southwest, La Crosse Central, Menomonie, Pulaski, River Falls, Beaver Dam, Cedarburg, Kaukauna, Nicolet, Slinger, West Bend East, West Bend West, West De Pere, De Forest, Elkhorn, Fort Atkinson, Milton, Monona Grove, Oregon, Waukesha North, Waukesha West, Burlington, Greenfield, South Milwaukee, Union Grove, Waterford, Wauwatosa West, Westosha Central.
From Division 3 to Division 2 (40)
Altoona, Amery, Baldwin-Woodville, Black River Falls, Ellsworth, Hayward, Osceola, Somerset, West Salem, Berlin, Clintonville, Denmark, Freedom, Little Chute, Marinette, Ripon, Sheboygan Falls, Two Rivers, Winneconne, Xavier, Adams-Friendship, Big Foot, Edgerton, Edgewood, Evansville, Lake Mills, Lodi, Mauston, Platteville, Turner, Waupun, Wisconsin Dells, Brown Deer, Catholic Memorial, East Troy, Kettle Moraine Lutheran, Kewaskum, Martin Luther, Saint Francis, Saint Thomas More.
From Division 4 to Division 3 (36)
Aquinas, Cameron, Chequamegon, Colby, Cumberland, Durand, Ladysmith, Mondovi, Neillsville, Osseo-Fairchild, Stratford, Unity, Bonduel, Menominee Indian, Oconto, Saint Mary Catholic, Southern Door, Westfield, Weyauwega-Fremont, Belleville, Cambridge, Darlington, Lancaster, Markesan, Marshall, New Glarus, Poynette, Cedar Grove, Howards Grove, Kenosha Christian Life, Kenosha St. Joseph, Milwaukee Academy of Science, Racine Lutheran, Random Lake, Saint Mary’s Springs, Winnebago Lutheran.
From Division 5 to Division 4 (28)
Athens, Clear Lake, Flambeau, Hurley, Thorp, Washburn, Gillett, Hilbert, Lourdes Academy, Oakfield, Reedsville, Sheboygan Lutheran, Wabeno/Laona, Alma Center Lincoln, Bangor, Blair-Taylor, Eleva-Strum, Hillsboro, Kickapoo, New Lisbon, Pacelli, Pittsville, Rosholt, Tri-County, Wild Rose, Iowa-Grant, Riverdale, Southwestern.
Sectional Assignments
Boys Basketball
Division 2,
Regional assignments
3D: Evansville, Edgerton, Monroe, Delavan-Darien, Turner, Big Foot
Division 3,
Regional assignments
3C: Belleville, Darlington, Dodgeville, Lancaster, New Glarus, Prairie du Chien
3D: Brodhead, Cambridge, Clinton, Lakeside Lutheran, Marshall, St. John’s NW Academy
Division 5,
Regional assignments
4A: Argyle, Belmont, Benton, Black Hawk, Pecatonica, Shullsburg
4B: Albany, Barneveld, Catholic Central, Faith Christian, Juda, Monticello
Girls Basketball
Teams opting out (36)
Division 1 (11): Madison East, Madison La Follette, Madison West, Madison Memorial, Milwaukee Bradley Tech, Milwaukee Hamilton, Milwaukee King, Milwaukee Marshall, Milwaukee Pulaski, Milwaukee Riverside, Milwaukee Ronald Reagan
Division 2 (7): Green Bay West, Milwaukee Bay View, Milwaukee Madison, Milwaukee School of Languages, Milwaukee South, Milwaukee Vincent, Milwaukee Washington
Division 3 (5): Carmen Northwest, Golda Meir, Messmer, Milwaukee North, St. Anthony
Division 4 (5): Chequamegon, Destiny, Kenosha Christian Life, Necedah, Salam
Division 5 (9): Abundant Life, Cornell, Eastbrook Academy, Faith Christian, Madison Country Day, Milwaukee Lifelong Learning, Phelps, University Lake School, Wayland Academy
Division movement
From Division 2 to Division 1 (29)
Beaver Dam, Burlington, Cedarburg, DeForest, Elkhorn, Green Bay Southwest, Greenfield, Holmen, Hortonville, Kaukauna, La Crosse Central, Menomonie, Milton, Monona Grove, Nicolet, Oregon, Pulaski, River Falls, Slinger, South Milwaukee, Union Grove, Waterford, Waukesha North, Waukesha West, Wauwatosa West, West Allis Cental, West Bend East, West Bend West, Westosha Central
From Division 3 to Division 2 (34)
Altoona, Amery, Baldwin-Woodville, Berlin, Big Foot, Black River Falls, Brown Deer, Catholic Memorial, Denmark, East Troy, Edgerton, Edgewood, Evansville, Freedom, Hayward, Kettle Moraine Lutheran, Kewaskum, Little Chute, Marinette, Martin Luther, Mauston, Osceola, Ripon, Sheboygan Falls, Somerset, St. Francis, St. Thomas More, Turner, Two Rivers, Waupun, West Salem, Winneconne, Wisconsin Dells, Xavier
From Division 4 to Division 3 (34)
Amherst, Aquinas, Belleville, Bonduel, Cambridge, Cameron, Cedar Grove-Belgium, Colby, Cumberland, Durand, Howards Grove, Lancaster, Markesan, Marshall, Menominee Indian, Mondovi, Neillsville, Nekoosa, New Glarus, Oconto, Osseo-Fairchild, Poynette, Racine Lutheran, Random Lake, Sheboygan Lutheran/Christian, Southern Door, St. Mary’s Springs, Stanley-Boyd, Stratford, Unity, Westfield, Weyauwega-Fremont, Winnebago Lutheran, Wittenberg-Birnamwood
From Division 5 to Division 4 (30)
Bangor, Blair-Taylor, Cashton, Clear Lake, Cochrane-Fountain City, Edgar, Eleva-Strum, Gibraltar, Gillett, Glenwood City, Hilbert, Hillsboro, Hurley, Iowa-Grant, Kickapoo, Pacelli, Pittsville, Plum City/Elmwood, Potosi/Cassville, Randolph, Reedsville, Riverdale, Rosholt, Sevastopol, Shell Lake, Southwestern, Thorp, Wabeno/Laona, Washburn, Wild Rose
Sectional Assignments
Girls Basketball
Division 2,
Regional assignments
3C: Edgerton, Evansville, Fort Atkinson, Jefferson, Monroe, Turner
Division 3,
Regional assignments
3C: Belleville, Dodgeville, Lancaster, New Glarus, Platteville, Prairie du Chien
3D: Brodhead, Cambridge, Clinton, Lake Mills, Lakeside Lutheran
Division 4,
Regional assignments
4B: Cuba City, Darlington, Mineral Point, Potosi-Cassville, Southwestern
Division 5,
Regional assignments
4C: Argyle, Belmont, Benton, Black Hawk, Pecatonica, Shullsburg
4D: Albany, Barneveld, Catholic Central, Juda, Monticello
Wrestling
Sectional Assignments
Division 2, Richland Center Sectional
Prairie du Chien Regional
Belmont/Platteville, Cuba City/Benton/Southwestern, Darlington/Black Hawk, Dodgeville; Prairie du Chien; Viroqua
Evansville Regional
Brodhead-Juda, Edgerton, Evansville, Monroe, Sugar River, Turner, Whitewater
