2017 Class AAA State Boys Basketball Tournament Preview

2017 CLASS AAA STATE BOYS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINAL SCHEDULE 

                                 Games played Wednesday, March 22 at Williams Arena, Minneapolis

10:00:  Big Lake vs. DeLaSalle (Seed 1)

12:00: Columbia Heights (Seed 5) vs. Fergus Falls (Seed 4)

2:00:  St. Thomas Academy vs. Austin (Seed 2)

4:00:  Grand Rapids vs. Marshall (Seed 3)

Examining the Field:  One of  the great dynasties in Minnesota high school basketball history opens the Class AAA tournament as the top seeded DeLaSalle Islanders goes for their record setting sixth straight titleagainst the first time entrant the Big Lake Hornets.  The Islanders are led by Goanar Mar and Gabe Kalscheur and have played a brutal non conference schedule against teams including Eden Prairie, Maple Grove and Champlin Park.  The Hornets beat Rocori to  advance to their first state tournament and you can bet that there will be a load of fans on the Northstar Commuter Rail in support of Big Lake.  Can they pull the upset? 

The last time the fifth seeded Columbia Heights Hylanders played in the state tournament was 2011, when they lost to the Orono Spartans in the Class AAA final.  They will go against the fourth seeded Fergus Falls Otters who played in last year's championship game and lost to DeLaSalle.  The Islanders beat the Hylanders in Tri-Metro Conference play twice this season.  Is a third meeting possible?  

Returning to Minneapolis for the first time since 2008 is the St. Thomas Academy Cadets as they go up against one of the great outstate programs in the second seeded Austin Packers, who are making their 30th trip to the tournament. The Cadets are on a roll, winning 13 of their last 14 games.  Both of the Packers losses this season have been to the Rochester John Marshall Rockets as they go for their first state title since Ove Berven led Austin to the 1958 state title.  

What a winter sports season it has been for the Grand Rapids Thunderhawks.  The boys hockey team won the Class AA sate title and the girls basketball team lost by two points in the Class AAA consolation championship to the DeLaSalle Islanders.  Now it's the boys basketball team's turn to send their orange and lack clad fans down Highway 169 as they face the third seeded Marshall Tigers.  It's the 11th trip to Minneapolis for the identically colored Tigers,who last won a state title in 1963 when they beat the Cloquet Lumberjacks 75-74.  

Class AA is ext.