Substate bracket release day is always exciting, but there is just something about Sunday morning after substate basketball tournaments wrap up.
Seeing the state pairings, times, potential matchups, etc., is truly one of the great moments in Kansas high school sports each year.
Here are five storylines for the boys state basketball tournaments.
3A feels wide open, and a touch empty
Hutchinson is lucky this year. Both 3A tournaments feel like they’re going to be epic.
Cheney might be the most talented team in Hutch, but the Cardinals are seeded just No. 3, behind fellow 22-1 Lakin and undefeated Galena. Hesston, the 3A champion in 2021, 2022 and 2023, is back and looks like a well-oiled machine (which the Swathers are).
Goodland might be the most exciting team in 3A, especially with Linkon Cure, who treats basketballs rudely, on offense when dunking and on defense when he blocks shots like a volleyball player.
And can you really count out No. 8 seed Bishop Ward?
And yet, despite all these great teams, it feels a touch empty. Haven (again) was victim to a brutal substate that featured five teams that could have legitimately made a deep run. Haven is the only team to beat Cheney, and made a valiant comeback in the substate championship loss to Cheney.
The quadrants were a step in the right direction for 3A on down. But as you’ll see in my next point, it’s time to get rid of geographical substates and just go east-west.
The Central Christian Cougars are real … and really road weary
Central Christian was 7-10 at one point this season. The Cougars haven’t lost since, and they aren’t going to the Class 1A Division 2 state tournament thanks to a weak substate. The Cougars beat three legit teams along the way – Otis-Bison, Weskan and Wallace County. The Cougars and Adam Clark earned their way to state. They weren’t the benefactor of a weak substate or upsets elsewhere in their substate.
The problem is, Central Christian was asked to travel like, I’m guessing, no team in KSHSAA postseason history has been asked to travel before. As the No. 9 seed in substate (the Cougars’ substate record was 8-10), Central Christian had to play first at Otis-Bison, and then in Goodland against Weskan. Throw in the trip to Dighton for the substate championship game, and that meant the Cougars traveled more than 1,000 miles for substate.
Now, you add 470 miles roundtrip to Colby for Central Christian, and the Cougars are logging more than 1,500 miles to and from their destination. That’s almost like travelling from Central Christian to Edmonton.
I know the eastern schools will be hard to convince, but it’s time to get rid of geographical substates, and just go east-west. For years, we’ve heard about travel and what’s best for the student-athletes, yadda, yadda, yadda.
Those arguments are dead. And it wasn’t just Central Christian. The Marysville boys travelled 480 miles roundtrip for a first-round substate game at Chaparral. Marysville’s semifinal trip to Hesston (310 miles) must have felt like a trip across the county.
No argument is valid not to do east-west substates across all classifications.
McPherson looks for repeat
March and state basketball are synonymous with McPherson. The boys are headed back to Salina and Class 4A a year after winning another title in 2024.
The Bullpups are 18-4 and seeded fourth. Their first opponent, Baldwin, took down Bishop Miege in substate, so the path is already rugged.
But McPherson basketball is not built on substate championships. It’s built on state championships. The Bullpups have the ability, talent and coaching to nab title No. 15.
Can we see a Moundridge-Sterling title game in 2A?
Please? With sugar on top?
Yeah, I’m being selfish, hoping two area teams play for the title, but why shouldn’t I be? Moundridge, which has won the last two 2A titles, is undefeated and seeded No. 1. Sterling is No. 2 with a 20-3 mark.
Sterling, which doesn’t have a single senior on the roster, has only lost to 5A Great Bend, 3A power Scott City and Moundridge, a game that was tight in the fourth quarter before the Wildcats pulled away.
These two teams have appeared to be the class of 2A this season. They’ll both get their challenges, but it would be so much fun to see this rematch.
Cunningham also looking for repeat
Few small schools have it going on as well athletically as Cunningham. A six-man football power, Cunningham is great in basketball right now as well.
The Wildcats are the only undefeated team in Class 1A Division 2, and look to repeat in Colby. But it’ll be a tough road. Axtell has just one loss, and fourth-seeded Elyria Christian looms in the semifinals.
But dang, for a school that small, does anyone have it better?
