Playoff basketball brackets are here, time to get pumped

 

On Sunday night, families enjoyed family dinners, men relaxed with ice-cold refreshments and women may have watched “Real Housewives.”

You may have been checking out the Olympics or catching a movie before the beginning of the work week.

For me, it was a no-brainer. I was checking out the updated WIAA boys basketball playoff brackets online.

OK, I was keeping tabs because it is my job, but as a fan of high school basketball, it is one of the best times of the year.

Four long, hard months of blood, sweat and tears come down to one weekend when area coaches lobby for high seeds and favorable matchups.

Let’s take a look at the four area teams, Catholic Cental, Burlington, Union Grove and Waterford, and see where they stack up among the state’s best.

CC has best shot at state

Not much of a surprise here, as both Catholic Central and Union Grove earned No. 1 seeds.

The Toppers, ranked No. 3 in the Associated Press D5 state rankings ever since late December, earned the top seed in Sectional #4.

Catholic Central was 17-3 when the brackets came out, and two of their losses came to Whitefish Bay Dominican, the two-time defending Division 3 state champion.

The other loss came to Waterford, which could’ve hurt the Toppers in a tougher bracket. Fortunately, Central’s regional doesn’t feature any ranked opponents.

A first-round matchup with Williams Bay could be close, but the Toppers won’t face a real challenge until the sectional semifinal, where they could face 10^th-ranked Randolph (13-6).

If Catholic Central can get by Randolph or top-seeded Fall River, the Toppers would most likely take on Milwaukee Academy of Science or Sheboygan Lutheran with a trip to state in Madison on the line.

Catholic Central beat Sheboygan earlier in the season, but Academy of Science features full-court pressure and a lot of athleticism.

Look for the Toppers to have no problem reaching the sectional final. Catholic Central’s disciplined, half-court offense, balanced scoring and smothering defense make it a tough out for anyone.

Don’t be surprised if the Toppers are playing at the Kohl Center March 13.

 

UG earns top seed

The road won’t be easy, but the Union Grove Broncos have a good chance to make some noise this postseason.

Hands-down the most complete team in the Southern Lakes Conference, the Broncos just slipped into the AP state rankings in Division 2 this week at No. 10.

Familiarity could be their biggest nemesis, as the Broncos could have to beat two conference opponents on their state journey.

On Feb. 28, the Grove opens at home with the Burlington-Waterford winner. Then, the Broncos could very well play Wilmot for a third time. These teams all know each other well, and all match up fairly evenly.

If the Broncos can get past the SLC and advance to the sectional semifinal, they could face top-seeded McFarland, a tough squad.

The Grove’s depth, athleticism and three-point shooting should make it all the way to the sectional final, where Division 2’s top-ranked team, Mt. Horeb, would most likely be waiting.

Horeb is 19-0 and is the best team in the Badger North Conference, a suburban Madison league.

Horeb is smaller than Union Grove by almost 300 students, and the Southern Lakes may be a better conference top to bottom.

If the Broncos can knock off Wilmot in round two, expect them to at least advance to the sectional semifinal.

Burlington-Waterford, Vol. 3

Two bitter rivals will kick off the postseason Feb. 25 in Burlington.

From a handshake incident last season to the Wolverines gloating on the court after beating Burlington this season, these two teams don’t like each other.

After Waterford beat Burlington earlier this season, students and players rushed the floor and made their presence felt. The bad blood continued on Twitter that night with back-and-forth jabs among students.

For the most part, though, it’s a friendly rivalry, and nothing brings out more passion than a Demons-Wolverines showdown.

It’s too bad one of these teams has to lose because it would be nice if each could get to sectionals.

Both teams have dipped below .500 for the season, so No. 4 and 5 were fitting seeds. Sixth-seeded Westosha Central has a worse record.

Burlington is 1-3 against Union Grove and Wilmot this season, and Waterford is 1-3 as well.

The winner must travel to Union Grove, and neither the Demons nor Wolverines have beaten the Broncos this year.

Because it’s at home, and the Demons don’t want to lose twice at home to their rival in one season, I think Burlington will pull out a close victory.

Union Grove beat Burlington at home by only one point earlier this season, but the Broncos are playing their best basketball of the season right now.

If Burlington can beat Waterford, it will be very difficult for the Demons to beat both Union Grove and Wilmot in the playoffs.

But with dynamic scorers like Ben Geiger and Frank Hozeska, anything is possible for Burlington, a battle-tested team.

Stay tuned to www.myracinecounty.com and my Twitter page, @mikeramczyk17, for postseason updates. Also, look for stories, photos and more on the Standard Press Sports Facebook page.

The high school basketball playoffs are always a blast, and only five teams will call themselves champions in March.

As of right now, Catholic Central and Union Grove have the best chances to take their talents to Madison.