BUCKLIN (17-5)
Coach: Derek Bevan
Sub-state--beat Moscow, 85-52; beat Ingalls, 80-48.
Quarterfinal vs. Caldwell (15-6), 8 p.m. Wednesday
Key players: Scott Price, 5-10, sr., G; Nate Bowman, 5-10, sr., G; Jaron Lindsay, 6-5, jr., F; Andrew Bowman, 6-0, so., G.
Red Aces ended a 28-year state tournament drought with last berth in 1994. … Trip to state is just fourth overall for program and Red Aces are still looking for first state-tournament win. … Red Aces won the SPIAA League Tournament and have beaten 1A Division I qualifier South Gray and 1A Division II qualifier Pawnee Heights this season. … Several players on team had multiple family members on last state team in 1994 and assistant coach Rob Scott was an assistant for 1994 team as well. … Price averages 20 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4 assists and 3.3 steals per game. … Nate Bowman adds 12.5 points and 4.2 assists per game. … Lindsay averages 10.1 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. … Andrew Bowman is just under 10 points per game.
CALDWELL (15-6)
Coach Trenton Neal
Sub-state beat South Haven, 46-39; beat Attica, 45-44.
Quarterfinal vs. Bucklin (17-5), 8 p.m. Wednesday
Key players: Teagan Thompson, 5-11, jr.; Keiondre Smith, 6-0, jr.; Jackson Risley, 6-1, so.; Luke Schmidt, 6-1, sr.; Christopher Clark, 6-3, jr.; Miles Newell, 6-0, so.
Caldwell makes first trip to state since 2019 and program's 12th overall. … Caldwell won South Central Border League Tournament and were league runner-up during regular season. … Roster only has six players. … Thompson averages 12.4 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. … Smith averages 8.1 points and 5.9 rebounds and is standout quarterback as well. … Risley averages 7.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.
CENTRAL PLAINS (4-18)
Coach Bryce Steiner
Sub-state--beat Tescott, 61-33; beat Wilson, 68-45; beat Centre, 46-41.
Quarterfinal vs. Hanover (21-1), 6 p.m. Wednesday
Key players: Peyton Ryan, 5-11, so., G; Hunter Klima, 5-11, so., F.
Oilers owned one win going into sub-state play, but won three straight to return to state tournament for first time since 2019. … Oilers won back-to-back state titles in 2018 and 2019. … Only other trips as Central Plains came in 2015 and 2016. … Claflin qualified 12 times and Quivira Heights four times. … Only eight players on roster. … Ryan averages 20 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.8 steals per game. … Klima averages 4.3 rebounds per game. … All of Oilers losses were to teams in larger classifications.
HANOVER (21-1)
Coach: Cory Jensen
Sub-state beat Southern Cloud, 66-35; beat. Axtell, 65-30.
Quarterfinal: vs. Central Plains (4-18) 6 p.m. Wednesday
Key players: Emmitt Jueneman, 6-2, sr., G; Keagan Dimler, 6-2, sr., G; Philip Doebele, 6-4, sr., F; Josh Zarybnicky, 6-3, jr., G/F; Braelen Stallbaumer, sr., 6-1, G.
Wildcats are defending 1A Division II state champions, beating Elyria Christian 52-40 in last year's state championship game. … Title was first for Jensen as coach but seventh for program with Kim Lohse winning six. … Hanover has gone back-to-back twice in program history, winning in 1998-99 and 2009-10. … Other titles came in 2015 and 2017. … Hanover was undefeated Twin Valley League champion for second straight year. … Only loss came to Centralia in title game of league tournament and Wildcats avenged it with 41-point win the following week. … Wildcats beat seven teams that were ranked at time or finished ranked at end of season. … Jueneman was All-Class 1A first-teamer last year and averages 16 points, 4.5 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game. … Three other starters are double-figure scorers – Dimler and Zarybnicky at 12.4 per game and Doebele at 11.2 points per game. … Doebele averages 9 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game. … Zarybnicky and Stallbaumer each average 8 rebounds per game and Dimler adds 4.3 assists per game.
PAWNEE HEIGHTS (12-10)
Coach: Rick Carlson
Sub-state beat Hutchinson Central Christian, 55-40; beat Elyria Christian, 41-39; beat Stafford, 43-34.
Quarterfinal: vs. Tribune-Greeley County (21-2), 2 p.m. Wednesday
Key players: Alec Carlson, 6-2, jr., F; Braden Colglazier, 6-2, sr., G; Adam Hands, 6-3, sr., F; Dakota Ryan, 6-1, jr., G; Davin Hamby, 5-9, so., G.
Tigers finished third at last year's Class 1A Division II state tournament, losing in semifinals to Elyria Christian. … Trip is third for program with other coming in 1972. … Tigers took second at Castle Rock Tournament. … Tigers won just two of last seven regular-season games before knocking off sub-state's top-two seeds including No. 1 seed Elyria Christian 41-39 in semifinals to avenge state semifinal loss from last year. … Carlson went over 1,000 points this year as a junior and averages 20.6 points per game. … Colglazier and Hands are each at just more than 10 points per game with Colglazier also adding 9.7 rebounds per game and Hands 6.3 boards a contest. … Ryan averages 5.3 points per game and Hamby adds 3.7 assists per game.
TRIBUNE-GREELEY CO. (20-2)
Coach: Josh Gooch
Sub-state beat Triplains-Brewster, 64-39; beat Wheatland-Grinnell, 72-54.
Quarterfinal: vs. Pawnee Heights (12-10), 2 p.m. Wednesday
Key players: Jaxson Brandl, 6-1, jr., F; Titus Sherer, 5-3, jr., PG; Lincoln Shafer, 5-8, fr., G.
Jackrabbits ended 10-year state drought after going five times from 2001-2012. … Tribune won state title in 2011 and took second in 2002. … Only losses came in back-to-back games against 1A Division I qualifier Ness City and Dighton, the latter by a point in overtime. … Jackrabbits beat Colorado state qualifier McClave. … Brandl went over 1,000 points this season and averages 22.2 points and 11 rebounds per game. … Sherer and Shafer are each right around 8 points per game and just under 3 assists per game. … Jackrabbits fell in sub-state championship games each of last two seasons before this year's breakthrough.
NORTHERN VALLEY (20-2)
Coach: Keith Sides
Sub-state beat Beloit-St. John's, 60-57; beat Logan-Palco, 62-58.
Quarterfinal: vs. Waverly (13-10), 4 p.m. Wednesday
Key players: Bailey Sides, 6-0, sr., G; Eric Loya, 6-2, sr., G; Kenton Thalheim, 6-0 so., G; Foster Brands, 6-2, jr., C; Jeremiah Hanson, 5-11, so., G.
Huskies finished third at state tournament last season, falling to eventual champion Hanover in the semifinals. … Program has seven appearances overall and were state champions in 1986, 1990, 1991 and 2018. … Huskies beat Logan-Palco four times this season including for the Western Kansas Liberty League tourney title and in sub-state finals. … Huskies' losses came to 2A qualifier WaKeeney-Trego and 3A Phillipsburg. … Sides averages 14.4 points, 5.8 assists and 4.5 steals per game. … Loya averages 13.1 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. … Thalheim averages 11.5 points and 5 rebounds a contest. … Brands and Hanson are both at 9.5 points per game with Brands adding 6.3 rebounds and Hanson 5.1 rebounds a game.
WAVERLY (13-10)
Coach: Tyler Williams
Sub-state beat Chetopa, 71-19; beat Marais des Cygnes Valley, 49-44; beat Lebo, 32-22.
Quarterfinal: vs. Northern Valley (20-2), 4 p.m. Wednesday
Key players: Damian Foster, 5-10, sr., G/F; Lane Bartley, 6-4, sr.; F; Ben Meehan, 5-11, so., PG; Brantley Petersen, 5-9, jr., G; Koy Myers, 5-8, jr., G; Brady Wallace, 5-10, jr., G/F.
Bulldogs qualified for state tournament for second straight season, falling in last year's quarterfinals to eventual runner-up Elyria Christian. … Trip is 15th overall for the program, which won Class 1A state titles in 1982 and 1992. … Bulldogs only have eight players on roster. … Sub-state finals upset of Lebo was second win over Wolves this season. … Foster and Bartley were honorable mention 1A Division 2 picks last year.
