Kansas basketball playoffs prep for semifinals

Although Heights (Wichita) appears to be the surest bet to claim both the boys and girls Class 6A state basketball championships this weekend in Wichita, 15 other schools from across the Sunflower State will be vying for double championships in seven different classifications March 9-12.

The Falcon boys are two-time defending champions and the girls the defending 6A runners-up. Both squads are ranked No. 1 in their classifications and are undefeated so far this season. Joining them with teams in both the boys and girls competitions in Kansas' big school classification are Olathe East, Topeka Washburn Rural, Blue Valley Northwest and Wichita Northwest.

McPherson, competing in Class 5A and Holton in 4A appear to be the other schools that have a legitimate shot at the championship sweep in both the boys and girls competitions. St. Thomas Aquinas, Wichita Bishop Carroll and Emporia will also try to battle through both Class 5A brackets unscathed. Ottawa and Topeka Hayden will try to do the same in Class 4A.

MaxPreps Kansas boys basketball playoff brackets
MaxPreps Kansas girls basketball playoff brackets

Wichita Collegiate (Class 3A), Olpe and Hanover (Class 1A, Division 1) and Bern (Class 1A, Division 2) round out the double qualifiers in the Sunflower State.

Six of the seven top-ranked boys basketball teams played their way into the quarterfinals of their respective classifications. A half-dozen of the top squads qualified on the girls side as well. Wilson, the top-ranked boys team in Class 1A, Division 2 failed to make the round of eight, while the same can be said for the Washington County girls in Class 2A.

Carrying the No. 1 tag into the state basketball tournament on the boys side are Wichita Heights (Class 6A), McPherson (Class 5A), Kansas City-Sumner Academy (Class 4A), Effingham-Atchison County (Class 3A), Pittsburg-Colgan (Class 2A) and Hanover (Class 1A, Division 1).

On the girls side of the slate the Falcons of course reign supreme in Class 6A. St. Thomas Aquinas (Class 5A), Cheney (Class 4A), Jefferson County North (Class 3A), Olpe (Class 1A, Division 1) and Argonia (Class 1A, Division 2) all carry that same title going into state tournament play.

In all, nine basketball teams carry spotless records into this weekend's action. Only Heights (6A) and Effingham-Atchison County (3A) represent the boys perfectly. Of the 56 girls teams shooting for state titles only Wichita Heights (6A), St. Thomas Aquinas (Class 5A), Holton and Cheney (Class 4A), Jefferson County North (Class 3A), Olpe (Class 1A-1) and Argonia (Class 1A-2) are without a loss.

Now let's get down to the serious business of picking this weekend's state tournament action beginning with the semifinals.

KANSAS BOYS STATE BASKETBALL PICKS
CLASS 6A SEMIFINALS
No. 1 Heights (Wichita) (23-0) over No. 4 Olathe East (20-3)
No. 2 Blue Valley Northwest (Overland Park) (22-1) over No. 5 Dodge City (20-2)

Finals
No. 1 Wichita Heights (24-0) over No. 2 Blue Valley Northwest (23-1)

Consolation
No. 4 Olathe East (20-4) over No. 5 Dodge City (20-3)

Darkhorse
Leavenworth

CLASS 5A SEMIFINALS
No. 1 McPherson (22-1) over St. Thomas Aquinas (14-9)
No. 2 Washington (Kansas City) (21-2) over No. 5 Lansing (18-4)

Finals
No. 1 McPherson (23-1) over No. 2 Kansas City-Washington (22-2)

Consolation
St. Thomas Aquinas (14-10) over No. 5 Lansing (18-5)

Darkhorse
Bishop Miege

CLASS 4A SEMIFINALS
No. 2 Holton (22-2) over No. 5 Ottawa (21-3)
No. 1 Sumner Academy (Kansas City) (21-3) over No. 9 Parsons (21-3)

Finals
No. 1 Kansas City-Sumner Academy (22-3) over No. 2 Holton (23-2)

Consolation
No. 5 Ottawa (21-4) over No. 9 Parsons (21-4)

Darkhorse
Topeka Hayden

CLASS 3A SEMIFINALS
No. 1 Effingham Atchison County (24-0) over No. 4 Minneapolis (22-2)
No. 2 Scott City (23-1) over No. 3 Wichita Collegiate (22-2)

Finals
No. 1 Effingham Atchison County (25-0) over No. 2 Scott City (24-1)

Consolation
No. 3 Wichita Collegiate (22-3) over No. 4 Minneapolis (22-3)

Darkhorse
Burlington

CLASS 2A SEMIFINALS
No. 2 Berean Academy (Elbing) (23-1) over No. 4 Syracuse (22-2)
No. 1 St. Mary's-Colgan (Pittsburg) (22-1) over No. 5 Ness City (22-2)

Finals
No. 1 Pittsburg-Colgan (23-1) over No. 2 Elbing-Berean Academy (24-1)

Consolation
No. 4 Syracuse (22-3) over No. 5 Ness City (22-3)

Darkhorse
Washington County

CLASS 1A-DIVISION 1 SEMIFINALS
No. 1 Hanover (23-1) over No. 5 Pretty Prairie (22-1)
No. 3 Macksville (23-1) over No. 4 Montezuma-South Gray (23-1)

Finals
No. 1 Hanover (24-1) over No. 3 Macksville (24-1)

Consolation
No. 4 Montezuma-South Gray (23-2) over No. 5 Pretty Prairie (22-2)

Darkhorse
South Haven

CLASS 1A-DIVISION 2 SEMIFINALS
No. 3 Greeley County (Tribune) (21-3) over No. 6 Kiowa-South Barber (18-6)
No. 2 Hope (21-3) over No. 4 Fowler (19-4)

Finals
No. 2 Hope (22-3) over No. 3 Tribune-Greeley County (22-3)

Consolation
No. 4 Fowler (19-5) over No. 6 Kiowa-South Barber (18-7)

Darkhorse
Otis-Bison

KANSAS GIRLS STATE BASKETBALL PICKS
CLASS 6A SEMIFINALS
No. 1 Heights (Wichita) (23-0) over No. 5 Olathe East (19-4)
No. 2 South (Olathe) (22-1) over No. 3 Shawnee Mission West (21-2)

Finals
No. 1 Wichita Heights (24-0) over No. 2 Olathe South (23-1)

Consolation
No. 3 Shawnee Mission West (21-3) over No. 5 Olathe East (19-5)

Darkhorse
Topeka Washburn Rural

CLASS 5A SEMIFINALS
No. 1 Aquinas (Overland Park) (23-0) over No. 10 Wichita Bishop Carroll (17-6)
No. 2 McPherson (McPherson) (21-2) over No. 5 Blue Valley (19-4)

Finals
No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas (24-0) over No. 2 McPherson (22-2)

Consolation
No. 5 Blue Valley (19-5) over No. 10 Wichita Bishop Carroll (17-7)

Darkhorse
Tecumseh-Shawnee Heights

CLASS 4A SEMIFINALS
No. 2 Holton (24-0) over No. 5 Haven (21-3)
No. 1 Cheney (24-0) over No. 3 Colby (22-2)

Finals
No. 1 Cheney (25-0) over No. 2 Holton (25-0)

Consolation
No. 3 Colby (22-3) over No. 5 Haven (21-4)

Darkhorse
Basehor-Linwood

CLASS 3A SEMIFINALS
No. 1 Jefferson County North (Winchester) (24-0) over Hays-Thomas More Prep (20-4)
No. 4 Osage City (22-2) over No. 5 Riley County (22-2)

Finals
No. 1 Jefferson County North (25-0) over No. 4 Osage City (23-2)

Consolation
No. 5 Riley County (22-3) over Hays-Thomas More Prep (20-5)

Darkhorse
Wichita Collegiate

CLASS 2A SEMIFINALS
No. 5 Oxford (21-3) over No. 8 Brookville-Ell Saline (18-6)
No. 6 Oakley (19-5) over No. 7 Moundridge (19-5)

Finals
No. 5 Oxford (22-3) over No. 6 Oakley (20-5)

Consolation
No. 7 Moundridge (19-6) over No. 8 Brookville-Ell Saline (18-7)

Darkhorse
Valley Falls

CLASS 1A-DIVISION 1 SEMIFINALS
No. 1 Olpe (24-0) over No. 5 Coldwater-South Central (21-2)
No. 2 Little River (23-1) over No. 3 Hoxie (23-1)

Finals
No. 1 Olpe (25-0) over No. 2 Little River (24-1)

Consolation
No. 3 Hoxie (23-2) over No. 5 Coldwater-South Central (21-3)

Darkhorse
Dexter-Cedar Vale

CLASS 1A-DIVISION 2 SEMIFINALS
No. 1 Argonia (24-0) over No. 4 Wilson (20-4)
No. 2 Central Christian (Hutchinson) (23-1) over No. 3 Beloit-St. Johns/Tipton (23-1)

Finals
No. 1 Argonia (25-0) over No. 2 Hutchinson Central Christian (24-1)

Consolation
No. 3 Beloit-St. Johns/Tipton (23-2) over No. 4 Wilson (20-5)

Darkhorse
Logan