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Monroe

How they got here… After winning state a year ago, the Cheesemakers returned four starters and nearly their entire bench for the 2007-08 campaign. Monroe (23-2) went undefeated in the Badger South and won its first four playoff games by a combined score of 222-126. East Troy nearly sliced the Cheese in the sectional final, but Monroe prevailed 54-53.



Notables… Monroe s only two losses in its last 42 games were against Badger North champion Waunakee and Freeport (IL). Both losses came while Monroe s senior star Brett Stangel was out with an injured knee… Stangel, ranked as a 3-star Alpha player on the WisHoops rankings, broke out last March by setting the WIAA state tournament record for points scored…. Junior Mitch Tordoff, ranked No. 25 in Mark Miller s Top 50 junior rankings, leads the Cheesemakers in scoring. He and younger brother Bryan Tordoff (No. 9 ranked freshman) are 3-point threats on every possession, and big man Tony Cates (6 7") is Monroe s inside presence. Cates scored the game-winning basket over East Troy with 2.2 seconds remaining…. Head coach Pat Murphy s record is now 119-47 as Monroe s head coach and 137-71 overall.





Plymouth

How they got here… After starting the season 5-3, the Panthers have rattled off 17 straight wins. Plymouth (22-3) went undefeated in conference and lost all three of its games (Custer, Minneapolis Washburn, Oostburg) before the new year. In tournament play, the Panthers have run the court at their own pace, only being slowed briefly with a tight 62-57 win over former No. 1 Waupun in the sectional semi-finals.



Notables… Plymouth carries a balanced scoring attack with seven players averaging over 7 ppg…. Senior guard Logan Dellger leads the team with a 14.8 scoring average this season. Dellger is rated as a 3-star senior in the WisHoops player rankings…. This is Plymouth s third trip to state (1981, 1990)… In seven years as Plymouth s head coach, Scott Richards is now 98-58. The Panthers, which is made up of seven seniors, hopes to seal win No. 100 for their coach in the state championship game.



New Berlin Eisenhower

How they got here… After winning six straight games to get themselves to the sectional final, the Lions (21-4) needed a 3-pointer from senior Jim Root in the final three seconds to seal New Berlin Eisenhower s second-ever trip to the state tournament. The Lions finished in a four-way tie for first place in the Woodland North Conference, splitting their regular season series with Brown Deer, New Berlin West, and Pewaukee.



Notables… New Berlin Eisenhower s only other trip to state came in 1981…. Senior center Mike Hojnacki (6 7") leads the team with 19.2 ppg. The Lions have three other players who average more than seven ppg, including 6 3" guard Tristin Tobin (12 ppg)…. Head coach David Scheidegger has compiled a 270-140 record in his 18 years as the head Lion tamer in New Berlin.





Adams-Friendship

How they got here… The Green Devils edged Spooner 35-34 in the sectional final. Only one team has scored more than 50 points against Adams-Friendship since the start of February (La Crosse Central). Throughout the course of the year, though, defense has been the Green Devil s specialty. Despite finishing the season 12-8, the Green Devils finished 9-1 in conference and tied Wisconsin Dells for the South Central crown. Opposing teams have only scored 165 points in five postseason games against Adams-Friendship.



Notables… The Green Devils put themselves on the shoulders of senior Ben Pease (10.3 ppg), junior Tommie Gaston (10.7 ppg), and junior Lance Fritz (14 ppg), who score the majority of the points. Senior Mike Chetney (7.2 ppg) also helps on the shooting end in a timely fashion…. Gaston is the 13th ranked junior in Mark Miller s Top 50 junior player rankings…. In 17 years as head coach of the Green Devils, Steve Klass has an overall record of 329-96. Overall in his career, Klass is 370-135…. This is the Green Devils first trip to state since 2002, and fifth trip overall. Adams-Friendship has never touched a golden ball.