My state picks

Anyone who tuned in for my Sports Daily radio segment on Friday knows that my luck ran out. My dark horses at boys sub-state both were rendered steamless: 3A Belle Plaine and 4A Andale.

However, a team which has intrigued me all season long is still in it: the Bishop Carroll boys (13-9). The Golden Eagles started the season with a three-game losing streak. A win over Wichita East, a top-five team in the state, was their only one before Christmas break. But, hey, that'll happen to pretty good teams in the Wichita City League.

They ended the regular season right, though. Carroll won seven of its last eight, including a dominant win over Wichita Southeast, ranked No. 1 in the state. The entered postseason play with a modest 11-9 record, but also with a four-game winning streak.

Their 25-point win over Kapaun Mount Carmel in the sub-state final is tempered by the fact that it was essentially a home game for host Carroll. The Eagles have thrived at home all season. However, despite the fact that Carroll has yet to prove itself on the road, I say this team can win the state tournament. Class 5A is not that strong this season, and no other team in this tournament is as tested at Carroll coming out of the City League, which, by the way, put three teams in the Class 6A tournament. Carroll split with all three of them: East, Southeast and Heights. The City League has been simply outstanding this season.

So, the Carroll boys are my underdog pick to win it all. Moving on.

I've got the Carroll girls in Class 5A. Abby Fawcett and a core of juniors at Carroll have a chance to win back-to-back state titles for the first time in school history. The Carroll girls won the school's only basketball state title in 2004.

In 6A girls, I desperately want to see a Wichita Heights-Goddard matchup in the state semifinals. Goddard is just as deep as Heights, though the Falcons' pace will give Goddard fits. If Heights hits the three-ball, they win; If Goddard dominates in the post on offense and defends Heights' guards well on the perimeter, the Lions win. Neither would be a lock to win it all, though, even they win their potential semis matchup. Some have Blue Valley Stilwell and Olathe South, both in the other half of the bracket, ranked ahead of Heights, the two-time defending state champ. I'm going with Heights, though. And I'm also going with Heights next year... And next year.

The Class 6A boys tournament is going to be a blast. Southeast and East should meet for third time this season in the state semifinals. On the other half, Heights will start off with Blue Valley West, the defending state champ, which nearly lost to Maize at their mid-season tournament. I've got Heights to win this game, and the next one over Manhattan (20-2) or Lawrence. I see an all-City League state title game. I've got East over Heights, after the two split during the regular season. While each of these City League teams was prone to being upset this season, remember that they were prone to being upset within the league. I really the City is just better than everyone else this season.

An Andover Central-Colby matchup at Class 4A girls state between two undefeated teams would be a classic. Let's hope for it. Both would be 26-0 for the state title game in Salina.

The Andover High boys are back at state in 4A after a bowing out in the first round last season. There's huge difference this time around: Andover is 23-0. This is a team that has won close games all season as a team. Luke Meisch stands out, but not outrageously so. Coach Jason Stucky has put all the pieces together; this is not a team driven by stars.

As a note and segue, Stucky and both of his brothers will be coaching at Kansas state basketball tournaments this March. In the December issue of HSSTM, we ran our "Family Affair" piece on the Stucky brothers, all of whom played high school basketball at Berean Academy. Jason's brother Jordan will be on the sideline with Trinity Academy at the 3A tournament at Hutchinson as an assistant, as will his brother Joel with Berean at the 2A tournament in Manhattan. All three played at Berean under Lewis Wiebe, who still coaches the Warriors.

Trinity, the No. 2 seed in 3A, is my favorite to win Class 3A. Either Collegiate or Trinity, whichever won the sub-state tournament at Chaparral - that's who my favorite was going to be in 3A. Belle Plaine beat Collegiate but got dominated by Trinity, losing by 15. Trinity looked for real at their mid-season tournament and it looks like they're right back on track after a weak ending to the regular season. Trinity is in its first state tournament in school history, as the program is just a decade old.

In the 3A girls tournament, keep an eye on Collegiate. This team is young, and will be back at state in the coming years. Ashia Woods is outstanding running the floor as a post player, despite just being a freshman. Collegiate won't win it all, but like I said, expect good things.

The Class 2A and 1A tournaments are so difficult to have an opinion on. There are so many teams from all across the state. In a way, these are my favorite tournaments, especially 1A, in which a team has to win three regional games before two sub-state games to even get to the state tournament. Berean Academy boys and girls teams made the state tourney in 2A. The girls are ranked No. 1, but the same was the case last season, when I watched them lose a game of dreadful shooting to an eight-loss No. 8 seed. I know this team, with most of the same players as last season, wants to do better this time around. They were distraught after last season.

Two notes for 1A in Hays: The Greensburg boys are in the state tournament. And the Dexter girls, after losing twice to undefeated Argonia during the regular season, beat them at sub-state and are in the state tourney.