Our sports editor Steven Okonek with the assistance Jason Zaleski of the Zaleski Sports Show sat down and projected out the playoff field if the season ended on Sunday. We based our projection on Overall Record, Conference Record, the strength of the conference and non-conference games played. Today we release our projections for Boys Basketball in Divisions Five and Four.
Division 5
Assumption2-13 (2-9 Marawood South)
Projected Seed: 15
Remaining Games: @Auburnale, St. Francis (@ WI Dells), Amherst, Edgar, Newman, @Marathon
Loyal 6-9 (6-5 Cloverbelt East)
Projected Seed: 8
Remaining Games: @Colby, Spencer, AC Lincoln, @Granton, Columbus, @Owen-Withee, Cloverbelt Crossover
Loyal has had an up and down year which leaves them with a losing record, but the overall weakness of the bottom half of this section gives Loyal a home game. An advantage to the Greyhounds as well as they have some winnable games down the stretch, and if they can take down Columbus in the Loyal Gym (a place that opposing teams always seem to struggle) that would go a long way to getting a higher seed.
Pittsville 8-7 (2-5 CWC South)
Projected Seed: 6
Remaining Games: @Wild Rose, Port Edwards, @WI Vally Luth., @Rosholt, Eleva Strum, @Tri-County, Almond Bancroft
Pittsville is in an interesting position, currently, we project them as a 6 seed, but with games coming up against both the top and bottom of their conference, they could make a dramatic fall or a meteoric rise up the bracket.
Almond-Bancroft 12-3 (6-1 CWC South)
Projected Seed: 2
Remaining Games: @Rosholt, Gresham, Barneveld, Pacelli, @Wild Rose, @Port Edwards, @Pittsville
Almond-Bancroft is the perfect example of having good loses, with two of their three to a good D4 team in Mineral Point, and to a great D3 team in Stratford. They have a chance to avenge their only conference loss at Wild Rose on Feb. 15th.
Columbus Catholic 14-1 (10-0 Cloverbelt East)
Projected Seed: 1
Remaining Games: Owen-Withee, @Granton, @Gilman, Greenwood, @Loyal, Neillsville, Cloverbelt Crossover
Another dominating season for Columbus all but secures them the number one seed, with wins over D3 University School of Milwaukee, at a tough Auburndale, and with a lone loss at Marathon, the Dons have done almost everything they need to secure another Cloverbelt East Title. They do have some tricky games down the stretch with a trip to always tricky Loyal and Neillsville coming to Marshfield to end the year.
Division 4
Abbotsford 3-12 (3-9 Marawood North)
Projected Seed: 10
Remaining Games: Cadott, Marathon, Adams-Friendship, Prentice, Chequamegon, Phillips
Abbotsford has had a tough season, but anything can happen in the playoffs. They do have some winnable games against Prentice and Chequamegon down the stretch.
Colby 5-10 (5-6 Cloverbelt East)
Projected Seed: 9
Remaining Games: Loyal, @Neillsville, @Rib Lake, Spencer, @Granton, Cloverbelt Crossover
Colby boys find themselves in the middle of the pack in the Cloverbelt East, and right at the middle of the pack in this section, they have some tough games down the stretch including games against Loyal and Neillsville, a win in either of those games could be huge to their chances to get a home playoff game.
Spencer 6-9 (5-6 Cloverbelt East)
Projected Seed: 7
Remaining Games: Stratford, @Greenwood, @Loyal, Neillsville, @Colby
Spencer is similar to Colby being they find themselves in the middle of the pack in the Cloverbelt East, some additional non-conference wins move them up a bit over Colby, but with games left against undefeated Stratford, Neillsville, and Loyal, they could make some moves.
Pacelli 8-8 (5-2 CWC-South)
Projected Seed: 5
Remaining Games: @ Tri-County, Wild Rose, @Iola-Scandinavia, @Almond Bancroft, @Port Edwards, @Rosholt
Pacelli is a story of two halves, in 2018 they went 3-7, but those losses came to some larger schools including starting the year losing to D2 Wausau East, D1 Oshkosh North, and D2 Marinette to start the year. Since the calendar turned to 2019 they have gone 5-1 with their only loss to Wild Rose. Pacelli does have some tough games to end the season including trips to Iola-Scandinavia and Almond-Bancroft on back to back nights.
Neillsville 11-4 (9-2 Cloverbelt East)
Projected Seed: 3
Remaining Games: Colby, @Spencer, Granton, @Columbus Catholic, Cloverbelt Crossover
Neillsville may the easiest schedule remaining of the top three seeds in this section, with just a big-time matchup at Columbus Catholic left. So they have the best chance of moving up of any of the top three seeds. The biggest problem, or benefit, for them is the seed meetings happen before their showdown with the Dons, and a probable matchup in the second place crossover game.
Marathon 13-2 (9-2 Marawood South)
Projected Seed: 2
Remaining Games: Edgar, @Abbotsford, Monroe, @Stratford, Wausau West, Assumption, @Auburndale
Marathon had one bad week when they lost on their home floor to both Auburndale and Stratford. Since that week they have gone unblemished with a huge win over Columbus Catholic. They do have some challenges ahead of them with games at Stratford and Auburndale, along with a game against D2 Monroe in Wisconsin Dells and a home game against D1 Wausau West.
Auburndale 14-2 (10-1 Marawood South)
Projected Seed: 1
Remaining Games: Assumption, @Prentice, Port Edwards, @Edgar, @Stratford, Marathon
Auburndale finds themselves in a very similar position with another one seed. They do have tough games ahead @Stratford and hosting Marathon, but both will be after seeds are released.
We will be releasing our projections for Divsions 3,2, and 1 along with Boys Hockey tomorrow.
