The brackets are set for the 2026 Minnesota State High School League boys basketball state tournament, which runs from Tuesday, March 24, through Saturday, March 28, at Target Center and Williams Arena.

Here are the first-round matchups:

Quarterfinal schedule

View the complete brackets for 4A, 3A, 2A and 1A.

Class 4A

Tuesday

At Target Center

10 a.m.: [8] Blaine (22-6) vs. [1] Tartan (29-0)

Noon: [5] Chaska (25-4) vs. [4] Lakeville South (23-6)

2 p.m.: [7] Apple Valley (19-10) vs. [2] Wayzata (25-3)

4 p.m.: [6] Alexandria (21-7) vs. [3] Maple Grove (23-6)

No. 1 Tartan reached the state tournament for the first time since 2014, but this is a team that has been dominant for years, just not in the section title game. The Titans have a 57-game regular-season winning streak that dates to the 2023-24 season. After four straight losses in the section playoffs against Cretin-Derham Hall, Tartan finally broke through against the Raiders with 25 points from Kevin Wilson Jr. in a 69-61 overtime win March 12. That was the Titans’ best victory since defeating Maple Grove and Hopkins in December.

Wilson, who has played on the varsity team since the eighth grade, made a significant jump in leadership from his freshman to sophomore season to average a team-high 23 points. Sophomore Emmanuel Oyesanmi, who had 18 points vs. CDH, plays bigger than his 6-foot-4 frame. So does 6-5 senior Duke King, who transferred from North St. Paul and can defend all five positions. Longtime Tartan coach Mark Klingsporn has one of his most talented teams since winning the state title in 2000.

The biggest threat to taking out the top-seeded Titans will be defending champion Wayzata, led by Gophers recruit Nolen Anderson and Iowa State recruit Christian Wiggins. The Trojans lost to only one Minnesota team this season: Maple Grove twice. The Crimson, who finished third in Class 4A last season, have three Division I recruits in Baboucarr Ann, Max Iversen and Jack Thelen.

Class 3A

Wednesday

At Williams Arena

10 a.m.: [8] Minneapolis South (21-8) vs. [1] Totino-Grace (24-2)

Noon: [5] Mankato East (21-7) vs. [4] Northfield (25-3)

2 p.m.: [7] Grand Rapids (24-5) vs. [2] DeLaSalle (24-5)

4 p.m.: [6] Sartell (21-8) vs. [3] Richfield (27-2)

Totino-Grace and coach Nick Carroll fell short of joining a select group when the Eagles could not capture a fourth straight Class 3A state title last season. Still, top-seeded Totino-Grace has the talent this season to make Carroll only the sixth boys coach in Minnesota history with four state championships.

Senior Dothan Ijadimbola and junior Malachi Hill have championship experience from the Totino-Grace team that defeated Mankato East in the Class 3A final in 2024. The Eagles won 19 straight games this season, which came even after Hill missed several games with a hand injury. Their lineup was bolstered by Breck transfer DeAngelo Dungey, who leads the team with 19 points per game. Senior Tian Chatman, the younger brother of Ohio State guard Taison, also raised his level of play in the backcourt until Hill returned last month.

No. 2 seed DeLaSalle was arguably as impressive as TG with a 16-game winning streak in the regular season that included defeating Cretin-Derham Hall. The Islanders also have playoff experience; this is their 15th straight state tourney appearance.

Class 2A

Tuesday

At Target Center

6 p.m.: [8] Perham (18-12) vs. [1] Goodhue (29-1)

8 p.m.: [5] Albany (24-6) vs. [4] Jackson County Central (25-6)

Wednesday

At Williams Arena

6 p.m.: [7] Blake (19-12) vs. [2] Pequot Lakes (28-1)

8 p.m.: [6] Waseca (23-7) vs. [3] Minnehaha Academy (23-5)

Goodhue saw its chance to win a state title slip away in the last Prep Bowl, but senior Luke Roschen and several football teammates play for the top seed in the Class 2A basketball tournament. Roschen, who committed to play hoops at Southwest Minnesota State, tossed touchdown passes in the fall to his brother Owen. The Roschen brothers and sophomore Alex Loos combined to score 67 points in a 76-71 win vs. Caledonia in the Section 1 title game March 12. The Wildcats, who lost only to Cotter/Hope this season, moved up in class after two straight Class 1A tournament appearances.

Class 1A

Thursday

At Target Center

11 a.m.: [8] Upsala (24-6) vs. [1] Henning (30-0)

1 p.m.: [5] Hills-Beaver Creek (27-3) vs. [4] Southland (28-1)

3 p.m.: [7] Cherry (25-5) vs. [2] Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton (28-3)

5 p.m.: [6] Liberty Classical (27-2) vs. [3] Red Lake County (28-3)

Henning is the only undefeated team other than Tartan in the state tournament. The Hornets, who are led by senior guard Kale Misegades’ 31 points per game, are playing in back-to-back state tournaments for the first time since 1965 and 1966. They won the program’s first state title in 2019 under current coach Randy Misegades.

Here’s more of what you need to know about the tournament.

By the numbers

Note: Numbers are based on stats entered on the Strib Varsity Boys Basketball Hub.

Liberty Classical, the Class 1A, Section 4 champion, topped 100 points nine times while winning 27 of 29 games. The Lions, who outscored opponents by more than 1,000 points (2,634 to 1,619) this season, enter the state tournament averaging 90.8 points per game. Senior Sam Rupnow leads Liberty Classical with 846 points, a 29.2 average. Rupnow ranks fourth in total points and fifth in scoring average in statistics entered into Strib Varsity and is the only player in the top 10 of either category to reach the 2026 state tournament.

Southland, the Class 1A, Section 1 champion, enters the state tournament on a 23-game win streak. Two players — Tate Goergen (22.2) and Henry Wiste (20.3) — average 20 or more points. The Rebels outscored opponents 1,891-1,071 during the regular season.

Henning, the Class 1A, Section 6 champion, brings an unbeaten 30-0 record into the tournament. The Hornets have outscored opponents by an average of 30 points per game (79.9 to 49.9). Southwest Minnesota State commit and 2026 Mr. Basketball finalist Kale Misegades scored 39 points in a 72-61 victory over Park Christian in the section championship game.

Cherry, the Class 1A, Section 7 champion, averaged 88.8 points during the section playoffs, outscoring opponents by 31 points per game (385 points to 231 points). A 75-65 victory over Mountain Iron-Buhl in the section title game put Cherry in the state tournament for the fifth consecutive season. Cherry finished fourth in 2022, third in 2023, first in 2024 and second in 2025.

Blake reached the Class 2A state tournament as the No. 9 seed from Section 5. The Bears beat No. 16 Eagle Ridge Academy 86-39 in a play-in game, No. 8 Watertown-Mayer 78-55, No. 1 Holy Family 76-67, No. 4 Minneapolis North 64-54 and No. 3 Maranatha Christian 59-54 to win the section title. Blake has won seven games in a row, including its five playoff games. Senior Carson McMichael leads the Bears with a 22.8-point scoring average.

Goodhue, the Class 2A Section 1 champion, has won 22 games in a row. The closest calls for the Wildcats were a 90-83 victory at Lake City on Feb. 2 and a 76-71 win over Caledonia in the section final. Two players (Alex Loos at 20.9 and Luke Roschen at 23.8) average 20-plus points.

Jackson County Central won the Class 2A, Section 3 championship and ended a previously perfect season for Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta (28-1), which was No. 1 in the state rankings after the regular season. University of Minnesota football recruit Roman Voss averages 27.3 points. If Voss and Jackson County Central meet Goodhue in the tournament, it will be a matchup of teams that played for the Class 2A state football championship won by Jackson County Central.

Pequot Lakes, the Class 2A, Section 7 champion, enters the state tournament on a 21-game winning streak.

Totino-Grace, the Class 3A, Section 5 champion, has won 19 consecutive games.

Chaska, the Class 4A, Section 2 champion, earned a 62-59 section title game victory over top-seeded Prior Lake and has won 22 in a row after a 3-4 start. Four players — Tyler Forrest (16.9 avg.), Kalin Jochum (13.0), Jed Keenan (11.0) and Eli Herzog (10.7) — are scoring 10 or more points per game. A fifth player, Chase Maetzold, averages 9.5 points.

Tartan, the Class 4A, Section 4 champion, enters the state tournament with an unblemished record over 29 games. The Titans’ closest games were a 68-61 victory vs. Maple Grove on Dec. 27 at Macalester College and a 69-61 overtime win over visiting Cretin-Derham Hall in the section championship game. Kevin Wilson Jr. leads the Titans with a 23.3-point scoring average.

Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton, the Class 2A, Section 1 champion, is fortunate the state tournament isn’t played in February. The Bulldogs won just four of seven games in February but are 24-0 in all other months. Two of the Bulldogs’ three losses came against Triton, which lost in the Class 2A, Section 1 semifinals.

Class 2A, Section 2 champion Waseca lost its first four games to start the season, including a four-point (88-84) loss at Belle Plaine in the opener. The Bluejays got back on track with seven consecutive victories and enter the state tournament on an 11-game win streak, including a 75-64 victory over top-seeded Belle Plaine in the section championship. Waseca is led by senior Deron Russell, who broke his own school single-game scoring record with 51 points against Glencoe-Silver Lake in a section semifinal. Russell was a 2025 Mr. Football finalist who has committed to North Dakota State.

Minnehaha Academy, the Class 2A, Section 4 champion, also stumbled at the season’s start, losing its first three games and four of its first six. The Redhawks won 21 of their next 22 games to reach the state tournament. Kellen Troup (19.8 points per game) and Ayden Green (17.1) lead the Redhawks.

Perham had to beat No. 1 seed East Grand Forks in the semifinals and No. 2 seed Staples-Motley in the final to win the Class 2A, Section 8 title. Perham was 9-12 on Feb. 10 before starting a nine-game winning streak with an 81-79 victory at Barnesville 28 days before the section championship game.

Lakeville South, the Class 4A, Section 1 champion, qualified for the state tournament for the first time since 2011. South had an opportunity to earn a state berth in 2020, but its section championship game that season against Lakeville North was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.