Boys basketball is the last of the winter sports state tournaments, and this year it will start even later after the tournament was pushed back a week into late March.

That means the euphoria of winning the section title, which qualifies teams for the state tournament, will last a week longer.

Defending state champions Wayzata (4A) and Albany (2A) are the only two teams with a chance to repeat.

Alexandria, which won the 3A title last year, has been a top 10 team this season but was moved into 4A. Dawson-Boyd won the 1A title in 2025 but was eliminated by Wabasso in the Section 3 semifinals on Tuesday, March 3.

After being absent last season, Totino-Grace could potentially return to the 3A championship game and win its fourth title in five years.

Here are the six sections to keep an eye on:

Class 4A

Section 4

The top three seeds in this section are hard to separate and are ranked among the best in the Strib Varsity’s statewide Top 25. This section also has maybe the best player in Class 4A in East Ridge’s Cedric Tomes, a future Gopher.

No. 1 Tartan (27-0) is carrying an impressive 57-game regular-season winning streak and is led by sophomore Kevin “K.J.” Wilson and senior transfers Tyrel Pride and Duke King. Tartan hasn’t been to the state tournament since 2014. The Titans lost in a heartbreaker to Cretin-Derham Hall in the Section 4 final a year ago.

CDH (22-5), ranked No. 6 in the statewide poll, played one of the toughest schedules in the state: Wayzata, Totino-Grace, DeLaSalle and Alexandria. They went 1-3 in those games, but the Raiders would argue that it prepared them for a possible playoff run. Matching last year’s Class 4A runner-up finish will be tough.

East Ridge (22-5) hasn’t advanced to state since 2019, but Tomes is the Raptors’ all-time leading scorer. If anyone can get them back, it would be him.

Section 6

Can we please take a minute to appreciate just how tough the Lake Conference is — every season. It doesn’t seem fair to see only one team from the toughest league in the state reach the state tournament, but here we are again: Class 4A powers Wayzata (23-3) and Hopkins (19-7) are on a collision course to face off March 13 for a fourth straight year in the Section 6 final (watch the game live, only on Strib Varsity).

Wayzata and Hopkins split the regular-season meetings last year, but the Trojans were superior in the 2026 matchups. Can Jayden Moore cement his legacy by ending the Royals’ state drought that goes back to 2019? He’d be knocking off the best tandem in Minnesota prep hoops in seniors Nolen Anderson (Gophers) and Christian Wiggins (Iowa State).

Watch out for Buffalo, though. It shouldn’t surprise anyone if the Bison get past the semifinals after beating Hopkins already. They also took Wayzata to overtime in a one-point loss during conference play.

Class 3A

Section 6

Orono has dominated this section with three consecutive state tournament trips. The Spartans (17-10) have been in and out of the top 10 coaches rankings this year after Nolan Groves graduated and Brady Wooley transferred to a prep school.

That means 3A’s Section 6 is open for the taking, putting favorite Richfield in a great spot to reach the state tournament for the first time since 2021. These Spartans, which have the same mascot as Orono, have impact transfers like Waleed Muhammad (Breck) and Gideon Horne (Hope Academy), helping returners Dre Collins and Tyrece Hagler vie for the program’s first state title.

Benilde-St. Margaret’s won 26 games last season but lost in the section final to Orono. The Red Knights, who last reached state in 2010, are as talented this year but Orono can’t afford to take them lightly in the March 7 semifinal.

Section 7

Six of the past eight section champions have been either Austin or Byron, with Byron winning last year.

That could change if Northfield has anything to say about it. The Raiders were 11-10 last season, but they’ve made a complete turnaround behind senior forward and South Dakota State football recruit Kayden Oakland, who has a chance to lead the program to its first state tourney since 1932.

Class 2A

Section 2

Earlier this season, Belle Plaine coach Brady Wohler lost to his father, Barry, the longtime coach at Orono. It would be cool to see father and son coach in the state tournament this year, but the Tigers would have to win the section title for the first time since 2005. That’s not so far-fetched with 6-5 senior Ethan Martin leading the way.

Two-time Section 2 champion Waseca would be the opponent Belle Plaine doesn’t want to see in the final. North Dakota State football recruit Deron Russell is a powerhouse for the Bluejays. He’s a Mr. Basketball finalist averaging 30 points per game.

Class 1A

Section 6

Pelican Rapids was easily the preseason favorite to win the section after moving down a class following back-to-back state appearances in Class 2A. The Vikings also returned senior guard Miguel Torres and 6-9 senior Jack Welch, but Henning surged past Pelican Rapids as the team to beat, not only in the section but in all of 1A this year. The undefeated Hornets (27-0) lost several key players but are strong candidates to return to state with Mr. Basketball finalist Kale Misegades, who averages 31 points per game.

Predictions

Section champion predictions from each class:

Class 4A: 1-Lakeville South; 2-Prior Lake; 3-Eagan; 4-Cretin-Derham Hall; 5-Maple Grove; 6-Wayzata; 7-Andover; 8-Alexandria.

Class 3A: 1-Northfield; 2-Mankato East; 3-Minneapolis South; 4-DeLaSalle; 5-Totino-Grace; 6-Richfield; 7-Duluth Denfeld; 8-Sartell.

Class 2A: 1-Goodhue; 2-Belle Plaine; 3-Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta; 4-Minnehaha Academy; 5-Holy Family; 6-Albany; 7-Pequot Lakes; 8-East Grand Forks.

Class 1A: 1-Southland; 2-Springfield; 3-Central Minnesota Christian; 4-Liberty Classical; 5-Nevis; 6-Henning; 7-Cherry; 8-Fertile-Beltrami.