Division 3 State Tournament Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The State Tournament fields are set for all five divisions, and we know each team's path to win a Gold Ball. Over the next five days, we will preview every bracket and talk about each team participating in the 50th annual WIAA State Tournament. We're starting with the smaller schools and working our way to the larger schools.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Oostburg</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The reigning D3 champions are back at the Resch Center, seeking their second consecutive title, in the program's 12th appearance at the Stat Tournament. The Lady Dutch enter the state tournament undefeated, with other media members saying that this may be the best team in the state, regardless of class. Last season, the Lady Dutch weren't as deep as they would've liked to be, but got massive performances from role players to help win a state title. However, this season Oostburg has plenty of players outside the Ketterhagen's they can rely on to make plays on both ends of the court. Now that they've reached the State Tournament, the Lady Dutch will be elevated to Division 2 next season due to the WIAA Competitive Balance rules.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Kettle Moraine Lutheran</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Chargers are in the State Tournament for the second time in three seasons, and have a new cast of characters from that trip to the Resch in 2024. Kettle Moraine Lutheran has a young core of players in its sophomore class who we can expect to learn more about this week and over the next two seasons. Quietly, this team is among the elite in the state, with its only blemish being a narrow road loss to a Hartford team that made a Sectional Final in Division 1. There is a chance we see a matchup of, arguably, two top-five teams in the state in the D3 State Championship game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Wisconsin Dells</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If there were a team of destiny at the state tournament this season, it'd be the Wisconsin Dells Chiefs. These kids have been through a lot in their personal and basketball lives over the past three years, and have earned the right to end their careers at the State Tournament. The Chiefs are making their second appearance at the state tournament in program history and will look to bring home their first ball, whether it be silver or gold. There is plenty of talent and versatility on the Dells' roster, and they will have an opportunity to make some noise this weekend. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Mosinee</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mosinee will participate in the sixth State Tournament in program history, and is seeking the second state title. After Mosinee's loss on the road to Rice Lake on January 5th, they were 5-4. Since then, they have been on a 19-game win streak, have beaten everyone in the Great Northern Conference, and picked up notable non-conference wins against Xavier and Pacelli. All of this is while missing their best player due to a knee injury, and their leading scorers are a freshman and a sophomore. They are as resilient a team I've followed over the past five years, but will face a tall task as a No. 4 seed in the four-team bracket.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->