With the Class 2A and 1A state basketball tournaments coming up this weekend — brackets here — here’s a quick look at some of the historical precedents that are possible, that are scheduled and that have already happened for the tournament:
Drought: The longest state tournament drought broken this week is by the Hanna girls, who are in the state tournament for the first time since 2007.
Streaks: Tongue River’s girls qualified for state for the 13th year in a row, the longest active streak among non-4A schools in Wyoming.
Meanwhile, Burlington’s boys qualified for state for the 10th consecutive year, third-longest streak in the state behind 4A schools Gillette and Evanston.
Long-awaited first-round matchups
2A girls: Burns and Thermopolis are meeting at state for the first time; Big Horn and Lyman are meeting at state for the first time since the first state tournament in 1976.
2A boys: Pine Bluffs and Lyman are playing each other at state for the first tine since 1984.
1A girls: Hanna and Encampment, longtime Carbon County rivals, are playing each other at state for the first time.
1A boys: NSI and Burlington are playing each other for the first time at the state tournament; Cokeville and Upton are meeting in the state tournament for the first time since 1962.
Semifinal potential: If NSI can upset Burlington in the first round of the 1A boys tournament, the Wolves will reach the state semifinals for the first time in program history. Only two other active boys programs — Cheyenne South and Glendo — have never made it to the semifinal round.
Burlington’s boys, meanwhile, if they can beat NSI, will qualify for the semifinals for the 10th year in a row, the longest streak in the state regardless of classification. Snake River will need to beat Kaycee to qualify for the semis for the seventh straight year; the Rattlers’ six straight semis qualifications is second only to Burlington statewide.
Title potential: Two participants in the 1A girls bracket, Hanna and St. Stephens, are among 13 girls programs that have never played in a state championship game. Six boys programs have never played in a title game; of those, NSI is the only one playing this weekend.
Want to dig deeper? Check out our state basketball tournament score database.
–patrick