Aside from the fact the games weren’t played down at Mahoney Park there was a lot to like about Opening Day at the 2025 Nebraska boys state basketball tournament.
Just like last week with the girls tournament we started play with the opening round games for Classes A, C-1 and D-1. All three top seeds - Papio South, Lincoln Lutheran and Johnson-Brock, respectively - all won in convincing fashion.
In terms of upsets, a state tournament tradition, there were a couple in Class A and another in Class C-1, though in each case you could find a pathway to such a thing once you got the whole story. And in two cases in particular one of the leading players in the class were game time decisions, one working out and the other never leaving the launching pad.
With that preamble out of the way, here’s how I saw things on Wednesday:
Class A
No. 1 Papillion-LaVista South (24-3) 76, No. 8 Papillion-LaVista (15-11) 58. The Titans move one giant step forward toward the program’s first-ever state title. Not that Papio is the best team they will face at state, just the one which would have most liked to upset the apple cart, and it also avenged that nasty 10-point regular season loss.
No. 4 Millard North (19-8) 62, Bellevue West (18-8) 44. The Thunderbirds came into the tournament on a bit of a heater but the Mustangs took early control and made like a taffy pull down the stretch, consistently pulling away. That’s seven times in a row these teams have met at state, and I speak for all of us when I say thanks again, guys, it’s been a great series.
Omaha Westside (23-4) 87, Lincoln Southwest (16-9) 49. Westside made short work of the Silver Hawks - no Green spandex guy in sight - and looked like the kid of team that could win this whole thing. Which makes sense, because they could.
Lincoln Southeast (17-8) 58, Lincoln North Star ((20-6) 57. If there was one team North Star didn’t want to draw it was Southeast, and here’s why. As reported by Stu Pospisil for The World-Herald Southeast scored the first 15 points of the fourth quarter before giving up the final nine, surviving a final shot by North Star with three seconds left in regulation. Southeast advances to the semifinals for the first time in 15 years, resulting in certain chaos at PBA on Friday afternoon.
Class C-1
No. 1 Lincoln Lutheran (23-3) 64, Fillmore Central (21-6) 26. I’ll make this short. Lincoln Lutheran plays like that two more times, they win state. And Jacob Duitsman, he’s pretty good at basketball.
No. 5 Ashland-Greenwood (20-6) over No. 4 Cozad (24-4) 45. Numerical upset but A-G had the state tournament experience edge in a big way so you knew this could happen. Haymakers gave as good as they got in a face-paced first half, trailing by just three at the break, before the Bluejays pulled away. Great guard play and too much 6-5 Derek Tonjes were the telling factors.
No. 7 Doniphan-Trumbull (19-6) 57, No. 2 Ogallala (24-2) 45. In one of the biggest shockers of the tournament, Ogallala’s brilliant junior Sawyer Smith went down in Tuesday practice, the victim of a serious ankle sprain, and was unavailable though he dressed and was introduced with was a sad but also great touch. His teammates held the fort for most of the game before the Cardinals rode the brilliant play of juniors Parker Volk and Jack Poppe into the winner’s circle. It was D-T’s first state tournament win since its third-place finish in 2014, the first-ever under current head coach Kelan Buhr, who happens to be a Cozad High classmate of Ogallala head coach Andy Gillen. Good dudes, happy for you, Kelan.
No. 3 Omaha Concordia (21-5) 49, No. 6 Sidney (18-9) 45. Sidney was fun to watch play - so athletic - but Concordia kept grinding away, got a clutch performance from junior Drew Kulus - and withstood the upset bid. McCade Smith, you knew that, you were there.
Class D-1
No. 1 Johnson-Brock (27-1) 73, No. 8 Elmwood-Murdock (14-12) 32. J-B is good.
No. 4 McCool Junction (22-5) 65, No. 5 Elm Creek (21-5) 34. To be honest I thought we were to the place where there was no chance he’d play, but play he did, and when 6-foot-6, 300-pound senior Mapieu Kouchinin was through he had 16 points and nine rebounds - exciting Carson McDonald had 22 - and the Mustangs rode herd on the Buffaloes, which I guess seemed somewhat fitting. Elm Creek had such a great season with such a short bench, junior all-state candidate Quin Oberg still had his 20, but the air just went out of the tires for the Buffaloes.
No. 2 Howells-Dodge (23-6) 58, No. 7 Dundy County-Stratton (19-6) 40. Two of our small school athletic juggernauts collide, Howells-Dodge making a bunch of free throws late to claim its spot in the semifinals.
No. 3 Bancroft-Rosalie (22-4) 59, No. 6 North Platte St. Pat’s (19-7) 53. Where they will meet Bancroft-Rosalie in the rubber game of what has proven to be a great season series. This was B-R’s first win since 2015, when it finished as runner-up, and anytime you beat the Irish at state you’ve accomplished a huge task. Can’t wait for 3:15 on Friday.
Today’s Top Games (according to some guy on the internet)
Class B
No. 2 Scottsbluff v. No. 7 Gretna East. Tell ya what, Gretna East is trouble, but if Scottsbluff survives they are a good bet to make the final.
No. 3 Wahoo v. No. 6 Elkhorn North. Wahoo made the move up to Class B this season, this is the kind of win that would stamp them title contenders of the first degree. (first round games are scary)
Class C-2
No. 4 Summerland v. No. 5 EMF. Like I said earlier, this doesn’t seem fair, having these teams meet in the first round. EMF has those losses to J-B, no biggie, while Summerland has been tested by a consistently good schedule. Kyle Jensen, who would you pick?
No. 2 Yutan v. No. 7 West Holt. And isn’t it a lovely mornin’? Could it be the Huskies, now at full strength, have one more surprise in them?
Class D-2
No. 4 Archangels v. No. 5 Stuart. I picked Stuart in an upset, this game could well produce your state finalist. You will be entertained watching this very athletic game, that much is for certain.
And now, back to the games...
