Section finals Thursday and Friday will set the fields for next week’s boys basketball state tournaments.
A pattern has developed in Class 4A, with one slight outlier and one far afield.
The top two seeds will play each other in six 4A section finals. One of them is already over. Top seed Wayzata routed second seed Hopkins 105-76 on Monday in the Section 6 championship.
But a third seed, Tartan (24-4), worked its way into the Section 6 final, and a sixth seed, Eastview (6-22), is playing for a spot at state in Section 3.
Tartan will take on top seed Cretin-Derham Hall on Thursday, and Eastview will play top seed Eagan on Thursday.
Tartan reached the final with a 72-69 victory over second-seeded East Ridge, a victory that had coach Mark Klingsporn sounding confident.
“They were the higher seed,” he said. “They were at home. They weren’t a good matchup for us. They were playing their best heading into the playoffs. ... They are a very good team.”
Eastview’s challenge is difficult, but Jonathan Mekonnen, a 6-8 senior who scored 37 points in a section semifinal win over Apple Valley, said Eastview is better than those 22 losses indicate.
