The WIAA has released girls' basketball divisional placement and sectional assignments for the 2022-23 season.
Divisional Cutlines
Division 1 - 71 schools with an enrollment of 1,200 or above
Division 2 - 71 schools with an enrollment between 600 and 1,199
Division 3 - 94 schools (remaining teams split equally between D3 and D4)
Division 4 - 94 schools (remaining teams split equally between D3 and D4)
Division 5 - Smallest 128 schools
Sectional Groupings
Division 1 - 71 schools
Division 2 - 71 schools
Division 3 - 94 schools
Division 4 - 94 schools
Divison 5 - 128 schools
Total: 458
The 2023 WIAA State Tournament is set for March 9-10-11 in Green Bay. Four teams advance to state in each of the five divisions.
New D1 Teams:
Green Bay Southwest (previous D2)
Oregon (previous D2)
Oshkosh North (previous D2)
Sun Prairie West (new school)
West Allis Central (previous D2)
Notes: The Division 1 sectional placements are almost identical as last season. The only changes were the four teams moving up from Division 2 and Sun Prairie West (new school in 2022-23) being added. Early favorites across the sectionals: Sectional 1 -Neenah; Sectional 2 - Germantown and Kaukauna are the top teams; Sectional 3 - Brookfield East, Sun Prairie West, and Verona lead the way; Sectional 4 - Kettle Moraine, Oak Creek, and Kenosha Bradford are the top teams.
New D2 Teams:
Martin Luther (previous D3)
Milwaukee Marshall/Young Coggs (previous D1)
Watertown (previous D1)
Waupaca (previous D3)
Notes: Similar to Division 1, there were not many notable changes to the Division 2 sectional placements. Early sectional favorites: Sectional 1 - Lakeland and Menomonie; Sectional 2 - two-time defending state champion Notre Dame is the top team with perennial power Beaver Dam on the other half of the sectional; Sectional 3 - Waukesha West is the favorite while Union Grove is a notable contender; Sectional 4 - Pewaukee is the team to beat.
New D3 Teams:
Brodhead (previous D4)
University Lake School/St. John's Northwestern/Trinity Academy (previous D5)
Milwaukee Academy of Science (previous D4)
Racine Lutheran (previous D4)
St. Augustine Prep (new WIAA program)
Notes: The most notable sectional change was Kewaskum moving from Sectional 3 to Sectional 2. The Indians advanced to a sectional semifinal last season before falling to East Central foe Waupun, 50-47, which went on to capture the D3 state title. Early sectional favorites: Sectional 1 - reigning sectional champion St. Croix Falls, Altoona, a sectional finalist last season, and Elk Mound stand out; Sectional 2 - state runner-up Freedom and Kewaskum highlight the group; Sectional 3 - defending D3 state champion Waupun leads the way; Sectional 4 - Dominican and Milwaukee Academy of Science are the early favorites. Dominican is listed in the Division 4 placements but due to them reaching the state tournament last season, they are not able to move down this year. Look for the WIAA to make that adjustment.
New D4 Teams:
Bangor (previous D5)
Iowa-Grant (previous D5)
Kewaunee (previous D3)
Menominee Indian (previous D3)
New Holstein (previous D3)
Randolph (previous D5)
Sheboygan Lutheran (previous D5)
Spencer (previous D5)
Westby (previous D3)
Notes: The most notable changes were Randolph, undefeated D5 state champions, and Sheboygan Lutheran moving up and joining Sectional 4. Early favorites across the sectionals: Sectional 1 - Ladysmith; Sectional 2 - Westfield; Sectional 3 - defending D4 state champion Mineral Point, New Glarus, and Cuba City lead the way; Sectional 4 - state runner-up Laconia, defending D5 state champion Randolph, and The Prairie School highlight the strong grouping.
New D5 Teams:
Cashton (previous D4)
Chesterton Academy (new WIAA program)
Cochrane-Fountain City (previous D4)
Phelps (returning after not having a team since 2017-18)
Plum City/Elmwood (previous D4)
Glenwood City (previous D4)
Heritage Christian (previous D4)
Iola-Scandinavia (previous D4)
Palmyra-Eagle (previous D4)
Salam (previous D4)
Notes: The big change in Division 5 was Randoph, last year's undefeated state champion, moving up to Division 4. With that change along with Sheboygan Lutheran moving up, Sectional 4 is wide open. Early favorites in the sectionals: Sectional 1 - McDonell Central; Sectional 2 - Assumption; Sectional 3 - Blair-Taylor; Sectional 4 - Wild Rose, Lourdes Academy, and Oakfield lead the way.
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