IHSAA releases boys' hoops postseason districts, substates in 3A, 4A

The Metro could have as many as four teams qualify for the boys' state basketball tournament in March. Or it could get shut out.

The Iowa High School Athletic Association released postseason districts and substates for Class 3A and Class 4A on Monday. There are a few notable things.

In 3A, Cedar Rapids Xavier and Marion have been kept apart, though the path to state for the Indians might be even tougher than it has been having to face Xavier most years. Marion (4-8) is part of District 6 with Independence, West Delaware and two-time defending state champ Dubuque Wahlert.

In corresponding District 5, it's Waverly-Shell Rock (9-2), Decorah, Crestwood and Charles City.

Xavier (8-2) is a part of District 9 with Clear Creek Amana (6-5), Washington, Iowa (3-9) and Williamsburg (1-10). If the Saints get to a substate final, they would play either Mount Pleasant (8-3), Fort Madison (6-5) or Keokuk (4-8).

Xavier defeated Mount Pleasant in its regular-season opener, 61-25.

In Class 4A, Metro schools have been divvied up about the way they were last season. Linn-Mar (7-3) and Cedar Rapids Kennedy (5-6) are in Substate 3, with Cedar Falls (8-3), Marshalltown, Waterloo East and Waterloo West.

Cedar Rapids Washington (5-6), Cedar Rapids Prairie (5-6) and Cedar Rapids Jefferson (3-9) are in the unenviable position of being in the same substate as perennial state championship threat Iowa City West (8-3). Iowa City High and Ottumwa are the other clubs in Substate 6.

Six schools from the Mississippi Athletic Conference make up Substate 5. Substate 4 is split between MAC schools North Scott, Davenport Central and Davenport North, Mississippi Valley Conference schools Dubuque Hempstead and Dubuque Senior, as well as Western Dubuque.

Exact pairings for the districts and substates will be released in February. Teams are seeded via their records in their first 15 games.

Click on the 'Class 3A' and 'Class 4A' icons at the top of the post to see all of the districts and substates.