Possibility for 3 4A Metro teams at state tourney again

Will it be a repeat of the three-peat?OK, that doesn't make total sense, but the Iowa High School Athletic Association released boys' basketball postseason groupings for Class 3A and Class 4A on Monday afternoon, and the possibility exists that three Metro schools in 4A could again make it to the state tournament.

Last season, Cedar Rapids Jefferson, Cedar Rapids Washington and Linn-Mar all qualified. They are in separate substate "pods" again this season. The seedings for each of the groupings will be released Feb. 7.This is the first year the IHSAA has waited until the season has begun to announce what schools will be paired together in the postseason, a move recommended by Iowa's prep coaches in order to get the best teams possible to state. Geography still plays a major part in how the groupings are constructed.No. 1 unbeaten Linn-Mar would seem to have the easiest route to Des Moines, with North Scott, Pleasant Valley, Cedar Rapids Xavier, Ottumwa and Iowa City High in its grouping. North Scott has the best record right now of those "other" teams at 8-3.Jefferson (8-2) has top-10 ranked Cedar Falls (8-2) in its grouping, as well as Cedar Rapids Prairie, Western Dubuque, Waterloo East and Waterloo West.Washington (7-4) and Cedar Rapids Kennedy (10-1) appear to be the best teams in a grouping that also includes Bettendorf, Clinton, Dubuque Hempstead and Dubuque Senior. It's most interesting that Iowa City West (6-4) was sent east as part of a grouping that also includes Mississippi Athletic Conference schools Davenport Central, Davenport West, Davenport North, Burlington and Muscatine.Linn-Mar, Jefferson, Kennedy and Washington have been ranked in the top 10 all season."You hear the coaches' wish lists and hoped they would have divided the four schools in Cedar Rapids," said Kennedy Coach Bob Fontana. "But it's such a tough deal for the IHSAA. You've got so many schools concentrated in Central Iowa and then Eastern Iowa, it makes it so difficult."I admire them for waiting to put them together. I'm sure they did the best they could."In 3A, Marion (7-4) appears to have caught a big break by being placed in a substate pod with Benton Community (8-4), Center Point-Urbana, Independence, Mount Vernon (7-4), Oelwein, LaPorte City Union and Vinton-Shellsburg (9-3).Meanwhile, ranked teams Solon (11-0), Davenport Assumption (7-3) and Dubuque Wahlert (7-3) are in the same group. That has Solon Coach Brad Randall perplexed."I guess I don't understand what the thinking was there," Randall said. "I guess it is what it is. You just have to go play. At first glance, you wonder if there is some sort of politics behind this."Here are the groupings, with 4A first:

2010-11 Basketball District Assignments 4A

2010-11 Basketball District Assignments 3A