Predicted Division 3 regional champions

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The WIAA playoffs start on Tuesday with regional quarterfinal games across the state. Regional semifinals are set for next Friday with the regional finals scheduled for Saturday. Here's a quick look at my predicted regional champions from each Division 3 sectional.<br><br><strong>SECTIONAL 1</strong><br><br><strong>No. 1 seed (top half) Prescott (16-8)</strong> -- Lots of playoff success over the past decade for this program. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='2432823' first='Kobe' last='Russell'] (6-2) is a football/basketball standout in the Middle Border Conference. <strong><br><br>No. 2 seed (top half) Osceola (15-8) </strong>-- Osceola won the Middle Border Conference by two games over runner-up Prescott. <br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>No. 5 seed (bottom half) Stanley-Boyd (13-11)</strong> -- A team and program on the rise behind the strong play of promising sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2411648' first='Charlie' last='Hoel'] (6-7), who is averaging 16.3 ppg and 8.6 rpg. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>No. 3 seed (bottom half) Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau (16-8)</strong> -- G-E-T enters the post season on an eight-game winning streak, which includes a 72-66 victory over Coulee Conference champion West Salem. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>SECTIONAL 2<br><br>No. 1 seed (top half) Freedom (23-1) -</strong>- The Irish are a legitimate contender for the Division 3 state championship. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='2492814' first='Drew' last='Kortz'] and super sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1847792' first='Donovan' last='Davis'] lead the way for coach Andrew Gibbons' squad. <br><br><strong>No. 3 seed (top half) Seymour (18-6)</strong> -- Junior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2391083' first='Kyler' last='Marks'] (6-4) ranks among the Bay Conference leaders in both scoring (21.4 ppg) and rebounding (9.0 rpg).<br><br><strong>No. 1 seed (bottom half) Laconia (20-4) </strong>-- The Spartans have the luxury of having a regional bye in the quarterfinals, and then playing on their home floor in the semifinals and finals. "The Pit" is an intimidating place to play and figures to be loud and full, making it tough for any opponent to leave with a victory. <br><br><strong>No. 3 seed (bottom half) Little Chute (18-6) </strong>-- The Mustangs finished second in the North Eastern Conference behind Freedom, have some versatile athletes and a skilled big man in senior [player_tooltip player_id='1598984' first='Nolan' last='Jakubek'] (6-6).<br><br><strong>SECTIONAL 3<br><br>No. 1 seed (top half) Platteville (17-7) </strong>-- The Hillmen went just 7-7 in non-league outings, but coach Mike Huser's team finished 10-0 in the Southwest Wisconsin Conference for the second year in a row behind the strong play of senior wing [player_tooltip player_id='2390176' first='Lucas' last='Ludlum'] (6-2). <br><strong><br>No. 3 seed (top half) Lodi (15-8) </strong>-- Lodi plays the likes of Lake Mills, Lakeside Lutheran and Columbus twice in the Capitol North Conference. That rigorous schedule will help the Blue Devils in March. <br><strong><br>No. 1 seed (bottom half) Lake Mills (20-4)</strong> -- Capitol North Conference winners are on a mission to get to Madison to compete for a state championship. Lots of talented players eager to get on the big stage for coach Steve Hicklin.<br><br><strong>No. 3 seed (bottom half) Edgerton (21-3) </strong>-- The Crimson Tide enter the playoffs with a 12-game winning streak, including a 61-60 win over Lake Mills. <br><br><strong>SECTIONAL 4<br><br>No. 1 seed (top half) Dominican (16-8) </strong>-- The Knights will have a very difficult game in the regional semifinals when they host either Catholic Memorial or Brown Deer. But coach Steve Showalter's squad will have the best player on the floor in Syracuse recruit [player_tooltip player_id='1351718' first='Aaron' last='Womack'] (6-7) and an emerging sophomore wing in [player_tooltip player_id='2127267' first='Zaihir' last='Jones'] (6-4). <br><br><strong>No. 3 seed (top half) Milwaukee School of Languages (17-4) </strong>-- The Hawks finished second in the Milwaukee City Conference Blue Division, and boast a couple of top-notch players in senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2631621' first='Amaris' last='Hunt'] (6-1) and senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2231465' first='Manning' last='Shareef'] (6-6).<br><br><strong>No. 1 seed (bottom half) Milwaukee Academy of Science (18-1) </strong>-- Two NCAA Division I players in Iowa State recruit [player_tooltip player_id='1447228' first='Jamarion' last='Batemon'] (6-3) and Coastal Carolina recruit [player_tooltip player_id='1390441' first='Devin' last='Brown'] (6-7) combine to make Academy of Science the team to beat in all of Division 3. <br><br><strong>No. 2 seed (bottom half) Racine St. Catherine's (20-4) </strong>-- Should St. Catherine's and No. 3 seed Racine Lutheran advance to the regional final, make sure to get to St. Cat's early as the old place will be filled to the brim in eager anticipation of watching the Angels and Crusaders, co-champions of the Metro Classic Conference. The two powers split their league matchups. Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1959723' first='Lamont' last='Hamilton'] (5-11), who is averaging nearly 30 ppg, is a difference maker for St. Catherine's. <br><br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->