Sibley won't be overlooked any more

If there is a Class 4A team that has flown under the radar this season, it might be Henry Sibley. The Warriors can hide no longer, however, after being given the No. 2 seed in this week's state tournament. They will meet Rochester Mayo in today's quarterfinals at Target Center.

Henry Sibley (24-5) not only is in its first state tournament, but its Classic Suburban Conference title was the first in boys' basketball in 35 years. The Warriors lost to the three teams that finished the season atop the 4A rankings: Osseo, Hopkins and Minnetonka, as well as to Mounds View and St. Thomas Academy (the No. 2 seed in 3A this week).

Top-seeded Minnetonka, which beat Henry Sibley 78-74 on Dec. 18, defeated Hopkins in the Section 6 final. Osseo suffered its first loss to Cooper in the Section 5 title game.

"I knew whoever won the Hopkins-Minnetonka game would be the lock as the No. 1 seed, as well they should," Henry Sibley coach Tom Dasovich said. "And if Osseo comes in here undefeated they're definitely going to be the No. 2.

"We had a couple more losses than some of the teams in the tournament, but with our strength of schedule and how we've been playing lately, I think we're deserving [of the second seed]. I think Minnetonka is the overwhelming favorite, and the rest of us will try to knock them off."

Odds and ends

• Should Minnetonka and Henry Sibley play for the state title, Leah Dasovich might be torn. Tom Dasovich's wife teaches at Minnetonka. She also coached junior varsity girls' basketball there for six years before this season.

• The Class 4A field has an entirely new look from one year ago. None of the eight teams were at state in 2007, and other than St. Cloud Tech's eight previous appearances (most recently in 1983), none have been to state more than five times. Cooper last went in 2006, Burnsville in 2004, Minnetonka in 1999, Rochester Mayo in 1997, Cambridge-Isanti in 1991 and Bloomington Kennedy in 1984. The only team to win it all was Minnetonka in 1965 and 1998.

• Little Falls (3A) coach Kevin Jordan and St. Cloud Tech (4A) coach Randy Jordan are brothers who are each making their first trip to the state tournament.

• A second generation of brothers has helped Braham get to state for the fifth year in a row. When the Bombers won state titles in 2004, 2005 and 2006, the stars were Isaiah and Noah Dahlman and Josh Vaughan. This year's team features younger players from both families: Jonah Dahlman is a junior and Tyler Vaughan is an eighth-grader. Both average double-figure scoring.

• Speaking of brothers ... three brothers will play on three different teams this week. Joe Bright is a junior at Cooper in 4A, John Bright is a junior at St. Bernard's in 2A and Jeff Bright is a freshman at Minneapolis Henry in 3A.

• Defending champs in the tournament are Ellsworth in 1A and St. Thomas Academy in 3A.