Seeding announced for Division B boys’ basketball state tournament

After winning state qualifiers on Saturday to advance to the Division B boys’ basketball state tournament, North Star and Nelson County learned their seeding.

North Star is the No. 7 seed, and Nelson County is the No. 8 seed.

North Star (20-6) will play in the first game of the entire tournament at 1 p.m. Thursday against No. 2 seed Ray (24-1).

Ray’s only loss this year came to No. 1 seed Central McLean, back on Dec. 20. The Jays have won 21 in a row.

North Star squeaked out of the District 4 tournament as the No. 4 seed from the district. The Bearcats had to climb out of a hole after losing to Nelson County in their district quarterfinal game. They avenged a prior loss to New Rockford-Sheyenne to advance to the region tournament.

North Star played two close games in the region tournament — splitting them — before rolling past North Border and then beating Edgeley/Kulm/Montpelier in the state qualifier round. The Bearcats are going to the state for the first time since 2024, when they lost in the championship game.

“We’re gonna be there, we’re gonna be the underdog team and we’re gonna go win it all,” North Star senior Hunter Hagler said Saturday.

As the No. 8 seed, Nelson County (18-7) will contend with No. 1 seed Central McLean (25-0) on Thursday in the third game of the day at 6:30 p.m.

The Chargers came out of the district tournament as the No. 3 seed from the district. They made it to the Region 2 championship before losing to Midway/Minto and then beating Linton/HMB in a state qualifier.

Nelson County is going to state for the first time for Lakota since 1976 and first for Dakota Prairie since 2009.

“I want to go out there and compete and play and show them, like, this is Chargers basketball,” head coach Tyson Ackerman said Saturday. “We’re gonna get offensive rebounds. We’re gonna work our tails off. We’re gonna run the right sets. That’s what I want to show the state.”

Being on opposite sides of the bracket, North Star and Nelson County could meet on the final day of the state tournament.

The other quarterfinal matchups Thursday are No. 3 seed Our Redeemer’s vs. No. 6 seed Bishop Ryan and No. 4 seed Midway/Minto vs. No. 5 seed Medina-Pingree/Buchanan.

All three days of the tournament are being held at the Minot State Dome.

The up-to-date bracket can be found on ndhsaanow.com.