Area basketball teams? postseason assignments released

No surprises.

That?s what the Fairfield boys? basketball team can expect when the postseason dash begins Feb. 20.

On Monday, the Iowa High School Athletic Association released its substate basketball assignments for Class 3A. For Fairfield (4-9), the road to the state tournament begins with a handful of well-known teams in Substate 6.

Those teams are SEC rivals Fort Madison (4-8), Mount Pleasant (12-1), Keokuk (8-6) and Washington (8-5), as well as Centerville (9-3), Chariton (4-9) and Oskaloosa (6-6).

The favorite of the district will no doubt be Mount Pleasant, which is currently ranked No. 3 in Class 3A and finished third in the state last season. This season, the Panthers have scored 288 more points than they?ve allowed in 13 games and have beaten Fairfield twice.

Two of Fairfield?s four wins are over schools in the district, however. The Trojans topped Fort Madison Jan. 6 and Oskaloosa in the season opener Nov. 28.

The only team assigned to the substate Fairfield hasn?t played yet is Chariton, though the two teams will meet in Fairfield Feb. 7.

The postseason district assignments for smaller schools also have been announced.

In what should be one of the harder paths, Pekin (10-2) and Van Buren (8-6) have landed in Class 2A, District 12. Other teams in district 12 are Southeast Iowa SuperConference foes Central Lee (11-2), Burlington-Notre Dame (9-4), Mediapolis (10-2) and Wapello (2-10).

The Panthers and Warriors won?t play in the regular season and last faced off Jan. 20, 2011, when Pekin won 77-50. Pekin beat Mediapolis in their only matchup this season, while the Warriors have dropped both contests against Burlington-Notre Dame and one vs. Central Lee.

Cardinal (5-9) has been placed in Class 2A, District 13. The Comets will be up against five teams with records at or above .500, and none of them are from the SEISC. Teams joining Cardinal are Albia (6-6), Davis County (8-5), Eddyville-Blakesburg (7-5), PCM (13-2) and Pella Christian (7-4).

Meanwhile, Maharishi School (1-12) will likely be pitted against top-ranked Danville (14-0) or seventh-ranked Keota (14-0) to kick off Class 1A, District 13 action. Others in the Pioneers? district include Harmony (5-8), Holy Trinity (7-7), New London (1-13), Sigourney (7-6), WACO (8-6), West Burlington (4-9) and Winfield-Mount Union (5-7).

Who plays who ? and where ? is yet to be decided, but a clearer picture will form over the next few weeks as records determine seedings. Pairings and seedings will be released after Feb. 6.