At this time last year, Eastview Lightning basketball team members were hanging up their shoes for the year, starting offseason workout programs and looking back on a season that ended in disappointment.

Flip the calendar ahead to today, and the Lightning finds itself as a top team in the region and a favorite to walk away with a state title.

"Twelve months ago," Eastview coach Mark Gerber said of his team after qualifying for the state tournament, "they sat in a classroom and talked about committing themselves for 12 months and not coming up short. I'm just so proud. It was so great to see everyone play a part."

Eastview held off conference rival Apple Valley last week in the Class 4A, Section 3 championship to advance to the state tournament, which begins Wednesday at Target Center.

With five guys on the court at a time, basketball is absolutely a team game. But if there's one player the Lightning couldn't have done without this season, it's 6-9 Drake recruit Joey King. A man among boys on most courts he played on, King averaged just under 24 points per game this year.

And his ability to create mismatches and grab offensive rebounds contributed to at least that many points for teammates.

But even with King nabbing the headlines, Eastview is far from being a one-man team. And King is not the only big man to be reckoned with on Eastview. Six-foot-9 junior Ben Oberfeld combines with King to give the Lightning a strong duo.

Getting the ball to the big man often is the job of guard Darin Haugh. His small stature and ear-to-ear smile don't match King's intimidating presence, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a harder worker in the South Suburban Conference.

Scrappy by every definition, Haugh can be seen threading impossible passes through tangled defenses, flying horizontally after loose balls and nailing rally-starting three-point shots any time he is on the court.

Seniors Chris Narum and Jordan Bolger also can be counted on with the ball in their hands, and Eastview's senior leadership and experience have helped it make the state tournament.

The Lightning finished the season with a 28-1 record, with its only blemish a one-point loss at the hands of Lakeville North. Eastview has edged tough opponents and has blown out inferior ones this season en route to a 22-point average margin of victory, but it hasn't faced Eden Prairie yet.

That test comes at 4 p.m. Wednesday at Target Center when the Lightning plays host to the Lake Conference's runners-up in the first round of the Class 4A state tournament. Eden Prairie finished the regular season with a 22-7 mark.

Lakeville North earns 2 seed

Lakeville North didn't have to beat a conference rival to get to the Class 4A state tournament, but the Panthers' 13-point victory over Owatonna last week still was impressive.

A low-scoring game, the victory was Lakeville North's 18th consecutive. The team has compiled a 28-1 record, and has a balanced offense and stingy defense to credit. Tyler Flack averaged 15 points per game during the regular season, and seniors Brett Rasmussen and Ryan Saarela 13 and 12 points.

With big victories this season over Eastview, Eden Prairie and Edina, Lakeville North has plenty of experience in big games. The Panthers will open the tournament against the Moorhead Spuds, who pulled off several upsets on their way to the Section 8 championship.

The Spuds are no strangers to big games, and while their schedule may be lacking elite opposition, they certainly won't be an easy victory for the second-seeded Panthers.

Lakeville North will play Moorhead at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Target Center.