2026 Class C2 Boys State Basketball Preview

The Nebraska boys take their turn at center court when it comes to putting on the show that decides which basketball programs take home the championship hardware. While many of the same programs are back in the hunt, there are no guarantees when it comes to March Madness.

Yutan opens Class C2 action Wednesday at Devaney when the Chieftains battle Exeter-Milligan/Friend at 9 am. Led by Isaac Couch and Ryan Maguire, Yutan carries the No. 1 seed into its tussle with Grady Bresson and the Bobcats. Couch and Maguire combine for 24.3 points a contest while Bresson rips the cords for just over 21 points a game.

Next up North Bend Central and Norfolk Catholic tip off in the usually hard to pick No. 4 vs No. 5 quarterfinal. Koda Baehr and Cash Hanis team up for 30 points a contest for the Tigers while Norfolk Catholic counters with the scoring abilities of Gavin Schutt and Callen Marshall who pour in 34 points an outing collectively.

Archbishop Bergan kicks off its Class C2 state title defense when the Knights hit the court against Pender. Led by Gavin Baker and his 21.5 points a game, Archbishop Bergan hopes to find itself back in the title game in 2026. The Pendragons, meanwhile, are led by Zander Welsh and Trevor Trimble who combine for more than 26 points a night.

Valentine and Freeman round out Day 1 action in Class C2 at 3:15 pm at Devaney. The Badgers are led by Isaac Cronin, the C2 field's top scorer at 22.4 points a game. Easton Buss, meanwhile, leads Freeman with a 15.7-point scoring average.