A trio of Northeast Conference boys’ basketball teams rolled through regional competition last week and are now on the doorstep of return trip to the State A tournament next week.

Clark-Willow Lake, Groton, and Hamlin, who have been rated among the top 10 teams all season, will each wear a favorite label as they head into SoDak 16 games on Tuesday.

Webster, another NEC member, is also one game away from qualifying for next week’s state tourney in Rapid City.

Here is a look at each SoDak 16 game involving area teams:

16 Webster (14-8) vs. 1 West Central (21-0), 7 p.m. at Madison

Webster will have its hands full in this one.

West Central has been the top-rated team nearly all season and went undefeated against a schedule that included the top squads in Class A. It’s hard to say what is more impressive: the Trojans offense (which racked up at least 65 points 13 times), or the team’s defense (that gave up more than 42 points just seven times).

Webster won just one of its first five games to start the season, but finished with wins in seven of its last eight contests.

The two teams played three common opponents: Clark-Willow Lake, Groton, and Hamlin, which all defeated the Bearcats.

14 McCook Central-Montrose (15-6) vs. 3 Clark-Willow Lake (19-2), 8 p.m. at Watertown

Everything appears to favor Clark-Willow Lake in this matchup.

The Cyclones have been among the top squads in the poll all season, and are coming off a state tournament appearance a year ago. Clark-Willow Lake’s only losses came to the top two rated squads in Class A (West Central and Sioux Falls Christian).

McCook Central-Montrose will be looking for its first trip to the state tournament since 2010.

The two teams played two common foes. Both defeated Flandreau, and CWL defeated Sioux Valley, while MCM lost to the Cossacks.

13 Rapid City Christian (14-8) vs. 4 Hamlin (19-3), 7 p.m. at Chamberlain

There will be a lot of recent history involved in this one.

Both teams have participated in the past three state tournaments, and this game will be a rematch of last year’s semifinal contest. Hamlin finished runner-up at state last year after winning the state championship in 2024.

Hamlin can score points in bunches. The Chargers have produced at least 65 points a dozen different times this season.

The Comets toughened up against a demanding schedule, that included four Class AA schools

12 Pine Ridge (14-8) vs. 5 Groton (17-4), 5:30 p.m. at Chamberlain

Groton will be looking for its third straight trip to the state tournament, and fourth berth in the past five years.

The Tigers have a senior-loaded lineup and are on an eight-game winning streak, claiming every game by double-digit margins.

Pine Ridge, which qualified for state two years ago, played a solid schedule this season that included nine teams still playing in the Class A or Class B SoDak 16.

The teams faced one common foe. Groton defeated Hamlin, while the Thorpes lost to Hamlin.