TSSAA Divison I Boys Basketball State Tournament Preview Middle TN

The 2026 TSSAA Division I Boys Basketball State Tournament tips off this week at the Murphy Center in Murfreesboro, home of Middle Tennessee State University. Public schools from across Middle Tennessee will compete in several classifications this week during the quarterfinals through championship rounds March 18-21. Middle Tennessee — which includes regions such as Rutherford County, Williamson County, Wilson County, Sumner County, Putnam County and more outside counties – will have multiple public school teams competing on basketball’s biggest stage. Let’s take a closer look at those teams, along with bracket paths and storylines to follow. Class 1A: Eagleville (31-0) — The Only Remaining Undefeated Team. The Eagles of Eagleville (Rutherford County) are the last undefeated team standing in Class 1A and are easily one of the most intriguing teams in all of Tennessee. Head coach Davy McClaran and Mr. Basketball finalist senior Camden Cole will lead Eagleville and continue their perfect season fueled by stingy defense and efficient scoring across the board. Quarterfinal opponent: Pickett County (30-4), Thursday, March 19 at 4:00 p.m. CT Path to title: Advance to Friday’s semifinals (approx. 7:15 p.m.) then a potential championship game Saturday at 6:30 p.m. Projection: Eagleville has the pieces to make a deep run and possess one of the deepest teams in the state. If their unstoppable defense carries over from the regular season, the Eagles are your Class 1A favorites to win their first-ever state title in program history. This will be Eagleville’s sixth appearance in a state tournament, the last one being in 2019. Class 4A: Blackman (27-4) — Rutherford County Blackman High School from Murfreesboro (Rutherford County) earned their way back to the TSSAA state tournament with a hard-fought sectional championship win. The No. 9-ranked Blaze punched their ticket with a defensive battle, taking down Ravenwood 41-33 by slowing the game down and a great defensive effort. Quarterfinal opponent: Whitehaven (28-8), Thursday, March 19 at 9:30 a.m. CT Path to title: Friday’s semifinals (approx. 4:00 p.m.) then a chance to play for the program’s ninth state title on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. Projection: Blackman will look to make some noise in a stacked Class 4A field, but they have all the tools necessary to do so. The Blaze have the length and rebounding, as well as veteran coaching experience as they are lead by Head Coach Barry Wortman and are riding some serious momentum after an impressive two-week stretch to close out the season. Other Middle TN Public Schools to Note Class 3A: Both Tullahoma (Tullahoma, Coffee County) and Upperman (Baxter, Putnam County area) will represent Middle TN in Class 3A. They are both part of the eight-team field that begins play on Wednesday/Thursday based on bracket placement. Class 2A: Portland (Portland, Sumner County) finished the regular season as a region champ and is part of the state tournament field. All games for Division I boys basketball will be played at the Murphy Center. With Middle Tennessee locals like Eagleville and Blackman competing, fans should expect the stands to start filling up as the week progresses. Follow all live scores, brackets and updates on tssaasports.com. feels like one of these Middle Tennessee publics will have homecourt advantage, and both are riding strong enough postseason momentum to bring home a state championship.