02/15/2006
By BRIAN PORTER, Staff writer

PLANO - The Plano Wildcats have reaped the benefits of a basketball district championship.

Plano was selected to compete as part of a tripleheader Friday at Loos Gymnasium in Addison, pitting district champions in three playoff warm-up games. Plano is one of three state-ranked teams in the tripleheader.

Dallas Roosevelt, the No. 15 team in the TABC's Class 3A state poll, meets Carrollton Ranchview at 5:30 p.m. in Game 1. Plano, which has vaulted back into the Class 5A state poll at No. 18, meets Dallas Kimball at 7 p.m. in Game 2. North Garland, the No. 13 team in Class 5A, meets Hebron at 8:30 p.m. in Game 3.

Plano (22-8) compiled a 12-2 record in District 8-5A and won the championship in the alignment by three games over Flower Mound Marcus (20-10). The final playoff berth will be determined by a district play-in tournament taking place Friday and Saturday.

The Wildcats have compiled a 139-77 record in seven seasons under Tom Inman. Plano has won at least 20 games in each of the past five seasons and has reached the playoffs in each of those seasons. The team holds a 107-43 record, a .713 winning percentage in the past five seasons. Plano is five wins shy of 50 victories across the past two seasons.