Linn-Mar Coach Chris Robertson will tie a cherished record Wednesday night when the Lions face Dubuque Senior in the opening round of the Class 4A boys state basketball tournament in Des Moines.

Robertson, 41, has led Linn-Mar to the state tournament for the seventh straight year, matching a mark set by Dick Breitbach of Cedar Rapids Regis (1989-95) and Mitch Osborn of Elk-Horn Kimballtown and Pomeroy-Palmer (1989-95).

Robertson was a member of Breitbach's staff at Regis for the last two trips in 1994 and '95.

"At that time, that was an unbelievable accomplishment, and to be part of it here at Linn-Mar is unbelievable. It's amazing," Robertson said. "I hope our people don't take it for granted. It's a great accomplishment."

Robertson is 7-for-7 as Linn-Mar's head coach, with seven trips to Des Moines in seven years as head coach. He's compiled a flashy 159-19 record with state titles in 2007 and 2011.

The way things look now, Robertson will coach the Lions again next season and aim for a record eighth straight trip to state. He has a master's degree in educational administration and would like to pursue a job as a top school official at some point, but nothing appears on the horizon.

Robertson is currently the dean of students at Linn-Mar. He and his wife Mandi have four children - daughter Taylor and sons Jacob, Jack and Max - and he'd like to spend more time at his children's activities, which may contribute to him stepping aside as head coach at some point.

"Right now my plans are still to be here," he said. "Every year you think about things more, but nothing in the future looks like it's going to change right now, so my plan is to be back and to be coaching next year."

Linn-Mar (19-4) is playing in the state tournament for the ninth straight year, a state record, and will face Dubuque Senior (18-5) in the quarterfinals Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. in a battle of Mississippi Valley Conference foes. The Lions clipped the Rams, 62-55, in their only meeting during the regular season at Linn-Mar.

If Linn-Mar defeats Dubuque Senior, the defending champs could have to face second-ranked Iowa City West (23-0) in the semifinals Friday afternoon and then top-ranked Ankeny (23-0) in the finals Saturday night.

Robertson said his team is worried about Dubuque Senior and nothing else at Wells Fargo Arena.

"We're going to put all of our eggs in that basket," he said. "That's the game we're going to focus on, that's the game we're going to prepare for.

"If we're fortunate enough to move on, then we'll do everything else on short notice. We're hoping to go down there and be there through the week."

Linn-Mar has some good eggs in its basket, most notably McDonald's All-American Marcus Paige, who leads the state in scoring at 28.4 and will be playing in his fourth straight state tournament.

Paige scored a school-record 49 points in the substate finals against Kennedy and notched 46 points in a victory over Prairie this season. Opposing fans like to chant "One Man Team" when the Lions take the floor, but the Lions have other eggs as well.

Matt Lassen missed two months of the regular season with a severe concussion, but he's returned and is averaging 10.3 points with a career-best of 30.

"It was a short season for me. And when I got back I didn't want it to end," said Lassen, a junior who has committed to play Division I college basketball at Albany (N.Y.).

Lassen spoke confidently about returning this season while recovering from his head injury, but admits now he wasn't 100 percent sure he'd be back this year.

"Definitely wishful thinking," he said. "I wasn't 100 percent convinced, because I didn't feel 100 percent at the time. But I was working hard and I was very determined to get back and help my team and help them get to state."

Andy Henry and Jimmy Roth were honored in the Mississippi Valley Conference this season as second-team selections and are important players for the Lions. The fifth starter along with Paige, Lassen, Henry and Roth is 6-foot-8 junior Derik Gogg, who could play a vital role against the tall Dubuque Rams.

"They're big," said Robertson. "They're probably the biggest team we've played, top to bottom."

Seth Bonifas, a 6-foot-9 sophomore, is being recruited by Division I colleges and has been scouted by the Iowa Hawkeyes. Josh Weeber, a 6-5 junior, leads the Rams at 15 points and 7.7 rebounds. Kyle Haber, a 6-6 soph, averages 11.7 points. Connor Grant, a 6-5 senior, chips in 10.8 points.