Linn-Mar, Kennedy and Jefferson have drawn opening-round byes in the Class 4A substate boys basketball tournament, making their path to Des Moines a tad easier.

The Lions, Cougars and J-Hawks have to win only two games to reach the state tournament. Other Metro teams have to win three games to get to Wells Fargo Arena.

The IHSAA announced the pairings for the Class 3A and 4A tournaments Monday on the association website (www.iahsaa.org.).

Xavier and Washington will battle in a substate opener on Monday, Feb. 20 at Xavier. The winner of that game will face Kennedy in the substate semifinals on Friday, Feb. 24 at Kennedy.

Prairie will face Iowa City High in a substate opener on Monday, Feb. 20 at City High. The winner of that game will play Linn-Mar in the semifinals Feb. 24 at Linn-Mar.

Linn-Mar, Kennedy, Xavier, Washington and Prairie are all grouped together in Substate 6, which means only one of those Metro teams can reach the state tournament.

Jefferson was assigned to Substate 3 with Cedar Falls, Waterloo West, Waterloo East, Marshalltown and Mason City. The J-Hawks will face Marshalltown or Mason City in the semifinals on Feb. 24 at Jefferson. Cedar Falls also received a bye.

The Class 4A substate finals are scheduled for Feb. 28. The Substate 6 finals will be played at Prairie or Linn-Mar (at whichever school is not playing in the game), while the Substate 3 finals will he held at the McLeod Center in Cedar Falls.

The Marion Indians will face Anamosa in the opening round of the Class 3A district tournament on Feb. 20 at Marion. The winner of that game will face Davenport Assumption or DeWitt Central in the district finals on Feb. 23 at Muscatine.

The Class 3A substate finals are slated for Feb. 27 at Iowa City West. Clear Creek-Amana, Solon, Williamsburg and Benton Community also feed into that substate.

The state tournament is scheduled for March 7-10 at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

CLASS 4A SUBSTATE 6

Opening Round
Monday, Feb. 20

Prairie at Iowa City High, 7
Washington at Xavier, 7

Semifinals
Friday, Feb. 24

Prairie/Iowa City High at Linn-Mar, 7
Xavier/Washington at Kennedy, 7

Finals
Tuesday, Feb. 28

At Prairie or Linn-Mar, 7

CLASS 4A SUBSTATE 3

Opening Round
Monday, Feb. 20

Waterloo East at Waterloo West, 7
Mason City at Marshalltown, 7

Semifinals
Friday, Feb. 24

Waterloo West/Waterloo East at Cedar Falls, 7
Marshalltown/Mason City at Jefferson, 7

Finals
Tuesday, Feb. 28

At McLeod Center, Cedar Falls, 7

CLASS 3A DISTRICT 9

Semifinals
Monday, Feb. 20

Anamosa at Marion, 7
DeWitt Central at Davenport Assumption, 7

Finals
Thursday, Feb. 23
At Muscatine

Marion/Anamosa vs. DeWitt Central/Davenport Assumption, 7

CLASS 3A SUBSTATE 5
Finals

At Iowa City West, 7 p.m.