MADISON - Just after the Horlick High School boys basketball team arrived at the Quality Inn Suites in Madison Friday, Jamil Wilson and Antwon Oliver took Davontae Mullen out into the lobby for a chat.

The 5-foot-10 junior point guard had recently been forced into a starting role when Greg Morrissette was suspended for the rest of the season. And Horlick's two leaders just wanted to reassure Mullen that they had his back.

"He's been feeling a lot of pressure," Oliver said. "He told us. We sat him down and talked to him and calmed him down.

"He's really been stepping it up and playing the point guard role."

To such an extent that Mullen, according to Wilson, is the reason why Horlick will be playing for what would be its first-ever state championship in boys basketball Saturday night.

"We definitely couldn't be here if it wasn't for Davontae," Wilson said.

Mullen, who joined Oliver and Carnell Williford as the only Horlick players to play all 32 minutes Friday, finished with nine points, three assists, two steals and a rebound.

But he saved his best for last, going 4-for-4 from the free-throw line in the final minute and 12 seconds to keep Horlick afloat.

"All I was thinking about was that championship game," Mullen said when asked for his thoughts while he was on the line. "I want to be there.

"I wasn't nervous at all. We shot a lot of free throws at practice today, so I was pretty calm."

Not bad for a kid who not too long ago was only a role player.

"He played above and beyond what we wanted from him," senior forward Nick Stark said.

WHO IS THIS GUY?: He's only played a handful of games for the Rebels, but 6-2 sophomore forward Idrees Razaa (which is Muslim for "leader") was a prominent remember of Horlick's rotation Friday.

In 12 minutes, Razaa went 3-for-3 from the floor and contributed seven points and two rebounds. His finest moment came with 5:48 remaining in the second quarter when he made a 3-pointer from the corner to pull Horlick within 17-16.

"I wasn't really nervous," he said. "I've been waiting for the opportunity and just took advantage of it."

So where was Razaa all season? On Horlick's junior varsity team, where he averaged about 19 points and eight rebounds.

"Idrees very easily could have been a varsity ballplayer all year, but his minutes would have been limited," Horlick coach Jason Treutelaar said. "We wanted him to get as many minutes as he could at the sophomore level and keep those guys together.

"Idrees has played better than anticipated. He wasn't fazed by the lights or anything."

OLIVER COMES UP BIG: With Wilson sitting out seven tense minutes with foul trouble, Oliver held down the fort big-time. In addition to playing what Treutelaar considered to be one of his finest defensive games of the season, he also contributed 15 points, seven rebounds, three blocks, a steal and an assist.

He might be considered Scottie Pippen to Wilson's Michael Jordan, but Wilson prefers another analogy.

"All year, people were saying I'm Batman and he's Robin," Wilson said. "No, no, no. I'm Batman and he's Superman. This is a superhero team.

"Antwon has definitely been a big part of this. When I get in foul trouble or something, he's picked it up. He's always had my back."

A BIG DECISION: Wilson was whistled for his second foul with 3:16 left in the second quarter. Fifty seven seconds later, he picked up his third on an offensive foul.

How much was Treutelaar tempted to pull Wilson after that second foul?

"I guess you can call me 'the gambler,'" Treutelaar said. "I'll keep him in a lot of times with two fouls or bring him back sooner and I'll take that chance and I'll live with the result.

"I'll shake the dice. I want him on the court as many minutes as I can. I think coaches at times take their ballplayers off and save them for too many minutes."

WILSON VS. MAYMON: Saturday night's championship game against Madison Memorial may very well end up determining whether Wilson or 6-7 Memorial forward Jeronne Maymon is named the Associated Press' Wisconsin Player of the Year. And Treutelaar knows it.

"I think Jamil Wilson is the best basketball player in the state and Jeronne Maymon is a very excellent ballplayer," Treutelaar said.

BIG BLOCKERS: The Rebels set a Division 1 state tournament record with 10 blocks, breaking by one the previous record of nine shared by Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln in 1995 and Memorial last year.

Wilson led the way with five, Oliver had three and Carnell Williford and Stark had one each.

But that doesn't tell the whole story. Largely because of Horlick's inside intimidation, North went just 12-for-47 (25.5 percent).

"They've been doing that all season - blocking shots, altering shots … the way they change the complexion of the game is just incredible," Treutelaar said.

The overall tournament record for blocks is 16 by Division 4 Randolph in 2002.

SATURDAY NIGHT'S MATCHUP: Bay Port coach Nate Rykal, whose previously unbeaten team lost to Memorial 64-60 in Friday's other semifinal, believes Memorial's pressure could be the deciding factor Saturday night.

"I think Memorial's pressure might get to Horlick a little bit," Rykal said. "We were thinking that we would be able to pressure Horlick and force some turnovers and take their bigger guys out of the game.

"It's going to be a good game."