I have been around a long time, and gathered a wealth of knowledge. So long, that I have also forgot nearly all of it.

As I make my bold predictions for the upcoming out-of-the-ordinary girls’ basketball state tournament, don’t view my picks as those from an expert — my ego tells me otherwise. Instead, view my picks as from one who is wandering around aimlessly.

The quarterfinals aren’t seeded 1 through 5 with three random selections like in the past. They are broken down into two groups (North and South), with each being seeded 1 through 4.

The winners move on to the semifinals, but don’t play the other winner in their group. The semifinals become a crossover matchup: the North 1 vs. 4 winner plays the South 2-3 winner and the South 1-4 winner plays the North 2-3 winner.

Now that my head officially hurts, let’s take a look at the girls’ quarterfinals in all four classes:

Class 4A
N1 Hopkins (15-0) vs. N4 Forest Lake (17-3): This is truly a No. 1 vs. No. 8 matchup. Hopkins!

S2 Chaska (15-0) vs. S3 Stillwater (21-0): Stillwater has fallen to Hopkins in its previous two state tournaments. A change of pace for the Ponies this year, being ousted by Chaska.

S1 Farmington (21-0) vs. S4 Rosemount (18-3): One of two Class 4A matchups that I despise of in the quarterfinals — conference teams clashing against each other. South Suburban champion Farmington wins for a third time.

N2 Elk River (19-1) vs. N3 Centennial (20-1): At least these two Northwest Suburban teams split during the regular season. Elk River wins the rubber game.

Class 3A
N1 Holy Angels (19-2) vs. N4 Grand Rapids (18-3): Sid made me a WCCO fan. Thus, I have to be a homer and take Holy Angels. Right, Frank and Amelia?

S2 Marshall (20-0) vs. S3 St. Croix Lutheran (14-5): Keep an eye on St. Croix Lutheran freshman standout Laura Hauge. I’m thinking of the Boldens though, so Marshall it is.

S1 Hill-Murray (19-1) vs. S4 Austin (11-4): Can the Pioneers keep all their hockey players at a safe distance? If so, it’s on to the semifinals for Hill-Murray.

N2 Becker (16-3) vs. N3 Alexandria (17-4): I still believe Becker is the class of the field. Senior point guard Julia Bengtson moves them one step closer to a state title.

Class 2A
N1 Albany (21-1) vs. N4 Pelican Rapids (20-1): In memory of longtime Albany coach Jon Noreen, the Huskies march on in their first state tournament trip since his passing.

S2 Minnehaha Academy (17-3) vs. S3 Glencoe-Silver Lake (18-4): The Redhawks have a little more depth than Glencoe-Silver Lake. They sneak past the Panthers and outstanding senior guard Miah Monahan, who is headed for Eastern Illinois.

S1 New London-Spicer (21-0) vs. S4 Lake City (19-3): I was lucky enough to present New London-Spicer coach Mike Dreier into the Minnesota High School Basketball Hall of Fame. Now, I present him with a state tournament victory.

N2 Providence Academy (20-1) vs. N3 Duluth Marshall (18-2): A present standout, Duluth Marshall senior guard and Utah-bound Gianna Kneepkens, vs. the future, Providence Academy seventh-grader Maddyn Greenway. Kneepkens wins the individual scoring battle while the daughter of former Viking linebacker Chad Greenway and her team advance.

Class 1A
N1 Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa (21-1) vs. N4 West Central Area (17-5): The Jaguars don’t like to give up points. They beat West Central Area in a low-scoring tilt.

S2 Mayer Lutheran (19-2) vs. S3 Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s (22-0): The unbeaten with a lower seed. I’ll take the extra motivation and go with Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s.

N2 Mountain Iron-Buhl (18-4) vs. N3 Cass Lake-Bena (17-5): Mountain Iron-Buhl is in the state tournament for the ninth time in the past 10 years. This packsacker can’t pick against them or I will never again be allowed on Main Street.

S1 Minneota (22-0) vs. S4 Houston (18-0): The lack of an “s” doesn’t prevent the Vikings from winning again. Take Minneota.