How many champions is too many?

[CoachT]

How many champions is too many?

 

I do not have the blogs set up for users to add comments. It seems that on a site like this that has message boards it would be pointless to allow comments on the blogs. However, I think the topic of the linked blog needs further input and would like to hear your suggestions.

[kmillikan]

Dear Coacht:

 

Your blog has stirred up some old discussions from my 40 years of living in Indiana. I have lived in Tennessee for the last 10 years, and I have generally like the 3 class Tennessee format for basketball based on the geography and number of teams. But for the sake of this discussion, then lets start from scratch with my proposal(s).

 

Lets work toward one eventual state champion at the end of the season, but lets have a holiday state tournament divided into 4 classes during the last half of December. This would become a compromise for the smaller schools who will have a better opportunity to advance in their own classification.

 

 

For the end of season tournament: (Played over 4 weekends)

 

16 Super Regionals with 16-20 teams in each regional.

 

This is where Indiana went wrong. Prior to implementing a multi-class tournament, Indiana had what they called were ???Sectionals??? that preceded the ???Regional???. But the Sectional had the same 5-8 teams every year. So there were many cases where one school could dominate the Sectional for years. I think the record was 29 years straight. My suggestion (for both Indiana and Tennessee) would be not go to a multi-class state championship format, but shuffle the teams that feed each regional. So each regional would have 4 initial sites and no team could play on their home floor. This would be single elimination, and winning teams would advance to the Super Regional finals at a pre-determined site.

 

4 Sub-state sites with the ???Sweet Sixteen??? teams remaining.

 

State Tournament with ???Final Four???

 

Lets use last years calendar to layout some dates:

 

Thu March 6th: Play-in games for sub-regional sites with 5-6 teams

Fri March 7th: 4 teams ??“ winners advance to Saturday

Sat March 8th: Sub-regional Championship

 

Fri March 14th: 4 sub-regional teams

Sat March 15th: Super Regional Championship

 

Fri March 21st: Sub-state semi-finals

Sat March 22nd: Sub-State Championship

 

Fri March 28th: State semi-finals

Sat March 29th: State Championship

 

Note: Both girls and boys could be played on the same dates if state will allow 4 games at a site in one day.

 

 

For the Holiday Class Tournament:

 

Pool of teams will be divided into 4 classifications played over 3 weekends.

 

Each class will then be divided into 8 regions with 8-12 teams.

 

Lets use last years calendar to layout some dates:

 

Tue December 11th: Play-in games for regions with 9-12 teams

Fri December 14th: 4 teams each at 2 different sites

Sat December 15th: Sub-region Champions

 

Tue December 18th: Region Championship

 

Fri December 21st: Sub-State finals (Sweet Sixteen)

Sat December 22nd: Sub-State Championship

 

Fri December 28th: State finals

Sat December 29th: Class state champion

 

 

Note: Schools can still schedule their local holiday tournaments. Their will be a total of 16 teams playing in the state finals who will gladly skip the holiday tournament for a chance to win a state championship title.

[sHarshaw]

I dont understand why in this state we have MANY MORE schools that play basketball than football, but there are two additional classifications for football. I think with the number of schools in the state that 5 Championships would good. Give more teams (more kids) the opportunity to have the experience. I think any more than 5 may be a bit much.

 

Arkansas has 7 classes and nowhere near the number of schools here in TN. The top class only has 16 teams so you only have to be the best out of 16 teams in teh state to win a State Title.... its a joke!!!!!!!!

[sportsnut624]

Arkansas has 7 classes and nowhere near the number of schools here in TN. The top class only has 16 teams so you only have to be the best out of 16 teams in teh state to win a State Title.... its a joke!!!!!!!!

 

I agree, with less teams and more champions it makes winning a state title not as prestigious.

[icecold06]

Dear Coacht:

 

Your blog has stirred up some old discussions from my 40 years of living in Indiana. I have lived in Tennessee for the last 10 years, and I have generally like the 3 class Tennessee format for basketball based on the geography and number of teams. But for the sake of this discussion, then lets start from scratch with my proposal(s).

 

Lets work toward one eventual state champion at the end of the season, but lets have a holiday state tournament divided into 4 classes during the last half of December. This would become a compromise for the smaller schools who will have a better opportunity to advance in their own classification.

 

 

For the end of season tournament: (Played over 4 weekends)

 

16 Super Regionals with 16-20 teams in each regional.

 

This is where Indiana went wrong. Prior to implementing a multi-class tournament, Indiana had what they called were ???Sectionals??? that preceded the ???Regional???. But the Sectional had the same 5-8 teams every year. So there were many cases where one school could dominate the Sectional for years. I think the record was 29 years straight. My suggestion (for both Indiana and Tennessee) would be not go to a multi-class state championship format, but shuffle the teams that feed each regional. So each regional would have 4 initial sites and no team could play on their home floor. This would be single elimination, and winning teams would advance to the Super Regional finals at a pre-determined site.

 

4 Sub-state sites with the ???Sweet Sixteen??? teams remaining.

 

State Tournament with ???Final Four???

 

Lets use last years calendar to layout some dates:

 

Thu March 6th: Play-in games for sub-regional sites with 5-6 teams

Fri March 7th: 4 teams ??“ winners advance to Saturday

Sat March 8th: Sub-regional Championship

 

Fri March 14th: 4 sub-regional teams

Sat March 15th: Super Regional Championship

 

Fri March 21st: Sub-state semi-finals

Sat March 22nd: Sub-State Championship

 

Fri March 28th: State semi-finals

Sat March 29th: State Championship

 

Note: Both girls and boys could be played on the same dates if state will allow 4 games at a site in one day.

 

 

For the Holiday Class Tournament:

 

Pool of teams will be divided into 4 classifications played over 3 weekends.

 

Each class will then be divided into 8 regions with 8-12 teams.

 

Lets use last years calendar to layout some dates:

 

Tue December 11th: Play-in games for regions with 9-12 teams

Fri December 14th: 4 teams each at 2 different sites

Sat December 15th: Sub-region Champions

 

Tue December 18th: Region Championship

 

Fri December 21st: Sub-State finals (Sweet Sixteen)

Sat December 22nd: Sub-State Championship

 

Fri December 28th: State finals

Sat December 29th: Class state champion

 

 

Note: Schools can still schedule their local holiday tournaments. Their will be a total of 16 teams playing in the state finals who will gladly skip the holiday tournament for a chance to win a state championship title.

 

I love this idea. It is very similar to the college tournament, yet a team can win a state championship in their classification in december then compete for an overall state championship in May I love it

[kmillikan]

Since there is a discussion going on about using the "Z" plan for basketball, then I would suggest that they try the "Z" plan with a holiday tourney over the last half of December. The six classes that the "Z" plan implements would make it much easier to run a state holiday tourney in 3 weekends, since there would only be 50-60 teams in each of the classifications.

[bewisegrasshopper]

Is the current system a problem? ? If the system isn't broken why try to fix it?? Just wondering why all of a sudden the system needs to be changed??

 

a student wondered up and asked a sage if he could be his student. The sage handed the student a broom. everyday the student swept the monasatry and would question when he could start training. for 5 years this went on, the student one day dropped the broom and departed in disgust.

[ksgovols]

The thing about basketball is one great player can make a difference and the smaller schools can compete with the larger schools when that is the case.

 

I don't care how many state championships they have, I just wish they'd play the girls and boys tournaments concurrently so that we can get on with the spring sports. I hate the delay between the ends of regions and the beginning of the boys tournament. As it is baseball season is April if you have kids on the basketball team going deep into the post season and your baseball team isn't in the post season.

[jasonjuicer]

I dont understand why in this state we have MANY MORE schools that play basketball than football, but there are two additional classifications for football. I think with the number of schools in the state that 5 Championships would good. Give more teams (more kids) the opportunity to have the experience. I think any more than 5 may be a bit much.

 

Arkansas has 7 classes and nowhere near the number of schools here in TN. The top class only has 16 teams so you only have to be the best out of 16 teams in teh state to win a State Title.... its a joke!!!!!!!!

 

 

Very True!

[philmeyer]

I agree, if you are going to have 5 classes for football and crown 5 champions then TSSAA ought to have 5 classes for basketball as well especially since more schools play basketball than football. But football brings in the money for the TSSAA and runs everything. Maybe compromise and go to 4 classes for everything.

[JunkYardDog]

The thing about basketball is one great player can make a difference and the smaller schools can compete with the larger schools when that is the case.

 

I don't care how many state championships they have, I just wish they'd play the girls and boys tournaments concurrently so that we can get on with the spring sports. I hate the delay between the ends of regions and the beginning of the boys tournament. As it is baseball season is April if you have kids on the basketball team going deep into the post season and your baseball team isn't in the post season.

 

/rolleyes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":rolleyes:" border="0" alt="rolleyes.gif" /> If they hold both same weekend please not at same site. Girls' bkb and boys' bkb is not even the same sport. That would ruin the championship series. Not many people would want to set through one to see the other. This is not a slam of girls' bkb or vice-versa they just attract a different type of fan. /rolleyes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":rolleyes:" border="0" alt="rolleyes.gif" /> PLEASE don't try to combine the 2 championships. I know they play the same night now, but at least you can come late to one or leave early on the other. /rolleyes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":rolleyes:" border="0" alt="rolleyes.gif" />

[adsmom86]

/rolleyes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":rolleyes:" border="0" alt="rolleyes.gif" /> If they hold both same weekend please not at same site. Girls' bkb and boys' bkb is not even the same sport.

 

Doubt Candice Parker ever thought that /rolleyes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":rolleyes:" border="0" alt="rolleyes.gif" />