What should the TSSAA do?

[nebuntyn]

I went to the Kentucky girls state tournament last week and it was the best state tournament I've ever attended. The only down fall to the KHSAA tournament was there was two sessions per day with 2 games per session at $13 a session. Of course, once it got down to the final 4 teams, there was only 1 session. Pretty steep price in my opinion. In terms of competition and crowing 1 state champion, it was an unbelievable atmosphere with very few blow out games. Almost every game was competitive from start to finish. I know this system will never happen in Tennessee, but in my opinion, Kentucky is leaps and bounds ahead of Tennessee high school basketball as a whole when it comes down to structure of tournament and getting the most excitement from games.

Yes it is. By far. TN To watered down. My home state of Indiana was the same way until the early 90's. The atmosphere in Kentucky and Indiana is on another level. It's nothing for 10,000 people to be at a regional game. Edited March 17, 2015 by nebuntyn

[Galilee]

Tssaa needs to step up and kick Mitchell back to triple A . But they won't because they let Memphis schools do what they want and then punish other schools for the least little thing just the way it is

Why should we move to 3A with a 1A enrollment.

[Indian]

Mitchell had 554 at the last count.

[pujo]

The one thing I've given a lot of thought is the probation junk, These teams getting caught playing against the rules should be barred from the post season. The punishment they are handing down means NOTHING.

[DyronNix]

Add in Defensive 3 seconds or just ban 1/2 court zone defenses. I get annoyed with all of the zone defenses being played.

 

Top 3 of district advance. Cant compare it to Baseball only taking 2 bc they play double elimination.

[DougS]

It's real simple! If you are funded by federal money and not private donations/funds you are PUBLIC!! If you pay tuition which is tax-deductible and corporations are involved you are PRIVATE!! Let both have their separate state tournaments, determining public/private champs then.........DRUMROLL........let the two play each other for a true Mano/Mano champ! Alright, come out and let the debate begin. Be kind and objective though!!

actually tuition to high school is NOT tax deductible.  I ask my tax guy each year.  Or do i need a new tax guy??

[IrishBBall]

actually tuition to high school is NOT tax deductible.  I ask my tax guy each year.  Or do i need a new tax guy??

Your tax guy is correct!

[Indian]

No 8th grade eligibility even if they're part of the high school. It isn't often an 8th grader will be a major impact player but that extra year of practices and jv games is a big advantage.

[GCPioneer]

Yes it is. By far. TN To watered down. My home state of Indiana was the same way until the early 90's. The atmosphere in Kentucky and Indiana is on another level. It's nothing for 10,000 people to be at a regional game.

I agree... I encourage people who have not been to the Kentucky state tournaments to go one year... The atmosphere was better, every game was competitive despite one team having the clear advantage in talent.... It was very enjoyable to watch. In fact, the TSSAA needs to really look at what the KHSAA does and grab ideas from them. Tennessee basketball is behind compared to other states.

[dmm88]

While i do agree that Tennessee doesn't need to go to 6 classes in basketball (its too many below average teams) they need to move all postseason games from the high schools to small colleges. Alabama, Mississppi, and Arkansas all play tourney games at college venues. Too many schools in this state have small gyms. More seats for fans will bring in more money. Nobody should ever get turned away at a sectional game because the schools gym only holds so many.

[dare]

If you want to end with one state champ and cut out classes at a state event, I think you need to give the smaller schools at least something to play for in the beginning phases. Have each region of the state divided from largest to smallest school (and go ahead and put back in Division II schools if you're not going to take all of them out of Division I). Put each region into four districts. District winners, or 1-2, or 1-4, play in postseason and you eventually get 16 teams going to the state, one each of the 16 predetermined regions. Division II private schools get a 2.0 multiplier.

 

Here is an example of the area east of Knoxville. Each region may not have the same size, exactly, schools as other areas but it won't matter, they're not playing for the state berth against teams from other areas, just this one.

 

Region 2:

District 1:

Jefferson Co. High School Dandridge 2273

Morristown-Hamblen High School West Morristown 1461

Sevier Co. High School Sevierville 1451

Morristown-Hamblen High School East Morristown 1418

Campbell Co. High School Jacksboro 1320

Cocke Co. High School Newport 1201

 

District 2:

Seymour High School Seymour 1093

Grainger High School Rutledge 892

Carter High School Strawberry Plains 890

Union Co. High School Maynardville 825

Claiborne High School New Tazewell 800

Unicoi Co. High School Erwin 789

 

District 3:

Northview Academy Kodak 788

Pigeon Forge High School Pigeon Forge 697

West Greene High School Mosheim 671

Cumberland Gap High School Cumberland Gap 566

Gatlinburg-Pittman High School Gatlinburg 562

 

District 4:

Cosby High School Cosby 405

The King's Academy 188 x 2 = 376

Hancock Co. High School Sneedville 286

* Washburn High School 158

* Clinch High School Sneedville 27

Unicoi county is in region 1, there are all kinds of schools you left off that list that we would drive by to be in region 2. All of Greene county.

[rabbitranch]

Yes it is. By far. TN To watered down. My home state of Indiana was the same way until the early 90's. The atmosphere in Kentucky and Indiana is on another level. It's nothing for 10,000 people to be at a regional game.

I know very little about Ky., but I'm very familiar with Indiana's program. I've seen 7500 (capacity) fans at regular season games at the old "Wigwam" in Anderson. One of the big differences that I've seen between IN. and TN. is, if you don't have a computer, it's hard to even get a score for a game in this state. Indianapolis tv stations gave EVERY regular season score in the state on the 10:00 news. Nashville's channel 5 news only gave the AAA boy's final game state tourney score and probably wouldn't have given that score if Brentwood hadn't been involved. I'm sure changes could be made to make h.s. basketball more popular in this state, but I really don't believe making drastic changes is needed at this time. We'll never reach the status of these 'basketball states',