What if Tennessee went Hoosier on us?

[WilleTheWildcat]

If you are like me you have known two things for a long time.

1)  The movie Hoosire is awesome. I bet you have watched it many times and many more times bits and pieces. The idea of small schools playing  big schools for the State title is interesting.

2) If you have followed Tennessee Girls baskball you know many small schools have a tradition of excellence. Because I follow Oak Ridge I have seen or listened to many of games from the Greeneville Holiday tournamet. Each year the best Tennessee teams play there, big and small. Teams like South Greene and Meigs County have been fits to play for Oak Ridge and Bradley Central through the years. Plus, many small Tennessee teams have knocked off National teams.

HERE IS MY POINT...

     Is there a desire or need to play an all size State Tournament?  I would love to see a State Tournament played after the tradition Playoffs are played involving the top teams from the normal State Tourney. I believe the AAA and Private schools teams would not roll over the Class A and AA schools.

Anybody have thoughts on this idea or am I toasted?

[BallIsLife1]

6 hours ago, WilleTheWildcat said:

If you are like me you have known two things for a long time.

1)  The movie Hoosire is awesome. I bet you have watched it many times and many more times bits and pieces. The idea of small schools playing  big schools for the State title is interesting.

2) If you have followed Tennessee Girls baskball you know many small schools have a tradition of excellence. Because I follow Oak Ridge I have seen or listened to many of games from the Greeneville Holiday tournamet. Each year the best Tennessee teams play there, big and small. Teams like South Greene and Meigs County have been fits to play for Oak Ridge and Bradley Central through the years. Plus, many small Tennessee teams have knocked off National teams.

HERE IS MY POINT...

     Is there a desire or need to play an all size State Tournament?  I would love to see a State Tournament played after the tradition Playoffs are played involving the top teams from the normal State Tourney. I believe the AAA and Private schools teams would not roll over the Class A and AA schools.

Anybody have thoughts on this idea or am I toasted?

I believe they do this in Kentucky also. There are no classes, its like 16 team top teams in the state battle it out.

[LadyCavsFan]

10 hours ago, BallIsLife1 said:

I believe they do this in Kentucky also. There are no classes, its like 16 team top teams in the state battle it out.

You are correct

[LadyCavsFan]

What about adding 2 games to the season.  Take all 4 divisional champs (2021-22)  and play 2 games and you have the overall state winner.  

[WilleTheWildcat]

3 hours ago, LadyCavsFan said:

What about adding 2 games to the season.  Take all 4 divisional champs (2021-22)  and play 2 games and you have the overall state winner.  

Sounds good to me. We still have to come up with a way for the TSSAA to get CASH out of this. Also, this season due to the virus is probably not the right time to start this experiment.

Best of luck to your team LadyCavsFan.

[SportsWestTN]

20 hours ago, WilleTheWildcat said:

If you are like me you have known two things for a long time.

1)  The movie Hoosire is awesome. I bet you have watched it many times and many more times bits and pieces. The idea of small schools playing  big schools for the State title is interesting.

2) If you have followed Tennessee Girls baskball you know many small schools have a tradition of excellence. Because I follow Oak Ridge I have seen or listened to many of games from the Greeneville Holiday tournamet. Each year the best Tennessee teams play there, big and small. Teams like South Greene and Meigs County have been fits to play for Oak Ridge and Bradley Central through the years. Plus, many small Tennessee teams have knocked off National teams.

HERE IS MY POINT...

     Is there a desire or need to play an all size State Tournament?  I would love to see a State Tournament played after the tradition Playoffs are played involving the top teams from the normal State Tourney. I believe the AAA and Private schools teams would not roll over the Class A and AA schools.

Anybody have thoughts on this idea or am I toasted?

This used to be the system in a lot of places where you played with no classes. One state champion for the entire state. Basketball is definitely more conducive to having everyone in the same class than other sports (ie. Football). 

However, there is a reason why TN has five, soon to be six classifications. People like competing against schools their size, and having a more reasonable chance to win a title. It isn't to say small schools can't be as good, just a lower probability of it. 

That being said, I think we have too many classifications in most sports. Yet, I wouldn't be in favor of an end of the year tournament that pitted all the champs against each other. Season is long enough as it is. Plus, ending your season with a state title win is about as sweet as it gets. I wouldn't want to then have to turn around and try and earn some additional title, and potential finish with a loss instead.

[LadyCavsFan]

I wasn’t suggesting an end to classification champs.  Just a chance to add another trophy to your case as well.  Each class champion gets a gold ball and two games later there is a crystal ball (or whatever) for the best team in TN.  I other words it would be a tournament of champions.

[SportsWestTN]

1 minute ago, LadyCavsFan said:

I wasn’t suggesting an end to classification champs.  Just a chance to add another trophy to your case as well.  Each class champion gets a gold ball and two games later there is a crystal ball (or whatever) for the best team in TN.  I other words it would be a tournament of champions.

Yes, but like I said, one of the benefits of winning a state title is finishing as one of the only teams in the state that gets to end their season, sometimes careers with a win. Something special about finishing your year on a high. By adding an extra tournament, you lose that, unless you win that "Tournament of Champions".

[Greenfieldfan]

Single A Greenfield would have won the overall Champion last year. They were the best team of the three classes for sure.  (A - AA - AAA)

Also beat the Private State Champ. TCA

Edited January 19, 2021 by Greenfieldfan

[LadyCavsFan]

50 minutes ago, Greenfieldfan said:

Single A Greenfield would have won the overall Champion last year. They were the best team of the three classes for sure.  (A - AA - AAA)

Also beat the Private State Champ. TCA

That’s exactly why there would be interest in that game.  Especially from the teams and players.  They would want to know.  

[Greenfieldfan]

I’m for it. 

[buddyball]

That year No one could touch Ensworth