State basketball tourney sees an overdue update
11/23/2010
By KEVIN HEIMBIGNER
Observer staff writer
The Ilwaco Fishermen played in the Sun Dome at last year’s tournament. This year teams will have to make it past the first two rounds to make it to Yakima.
RENTON - The Naselle Comets could be playing in the state 2B basketball tournament in 2011, but not in Spokane in March. Instead should either the boys or girls teams be a second seed out of the District IV tournament they could be playing at state in Mount Vernon in February.
Ilwaco teams could be playing at state in February at Glacier Peak High School. Glacier Peak is a new high school in Snohomish named after the most isolated of five major stratovolcanoes in Washington.
In a move to save money, the Washington Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) has created a first round for the six boys and six girls state basketball tournaments and gone away from the 16-team, double-elimination format that was first introduced in 1923. WIAA data showed that in loser-bracket games the average attendance was fewer than 300 fans at the 12 tournaments. Washington was the last state to have the 16-team, double-elimination format for basketball.
Under the new format all district tournaments will be moved up one week. The first round of "state tournaments" will be in a regional format. There will be four such regionals in all six boys and six girls tourneys from class 1B through 4A. The Feb. 25 games will have a pair of two seeds playing in a loser-out contest followed by a pair of one seeds playing with the winner qualifying for the next round. The Feb. 26 games will have the winner of the two-seed game playing the loser of the one-seed game and that winner will also go on to the eight-team, double-elimination state tournament.
The second round of state will be March 3 through 5 with the 1B and 2B teams playing in Spokane, the 1A and 2A teams playing in Yakima, and the 3A and 4A schools playing in Tacoma. Two boys and two girls tournaments will be at those locations and be played simultaneously.
For the first time ever eight teams in the 12 tourneys will play two state games to get to the final round venues and could possibly play five state tournament contests.
In the 2B classification, first round state games will be played at Mount Vernon or Mark Morris in Longview. The 1A first round games will be at Glacier Peak or the girls will play in Centralia and the boys in Chehalis. The WIAA is banking on the fact that more fans will pay to see the first round games Feb. 25 and 26.
With the proliferation of private schools dominating 1B, 2B, and 1A tournaments the crowds at Spokane and Yakima could still be on the slim side since the fan base for the private schools is significantly less than that of public school communities. That lack of fan base from private schools has had a negative impact on state tournament revenue. Rather than considering moving the private schools to separate divisions as some states do, the WIAA has decided to change the tournament format instead.
The eight-team second round will be double-elimination. There will be seven winner's bracket games in each of the 12 tournaments and four loser's bracket contests. Under the 16-team format there were 15 winner's bracket games and 11 loser's bracket contests in each tourney.
All 12 tournaments will be played March 3 through 5 instead of over three weekends. With two classifications of tournaments at each venue, schools with two teams would not have a possible conflict as has been the case in the past because the two classifications will alternate boys and girls games.
The new format may bring in more cash to the WIAA's coffers in Renton. The cost will be that 1,152 boys and girls will be denied the opportunity of the true state experience and to be able to play basketball in Spokane, Yakima or Tacoma in 2011. There will also be 96 cheerleading squads, 96 pep bands, and 96 hometown fan bases that will instead go to a one-and-done play-in game at places like Mount Vernon or Glacier Peak High and then return home.
After last season, Ilwaco basketball senior Justin Short said, "Going to Yakima for state basketball was the highlight of my high school career. Having a Miner's Burger, watching the Chelan-Vashon game, and making my first basket in the Sun Dome were all very special. Spending that time at state with my friends and coaches are things I won't ever forget."
Sadly, that experience is also something the WIAA can no longer afford to provide for half of those teams that qualify.
RENTON - The Naselle Comets could be playing in the state 2B basketball tournament in 2011, but not in Spokane in March. Instead should either the boys or girls teams be a second seed out of the District IV tournament they could be playing at state in Mount Vernon in February.
Ilwaco teams could be playing at state in February at Glacier Peak High School. Glacier Peak is a new high school in Snohomish named after the most isolated of five major stratovolcanoes in Washington.
In a move to save money, the Washington Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) has created a first round for the six boys and six girls state basketball tournaments and gone away from the 16-team, double-elimination format that was first introduced in 1923. WIAA data showed that in loser-bracket games the average attendance was fewer than 300 fans at the 12 tournaments. Washington was the last state to have the 16-team, double-elimination format for basketball.
Under the new format all district tournaments will be moved up one week. The first round of "state tournaments" will be in a regional format. There will be four such regionals in all six boys and six girls tourneys from class 1B through 4A. The Feb. 25 games will have a pair of two seeds playing in a loser-out contest followed by a pair of one seeds playing with the winner qualifying for the next round. The Feb. 26 games will have the winner of the two-seed game playing the loser of the one-seed game and that winner will also go on to the eight-team, double-elimination state tournament.
The second round of state will be March 3 through 5 with the 1B and 2B teams playing in Spokane, the 1A and 2A teams playing in Yakima, and the 3A and 4A schools playing in Tacoma. Two boys and two girls tournaments will be at those locations and be played simultaneously.
For the first time ever eight teams in the 12 tourneys will play two state games to get to the final round venues and could possibly play five state tournament contests.
In the 2B classification, first round state games will be played at Mount Vernon or Mark Morris in Longview. The 1A first round games will be at Glacier Peak or the girls will play in Centralia and the boys in Chehalis. The WIAA is banking on the fact that more fans will pay to see the first round games Feb. 25 and 26.
With the proliferation of private schools dominating 1B, 2B, and 1A tournaments the crowds at Spokane and Yakima could still be on the slim side since the fan base for the private schools is significantly less than that of public school communities. That lack of fan base from private schools has had a negative impact on state tournament revenue. Rather than considering moving the private schools to separate divisions as some states do, the WIAA has decided to change the tournament format instead.
The eight-team second round will be double-elimination. There will be seven winner's bracket games in each of the 12 tournaments and four loser's bracket contests. Under the 16-team format there were 15 winner's bracket games and 11 loser's bracket contests in each tourney.
All 12 tournaments will be played March 3 through 5 instead of over three weekends. With two classifications of tournaments at each venue, schools with two teams would not have a possible conflict as has been the case in the past because the two classifications will alternate boys and girls games.
The new format may bring in more cash to the WIAA's coffers in Renton. The cost will be that 1,152 boys and girls will be denied the opportunity of the true state experience and to be able to play basketball in Spokane, Yakima or Tacoma in 2011. There will also be 96 cheerleading squads, 96 pep bands, and 96 hometown fan bases that will instead go to a one-and-done play-in game at places like Mount Vernon or Glacier Peak High and then return home.
After last season, Ilwaco basketball senior Justin Short said, "Going to Yakima for state basketball was the highlight of my high school career. Having a Miner's Burger, watching the Chelan-Vashon game, and making my first basket in the Sun Dome were all very special. Spending that time at state with my friends and coaches are things I won't ever forget."
Sadly, that experience is also something the WIAA can no longer afford to provide for half of those teams that qualify.
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