Prep Zone

By R Zumer

February 19, 2007 03:29 PM | Link to this

I don’t think there needs to be 16 at large to get the best teams in. As an alternative to the current pre detemined teams, I could see the top three teams from each region and 8 others at large. If you finish fourth in the region that means you lost two in a row and good teams that deserve to go to the big dance don’t lose two in a row. When you start picking teams at large there will always be someone that thinks they got left out no matter how many at large spots there are. In this case I think eight is enough!

By Cards Crying

February 19, 2007 03:55 PM | Link to this

Derrick I agree with top 2 teams from the region and 16 at large bids. Alexander is going and they dont deserve to go. How can you lose 2 straight games and go to the state tournaments. Miller Grove should have alexander spot.

By Warrors Crying

February 19, 2007 04:26 PM | Link to this

In AAAA you you have the top 6 teams in AAAA meetnig in the secound round barring any upsets No. 4 Lithia Springs vs No. 2 Tucker, No.3 Cedar Shoals vs No. 6 Stone Mtn, No.1 Columbia vs No.5 Cherokee. some tops teams will be eliminated early.

By HS BB Fan

February 19, 2007 04:36 PM | Link to this

where are the brackets? I cannot find them online anywhere

By R Zumer

February 19, 2007 04:45 PM | Link to this

I think 16 at large teams is too many. I could see 8 at large and the top three from each region. When you think about it, the fourth place team has just lost two games in a row. Any one can get upset in the region but rewarding two loses probably is not as good as picking 8 teams that might have been upset in a preliminary round or have other positive considerations. No matter how many at large picks you have someone will be left out but in this case I think 8 is enough!

By bwash21

February 19, 2007 05:06 PM | Link to this

you can seed the seeds here but I’m trying to find where the times are listed for the games - there’s several games I would love to see if I only knew what time they will start. http://www.gasports.com/?template=7&sport=11&class=4

By ramjet

February 19, 2007 05:59 PM | Link to this

Go cry me a river. If all the top teams would have won their regions no one would be boo hoo-ing now. take your lumps play the gamnes and the points score as they may. good bye wheeler, good bye norcross. no one really cares about teams that recruit to win anyways. enough said!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By Stanley Vick

February 19, 2007 06:56 PM | Link to this

I agree. OLM should be going to state and LM should be at home. OLM beat LM twice and had a much better record.

By blaque

February 19, 2007 07:13 PM | Link to this

well, well, sorry wheeler and nocross are playing in the 1st round. Recruiting schools are not winning their region this year. Look around the brackets and you will see them at 2,3, and 4. Some are at home. Well how you think clean programs feel when the refs, county, and etc are against small money making schools.

By Ernest

February 19, 2007 09:46 PM | Link to this

For consideration, I wouldn’t mind seeing the 4 teams from a region all in separate brackets. My bias for region 6 AAAA is known. I sincerely believe that it could be possible this year that 3 of the 4 slots in the final 4 could be teams from 6 AAAA if one team was in each bracket. At most, two teams from the same region could be in the final four. I realize this would cause some logistical challenges but it could be a way to spice up the tournament and encourage ‘region pride’.

By Ramfan

February 19, 2007 10:47 PM | Link to this

I wish this guy would quit his crying. The brackets are set by chance and that’s the way it should be. Just because the two teams everybody thinks are so awesome are playing each other in the first round it’s unfair. If Norcross would have won and Wheeler not complely had a down year they would have not played each other and this article would have never been written. So quit crying ans just except what has happened.

By chuckdt

February 20, 2007 12:40 AM | Link to this

I think that the state needs to form a committee and take into account teams regular season success when they seed teams. Its wrong that when teams go undefeated in their region but are punished when they lose a semifinal game even though they’ve previously shown they can beat that team. I think that the state tournament should still consist of the 4 teams from each region tournament bu that the this committee should palce these tams by their overall resumes and not just by how they finish in theur tournament.

By heckler

February 20, 2007 12:51 AM | Link to this

hey ramjet, teams that recruit when usually have to have a lot of success before-hand in order for the recruits to want to go their to further their careers, your probably just mad because you refuse to acknowledge the fact that most good teams recruit, it’s not jst wheeler and norcross, peachtree ridge, marietta, any private school (whitefield and saca). look nationally, good teams recruit like oak hill, artesia, St. Benedict, St. Patrick, Montrose Christian, just to name a few. Liste, quit whining because your school is not good enough to attract other great players outside your district.

By rmcfan

February 20, 2007 01:21 AM | Link to this

Who is OLM and LM?

By Rocky

February 20, 2007 08:07 AM | Link to this

LOOL AT ETOWAH GIRLS, #7 IN STATE, HAD TO OPEN IN REGION TOURNEY AGAINST #10 MCEACHERN. They lose, sit at home when they could of made some noise in the state tourney. NOISE like a possible match-up of Etowah’s Tennessee bound, Alisha Manning, vs. UCONN commitment and good friend Maya Moore of Collins Hill. Won’t see it, due to pure stupidity, Maya’a a senior, Alisha’s a Junior. ALMOST as bad as NO NCAA Div. 1 college football playoff. It did work in the Etowah Boys favor on the other hand, as they are in the state with a losing record. Whoever is in charge, needs to be accounted for and explain this February madness. McEachern Boys, 22-2, are sitting at home as well due to 1 team having their best game of the year against them. One last comment before exiting for those in charge, STUPID IS AS STUPID DOES!

By bbfan

February 20, 2007 08:19 AM | Link to this

Plain and simple, win the games you need to win and you will be in. Norcross is playing Wheeler because they LOST! Next time, don’t lose and quit complaining. Champions win the games they are supposed to win.

By Phog

February 20, 2007 08:31 AM | Link to this

Really, the GHSA is being too nice. The tournament was ideal when it was 16 teams.

Sub-region winner and runner-up went to region. Region winner and runner-up went to state. Half the teams weren’t 14-14 and the vast majority had business being in the tourney.

And that was much more democratic than the older system: You won district or you didn’t go.

If we went to an NCAA format, who would be selecting the brackets? How do we determine who is qualified to select the brackets? All of us by nature are biased. And unlike the NCAA, none of these games are televised with Dick Vitale or Billy Packer for your unenjoyment. As a fan, the only things I know about - say Dodge County - are what are etched in tradition.

By Big Man

February 20, 2007 08:35 AM | Link to this

The current format is fair. If you win, you are in. You don’t get a second chance in the Superbowl. 32 teams is enough. There used to be only 16 teams and there were strong teams that were state ranked that missed the playoffs. Besides, rankings are subjective anyway. Teams get ranked based on their tradition and also by who is recruiting their players. You past can’t win you a game and individuals don’t make great teams, a cohesive unit makes a great team.

By Cmon now...

February 20, 2007 09:12 AM | Link to this

Forming a committee would only add politics into the picture and would add an entirely different list of excuses as to why certain teams didn’t make the playoffs. The way it is now, at least the excuses are the teams didn’t win their games. Its hard to argue with that.

By jo jo

February 20, 2007 09:23 AM | Link to this

Chitter chatter nun of that crap matter, Beach high in Savannah is going to when the AAAAA anyway, they beat the so called powerhouse Wheeler last year, they beat Meadowcreek this year.You heard it hear first.

By g. curry

February 20, 2007 09:32 AM | Link to this

In my opinion a fairer way is to have the teams play their way in through region tournaments and then re-seed to their tournament finish, etc.: The four region champions become the top four seeds, region runners-up are 5 through 8 and so on. It’s similar to the current format, but will produce some different matchups and not this Region 7 #1 vs. Region 6 #4 hullabaloo we have to endure every year.

The way it is now, a Gwinnett coach can call up a buddy at a Cobb school and have mounds of info in a snap. What’s the drama in that? Use Norcross for example: By Saturday morning Eddie Martin knew he would be at home against either Wheeler or Milton. By Sunday afternoon the coaches have a J.J. Hickson highlight reel. And he’s played in their gym before!

The great part about high school basketball is that it isn’t college basketball — there is no reward for being on TV early in the year or flying all around the country over the holidays. What really matters, at least this time of the year, is how well you played in your last game.

By jo jo

February 20, 2007 09:43 AM | Link to this

GaSports.com has the brackets

By Tradition

February 20, 2007 09:52 AM | Link to this

one of the things I have always loved about high school basketball was the possibility of upsets. A #1 getting beat on the first night by a team that had to win a play-in game, and then seeing that team go to the finals of state. It has happened before. The season in basketball sometimes penalizes a school that has made it to the finals of football in December, because of the conflict of interest in overlapping seasons. Peachtree Ridge is an example this year, and other years it has been other teams who have players playing other sports that only get their legs right for basketball in late February. Let’s leave biased committees out of it, and let the kids win or lose on the court.

By Peachstate

February 20, 2007 10:06 AM | Link to this

It should be the top 3 from each region through the current format. Then, 8 at-large bids. This would be known as Selection Sunday. Each region has a GHSA representative that would be responsible for selecting the 8 at-large via phone/email and then seed the teams 1-16 North Bracket and 1-16 South Bracket. The higher seed plays 1st round at home as they do now. 2nd round, etc…

By Bolden Perdiction made Vzeay

February 20, 2007 12:55 PM | Link to this

Just so you know JO JO, Meadowcreek beat Beach in the last meeting and were up 35-13 at one point in the game. Meadowcreek will beat Beach if Beach can get that far.

By 34diva

February 20, 2007 01:55 PM | Link to this

This is high school basketball—not college. If the GHSA changes something, it should go back to the region champs plus runner-up going to state. At least this stupid editorial shows that the AJC is not going to ignore the basketball tournament; your basketball coverage is pathetic.

By donnie

February 20, 2007 02:15 PM | Link to this

After seeing the 6-4A tournament this weekend, it is an easy choice to allow the teams to play it out on the court, two overtime games in the the finals of the region at Miller Grove, and the fans and players getting to see the highest level of play. This is what we send our children to school for, not a committee that would be bias, no matter how you choose it.

By Christopher Wells

February 20, 2007 03:22 PM | Link to this

The process should be changed. Regular season’s region champ should automatically qualify or get rid of the region tournaments. After you have selected the four teams from each region re-seed the entire field according to the Coaches Poll on GA Sports.COM No one wants to see a horrible semi like Norcross vs. Redan last year. Give me a buzz I will serve on the committee.

By kelscruggs

February 20, 2007 04:20 PM | Link to this

donnie, you send your kids to school for basketball?

By Tim

February 20, 2007 04:48 PM | Link to this

The GHSA is waaaayyy too dumb to be able to pull off something like that. They can’t even objectively lay out the regions so that 15 teams don’t end up in the same region. That’s the real problem. Some regions have as few as six teams in them, four of which go to the state tournament. Meanwhile you have metro area regions with 15 teams that get the same number of bids. It’s ridiculous.

By SD

February 20, 2007 06:19 PM | Link to this

There is nothing wrong with the current format. Norcross and Wheel should have won their respected regions; they didn’t so they have to face the terrible consequences. Teams that win region should get a #1 seed, it shouldn’t be based on how good a team is perceived to be. They shouldn’t cheat teams for their hard work and effort.

By SD

February 20, 2007 06:20 PM | Link to this

There is nothing wrong with the current format. Norcross and Wheel should have won their respected regions; they didn’t so they have to face the terrible consequences. Teams that win region should get a #1 seed, it shouldn’t be based on how good a team is perceived to be. They shouldn’t cheat teams for their hard work and effort

By ktmoney

February 20, 2007 08:56 PM | Link to this

messed up they switched norcross and wheeler bracket around talk about politics it’s not the same as the oringinal brackets

By bwash21

February 20, 2007 09:38 PM | Link to this

yeah, these brackets are different than the original on ga sports. Norcross should be playing Meadowcreek in rd 2 if both advance

By ChrisF

February 20, 2007 10:29 PM | Link to this

There is no dilemma here. It’s true that only one team out of Norcross, Wheeler, and Meadowcreek will make it past round 2, but Norcross and Wheeler did that to themselves by losing tournament games.

What’s your alternative suggestion, give them the #1 seed anyway because they had the best regional record? Why even have a regional tournament then?

By Basketball Fan

February 20, 2007 10:44 PM | Link to this

If the 20+ season games aren’t used to determined who and what ranking a team has in the state championship why even play the games? No team can win all of their games. look at the Florida and Kentucky outcome. Why should one game determine who plays in the state championship and their ranking when they habve already played 20+ games.

I think the state championship should include the best teams for the season ranked by the coaches like in the GA Sports Coaches Poll. If you have been in the top ten all year I don’t think you should have to play another top ten team during the first and two rounds.

I want to see outstanding matchup toward the finals not one sided outcomes.

By Greenwave Fan

February 20, 2007 11:36 PM | Link to this

I think the current setup should remain as is. A team can go undefeated during the season but play in a weak region. If they are eliminated then so be it. It’s all about who plays the best ball in February and March. What happened yesterday is old news. What the GHSA committee should focus on is allowing high schools to host tournaments in small towns that have no facilities to accommodate schools that travel long distances.(eating and lodging facilities)These are also factors that could cause a good team to loose out to a lesser opponent.(long rides, sitting for extended periods, etc.)I think each school should be presented with equal and fair opportunities to compete.

By NA

February 21, 2007 09:08 AM | Link to this

The root of the prorblem is that there are only 8 regions. If they were to make 16 regions. Some teams would not have to travel as mush during the season. And then you take Champion and runner-up from each. Look at FHSAA (Florida). That is how it is set up. Learn from our neighbor. Peace.

By Correct brackets?

February 21, 2007 09:18 AM | Link to this

AJC’s brackets don’t match those on GaSports… which one is right?

By Creek Rules

February 21, 2007 09:30 AM | Link to this

JoJo - Meadowcreek did beat Beach the 2nd time - so don’t try to leave that out. Chris Allen is the best player in the state, so Meadowcreek can not be counted out.

By Creek Rules

February 21, 2007 09:32 AM | Link to this

Hey JoJo - I like the way you omitted that Meadowcreek and Beach split, meaning Meadowcreek DID beat Beach. Chris Allen is the BEST player in the state, so Meadowcreek cannot be counted out.

By FootballFan

February 21, 2007 09:34 AM | Link to this

ok, what about the teams that struggled early in the season and get it together late and upset some of these “power houses”? Are they to just sit at home because they had a bad start to the season? You have to reward teams for improving and getting it together at tournament time.

Good teams find a way to win and avoid the upsets. If they are so good they shouldn’t even get a scare by the lower seeded teams in region play. They should pay the consequences.

By FootballFan

February 21, 2007 09:36 AM | Link to this

CORRECT BRACKETS

I know the AJC has the Towers and Dunwoody girls flip flopped in AAA. They reported the game as a Dunwoody win when in fact Towers won and is the No. 3 seed from Region 5-AAA.

By The Master Debater

February 21, 2007 12:55 PM | Link to this

The current format may have its flaws, but its infinitely better than any proposed “seeding” system.

I mean, do you really a committee seeding teams that some/all of the committee members have never watched?

Also, if coaches are in charge of the seeding, don’t you think some of them may be inclined of giving their own team a favorable draw in the bracket?

One more thing: every year, some teams are overrated, and some teams are underrated. By its very nature, an unscientific seeding system would favor the overrated teams over the underrated teams.

The bottom line: if Wheeler took care of business in its region semis, and Norcross took care of business in its region finals, we wouldn’t even be having this discussion.

Those two teams have only themselves (and their opponents) to blame.

By fan

February 21, 2007 03:26 PM | Link to this

How many times does Norcross have to beat Peachtree Ridge before they get a decent position in the state championship? They had already beat them twice and the second game they lead by 20 points the entire game and won by 17 points. They have only lost three games this yr. They lost to the number 1 team in the nation, the number two in the nation and they had one bad night and loss by three points to the number 4 team in the state. So why should they have to play the 8th and then the 2nd teams in the state state ranking while the rest are playing at best mostly average teams?

And by the way, the Ga Spots coaches poll still has Norcross as the number 1 team in the state and Peachtree Ridge at number 4 because they know who the best team in the state is.

By Superstar

February 21, 2007 04:03 PM | Link to this

Honestly we need to throw out the classification garabgae and have a true state tournament. Sitting around wondering who the best team in GA is a waist of time.

GHSA needs to a field of 64 just like college determine who the top seeds from all classifications are and a true state tournament.

By concerned player

February 21, 2007 06:52 PM | Link to this

A perfect example is the Druid Hills vs. Towers game. Druid Hills miraculously loses by one point in the last second of the game (in overtime). We have had one of the best seasons in many years at our school and what do we have to show for it? A loss in a game that belonged to us. Our team is better than all of the teams in our sub-region that made it to the tournament, but no one will ever know it.

By What McEachern Boys

February 21, 2007 07:33 PM | Link to this

If the McEachern Boys are 22-2 and didn’t make it in the tournament then they must have lost the two games in their regional tournament. That sounds like a ‘choke job’ to me and they should stay home. Tourney time is when you step up your game, not roll-over and die.

By To fan

February 22, 2007 10:08 AM | Link to this

Norcross may be ranked by the coaches as #1 in the state, but Peachtree Ridge won to be #1 in the region! Enjoy that 2 seed Norcross and those early games against Wheeler and maybe Meadowcreek!

By fanman

February 22, 2007 11:39 AM | Link to this

Fan, the gasports.com coaches poll was not updated after last week’s region tournaments. Not saying that Norcross would still not have been #1 this week if they had another vote, but they do not do rankings again until the tournament is over.

By B Ball Fan

February 22, 2007 12:04 PM | Link to this

The system that we have in place is fine. Thas why we have a region toournament to settle the seedings and tournament pairings. You can’t have a committee because they will be biased toward certain teams. Etowah has been overratted all year and Alicia Manning will be playing for Tennessee Tech after Coach Summit figures out she is not good in games where the other players arent Mya Moore, Cain, and other great players. There is no way Etowah makes it past the second round of state if they would have been in. They are slow, not that athletic outside of Manning and Mason is very overratted. She misses some of the easiest shots around the basket.Did I mention that they dont even have a true point guard. Collins Hill would have never smelled Etowah in the tourney. Win games you are suppose to win in the region touney and you will be rewarded with a state berth.

By B Ball Fan

February 22, 2007 12:06 PM | Link to this

The system that we have in place is fine. Thas why we have a region toournament to settle the seedings and tournament pairings. You can’t have a committee because they will be biased toward certain teams. Etowah has been overratted all year and Alicia Manning will be playing for Tennessee Tech after Coach Summit figures out she is not good in games where the other players arent Mya Moore, Cain, and other great players. There is no way Etowah makes it past the second round of state if they would have been in. They are slow, not that athletic outside of Manning and Mason is very overratted. She misses some of the easiest shots around the basket.Did I mention that they dont even have a true point guard. Collins Hill would have never smelled Etowah in the tourney. Win games you are suppose to win in the region touney and you will be rewarded with a state berth.

By KSShake

February 22, 2007 12:58 PM | Link to this

I’m totally against this idea of having some sort of committee choosing teams or seeds. There’s already FAR too much bias, favortism, and cheating in Georgia high school sports anyway. The only reason this is being brought up is because Wheeler Tech University has to play Norcross State University in the 1st round. I have NO sympathy for these teams that get move-ins and transfers from all over, EVERY year. At least they got in the state tournament. If they had taken care of business in their region tournaments, they would have a better seeding and pairing. You have to beat everyone to win it anyway. It’s about who’s playing the best ball now, not who jet setted all over the country, or who has lofty rankings (opinions), Personally, I want either Tri-Cities or Meadowcreek to win anyway, (those two schools never win ANYTHING and they deserve it as much as anyone. Bottom line is they’re in the tournament and so what if they have to play each other. If they’re so good and they deserve to win, they’ll win. But to try to have the state tournament arranged to benefit particular teams is ridiculous yet typical of the favortism certain schools and areas get. It’s bad enough they changed the location of the semi-finals and finals from a centrally located place like Macon (the Centreplex helped mess that up with their awful and super expensive concession stand) to Gwinnett, as if Norcross and Collins Hill need that added advantage. Well, Maya and her crew could play on a dirt court in Albany, a beachside court in Savannah, a court in the North Ga. mountains, or Center Court on Metropolitan Ave. they’d probably win anywhere, anyway.