It is postseason high school basketball season.
It began Monday as teams will have the opportunity to advance to the regional tournament.
One win at regionals earns a team a trip to the state tournament.
I understand the use of the regional...a tool to make more money for the Arkansas Activities Association. However, it has its draw backs.
A team wins one game in regionals and then falls in the semifinals.
Even though the team has earned a trip to state after the first win, they still have to play two more games. A loss in the semifinals means a consolation game.
A fourth place finish means a team has lost two games in a row.
But that is still a trip to state.
At state that means a fourth place team will meet a first place squad from another regional.
Playing the odds, the first place team wins the game.
The hard part about the way the season ends is that a team ends the season with three straight losses. They may have had a very successful year, but ended the year with those three straight losses.
The AAA uses the regional system for basketball, baseball and softball. It is funny that they use it in softball. Some conferences only have three teams in their league.
Next season we will be adding another postseason regional tournament series.
Volleyball will be now be playing a regional in order to go to the state tournament. That will shorten the regular season by a week for the schools in Class 4A and lower.
Harrison basketball is in the middle of trying to make the state playoffs. The Goblins and Lady Goblins play in Class 5A. That classification doesn’t have a district tournament or regional tournaments. The top four teams move on to the state tournament.
This year Harrison may wish there was a district tournament.
Take a minute out of the your day to visit me at one of the two hundred basketball tournaments that I will be visiting. Good luck to our teams. I hope everyone wins every game.
Jeff Brasel is the sports and managing editor of the Newton County Times. E-mail him at sports@newtoncountytimes.com or follow him at twitter.com/jeffbrasel.
