Imagine how exciting it would be if the 64 best basketball teams in Kansas were pitted against one another in a single-elimination tournament resembling the NCAA Tournament to decide who the best team in the state was? Crazy, right? Improbable, right? Never going to happen, right?
Probably not. But let's just say that it did happen this season. Someone picks the 64 teams. Someone sets up the bracket. Someone puts together this fictional tournament. Lucky for you, Keeper of the Hoops will do just that. This Sunday - February 24 - I will hold my very own Selection Sunday show on this blog. I will pick the 64 best teams. I will set up the bracket. My plan is to have the higher-seeded team host the game up until the Sweet 16. Then the four brackets would move to host sites in Kansas City, Topeka, Manhattan, and Lawrence with the Final 4 being played at Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita. I will then pick the 64 best teams, in my opinion, regardless of class and based on the quality of wins, strength of schedule and play in the month of February. Consider me the Joe Lunardi of Kansas high school hoops.
So the plan is to release one side of the bracket every hour starting at 6 p.m. this Sunday, February 24. Then I will release the second side at 7 p.m., the third at 7:30 p.m. and the last at 8 p.m., including the complete bracket that I hope to make printable. I'd love to get input from coaches, fans, players and parents and feel free to fill them out and send them in and I think it could make for some good and fun discussion creating a lot of What-If type games.
So be sure to keep checking back in for that and I hope you guys enjoy it!
Love the idea, but I think it would be cooler to see all games played at regional sites.. Dodge, Hays, Salina, etc. for first and second rounds with your other sites. All say vallejo at those sites, who would complain?
ReplyDeleteWhat Kansas needs to do is select one state tourny site for all classes. Games would last from morning to night showing all classes. It would allow teams to see other teams in other classes. Many other states approach their state tourny this way. It would be perceived as a much bigger "event" than what we have now.
ReplyDeleteI would like to see the weekend after state to have the state championship teams play in a championship tourney. Find out who is the best of the state champs.
ReplyDeletethis will not happen no time soon
ReplyDeleteKurt - Thanks for the tip. I ended up going with that idea. Really liked it!
ReplyDeleteNeal - That would really be something. I would get super pumped for something like that. So many good games all in a day.
ReplyDeleteDavid S. - I agree, a tournament of champions would be extraordinary. It would settle a lot of debates and give the smaller classes a chance to prove they can play with the big boys. I would pay big bucks to see that happen.
ReplyDeleteDavid H - I doubt it ever will, but that's what makes it so fun to see "what if..."
ReplyDelete