JEFFREY REINHART jreinhart@LNPnews.com
L-L LEAGUE PLAYOFF BRACKETS (AT LEAST ON THE GIRLS’ SIDE) COULD USE SOME TWEAKING. HOW? DO READ ON.
It’s going to happen.
Whether anybody likes it or not, there is going to be a championship-round worthy game in the first round of the L-L League girls’ basketball playoffs next Monday.
And if you take a close look at the bracket, you’ll know exactly which game I’m talking about:
Lower bracket, bottom game.
Section 3 champ (in this case Lampeter-Strasburg, which wrapped up the section with a 57-37 win Monday at Lebanon) against the Section 1 runner-up (in this case either Hempfield or Cedar Crest, which are tied for the lead with one game to go, and, the way they’re going, will very likely need a one-game playoff to decide the section champ).
L-S vs. Cedar Crest? Super game. Crest is the defending Section 1 and L-L League champ, and would be out to defend its league hardware.
L-S vs. Hempfield? Super game. L-S topped Hempfield 53-49 way, way back on Nov. 30 in the season opener for both teams, so you know the Black Knights would have payback on their minds.
Did I fail to mention that L-S is ranked No. 1 in the District 3 Triple-A ratings, and will lock up that spot with a win over Northern Lebanon on Wednesday, and that the Pioneers were the first L-L League team to 20 wins (20-2).
And did I fail to mention that Hempfield (1st) and Cedar Crest (4th) are both top-4 teams in the District 3 Quad-A ratings.
I think you get my drift – it’s a shame someone will have to lose that game and sit around for a week until Districts. Either of those matchups, it says here, is championship-game worthy. No doubt.
But it’s not going to happen.
So how do we fix that?
Not that it needs fixed, of course. I’m just thinking out loud.
Since I started covering L-L League basketball in, oh, 1991 or so, the No. 1 gripe I’ve heard from fans and coaches is about the L-L League playoff brackets.
Hands down. Not even close.
For years and years it was three sections, with three teams getting in from Section 1 and Section 2 and two teams getting in from Section 3.
If I had a nickel for all the times a Section 3 coach talked my ear off about the lack of respect for that section …
Let’s just say I’d have a heck of a nickel collection.
So four years ago the L-L went to four sections, with just the top two teams in each section getting in. This has definitely made for some interesting section races.
But still just two teams for Section 3 and Section 4 got in, which meant the fine folks in Section 1 and Section 2 started pleading for a third team.
If I had a nickel for all the times a Section 1 or Section 2 coach talked my ear off about them not getting enough teams in …
I’d have an even bigger pile of nickels.
Just to be fair (I guess) the L-L League flip-flops the bracket every year. On odd years, Section 1 plays Section 4 and Section 2 plays Section 3. In even years (like this year), Section 1 plays Section 3 and Section 2 plays Section 4.
That’s why we’ll have that L-S vs. Hempfield/Cedar Crest matchup right out of the chute.
What’s the solution?
Glad you asked.
Seed the teams 1-through-8.
Use overall record. Use those screwy power points in the district rankings. Use record against non-league opponents on Tuesday’s in December.
Heck, use something. I’m sure the powers that be can lock themselves in a room and come up with some sort of calculation to seed eight basketball teams.
This isn’t rocket science.
1 plays 8.
2 plays 7.
3 plays 6.
4 plays 5.
If everyone wins out then 1 plays 4 and 2 plays 3.
Neutral gyms across the board.
Could we still have an L-S vs. Hempfield/Cedar Crest first-rounder? Perhaps.
But they shouldn’t be forced to play each other in the first round, simply because the brackets are the same … year after year after year after year.
If you use some sort of calculation (like the district power points, for example) the teams with the higher ratings will get the higher seeds and thus (mathematically speaking) have a better shot at advancing.
Will there be upsets? You bet.
But the teams that have the best records in league play will get the better seeds. That’s life. That’s the way it should be – those teams won the most games in the games that count, and should be seeded higher. Do Section 1 and Section 2 teams play tougher schedules because that’s mostly Quad-A and Triple-A competition? In some years, maybe. Others, not. Look at this year: L-S is 20-2 and No. 1 in the district, but resides in Section 3.
That stuff changes practically every year, which is why a seeding system could work. It would allow the teams who had the best league seasons (which is why they’re playing in the first place, right?) to earn the higher seeds.
The L-L League brackets were set up for the Section 1 and Section 2 teams to win. Period. Those champs, who play in mostly Quad-A programs, always draw a Section 3 or Section 4 runner-up team (Triple-A or even Double-A) every year.
L-S and Hempfield/Cedar Crest are three of the best teams in the league, not to mention District 3. No way should they be playing Monday. Period.
Look at the NCAA Tournament – those teams are seeded using a combination of formulas, including RPI and national rankings, etc. Plus the human factor, of course, with a bunch of ADs piled in a room at a hotel airport in Indianapolis somewhere eating pizza. But you know what I mean …
If it works for the NCAA, then why not for the L-L League?
Because quite frankly, this Section 1 champ vs. Section 4 runner-up stuff is getting old, and we’re starting to get the same matchups practically every year, and in some years, like this one, two of the top teams in the league are going to square off in the first round.
Doesn’t seem right to me.
So please, L-L League brass, take a look at the playoff brackets.
You’ve done an awesome job configuring the sections and doing the realignment thing, and I love that you’re putting the league finals back in a local gym, and flip-flopping the brackets every year to keep it, um, somewhat fresh.
But seeding the teams might be the way to go. It wouldn’t hurt to at least sit down and see if you can come up with a formula. If you do, I think there’s a great chance the coaches (and fans) will really like it.
I know I would.
