re: LHSAA boys basketball brackets being released today

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I assume the same will apply for boy's basketball next week.

So there are now 12 state champions in girls basketball. There are 5 select divisions and 7 non-select classes.

Here are the total number of teams in the select brackets:

Division 1: 8
Division 2: 22
Division 3: 15
Division 4: 22
Division 5: 6

That is a total of 73 teams spread out over 5 brackets.

Are all of these teams worthy of making the playoffs? NO

Here are the contenders in Division 5, by seed and record:

#1 Claiborne Christian 16-16
#2 Family Community 14-10
#3 Family Christian 17-17
#4 Christ Episcopal 6-15
#5 Grace Christian 10-20
#6 St. Joseph's Plaucheville 2-24

And in this bracket, the top 2 seeds automatically advance to the semis in Alexandria.

All the teams in Division 4 actually have good records.

Then in Division 3, there is #14 Riverside at 6-19 and #13 Notre Dame at 4-16

In Division 2, the lowest seeded of the 10 teams is Haynes Academy, who is 19-8

But your Division 1 bracket....supposedly the "best the state has to offer" has these teams in the field:

#8 Evangel (0-19). Program really went in the shitter when their best player and coach moved to Walker
#7 Byrd (4-24)
#6 Scotlandville (8-20)
#5 St. Joseph's (13-18)
#4 Chapelle (11-15)

I am no genius, but I know that this whole system is broken. I don't know whose feelings got hurt to the point that all of these changes had to be made, but this is just dumb.

How can anyone who works for the LHSAA look at these brackets with a straight face?

Why does Division 5 even exist?

And it's not just the select brackets with shitty teams.

Class B will have an epic 14-19 seed matchup between 14th seeded Starks (9-20) and 19th seeded Hackberry (6-19). Simsboro checked in as the #29 seed with a 3-20 record.

In Class C, Downsville slid in with their 2-28 record and grabbed the 22nd seed. They will travel to face a tough #11 seed Epps, who is 12-16.

Class A has the #28 seed Varnado, who finished 1-20. They take their talents 3 hours west to face Northwest Central.

I have no idea how to totally fix this shite, but my first move would be to consolidate the select into about 3 divisions.

Beyond that, who knows. But someone at the LHSAA should stay up all night and figure out how to fix it.

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