WIAA Basketball Tournament

[paul253]

http://www.wiaawi.org/results/basketballboys/2012/d1bracket.pdf

 

Brackets are out for this year's tournament. I'm not sure how many people follow high school basketball but I am really excited about some of the possible matchups in the state tournament. Germantown, Madison Memorial and Milwaukee King are all undefeated in the state (King lost to a team from Arkansas and Memorial lost to a team from Minnesota). I don't know much about Memorial, but I know Germantown and King have beaten some pretty good teams. I really hope we get to see Germantown play Memorial in the semi's and King in the state finals. I think those three teams stand out a level above the rest of the teams in the state.

 

The only thing that really bothers me is the fact that the regional championship games (i.e. the final round before the state semi-finals. I think that's what they call them) aren't played at bigger locations. They are still played in HS gyms. You'd think that at the very least they could play games in college gyms with much larger seating capacities. The Al Mcguire Center was a great location for the tournament in my opinion. This year that regional is at West Allis Central HS.

 

Is anyone else excited about the tournament? Teams that you follow? Games that you want to see?

[stoutdude04]

I teach at Beaver Dam and grew up here so I will be pulling for both the girls and boys.

[pitchleague]

got a link to the other regions? we all don't care about the "big" schools

[stoutdude04]

Wiaawi.org. Should be off to the right

[fondybrewfan]

My boss at work has complained quite a bit about the # of schools in Division #7 versus the rest of the divisions. Granted his son's team is horrible and has no shot advancing out of regionals and he realizes that; he just doesn't understand why there are so many more teams in Division #7 than any other. I am not sure how they figure that out; why couldn't they even out #6 and #7?

 

Up in my neck of the woods there a bunch of teams worth monitoring: Laconia, Omro, St Marys Springs, Randolph, Oshkosh Lourdes. Fond du Lac is once again awful; you would think that as big as that school is that they would get some talent from somewhere. No size whatsoever and they haven't had any for a long time.

[paul253]

Don't they only have 5 divisions for basketball?

[hawing]

Don't they only have 5 divisions for basketball?

I thought it was 4 divisions. I think only football has seven.

[fondybrewfan]

Oops I meant 5; same problem still applies. Division #5 is still larger than any other division. Not sure why I said 7 there.

[RobDeer 45]

Brick, are you just picking things in the room and saying that you love them? Haha, for some reason that picture and that screw up reminded me of that line.

 

I miss being in WI and having the ability to watch the tournament games. It was always such a fun event to take in.

[paul253]

I've watched a lot of these games on tv, but I've also been to a lot in person. For all of those who may not have ever taken a game in, I highly suggest it. The game looks much faster and the players much bigger in person than they do on tv. I remember a few ago going to the state championship game between Madison Memorial and Milwaukee King. It was the year Wes Matthews was a senior at Memorial. It was one of the most exciting basketball games I've ever been to, at any level. Matthews was unbelievable to but King had a kid that outplayed him and almost single handedly won them the state championship. King finished as the #22 ranked team in the country that year by USA Today.

[temke]

The only thing that really bothers me is the fact that the regional championship games (i.e. the final round before the state semi-finals. I think that's what they call them) aren't played at bigger locations. They are still played in HS gyms. You'd think that at the very least they could play games in college gyms with much larger seating capacities. The Al Mcguire Center was a great location for the tournament in my opinion. This year that regional is at West Allis Central HS.

 

Those games are technically sectional semi-finals.

 

To its credit, the gym at WA Central seats a couple thousand. Probably 20 rows of bleachers on each side of the floor than span the entire length of the court and then some. They could also set up bleachers behind each basket and fit another few hundred if needed. They are also hosting a D2 sectional final.

 

That sectional final is at Racine Horlick, which is just as big, if not bigger than the gym at WA Central. Kettle Moraine also has a big gym from what I remember. I assume SPASH and Manty have large gyms as well.

 

I wonder if this is a cost-saving measure. I assume places like the AL and Wisconsin Lutheran College charge rent to use the facility, on top of paying officials, scorers, etc, which come out of gate receipts. WA Central hosted a lower division sectional semi-final/final for a few years and it just about broke even after all expenses were paid.

 

I went to the Sectional games at the AL a few years back and it was about 2/3 full. Neat place for the kids to play, but would have been a better atmosphere in a packed gym.

[packfan79]

De Pere vs Germantown could be a really good matchup, that D1 final was pretty amazing last year.

[paul253]

Temke:

 

I've gone to some sectional finals games, mostly at Oak Creek HS IIRC. I guess my thinking is that it was just so crowded there that I felt I like I was sitting on top of everyone. I'd rather go to a game at the AL where even though it may only be 2/3 full it is much more comfortable of a setting. Plus, it gives the HS teams a chance to play at an arena they'd usually never get an opportunity to play. I can see your points and don't disagree with them. But I'd like to see them use bigger facilities where more people would be able to go and watch.

 

*and I just remembered way back when I was in HS going to some games at the UWM Klotsche Center. There were lines out the door to get tickets to some of those games. It was like that at Wisconsin Lutheran College one year I went there as well.

[fondybrewfan]

Local team pulled a huge upset in the opening round. Oakfield beat Fall River in a 2/15 matchup.

[temke]

Temke:

 

I've gone to some sectional finals games, mostly at Oak Creek HS IIRC. I guess my thinking is that it was just so crowded there that I felt I like I was sitting on top of everyone. I'd rather go to a game at the AL where even though it may only be 2/3 full it is much more comfortable of a setting. Plus, it gives the HS teams a chance to play at an arena they'd usually never get an opportunity to play. I can see your points and don't disagree with them. But I'd like to see them use bigger facilities where more people would be able to go and watch.

 

*and I just remembered way back when I was in HS going to some games at the UWM Klotsche Center. There were lines out the door to get tickets to some of those games. It was like that at Wisconsin Lutheran College one year I went there as well.

 

This is why I imagine that cost is a factor in moving them from the larger, non-school sites. I really liked when they played 2 separate sectionals at the AL.

[Jimbo]

I'm following two teams.

 

Randolph boys - weren't sure if they would get past Fall River, but no longer an issue (see above). #1 Racine Lutheran looks tough.

 

Neillsville girls - followed the team during my time up there. Currently ranked #2. Tonight they play #1 Regis in the Cloverbelt Conference Crossover title game. They could very well meet again in the state title game. They've lost one game in two years.

[Jimbo]

http://www.wiaawi.org/results/basketballboys/2012/d1bracket.pdf

The only thing that really bothers me is the fact that the regional championship games (i.e. the final round before the state semi-finals. I think that's what they call them) aren't played at bigger locations. They are still played in HS gyms. You'd think that at the very least they could play games in college gyms with much larger seating capacities. The Al Mcguire Center was a great location for the tournament in my opinion. This year that regional is at West Allis Central HS.

 

I agree with Paul's concerns regarding playing D1 sectional games in high school gyms. Even a large gym can't hold all the students, parents and junkies. I went to the final at UWSP last year and that was sufficient. Didn't Memorial play Riverside at Whitewater last year? This goes way back, but I remember when the Madison Sectional was played at the Fieldhouse. Double-header on Friday, third-place and title game on Saturday. So many people there, remember sitting in the second deck.

[logan82]

The only thing that really bothers me is the fact that the regional championship games (i.e. the final round before the state semi-finals. I think that's what they call them) aren't played at bigger locations.

The state tournament goes Regionals-Sectionals-State. Looks like 3 rounds of Regionals, 2 rounds of Sectionals and then 2 rounds of state.

[paul253]

I know it was only a second round game, but http://www.jsonline.com/sports/preps/nw1boys04-cs4e5go-141320203.html this should be a major concern for future playoff games. If this happens again, I would support a rule saying MPS teams are not allowed to host playoff games. Absolutely disgusting and a black eye for the tournament. I hope if any King players were responsible for this they are suspended accordingly.

[wallus]

I teach at Beaver Dam and grew up here so I will be pulling for both the girls and boys.

 

Looks like we would play you first at state if we both meet... that would be interesting.

[patrickgpe]

pius goes to the semi's tonight in D2, i am one happy alum. i would love to see the boys get to madison since the program is known mostly for the girls program and i think joel claussen is an awesome coach and person.

[stoutdude04]

The girls have their two best players out with acl tears. They might not make it too far.

[WV Brew]

WV tournament has an interesting twist. Each sectional is paired with another sectional. 2nd place team plays first place team from the opposing sectional and vice versa. My area, the Eastern Panhandle, had two teams, Hedgesville and Martinsburg get in to the final eight despite Hedgesville having been beaten 4 times this year by Martinsburg. They will meet in the state final if both win their next two games.

[temke]

I know it was only a second round game, but http://www.jsonline.com/sports/preps/nw1boys04-cs4e5go-141320203.html this should be a major concern for future playoff games. If this happens again, I would support a rule saying MPS teams are not allowed to host playoff games. Absolutely disgusting and a black eye for the tournament. I hope if any King players were responsible for this they are suspended accordingly.

 

The Rufus King AD is a good friend of mine. He says this was completely blown out of proportion by the newspaper.

 

There were a couple hard fouls at the end of the game, and the officials called a couple double technicals on these occasions. On the last foul, players got up off the bench but the coaches held them back. King's gym is all balcony seating, so I am not sure what spectators ended up on the floor.

 

King's coach took his team off the floor while things cooled down. It was actually the Riverside coach's idea to not finish the game. King was up 13 and about to shoot free throws. The coaches and officials agreed and that was that.

 

The game was broadcast by 540 and the guy who called the game agreed that this happens often in highly-contested tournament games, but you only hear about the games in MPS. He said the students and fans behaved well.

 

I will be at King at WA Central tonight. WA Central was not pre-selling any tickets and had no worries about a sell-out.

[paul253]

He says this was completely blown out of proportion by the newspaper.

 

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by this. If it was really that bad there would have been suspensions, but suspensions weren't even considered it sounds like. Typical Journal Sentinel. Trying to make a story out of nothing.

 

I will be at King at WA Central tonight. WA Central was not pre-selling any tickets and had no worries about a sell-out.

 

I decided to go to this game too. First of all let me say, what a game. West Allis Central is a heck of a lot better than I realized. I thought for a minute there in the third quarter they were going to take control of the game. King ended up winning by 4. I actually think that coaching was a big difference in the game. King's pressure defense forced a ton of turnovers in the first half. Central's coach needed to get his team to slow down and stop trying to dribble through the full court press. King handled Central's pressure much better than Central handled King's. But again, props to West Allis Central. They went about 9 or 10 deep and only had 3 seniors so they should be pretty good again next year.

 

That being said. This gym was too small for this game. And Central's gym is actually pretty big. But the bleachers on both sides were pretty much full and there were a good number of people standing on the south end of the court. I left my seat and started walking towards the exit when there was about 30 seconds left and I am glad I did. Getting out of there after the game would have been tough.

 

And Temke maybe you can comment on this, but when I was leaving I saw 2 West Allis PD squads scream up lights and sirens about 2 minutes after the game ended. I was already walking to my car by then. Then, when I was driving away I saw a State Trooper driving lights and sirens in the direction of the HS as well. This was in addition to all the cops and MPS security staff who were already there. Was there some sort of disturbance after the game or were those extra cops there for just traffic control or something? Did you notice? This is why I said I wish the WIAA would realize how many people attend these games and play them at bigger venues. The Al McGuire Center seats about 4,000 people. Assuming everyone who went to the game tonight would also have gone if it were at the AL, the arena would have been at least 3/4 full.