http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_19449624
Class 4A basketball coaches eye 64-team, NCAA-style state tournament
By Tim Leighton
tleighton@pioneerpress.com
Updated: 12/01/2011 11:53:13 PM CST
The concept of an NCAA-style 64-team basketball tournament for Class 4A boys and girls was presented to the Minnesota State High School League's board of directors Thursday during its meeting in Brooklyn Center.
The plan, conceived five years ago by the state coaches association and already approved by an MSHSL advisory committee, would seed the schools by competitive rank and not strictly by geography, the method currently used to seed section tournaments in four classes.
"I was very encouraged by the feedback,'' said Tom Critchley, executive director of the Minnesota Basketball Coaches Association. "I think the important point is to get the concept approved. After that is done, we will work out the details.''
Geography would be used as part of the plan but in harmony with competitive balance. The 64 teams would be seeded and divided into eight sections with the idea of the best eight teams advancing to the state tournament.
"If all 64 teams are seeded and placed by seeding rank, not by geographic location, I would be 100 percent in favor of a 64-team tournament,'' St. Paul Central girls basketball coach Willie Taylor said.
"I am definitely for it and hope they do something to create more interest in girls basketball,'' Lakeville North girls basketball coach Andy Berkvam said.
Critchley said the coaches association is hoping the proposal can be implemented for the 2012-13 season. That likely won't happen.
Because the concept is still in the discussion phase, the earliest it could be implemented is the 2013-14 season, which would tie it in with the statewide competitive section realignment. The board of directors meets again on Feb. 2, when it could receive feedback on the concept that now will be presented to region committees.
"There is enough (interest) that the board wants to look at it more carefully,'' said Kevin Merkle, the MSHSL associate director who oversees boys basketball. "I think that is a good move. I don't think it is fair to just say, no, flat out. It is important to look at this carefully, and the board is choosing to do that.''
Merkle said the 64-team concept could be approved on an experimental basis such as the Sweet 16 format in 1995 and '96.
"I am totally for it,'' Hopkins girls coach Brian Cosgriff said. "You could seed it geographically, very similar to the NCAA. To me, it makes a lot of sense.''
Former longtime Fridley girls basketball coach Pat Barrett, chairman of the Ms. Basketball Award committee, said representatives from boys and girls basketball have met multiple times throughout Minnesota since the fall of 2007 to discuss the concept.
"I believe any plan that can invigorate our fan base and get more people to pay attention to our product, especially at playoff time, would be great,'' Barrett said. "I don't know if we can catch lightning in a bottle like the NCAA 'March Madness,' but much of what we have is built and based on their model, and what has worked.
"I would argue that since we went to four classes, we have lost much of our fan base, not only at the state level, but especially at the section level.''
