I'm trying to find the silver lining to an oversaturated postseason party in basketball. Instead, I find myself asking who didn't make the playoffs?
The Central Coast Section playoffs are diluted with numerous teams that really shouldn't be in the postseason -- where the top four teams don't hit the hardwood for a week.
I mean 15 boys programs do not have winning records. Yet, two of them are either seeded No. 1 in their bracket or were extended an invitation to the Open Division.
So you're telling me a 9-15 team is one of the top eight teams in the section?
It's the same scenario in the girls' brackets. We'll, actually there are 21 teams that don't have .500 or better records.
The Open Division was suppose to create a more competitive playoff format. Instead, adding eight more teams means 84 teams are in the postseason.
I get it -- well I really don't -- why we have to have at least five divisions in basketball. It's how the state runs the postseason tournament.
Yet, the CCS added a sixth division two years ago, creating an eight-team Open Division that ensures each team at least two games and a spot in the State Northern California playoffs in their respective divisions.
I like that idea. You're not penalizing a team for being good.
What I don't understand is why we kept 16 team brackets for the remaining five divisions. How can you be a playoff team when you're 7-17?
How can you be a top seed in your division at 11-13?
Take a look at Tuesday's games. What the CCS did was create regional games in early rounds, such as Marina at Seaside, and Gonzales at Palma.
The purpose? To get a bigger gate. Yet, as one coach from another team told me, it doesn't feel like a playoff game when you know the opponent.
Putting 84 teams in the postseason is more about revenue than reward. Granted, the postseason goes quickly and meaningful games will kick in on Saturday.
But why make us wait?
A lot of coaches with top four seeds aren't overly excited about sitting around for eight days, trying to prepare their teams for an unknown opponent, scrambling to get a scrimmage.
When you've already conducted 60 practices since November, what are you trying to sharpen up?When you've been in a routine for three months, the real concern is losing your rhythm.
Yet, perhaps we've taken this argument in a wrong direction.
While we will never see this scenario, take a peek at the soccer playoffs. The CCS created an eight-team Open Division as well.
But it eliminated one of its divisions.
There are only three divisions in the boys and girls soccer playoffs. Three divisions. One eight-team bracket and two 16-team brackets. That's 40 teams.
That's it.
All 40 teams in the boys bracket have .500 or better records.
There is no wasted time. No one has a bye. You can make the argument that more kids play soccer than basketball.
The CCS is never going to eliminate its six divisions. But it could turn a 16-team bracket into a 12 team bracket, with byes going to the top four teams.
While there will be some competitive first round games Tuesday, some of these games are going to be unwatchable.
That doesn't get the juices flowing.
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