Earlier this week I created a football version of March Madness and as I sit here today, I'm thinking to myself... Why not make March Madness with high school hoops in September? So that's exactly what I did. I created a 64-team bracket with four regions of 16 teams just like they do in the NCAA tournament and seeded all 64 teams in order. With our guy @Gregg Rosenberg releasing his list of the top 73 teams in the state as we get closer to tip off, I used his rankings in order to determine teams 32-64 in the bracket. That only left teams 1-31 to decide and for the most part, the top 10-12 teams in the state are pretty consistent amongst the people who love and cover AIA hoops. The order of those teams may not be the same but they're in the same ballpark. That left close to 20 spots up in the air for me to decide. So, I used my knowledge of who hasn't been ranked by Gregg yet, who has a decent bit of returning talent and showed out at events such as Section 7 and fall leagues like the ones at O'Connor and Central to determine the rest of the list.
*This is just for fun, and this is all hypothetical. So we're going to have regional sites, a final four, the whole nine yards... Why? Because I want to*
The "Seliga & Smith" Region (Desert Diamond Arena, Glendale, AZ) *Winners are listed in bold*
1. Sunnyslope vs 16. Arizona College Prep
8. Hamilton vs 9. Carl Hayden
5. Tucson vs 12. Thunderbird
4. Canyon View vs 13. Mica Mountain
6. Peoria vs 11. Cienega
3. Brophy Prep vs 14. Catalina Foothills
7. Mesa vs 10. Central
2. Ironwood vs 15. Walden Grove
"Open 32"
1. Sunnyslope vs 9. Carl Hayden
4. Canyon View vs 5. Tucson
3. Brophy Prep vs 6. Peoria
2. Ironwood vs 10. Central
"Sweet 16"
1. Sunnyslope vs 4. Canyon View
2. Ironwood vs 3. Brophy Prep
"Open Elite 8"
1. Sunnyslope vs 2. Ironwood
The "Rosenberg & Alvira" Region (Desert Financial Arena, Tempe, AZ)
1. Perry vs 16. Arcadia
8. San Tan Charter vs 9. Gilbert
5. Valley Christian vs 12. Pueblo
4. Liberty vs 13. Paradise Honors
6. Prescott vs 11. Dysart
3. O'Connor vs 14. Mountain View (Mesa)
7. Highland vs 10. Willow Canyon
2. Notre Dame Prep vs 15. Salpointe Catholic
"Round of 32"
1. Perry vs 8. San Tan Charter
4. Liberty vs 5. Valley Christian
3. O'Connor vs 6. Prescott
2. Notre Dame Prep vs 10. Willow Canyon
"Open Sweet 16"
1. Perry vs 4. Liberty
2. Notre Dame Prep vs 3. O'Connor
"Open Elite 8"
1. Perry vs 3. O'Connor
The "E-Vision & Videographers" Region (Footprint Center, Phoenix, AZ)
1. Millennium vs 16. ALA-Ironwood
8. Valley Vista vs 9. Sunrise Mountain
5. Centennial vs 12. Bradshaw Mountain
4. Pinnacle vs 13. Campo Verde
6. Mesquite vs 11. Sahuaro
3. Boulder Creek vs 14. Gilbert Christian
7. McClintock vs 10. Highland Prep
2. St Mary's vs 15. Chaparral
"Round of 32"
1. Milennium vs 9. Sunrise Mountain
4. Pinnacle vs 5. Centennial
3. Boulder Creek vs 6. Mesquite
2. St Mary's vs 7. McClintock
"Open Sweet 16"
1. Millennium vs 5. Centennial
2. St Mary's vs 3. Boulder Creek
"Open Elite 8"
1. Millennium vs 3. Boulder Creek
The "Prep Hoops" Region (McKale Center, Tucson, AZ)
1. Basha vs 16. Queen Creek
8. Mountain Pointe vs 9. Cactus Shadows
5. Cesar Chavez vs 12. Red Mountain
4. Deer Valley vs 13. Phoenix Christian
6. Chandler vs 11. Desert Ridge
3. ALA Gilbert North vs 14. Scottsdale Christian
7. North Canyon vs 10. Cactus
2. Desert Mountain vs 15. Desert Vista
"Round of 32"
1. Basha vs 9. Cactus Shadows
4. Deer Valley vs 5. Cesar Chavez
3. ALA Gilbert North vs 6. Chandler
2. Desert Mountain vs 7. North Canyon
"Open Sweet 16"
1. Basha vs 4. Deer Valley
2. Desert Mountain vs 6. Chandler
"Open Elite 8"
1. Basha vs 2. Desert Mountain
The Final Four (Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, AZ)
1. Sunnyslope vs 2. Desert Mountain
1. Perry vs 1. Millennium
If this was the hypothetical final four in the open division, who would y'all have winning it all? Which of these matchups or the ones in the bracket do you think would be the best? Personally, Perry vs Millennium would be enjoyable due to the level of talent on the court same with a potential Boulder Creek/St Mary's matchup. Obviously we're still a month and a half away from the season starting but it'll be here faster than we may think and it'll be a wildly entertaining and enjoyable season.
*This is just for fun, and this is all hypothetical. So we're going to have regional sites, a final four, the whole nine yards... Why? Because I want to*
The "Seliga & Smith" Region (Desert Diamond Arena, Glendale, AZ) *Winners are listed in bold*
1. Sunnyslope vs 16. Arizona College Prep
8. Hamilton vs 9. Carl Hayden
5. Tucson vs 12. Thunderbird
4. Canyon View vs 13. Mica Mountain
6. Peoria vs 11. Cienega
3. Brophy Prep vs 14. Catalina Foothills
7. Mesa vs 10. Central
2. Ironwood vs 15. Walden Grove
"Open 32"
1. Sunnyslope vs 9. Carl Hayden
4. Canyon View vs 5. Tucson
3. Brophy Prep vs 6. Peoria
2. Ironwood vs 10. Central
"Sweet 16"
1. Sunnyslope vs 4. Canyon View
2. Ironwood vs 3. Brophy Prep
"Open Elite 8"
1. Sunnyslope vs 2. Ironwood
The "Rosenberg & Alvira" Region (Desert Financial Arena, Tempe, AZ)
1. Perry vs 16. Arcadia
8. San Tan Charter vs 9. Gilbert
5. Valley Christian vs 12. Pueblo
4. Liberty vs 13. Paradise Honors
6. Prescott vs 11. Dysart
3. O'Connor vs 14. Mountain View (Mesa)
7. Highland vs 10. Willow Canyon
2. Notre Dame Prep vs 15. Salpointe Catholic
"Round of 32"
1. Perry vs 8. San Tan Charter
4. Liberty vs 5. Valley Christian
3. O'Connor vs 6. Prescott
2. Notre Dame Prep vs 10. Willow Canyon
"Open Sweet 16"
1. Perry vs 4. Liberty
2. Notre Dame Prep vs 3. O'Connor
"Open Elite 8"
1. Perry vs 3. O'Connor
The "E-Vision & Videographers" Region (Footprint Center, Phoenix, AZ)
1. Millennium vs 16. ALA-Ironwood
8. Valley Vista vs 9. Sunrise Mountain
5. Centennial vs 12. Bradshaw Mountain
4. Pinnacle vs 13. Campo Verde
6. Mesquite vs 11. Sahuaro
3. Boulder Creek vs 14. Gilbert Christian
7. McClintock vs 10. Highland Prep
2. St Mary's vs 15. Chaparral
"Round of 32"
1. Milennium vs 9. Sunrise Mountain
4. Pinnacle vs 5. Centennial
3. Boulder Creek vs 6. Mesquite
2. St Mary's vs 7. McClintock
"Open Sweet 16"
1. Millennium vs 5. Centennial
2. St Mary's vs 3. Boulder Creek
"Open Elite 8"
1. Millennium vs 3. Boulder Creek
The "Prep Hoops" Region (McKale Center, Tucson, AZ)
1. Basha vs 16. Queen Creek
8. Mountain Pointe vs 9. Cactus Shadows
5. Cesar Chavez vs 12. Red Mountain
4. Deer Valley vs 13. Phoenix Christian
6. Chandler vs 11. Desert Ridge
3. ALA Gilbert North vs 14. Scottsdale Christian
7. North Canyon vs 10. Cactus
2. Desert Mountain vs 15. Desert Vista
"Round of 32"
1. Basha vs 9. Cactus Shadows
4. Deer Valley vs 5. Cesar Chavez
3. ALA Gilbert North vs 6. Chandler
2. Desert Mountain vs 7. North Canyon
"Open Sweet 16"
1. Basha vs 4. Deer Valley
2. Desert Mountain vs 6. Chandler
"Open Elite 8"
1. Basha vs 2. Desert Mountain
The Final Four (Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, AZ)
1. Sunnyslope vs 2. Desert Mountain
1. Perry vs 1. Millennium
If this was the hypothetical final four in the open division, who would y'all have winning it all? Which of these matchups or the ones in the bracket do you think would be the best? Personally, Perry vs Millennium would be enjoyable due to the level of talent on the court same with a potential Boulder Creek/St Mary's matchup. Obviously we're still a month and a half away from the season starting but it'll be here faster than we may think and it'll be a wildly entertaining and enjoyable season.
