NCHSAA makes changes to basketball playoffs

The landscape of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association basketball state playoffs is changing – at least for this season.

Serving as a one-year trial basis for the current 2011-12 season, the new seeding process announced by the NCHSAA will determine the brackets for the playoffs, which will begin later this month.

However, unlike in years past when the field of 64 for each of the four classifications was divided into two sections – East and West – this season the field of 64 will be broken down into four sections (16 teams each), featuring East, Mideast, Midwest and West sectionals. All 64 qualifiers will be divided into the four sections based on longitude.

On Feb. 18, the NCHSAA, along with representatives of the North Carolina Basketball Coaches Association, will seed the 2012 basketball playoffs. The NCHSAA will report to the Board of Directors regarding the results and the viability of continuing the seeding process in future years.

The regular season conference champions will still be number one seeds and the number two seed will remain the conference tournament winners, as per NCHSAA policy. All of the No. 1s will be seeded by overall record, followed by the No. 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s and wildcards. If there are not enough automatic qualifiers to fill the 64-team brackets, the remaining spots will be filled by wildcards (1A – 6 wildcards, 2A – none, 3A – none, 4A – 2 wildcards).

At the regional level of play, teams will not be reseeded as in years’ past. The sectional finals and regional finals will be conducted the week of Feb. 28-March 3 in Greensboro and Fayetteville.

The seeding procedure listed below is courtesy of the NCHSAA:

2011-12 Basketball Seeding Procedures:

1.     The 2012 Men's and Women's Basketball Championship brackets will consist of 64 teams competing in each classification (1A/2A/3A/4A).

2.     The 64 qualifiers will consist automatic qualifiers from each conference (half of the # of teams in each conference + 1).

3.     If there are not enough automatic qualifiers to fill the 64 teams, the remaining spots will be filled by wildcards.

4.     All 64 qualifiers will then be divided into 4 sections of 16 teams (East, Mideast, Midwest, West) by longitude.

5.     Once the 4 sections are determined, each of the 16 teams will be seeded based upon the following:

a.    Seed all #1's by overall records - ties will be broken by head-to-head record or draw.

b.    If a school finishes first in its part of a classification in a split conference, it is seeded as a #1 and not actually where it finished overall in the conference.

c.     Seed all #2's by overall records - ties will be broken by head-to-head record or draw.

d.    Seed all #3's by overall records - ties will be broken by head-to-head record or draw.

e.    Seed all #4's by overall records - ties will be broken by head-to-head record or draw.

f.      Seed all #5's by overall records - ties will be broken by head-to-head record or draw.

g.     Seed all Wildcards by overall records - ties will be broken by head-to-head record or draw.

6.     Once all 16 teams in each section are sorted by conference finish and overall record, they will be given their requisite seed 1 through 16.

7.     Once seeding is complete, #1 plays #16, #2 plays #15, #3 plays #14, etc., with the higher seed always hosting.

8.     At the regionals, teams will not be re-seeded as in the past.  The sectional finals and regional finals will be conducted the week of February 28th - March 3 in Greensboro and Fayetteville.