Let's cut to the chase. A full eight-team bracket for the 2024 CCS Open Division playoffs makes little sense. After Mitty (obviously), Pinewood and SHC, who else is really Open-calibre? Riordan? SI? Priory? Certainly no public school. That ship has sailed. Oh, but any team that is deemed Open-worthy is guaranteed a spot in the NorCal tourney. That's actually unhelpful in our equity-based playoff world. CCS Open schools, no matter their actual strength, get seeded too high in NorCals because of a perception of true excellence. So it's a double-whammy for them.
CCS Open Division
- Thread starter colhenrylives
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And it’s not even true competitive equity. NCS teams that will blast the 4th through 8th seed in CCS will be ranked much lower in NorCal’s due to the fact that each NorCal bracket has to have a minimum number of teams from each section. So they can claim “competitive equity” but that’s not what it actually is. Otherwise the NorCal D1 bracket would be primarily all NCS and SJS. The honor of making open in the CCS and getting a NorCal bid doesn’t mean much when you are just going to get slotted into the D1 NorCal bracket as a double digit seed anyway
Unfortunately, there's no good way to do this. No committee could see all the teams, and even if they did, they would disagree. And then how do you factor in injuries and eligibility issues? Is it a power ranking (who's better today) or body of work (Team A beat Team B in December)?
And then it's different every year. Talent shows up in one area and not in another.
Finally, the long-overdue loosening of transfer rules means that players will go where they feel they can maximize their chances of a $250,000 college scholarship. Clubs will guide middle-schoolers to specific schools.
The concentration of talent seems inevitable, just as it is college football.
But all that said, it's still a lot of fun for everyone. Sooner or later, you'll lose to a better team. Out of the 1,400 or so California schools, only a handful win their last game, no matter what the system.
And then it's different every year. Talent shows up in one area and not in another.
Finally, the long-overdue loosening of transfer rules means that players will go where they feel they can maximize their chances of a $250,000 college scholarship. Clubs will guide middle-schoolers to specific schools.
The concentration of talent seems inevitable, just as it is college football.
But all that said, it's still a lot of fun for everyone. Sooner or later, you'll lose to a better team. Out of the 1,400 or so California schools, only a handful win their last game, no matter what the system.
Ah, postseason fever is in the air.
You've definitely got the top three in CCS -- Mitty, Pinewood, SHC. But I have no problem seeing Riordan, SI and St. Francis in there. Maybe its payment for serving as sacrificial lambs to Mitty twice every year, but unlike most teams, the WCAL teams play a challenging league schedule. Riordan has nearly knocked off SHC twice, and SI should've beaten SHC on Tuesday
I'm also fine adding two publics -- Los Gatos and Branham/Evergreen. Last year, a public, Palo Alto, beat both SI and SHC in CCS Open. I could easily see Los Gatos beating one of the WCAL schools, and it would not be much of an upset for them to win a D1 Norcal game.
So current thinking (assuming an 8-team CCS Open)
Mitty
Pinewood
SHC
Los Gatos
Riordan
Branham
SF
SI
Two Notes:
I thought about dropping Riordan after its loss to University this week, but that would move Branham up into Mitty's pool and Branham already endured that "honor" last year.
Pinewood, if it goes undefeated in the WBAL, should get the #2 seed over SHC. Pinewood has the edge in common opponents. It routed Marin Catholic by 37 while SHC beat them 14. It smoked Priory by 30 to SHC’s 13-point win, and it lost to SRV by only 7, while SHC fell by 20. Pinewood’s one point loss to St. Mary’s was also impressive. As others have pointed out, the difference between #2, #3, #6 and #7 is merely home court advantage. Hard not to give that reward to the WBAL champ over the WCAL runner up.
You've definitely got the top three in CCS -- Mitty, Pinewood, SHC. But I have no problem seeing Riordan, SI and St. Francis in there. Maybe its payment for serving as sacrificial lambs to Mitty twice every year, but unlike most teams, the WCAL teams play a challenging league schedule. Riordan has nearly knocked off SHC twice, and SI should've beaten SHC on Tuesday
I'm also fine adding two publics -- Los Gatos and Branham/Evergreen. Last year, a public, Palo Alto, beat both SI and SHC in CCS Open. I could easily see Los Gatos beating one of the WCAL schools, and it would not be much of an upset for them to win a D1 Norcal game.
So current thinking (assuming an 8-team CCS Open)
Mitty
Pinewood
SHC
Los Gatos
Riordan
Branham
SF
SI
Two Notes:
I thought about dropping Riordan after its loss to University this week, but that would move Branham up into Mitty's pool and Branham already endured that "honor" last year.
Pinewood, if it goes undefeated in the WBAL, should get the #2 seed over SHC. Pinewood has the edge in common opponents. It routed Marin Catholic by 37 while SHC beat them 14. It smoked Priory by 30 to SHC’s 13-point win, and it lost to SRV by only 7, while SHC fell by 20. Pinewood’s one point loss to St. Mary’s was also impressive. As others have pointed out, the difference between #2, #3, #6 and #7 is merely home court advantage. Hard not to give that reward to the WBAL champ over the WCAL runner up.
SHC: a WCAL runner up to the #1 team in the country though..lol
And a win over Cardinal Newman.
And #11 in the State on Max Preps while PW is #32.
And the common opponents? Unless there is a winner/loser discrepancy point differentials in wins or losses is not supposed to be considered.
SHC is the 2 seed.
But I think PW will win the 2 v3 if they end up playing.
Does anyone know if Morgan Cheli played last night vs SHC? The Monarchs prevailed in SF by a score of 91-55. However, the McD All-American was injured halfway through the 1st quarter of the previous game against Saint Francis. I don't know the type nor the extent of injury. Thank you.
Morgan Cheli didn't play against SHC according to the Mercury News. No reason was given or timeline
This original list still holds, with one very small caveat:Evergreen Valley should get the nod over Branham. EV beat Branham two out of three times.
Agree with that change. But not sure where to seed them. Think SI gets bumped up to 6. St. Francis to 7 and Evergreen at 8, but your mileage may vary.
Still some movement possible with one game left to play tomorrow. SHC hosts Riordan and Pinewood plays Priory.
Still some movement possible with one game left to play tomorrow. SHC hosts Riordan and Pinewood plays Priory.
@ bunnyhopninja: I think the implication is something along these lines
1. Mitty
2. SHC
3. Pinewood (net effect of losing to Priory is they have to travel to SHC rather than host. I can't see them slipping further based on one eyebrow raising loss)
4. Los Gatos (being the only and best public school. Where they land is interesting. Slipping to a 6 seed and avoiding Mitty during pool play would be in their best interest)
5. Riordan (could see them earning the 4 seed over LG)
6. SF
7. SI
8. Priory (solid season and great win this week gets them in. But SOS not enough to earn a 6 or 7 seed. I think.
Branham and Evergreen being the public schools that move to divisional play
1. Mitty
2. SHC
3. Pinewood (net effect of losing to Priory is they have to travel to SHC rather than host. I can't see them slipping further based on one eyebrow raising loss)
4. Los Gatos (being the only and best public school. Where they land is interesting. Slipping to a 6 seed and avoiding Mitty during pool play would be in their best interest)
5. Riordan (could see them earning the 4 seed over LG)
6. SF
7. SI
8. Priory (solid season and great win this week gets them in. But SOS not enough to earn a 6 or 7 seed. I think.
Branham and Evergreen being the public schools that move to divisional play
How does SF slip ahead of Branham, or even Evergreen Valley for that matter? The case for Priory moving up is solid - their transfers weren't eligible until January. Does anyone think SF is beating EV in a head to head? I'd lie to see EV play some of the open teams.
@ letsski ... you could very well be right. I just think that strength of schedule weighs heavily into this and, according to MaxPreps, SF has a 33% tougher SOS than either Branham or Evergreen. Then again, if MaxPreps is so smart, why is Evergreen ranked 3 spots behind Branham in CCS when they beat them twice? Back to the point, I wouldn't mind if one or both of those publics get into Open. I hope they would want that honor and opportunity and the auto NorCal bid.
WCAL is a much stronger league top to bottom than the BVAL- Mt. Hamilton which is likely the reason
