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Inside The OAA: New District Playoff Format
The New Playoff District Format already has mixed reviews.
Written Monday February 17th at 9:00 PM
ONTV Feature Writer: Sammy Taromina
It looks like the new playoff format has received some blow back from coaches.
According to a MLive article written by Jared Purcell. He mentioned that when the brackets were released on Sunday for the Girls Basketball Districts. There was a knee-jerk reaction according to the written article.
Probably the most critical is that the top two seeds do not get byes in five, six, or seven team districts. Purcell said that coaches, players, and fans took to social media and contacted the MHSAA to complain about the new MPR format that decides the districts.
The MHSAA installed this new formula in May 2019 which is very similar to seeding teams in the postseason but only the top two seeds are seeded and is placed on the opposite side of the bracket while everyone else is based on alphabet.
The new system was enacted so that the top two teams don’t meet until the district finals.
The new system was used this season in Boys Soccer. The MPR also used in Lacrosse but they seed EVERYONE and not just the top two seeds.
According to Purcell, coaches were frustrated that they feel that everyone should be seeded based on their MPR and the timing of when the matchups were announced because there are critical games that are still to be played at the end of the season.
Bottom line the Boys and Girls Basketball pairings are DIFFERENT, NOT THE SAME.
The Boys Basketball pairings will be released next week.
My Initial Thoughts.
When the pairings were announced which involves OAA schools. The team I immediately thought of was Troy. The Colts are a number one seed in their district at Stoney Creek for Girls Basketball but they will have to play a pre-district game on that Monday against a very good Utica team. The Chieftains have had a good year thus far but because Utica is the B team in the district based on the alphabet, that’s the matchup. The Chieftains also beat Troy in the district final last season and return the majority of that team.
I wished the MHSAA would seed everyone and not just top two seeds. It would make the most sense but there are those folks who don’t want that, it’s a very divisive issue. The two biggest grievances that are out there is that the MHSAA is should the top two seeds be given the byes but there are those that prefer that the top two seeds should play on that Monday as some coaches have tweeted it. It depends who you talk too on this matter. Also another issue is that the MPR does NOT reward those teams who play a tough schedule. The new football playoff format rewards teams that play a tough strength of schedule.
Let the debates began.
Here is the Jared Purcell article.
About Me
- Saginaw Bay
- I have highest function of autism (Asperger Syndrome.) I’m a huge Dallas Stars fan. I like to play and watch football, especially when the Dragons play on Friday nights. I am a 2006 alum and used to play football for the Dragons. I ran track, I ran the 100, 200, 400 meter dashes along with shot-put and discus. During my time in Orion I was a manager for Junior Varsity Boys Basketball team. I’m the volleyball, girls basketball, and football announcer for the team and do the book on the road for girls basketball. I do the clock for volleyball in the fall along with girls basketball in the winter and announce some boys basketball games as well. In the spring I coach shot-put at Scripps Middle School, in my fifth season coaching. I run the shot-put for high school meets. I played Special Olympics Basketball, I’ve won three gold medals for them. I host “Between Taorminas” which is on ONTV along with a podcast called “OAA Now”. In other various things outside of Lake Orion, I love to jet ski over Saginaw Bay. Saginaw Bay is basically my life. I’m a trained weather spotter for the National Weather Service for Oakland and Huron counties.
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