On Tuesday and Wednesday this week, the sectional basketball tournaments to determine this year's Arizona state playoffs will take place on the boys side in every division.
Since this is the first time the playoffs will be held in such a format, it will be exciting to see this year's sectionals unfold.
While the Division-IV Sectional for the boys will begin tonight (Tuesday) and pick up again on Wednesday, each of the other divisions for the boys will begin on Wednesday evening across the state. With so many different divisions and even more sectionals, this year's state playoffs will be a sight to witness and will leave basketball fans across the state wondering just how and who will walk away as a true winner.
Will this year's pairings leave fans with a feeling like that of college football fans across the country - a feeling of discontent and wondering if the eventual state champion is truely a state champion? In other words, will this year's format bring about a true champion amongst the state's best?
Only time will tell, and I am excited to see just how it pans out.
With such #1 seeded teams in their respective sectionals as Desert Vista, Corona Del Sol and Cesar Chavez HS, this year's Division-I Class is an absolutely loaded field of teams.
The Division-II Class is just as loaded with top-seeded teams in Sections I, II and III - Fairfax, Kellis and Tucson's Amphitheater HS.
This year's state playoffs are a representation of the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA), and their new-defined commitment to improving their support of Arizona high school athletics. Maybe they will actually consider instituting a shot-clock in Arizona high school basketball in the future - just a thought.
Either way, it will be another fun and exciting ride in this year's state playoffs as we determine the state's best. Remember last season's fun ride in watching Nogales HS win it all and the fans they attracted in doing so?
The season always seems to go by so fast, and here we are again - ready for another state playoff run. Some teams will play all the way to the end of the tournament, while each night we will see the high school basketball careers of many come to a close.
Arizona Preps will be out in full force as the state playoffs unfold, and will be bringing to you recaps of many of the state's top performers throughout the state tournament.
This year's sectionals will determine seeding for this year's state playoffs.
Here is a link to the playoff brackets for each of this year's divisions and sections of the state tournament.
