Time for “A” basketball tournament

Used to be I divided the high school basketball season into two parts – before Christmas break and after Christmas break.

For the past few years, a season gets divided much differently and actually into five parts.

Before the Christmas tournaments, after the Christmas tournaments, the All “A” Classic Tournament run, the rest of the regular season play and the post-season run.

Hard to believe – they say time flies when you’re having fun – but here we are into the third portion of those five stretches with the arrival this week of the All “A” Classic Tournament run.

I’ve long made it no secret that holiday tournaments aren’t my favorite spot in the season, to say the least, but at the same time, since its inception, I’ve been a huge fan of the All “A” Classic Tournament for a host of reasons.

In addition to putting an enormous group of similar sized schools in the pot and seeing which ones rise to the top, we get to do so while at the same time hushing some of the talk that is always circulating to send Kentucky into a class system for basketball.

The small schools get to have their day in the spotlight, without ruining the system that has kept Kentucky High School roundball ending each year with the “Biggest Show in Hoops” for 100 years now.

Also, this All “A” Classic tournament, especially when it reaches the state tournament level and those final competing 32 teams (16 boys’ teams, 16 girls’ teams), gives a lot of top level players, playing for small schools, a chance to showcase their skills to college coaches and scouts that might not otherwise get the chance to do that.

Translation – more scholarships for deserving players.

Clinton County plays host this week to the 4th Region All “A” Tournament semi-final and championship games at The Castle, but exactly when and how the games will line up, can’t be said yet – thanks to the weather that Mother Nature sent our way early this week.

The original plans were to see first round games being played Monday night, but the Todd Central and Cumberland County first round games were postponed due to approaching weather, and at press time, Tuesday wasn’t looking so good for a make-up date either. That would back things up to a Wednesday, Thursday, Friday schedule, or more likely, a Thursday, Friday, Saturday lineup.

The Todd-Cumberland winner would move into the semi-final level to face Clinton County (boys and girls) which drew the bye in the upper portion of the brackets.

Monday night’s other first round game was able to be played, with Monroe County defeating Metcalfe County in both divisions, sending the Falcons and Lady Falcons into the semi-final game against Russellville, which drew a bye also, in the bottom bracket.

Regardless of who and when, the ultimate goal for both the boys’ and girls’ divisions, is to lay hands on that championship title and earn the right to get on the bus next week and head to EKU’s McBrayer Arena in Richmond for the All “A” Classic State Tournament.

In any event, it’s All “A” Classic time, and that’s one of my favorite spots in the season each year – Good luck to our Lady Dawgs and Bulldogs this week – Go Big Blue!

and…

It’s high school basketball season and I’ll see you in the gym – don’t bother me until April!