Selection Sunday: Monday Morning Postseason Thoughts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The field's set. We know every team's possible path to the Resch Center this season. It's simultaneously the most entertaining, exciting, depressing, and stressful time of year, which makes it the three-week timeframe we all look forward to each season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I wanted to take some time to discuss where we're at with computer seeding, how we structure the postseason, the playoff performance factor, and more before we wrap up the regular season this week.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Starting with the computer seeding, judging by the reactions on social media, people have calmed down over the past four years since its implementation. I don't think seeding has been egregious from the start. I disagree with some things, but I don't think it's as bad as it could be with coaches' meetings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A Coaches' meeting to seed D1 Sectional Two would hold up the entire process, and it'd be for no reason. People have a right to feel slighted by the seed they got, but Al Davis said it best at this point in the year, "Just Win."</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>All told, the WIAA does a solid job setting up the postseason to suit the goals they want to achieve. No. 1 is regional representation, which they get, for the most part. The D4 field last season was perfect for that, with Cuba City in the Southwest, McDonell in the Eau Claire area, Laconia in the Fox Valley, and The Prairie School in the Southeast. For what the WIAA wants at the state tournament, it was perfect.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The issues arise when the best teams in the state don't represent the four corners of Wisconsin, which is most of the time. If chalk holds in D1, we'll see Muskego, Arrowhead, and Pewaukee, schools you can drive past in under an hour in Waukesha County, separated by less than 25 miles.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We can see it in other states in the Midwest. The rules we make don't have to be forever. Our structure only pertains to us, and we should strive to improve it and not be content with what we have in place because even the WIAA would likely agree it's not perfect.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There are plenty of coaches, traditional media, administrators, parents, and anyone else involved in high school sports who are afraid of what change looks like for a multitude of reasons, whether that's financial with something like a shot clock, cultural if they think their community will have no chance of being represented at a state tournament, or by self-preservation because they think the only way they can achieve a state tournament berth solely because of geography.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I don't want to stand on a soap box and morally grandstand, so I'll offer a solution.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Four teams make a state tournament per division and four regional champions per sectional. That means we have 16 Regional Champions per division, and most of the time, they host that regional title game. I want to reward the 16 best teams per division with the opportunity to host a Regional Title game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>My ideal system is to seed the top 16 teams in each division and fill in the teams around them. Sectionals are already at neutral courts, even if regionals are neutral courts, but we all know that's not the case. Hypothetically, these would be the teams who would host regionals based on raw RPI in each division.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>D1</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true} --> <ol class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Pewaukee</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Arrowhead</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Waunakee</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Kimberly</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Muskego</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Brookfield East</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Oregon</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Homestead</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Eau Claire Memorial</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Hartford</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Hudson</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>De Pere</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Hortonville</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Notre Dame</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Kettle Moraine</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Verona</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>D2</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true} --> <ol class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Edgewood</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Wauwatosa East</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Beaver Dam</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Wisconsin Lutheran</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Pius XI Catholic</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Lakeland</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Union Grove</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Whitefish Bay</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>West Salem</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Rice Lake</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>West De Pere</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Milton</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Whitnall</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>New Berlin Eisenhower</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Menomonie</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Shawano</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>D3</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true} --> <ol class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Laconia</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Kettle Moraine Lutheran</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Oostburg</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Wittenberg-Birnamwood</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Elk Mound</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Milwaukee Academy of Science</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Xavier</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Sheboygan Falls</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Catholic Memorial</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Platteville</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Edgerton</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Baldwin-Woodville</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>St. Croix Central</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Prairie du Chien</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Wisconsin Dells</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Winneconne</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>D4</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true} --> <ol class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Neillsville</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>The Prairie School</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Aquinas</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>St. Mary Catholic</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Bonduel</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Bangor</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Durand-Arkansaw</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Fall Creek</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Argyle/Pecatonica</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Auburndale</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Belleville</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Shell Lake</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Manitowoc Lutheran</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Colfax</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Cuba City</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Kewaunee</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>D5</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true} --> <ol class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Assumption</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Albany/Monticello</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Sheboygan Lutheran</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Barneveld</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Shullsburg</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Lourdes Academy</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Lena</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Independence/Gilmanton</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Pacelli</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Almond-Bancroft</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Pittsville</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Owen-Withee</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>New Auburn</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Eleva-Strum</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Solon Springs</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Greenwood</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In theory, if chalk would hold, and it never does, those would be the 16 teams playing in sectionals in each division. You may disagree with the seeding, and I may too, but I'd like to think we'd agree that the teams that make sectionals will not be as good as this field of 16 teams.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On paper, a D1 state tournament field of Pewaukee, Arrowhead, Waunakee, and Kimberly somehow generates a more varied geographic representation than we would with this current format.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lastly, I want to discuss where we are in Year No. 1 of the Playoff Performance Factor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There's no stated goal for this on the WIAA's page, but it's fair to assume it's for "competitive balance." Let's check on the elevated teams this season and see where they're at this time around in their new sectionals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>D1: Pewaukee No. 1 seed in Sectional 2, Notre Dame No. 7 seed in Sectional 2</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>D2: Waupun No. 3 seed in Sectional 2 Subsectional A</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>D3: Laconia No. 1 seed Sectional 3 Subsectional B</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Those are the four teams playing up a division through their performance factor. However, we may not see the full extent of this until next season, when the class of 2025 is gone. The current senior classes' first season was the first one tallied for performance factor, and all those teams had talented kids in that class or had current college newbies who carried most of the load for them to reach the heights they achieved.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Coaches haven't been much of a fan of this at any level. D1s feel like they get nothing out of the deal except a more daunting road to get to state, like in sectional two, and schools like Waupun who have a class or two come through and do some historic things for their program, have to deal with the ramifications of that success for years after the fact.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The computer seedings were at least something the coaches association fought for, and most coaches seem alright with it, but this is something that few people seem to support. No school that can compete for a trip to a Sectional Final has appeared to support this at all, which makes its future murky, to say the least.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Thank you for reading my Monday Morning Ramblings.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->