rico Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 An interesting discussion broke out in the Trey Kaufman recruiting thread, of all places, concerning class basketball in the state of Indiana. I didn't like it when it happened and I don't like it now. I am a single class guy. What say ye HSN? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IUFLA Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 5 minutes ago, rico said: An interesting discussion broke out in the Trey Kaufman recruiting thread, of all places, concerning class basketball in the state of Indiana. I didn't like it when it happened and I don't like it now. I am a single class guy. What say ye HSN? Single class for me too...hell, winning the sectional was a triumph that lived across generations for smaller schools... Remember Shooter in "Hoosiers" saying, "Clete, you tell him, sectionals of 33, one point down. Five, four, three, two, let er fly...in and out. Yeah, well, I was fouled." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IU Scott Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 I like the one class but have witnessed what class basketball has done for my small community when we went to the semi state. What was funny we played the semi state at Southport and we played Forrest Park and the place was packed. The second game was Lawrence North vs Terre Haute South and you had Oden and Conley and Armon Bassett in that game and the place was half full. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indy1987 Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 Single class all day. Games and the town/city rivalries meant something back then. Winning a game in the sectional was exciting for a small school and when the small school pulled off a sectional win the town nearly shut down. The community excitement was crazy. With the class system it's just not the same. Go Hoosiers!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FritzIam4IU Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 While I understand why smaller communities and schools and coaches would prefer class basketball, I think part of what made Indiana high school basketball so special was single class tourney. No movie Hoosiers without single class basketball! I believe the sectional atmosphere was much better when they were paired by proximity rather than trying to match up school sizes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billingsley99 Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 My heart wants to say single class but my coaching background says class basketball. Having coached in all 4 classes I can say without question few teams on a yearly basis can compete with most 4A teams let alone win a title. One year I was coaching a 4a team and we hosted Hauser the #1 team in 1A and eventual state champion that year, we were under .500 and beat them by 50 plus. The very next week we played #1 New Albany at our place and lost by 42. Richmond won like 50 straight sectional championships during class and after class has had no success Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgambill Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 I am to blame for the Trey thread disruption. I would have voted for the old system. I mentioned because in other states they have an ALL Class tournament mid year...so Single A to 4A whatever play in their own state tournament and it's caught on and become a pretty big deal. I prefer the old system and loved going up against bigger schools and the best competition. To me I wanted to measure how good I was/we were. Sure most years we wouldn't win but when those special years came around it was a big deal to beat bigger competition and get bragging rights. I hate what ifs....I love competition. You propose both an in season tournament and a final state championship and you get your answer for both questions. It's probably too late to put the genie back in the bottle but I think kids relish the opportunity to test themselves against the best. I think it's mostly administration and parents that have the issue with it. If you ask the kids...I think they want to show everyone they can compete and win...even if it wouldn't result in as many satisfying outcomes. Those sectionals and regionals won take on significant meaning when you do something your school hasn't done before or might not do again for a long time....and not just your school...but maybe any other school in your sectional in cases where you are matched up with a juggernaut school. Hard to say at this point...school mergers and less enthusiasm overall it might just not be possible anymore. I agree with someone else who said regionality imo creates better atmosphere but maybe that is just because I'm naustalgic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 Sucks!!Class basketball!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milehiiu Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 Single class for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgambill Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 Someone brought up the Milan story and said that just isn't possible now.....well it wasn't thought possible then. I don't like living in a world where I'm told something isn't possible. I don't like the idea of administrators saying...sorry kids...you are just too small...you don't have a chance so we know what's best for you. You do that...and well you are right...there never will be another Milan....another school with even the opportunity to do something special. There won't be any more movies....Jimmy Chitwoods lol. Even if they only come around once in a generation or two. You eliminate the opportunity...well you just eliminated the chance to achieve greatness..achieve something special. Today more than any other time in the history of the game "size" is no longer the biggest obstacle holding kids back. Other sports it might be different but basketball is more about skill and effort than having more size then ever before. All I know is the attention and admiration as a small school we got for winning a sectional or beating those goliaths were significantly seen as more impressive than the run to the final we made years later in a class system. I know my senior year we had newspapers all over the state interviewing us about the chance we had as a small school to do something historic...that attention smaller schools get...the notoriety for achieving something special or going on a run...and other schools getting behind them...it just doesn't exist anymore. You don't go follow other small schools in your area cheering for them to beat the big schools to represent you. Maybe it is better now...I just miss it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IUFLA Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 I thought for a while they had the winners of all 4 classes play in a final 4 type deal...or am I dreaming that? Are they still doing that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billingsley99 Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 21 minutes ago, IUFLA said: I thought for a while they had the winners of all 4 classes play in a final 4 type deal...or am I dreaming that? Are they still doing that? 1 year tournament of champions epic fail Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rico Posted January 28, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 1 minute ago, IUFLA said: I thought for a while they had the winners of all 4 classes play in a final 4 type deal...or am I dreaming that? Are they still doing that? They did do it for awhile, no longer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IUFLA Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 5 minutes ago, Billingsley99 said: 1 year tournament of champions epic fail I'm guessing the games weren't competitive? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rico Posted January 28, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 I would wager if you put "returning to single class" on the ballot in November it would pass in a landslide at the polls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billingsley99 Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 22 minutes ago, IUFLA said: I'm guessing the games weren't competitive? Correct and not attended well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybergates Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 8 minutes ago, IUFLA said: I'm guessing the games weren't competitive? Yes, and there was discussion how the 3 losing state champions went out on a loss instead of a win in their final game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rico Posted January 28, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 4 minutes ago, Billingsley99 said: Correct and not attended well What is anymore...other than games that feature D-1 prospects? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IU Scott Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 It is not just class basketball but going to a high school game is not like it use to be. The attendance for the most part keeps dropping and when I see highlights on the news the gyms are over half empty. I don't see the communities having that support of their local team and everyone in the community being there on game day. I also see a problem on how some teams schedules and there are more games during the week. I talked to one of my friends who still have kids in school and their team only plays 2 games on Saturday this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billingsley99 Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 23 minutes ago, rico said: What is anymore...other than games that feature D-1 prospects? Idk. I just watched 5000 pour into Greensburg high school to watch a high school game. In general I agree with you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgambill Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 28 minutes ago, Billingsley99 said: Correct and not attended well Yeah...one of those things that after you crown a state champion...the enthusiasm for another game or even it making sense just wanes....I think it was a flawed system and agreed with it being dropped. I don't think it meant that the class system wasn't the best way to continue just by going off that weird championship scenario though. That said...I see no way you put things back...no way. I just think it was a mistake to drop it altogether. I even think you could have redrawn some sectionals perhaps to make them more competitive but to scrap it altogether I felt was a mistake. Oh well...what's done is done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OLDIUFAN Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 I am old enough that I played in the one class system. The sectionals were standing room only! They were absolutely a blast not only to play in, but to be a fan at them. Once and almost admittedly after they went to class basketball the crowds started dwelling. The regionals were at neutral sites 4 teams on weekends. Those were packed also. You played two games in one day to win a regional or semi St or State title. It was really something. I don’t see the same excitement anymore! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billingsley99 Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 21 minutes ago, Bob said: I am old enough that I played in the one class system. The sectionals were standing room only! They were absolutely a blast not only to play in, but to be a fan at them. Once and almost admittedly after they went to class basketball the crowds started dwelling. The regionals were at neutral sites 4 teams on weekends. Those were packed also. You played two games in one day to win a regional or semi St or State title. It was really something. I don’t see the same excitement anymore! I agree. I played in single class as well. As a fan single class all day everyday as a coach I support the class system Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeking6 Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 We touched on this subject a bit in Indiana High SChool football. Without diving back into that....the odds of a small school competing with city or whatever teams you want to call it just isn't a fair fight. Sure...once in awhile it will happen but 99/100 the larger schools will always win. I don't see much downside (besides the historical stuff) to giving multiple communities and their fans a trip to Indy to play for title. Give me class hoops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgambill Posted January 28, 2020 Report Share Posted January 28, 2020 1 minute ago, Bob said: I am old enough that I played in the one class system. The sectionals were standing room only! They were absolutely a blast not only to play in, but to be a fan at them. Once and almost admittedly after they went to class basketball the crowds started dwelling. The regionals were at neutral sites 4 teams on weekends. Those were packed also. You played two games in one day to win a regional or semi St or State title. It was really something. I don’t see the same excitement anymore! One thing that I think hurt smaller schools was the two games in one day thing. To expend so much energy to sometimes win the morning session and have to come right back a few hours later and try to beat another bigger school with likely a longer bench or simply the adrenaline that is lost after celebrating the earlier win just made it even more difficult. That said I understand the logistics involved for those type of things. Just imo those types of hurdles were as big stumbling blocks for many teams (big or small) as any in winning a title...especially if the draw was lopsided. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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