Boys’ basketball: JSerra (0-10) could soon face St. Francis (0-12) in playoffs
Since all 13 teams from the Mission and Trinity Leagues have made it to the Southern Section boys’ basketball playoffs, it will be interesting to see how many come away with banners to hang in their gyms.
The schools in those two leagues like to say how everybody deserves to be in the playoffs. JSerra, at 0-10 in the Trinity League, made the 4AA playoffs. St. Francis, at 0-12 in the Mission League, made the same 4AA tournament. If both win their opening playoff games, they’ll meet in the second round and a real debate could break out about why they should be playing without winning a league game.
But that’s life in 2015, when any team can apply for the playoffs and if there’s a spot open in the 32-team bracket, they get in no matter their record.
And clearly, teams from the Trinity and Mission are better than lots of schools despite their failure to succeed within league.
But the current format also makes league play look kind of meaningless. Five Mission teams are in the 4AA playoffs. If all start winning, there could be a mini-Mission League tournament taking place.
It raises the question of how strong the other 11 divisions truly are after 16 teams are pulled to play in the Open Division tournament.
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