Magic Number for Playoffs Is 10

The Southern Section has agreed to expand its boys’ and girls’ basketball playoffs by allowing any team with at least 10 victories to participate in the playoffs, regardless of their league finish.

“If you petition and have 10 wins, we’ll put you in the tournament,” said Hal Harkness, the interim assistant commissioner in charge of Southern Section basketball.

Schools that don’t automatically qualify for playoff berths based on league finish must petition to enter the playoffs before 9 a.m. on Feb. 12. The decision to expand in all divisions was made because there are too many schools competing in Division I to limit the playoffs to a 32-team bracket. There are 142 girls’ teams and 145 boys’ teams in Division I.

The decision is good news for a school like Montclair Prep, which competes in the tough Delphic League and could end up finishing in fourth place. Under the rules last season, Montclair Prep would have been out of the playoffs because there were no at-large berths in Division V-AA. Now the section will have wild-card games to determine other entries into the 32-team bracket.

There are 32 boys’ teams and 27 girls’ teams from the region that have 10 victories and can petition to join the playoffs if they don’t qualify.

“Teams can clinch a playoff spot before they ever get to league,” said Keith Case, girls’ coach at Notre Dame. “It takes away the value of competing in league.”