Quantity, Not Quality, Rule

The number crunchers really missed this time.

District 3 received seven of the 16 berths in both the boys and girls State 4A basketball tournaments.

If number of schools and enrollment were the only considerations, District 3 would get eight. After all, District 3 (Tacoma area) has exactly half of the 78 4A schools.

But eight would be too many, as is seven.

The formula to determine berths in the state playoffs can best be described as mathematical voodoo.

But it’s really quite simple.

Those with the most, get the most.

That might mean votes rather than schools, because any effort to reorganize the tournament procedure is going to meet with stiff resistance from District 3.

And what District 3 does with its riches is another issue.

After the first day of the State 4A tournament last week in the Tacoma Dome, the local newspaper pointed out there was a local team in each bracket of the boys quarterfinals.

What was left unsaid was that there were three teams in the four loser-out games.

Four teams from one area winning isn’t a bad thing - it happens regularly with East Side girls teams - but it shouldn’t be combined with three teams losing. Thursday, all four Tacoma-area teams lost in the quarterfinals and the three first-day losers were eliminated.

On the girls side, four of seven Tacoma area teams lost their openers. Day 2 produced five losers, the wins coming in all-District 3 matchups. Day 3 saw five teams eliminated, the semifinalists (from an all-District 3 quarterfinal) lose, and the only district team to advance to the trophy round defeated another District 3 team to get there.

When trophies were handed out, the girls got two and the boys two, out of 14 teams. Those trophies went to the second- and third-place qualifiers out of the District 3 tournament in both cases.

Seven berths from one district just shouldn’t happen.

We know the Tacoma area has by far the most 4A schools, but excess should not be rewarded.

There are no complaints about our area with four teams getting into each tournament. The Greater Spokane League and Big Nine combine for 19 schools, a shade under 25 percent.

It’s the same with the Northwest, four of 17 advance.

But how about the Southwest, which sends just one of its nine teams to state? Where is the hope for teams that might be pretty good but are stuck behind undefeated and top-ranked teams?

Prairie won the girls tournament with a 24-2 record, the losses coming in an out-of-state tournament. The rest of the league was weak this year, but could it have been any weaker than District 3?

The Evergreen boys entered the tournament 22-0, lost to eventual state champion Walla Walla in the semifinals, and finished third at 25-1. Pity poor Battle Ground, which went 17-3 and couldn’t get out of district, losing to Evergreen 58-51 for the state berth.

Meanwhile, look at the No. 7 Tacoma team. That team shouldn’t be there unless it wins its way in at least as a No. 4, and if they knock out a better team, so be it.

The solution isn’t real difficult. Keep qualifying four teams from the East and Northwest but find a way to even the rest of the playing field. Either move some Tacoma area teams to the south or let the Southwest teams come North and challenge for a couple of those wasted berths.

State tournaments are supposed to be about determining the best teams or discovering Cinderella, not anointing Cinderallas.

On the other hand, a tip of the hat goes to the Walla Walla boys. The Blue Devils, who were one Gonzaga Prep free-throw from staying home, won state with an amazing run, knocking off the defending champion (Garfield), the No. 1 team (Evergreen) and the team that played the best for three days (Ferris).