VHS’ Robinson no fan of state tournament format|Prep basketball

Published 12:00 am Monday, February 22, 2010

STARKVILLE — The Mississippi High School Activities Association’s new Final Four format for its state tournament, which gets underway Friday at the Mississippi Coliseum, may catch some flak from fans and basketball coaches.

Count Vicksburg coach Dellie C. Robinson among them. His Gators had the unenviable task of playing four straight road games in its postseason run, which ended with Friday night’s 84-67 loss at Starkville. The game was an elimination match-up featuring teams with a combined 51-5 record.

Greenville-Weston, which lost to Starkville in Saturday’s Class 6A North State Tournament final, advanced to the 6A final four with a 15-14 record. Greenville-Weston defeated Murrah (18-9) in Friday’s other elimination game in Starkville.

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Count Wingfield as another victim. The Falcons had earned the state’s No. 1 ranking after going 30-0. Their season ended with a 64-58 loss to host Meridian on Friday night in the 6A South State Tournament.

Meridian (26-6) beat Biloxi the next night and will face Greenville-Weston on March 4 when the 6A State Tournament finally gets underway. Biloxi, the 2009 Class 5A champ, meets Starkville (27-2).

“The new format was a bad thing for us this year. The best teams aren’t getting to play in the state tournament. When you had that consolation game, it gave you another chance,” Robinson said.

Robinson doesn’t have to look far to find teams that used the consolation game as a springboard to a championship.

Last year, his Gators beat Callaway in the first round of the Class 4A North State tournament. Callaway won the consolation game, then went on to win the 4A title and the Grand Slam tournament.

Robinson said he favors playing the North and South State tournaments at neutral sites, similar to the way Alabama does its playoffs. Other suggestions include bringing back the consolation game, or seeding teams after the satellite round based on either a power points system, records or rank, similar to how the MSHAA now does its state tennis tournament.

“The Friday game is a much different game now and it’s even harder when you are the road team. I think the coaches committee needs to look at it again,” Robinson said.

One Vicksburg-area team that benefitted from the new system is Hinds AHS, the defending Class 2A champion and overall finalist. Hinds (26-3) won the South State 2A title by beating Loyd Star 74-66 in Utica on Saturday night. The War Dawgs got there by surviving a 71-69 overtime thriller against Piney Woods on Friday. Hinds will face West Bolivar in a rematch of last year’s 2A championship game this Saturday at 10:30 a.m. in Jackson.

Contact Jeff Byrd at jbyrd@vicksburgpost.com