Travis Kriens/KORN News Radio
South Dakota can be slow to change, even when it makes sense. Especially in the world of high school sports.
The SoDAK 16 has been a great change to post season play for high school volleyball and basketball across the state. First implemented for the 2017-18 season, the original “Round of 16” took to final two teams in each of the eight regions for volleyball and basketball and seeded them 1 through 16. Instead of just one team per region, now two teams per region could qualify.
Gone were the days of Northwestern vs. Warner volleyball battling for a region title for one state tournament spot when they were long considered the two best teams in the state.
In year one of the Round of 16, Northwestern and Warner finally met for a state championship and it did not disappoint. Northwestern repeated as the State Class B champion with a 25-17, 23-25, 25-20, 28-26 victory over Warner at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center.
The two schools appeared in 21 of the 26 Class B volleyball championship games played since the inauguration of the three class system 1992, but never against each other because they were in the same region. Geography should never determine or keep out a team capable of winning a state tournament.
After nearly a decade, it’s time to go one step further and seed the top 32 teams in the state after the quarterfinal round of region play.
This year gives us the perfect example as to why the change should be made. Region 4A girls basketball has three of the top five teams in seed points and three teams that have legitimate shots to win a state title. The problem is that only two of them will make it to the SoDAK 16.
No. 2 Dakota Valley (19-2) and No. 3 Vermillion (18-3) face off on Thursday, February 27 in the region semifinals, while No. 1 seed Sioux Falls Christian (19-1) hosts No. 5 Lennox. SF Christian (46.30) ended the regular season No. 1 in Class A seed points, followed by No. 2 Dakota Valley (46.20) and No. 5 Vermillion (45.05). I think everyone would like to see the Panthers and Tanagers both at the state tournament in two weeks in Spearfish instead of playing in a region semifinal. It’s a matchup too good for late February when it could be a highlight of the middle of March.
The same can be said for Region 3B girls with four of the top 10 teams in seed points. No. 1 Ethan (4th in Class B seed points) faces No. 4 St. Mary (10th), while No. 2 Colman-Egan (7th) takes on No. 3 Sanborn Central/Woonsocket (8th) on Thursday night in Madison.
My proposal would take the four remaining teams in all eight regions and rank them 1 through 32 based on seed points. Travel could be an issue, which is why these games would be played on a Saturday after the Tuesday quarterfinals and could be played at neutral sites, which already happens with some regions. Winners advance to the SoDAK 16, which will be reseeded, and can be played the following week.
Are we focused on maintaining regional setups or are we truly trying to determine the best eight teams and who deserves to be in the state tournament? They will still have to prove on the court.
The current SoDAK 16 has done a great job making the state tournament more competitive and getting better teams to state. A Round of 32 would make it just a little better.
Here’s what a Round of 32 would look like this year for Class A girls basketball.
- Sioux Falls Christian vs. 32. Chamberlain
- Dakota Valley vs. 31. Crow Creek
- Hamlin vs. 30. Hill City
- Mahpíya Lúta vs. 29. Dell Rapids
- Vermillion vs. 28. McCook Central/Montrose
- Mobridge-Pollock vs. 27. Scotland/Menno
- Wagner vs. 26. Belle Fourche
- Sioux Valley vs. 25. Pine Ridge
- Aberdeen Roncalli vs. 24. Milbank
- Mount Vernon/Plankinton vs. 23. Rapid City Christian
- Groton Area vs. 22. Clark/Willow Lake
- Lennox vs. 21. Winner
- Miller vs. 20. West Central
- Lakota Tech vs. 19. Tri-Valley
- St. Thomas More vs. 18. Great Plains Lutheran
- Flandreau vs. 17. Sisseton