IHSA

IHSA Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes - 2007-08

Boys/girls basketball Advisory Committee

April 24 , 2008

The Boys’ and Girls’ Basketball Advisory Committee met at the IHSA Office, Bloomington, Illinois, on Thursday, April 24, 2008, beginning at 10:00 a.m. Committee members present were: Brian Clodi, St. Charles (East); Brad Hatfill, Lewistown; Janet Holst, Salem; Bob Peterson, Granville (Putnam County); Anthony Smith, Bolingbrook; Nancy Stiff, Arcola; Tom White, Chicago (De LaSalle); IHSA Assistant Executive Directors Kurt Gibson and Beth Sauser.
Also in attendance were Doug Smith, AD, Naperville (North) and Art Rohlman, AD, Elgin.
Not in attendance was Jim Knauf, official, Ottawa.
Terms and Conditions Recommendations

1. Boys’ and Girls’ Class 3A and 4A Quarterfinal Rounds

Recommendation: All Boys’ and Girls’ Class 3A and 4A Basketball quarterfinal round games be played at the site of the highest seed on the Monday of regional week.

Rationale: Currently, baseball and softball already successfully utilize this provision in their Terms and Conditions. The committee believes that this approach makes sense to use in basketball as well. This past year, a number of regionals had two quarterfinal round games. Moving to this approach would create the potential for increased attendance at this round of the tournament and reduce the amount of time a host’s gym is in use during this week of the year, a time when multiple spring sports are vying for gym time, in addition to the tournaments.

rejected

Happening Terms and Conditions

2. Boys’ and Girls’ Happening Finals

Recommendation: The Happening Finals for each class in boys’ and girls’ basketball be held between the semi-final games of the respective class.

Rationale: The committee believes having the finals together as one entertainment segment between semi-final games will add to the excitement of the contests for competitors and spectators alike. Moving this in the boys’ tournament in particular would eliminate the late ending of the Dunk Contest in Class 2A and 4A that competitors and spectators encountered this year.

approved

Administrative Recommendations

None

Items of Discussion

1. Doug Smith, athletic director at Naperville (North) High School and Art Rohlman, athletic director at Elgin High School presented a report concerning the structure of the Class 4A Boys’ Basketball State Tournament. In particular, a concern regarding the uneven balance of teams assigned to each sectional was discussed. In Class 4A, one sectional consisted of 16 teams, while the remaining sectionals had between 20 and 22 teams. In such a format, the committee heard concern that, especially in sectionals where two quarterfinal round games are conducted, the higher seeded team is placed at a disadvantage by not having a day to prepare for the quarterfinal round winner while the second highest seeded team in a regional does. The committee also discussed flipping the days of the regional semi-finals in Class 4A so that the highest seeded team doesn’t have to play until Wednesday, evening the number of teams assigned to each of the eight sectionals, and adding Kane, McHenry, Boone, DeKalb, and Winnebago counties to the counties considered as the Chicago-land area for purposes of being assigned to a traditional sectional complex and not pre-assigned geographic regionals.

2. The committee reviewed the proposed basketball rules changes for the 2008-09 school year. Member schools will be notified of the adoptions once made official by the NFHS this summer.

3. The committee discussed the current format of the boys’ and girls’ state tournaments and the location of tournament sites around the state. The committee expressed some thoughts that consideration should be given to having host sites be as centrally located as possible, even if that requires the use of a high school site in lieu of a collegiate one. The committee also discussed other formats that could be implemented in the future, including a return to geographic regionals, and not sub-sectionals, in Class 1A and 2A in an attempt to reduce travel faced by higher seeded teams at the regional level.

4. The committee reviewed the IHSA’s new Do What’s Right! Sportsmanship Program. Committee members were reminded that the deadline for conferences to be involved with the program for next year is October 1, 2008.

5. The committee heard a report from Assistant Executive Director Kurt Gibson regarding the performance-enhancing drug testing program that will be implemented with the 2008-09 school term.

6. The committee discussed IHSA Seeding Meetings and their viability. Committee members shared their thoughts on utilizing on-line meetings in situations that may warrant their use.

7. The committee reviewed the classification cut-offs for the 2008-09 school term that were established by the IHSA Board of Directors at their April meeting.

8. The committee reviewed a report from IHSA Happening State Final coordinator Rich Piatchek concerning Happening Events. In reviewing the report, the committee acted on one item listed in the Happening Terms and Conditions Recommendations listed above.

9. The committee reviewed new by-laws that will take effect with the 2008-09 school term.