By Hal Levy, Shore Line Newspapers
Special to MaxPreps.com
You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out the CIAC's boys basketball and ice hockey tournament set-up, but a working knowledge of statistics certainly helps.
Boys basketball is under its third system in five years in the organization's never-ending quest to minimize the impact of parochial schools, especially in the smaller divisions, and still be as fair as possible to everyone.
Try two ended somewhat ignominiously last year when Ridgefield High was accused, and then suspended from the state tournament, for tanking a game at the end of the year in a (successful) attempt to move from Divison I down to Division II. Other schools were rumored to have, less-blatantly, tried to do something similar in terms of manipulating a system which rewarded teams based on the size and records of the schools they beat.
To address this, and other concerns of its own, the CIAC came up with a new formula for establishing divisions for the tournament. Factor one, as usual, is male enrollment in the upper three grades. Schools were ranked from 1-176 on this factor. Then, for schools which are state-defined "schools of choice" (except regional vocational tech/agriculture/aquaculture schools) and all tuition schools, the enrollment is doubled. Thus, a school like East Catholic-Manchester (249 boys) or Northwest Catholic-West Hartford (216 boys) or Trinity Catholic-Stamford (164 boys), which would be Class S by size, are not.
Then, the CIAC added "bonus" points for a school's performance in the state tournament over the last four years, adding 50 "points" (students) for a state title, 25 for a trip to the finals and 10 for a state semifinal appearance. So East Catholic's enrollment of 249 doubles to 498 and then the Eagles get 45 more for a state runner-up last year and two final-four appearances. Final figure: 543, which is more than the 527 needed to be a Class LL tournament team.
Northwest doubles its 216 and adds 95 bonus points for a total of 527, and Trinity's 164 doubles to 328, to which a whopping 205 are added for two state titles, three final appearances and three semifinal appearances. That kind of sounds like double-jeopardy because the three finals appearances include the two titles and the three trips to the semis.
Still, if that flaw could be smoothed out, the system seems to be one which will work because schools know from day one which tournament they will play in. And yes, a school still has the option to petition to play up to Class LL (none did this year).
All teams which win at least 40 percent of their games (i.e. eight-of-20) are tournament-eligible.
Hockey uses a slightly different premise for its base divisions. A school's size counts, but so does its historical hockey strength. Add in factors like feeder programs and weekly ice time to come up with three divisions of 22 (Division I), 21 (Division II) and 23 (Division III) teams. Thus Immaculate-Danbury is Division I while Manchester and Norwich Free Academy are Division III.
Once those divisions are established, a point system goes into affect. Teams get six points for a win against a Division I opponent, four for a Division II win and two for a Division II win. Ties are worth half of what wins are. You also get two points for a loss to a Division I opponent and one for a loss to a Division II opponent. Out-of-state opponents which are members of their state associations, are classified as Division I, II or III and the point structure remains the same.
Teams then get bonus points for wins over a Division I, II or III tournament teams (three, two and one, respectively).
Then, all teams which have a percentage of .400 or better (ties are half a win and half a loss) are ranked by points and the three divisions are balanced.
This system, unfortunately, is somewhat like the old one the boys' basketball tourney used. It created a situation last year, for instance, where North Branford, a very solid Division II team, had to play in the Division I state tournament and got waxed by Xavier, 6-0, in the first round. In Division II, the T-Birds were probably at least a quarter-finalist and could likely have gone further than that. Hand, a Division I team, played in the Division II tourney last year and won it. Hand and North Branford, by the way, split a pair of games in the regular season.
I have yet to hear of a hockey team abusing the rule to play down a division and I hope it doesn't happen.
The girls' basketball tournament remains as it has. Schools are ranked by enrollment and teams which win 40 percent or more of their games are eligible.
Enrollment also is the determinant in boys' swimming, wrestling, girls' gymnastics and boys' and girls' indoor track.
Girls' hockey, which is not a CIAC sport, also has a state tournament of sorts. The state's two leagues, the FCIAC and the Central Connecticut Girls' Hockey League, have playoffs and the winner and runner-up advance to a final four at the state level.