MaxMadness field is set

Last remaining MaxMadness bids are awarded as state playoffs come to a close.

Monday, March 29, 2010
By Stephen Spiewak | MaxPreps.com

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File photo by Heston Quan

Kareem Jamar, Westchester (Los Angeles, Calif.)

MAXMADNESS HOME / BRACKETS

The MaxMadness field is officially set.

With high school basketball coming to a close on the court this weekend, the bracket for MaxPreps' 64-team virtual tournament was finalized as eight more state champions earned automatic bids while 14 teams earned at-large bids chosen by the MaxPreps Selection Committee.

Among the teams to clinch automatic bids were Christ the King (Middle Village, N.Y.), which captured a New York Class AA Federation title by beating Boys & Girls (Brooklyn, N.Y.), 52-49.

Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia, Pa.), the highest-ranked team in Pennsylvania, secured a No. 1 seed by holding off Chartiers Valley (Bridgeville, Pa.) 65-63 in front of a crowd of over 20,000 at the Bryce Jordan Center in State College.

With its victory this week in New Jersey's Tournament of Champions, Trenton Catholic Academy (Trenton, N.J.) earned a No. 7 seed. Across the country, Westchester (Los Angeles, Calif.) captured its second straight CIF title, ensuring the Comets a favorable placement in the bracket.

Other teams that earned their way into the MaxMadness field over the weekend include: North Central (Indianapolis, Ind.), Jackson (Massillon, Ohio), Johnson (St. Paul, Minn.), and Kalamazoo Central (Kalamazoo, Mich.).

Fourteen teams were awarded at-large bids to complete the field of 64.

Photo by Paul Burdick

C.J. Aiken dominated both sides of the ball to lead
Plymouth Whitemarsh to a AAAA crown.

The pool of at-large teams is talented and geographically diverse, highlighted by St. Benedict's Prep (Newark, N.J.) and Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.).

The Gray Bees, who are not a part of the NJSIAA, finished the season with just one loss and beat the likes of Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) and Plymouth Whitemarsh (Plymouth Meeting, Pa.), teams that also earned at-large bids.

Findlay Prep also owns wins over two other talented at-large selections, St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.) and Christ (Arden, N.C.). The Henderson, Nev., program endured a brutal schedule and only fell twice, with both losses coming at the hands of MaxMadness teams.

Two at-large bids went to nationally-ranked teams that were upset in the state playoffs. Paterson Catholic (Paterson, N.J.), whose only loss came in the non-public North B playoffs to St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.), earned a No. 4 seed, while Northland (Columbus, Ohio), who was stunned by Lincoln (Gahanna, Ohio) in the Division I playoffs, is a No. 3 seed.

Other at-large bids went to Providence (Jacksonville, Fla.), Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.), Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), Detroit Country Day (Beverly Hills, Mich.), Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) and DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.).

Below are the official MaxMadness seedings. Updated brackets will be available by 11 a.m PST.