Dreaming of a high school March Madness, mirroring 2013 NCAA Tournament

With no movement toward a high school basketball national championship tournament on the horizon, hopes of seeing top prep squads in their own version of March Madness are relegated to fantasy land.

And fantasy land is exactly where we are headed with our look at how a NCAA Tournament-style bracket would shape up based on this year's state champions and national rankings.

Imagine the drama and possibilities:

- Playing in front of nearly 10,000 fans at storied New Castle Fieldhouse in Indiana, unbeaten Wisconsin state champ Germantown facing off with Jabari Parker and Illinois 4A champ Simeon (Chicago) in the Midwest regional final.

- Top overall seed Lone Peak (Highland, Utah) meeting up with storied Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) in the West regional final – on Mater Dei's beautiful home court.

- Playing the role of Cinderella as a 13 seed and captivating households around North Carolina, Wesleyan Christian Academy (High Point) – led by the tournament's breakout freshman star Harry Giles – reaches the South regional final to face the Harrison twins and Fort Bend Travis (Richmond, Texas).

- Looking to build on a legendary run in Pennsylvania, Chester must face in-state nemesis Lower Merion (Ardmore) for the third time this season to advance in the East.

Let's make it happen. Cue Gus Johnson ("THIS is March Madness"). We would even settle for the Jennifer Hudson version of "One Shining Moment."

Putting together the 68-team field

- Using the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 and Freeman Rankings, the highest-ranked champion from all 50 states earns an automatic bid. The private school champions in North Carolina (NCISAA) and Virginia (VISAA), as well as the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference tournament champ and District of Columbia State Athletic Association champ also earn an invite, bringing the grand total to 54 automatic bids.

- The 14 highest-ranked teams in the Xcellent 25 and Freeman Rankings not to earn an automatic bid will earn an at-large invite.

- Unlike the NCAA Tournament, invitees will be placed geographically and seeded within their respective regions.

Breaking down the 2013 field

AUTOMATIC BIDS
Alabama: Wenonah (Birmingham) – Class 5A state champion
Alaska: Service (Anchorage) – Projected Class 4A state champion
Arizona: Corona del Sol (Tempe) – Division 1 state champion
Arkansas: North Little Rock – Class 7A state champion
California: Mater Dei (Santa Ana) – Projected Open Division state champion
Colorado: Eaglecrest (Centennial) – Class 5A state champion
Connecticut: Hillhouse (New Haven) – Class LL state champion
Delaware: Howard (Wilmington) – DIAA state champion
District of Columbia: Bishop O'Connell (Arlington) – WCAC champion, Coolidge (Washington) – DCSAA champion
Florida: Blanche Ely (Pompano Beach) – Class 7A state champion
Georgia: Miller Grove (Lithonia) – Class AAAAA state champion
Hawai'i: Kalaheo (Kailua) – Division I state champion
Idaho: Borah (Boise) – Class 5A state champion
Illinois: Simeon (Chicago) – Class 4A state champion
Indiana: Carmel – Projected Class 4A state champion
Iowa: Iowa City West – Class 4A state champion
Kansas: Blue Valley Northwest (Overland Park) – Class 6A state champion
Kentucky: Madison Central (Richmond) – KHSAA state champion
Louisiana: Scotlandville (Baton Rouge) – Class 5A state champion
Maine: Hampden – Class A state champion
Maryland: Eleanor Roosevelt (Greenbelt) – Class 4A state champion
Massachusetts: Putnam Vo-Tech (Springfield) – Division I state champion
Michigan: Romulus – Projected Class A state champion
Minnesota: DeLaSalle (Minneapolis) – Projected Class AAA state champion
Mississippi: Callaway (Jackson) – Class 5A state champion
Missouri: Rockhurst (Kansas City) – Class 5 state champion
Montana: Hellgate (Missoula) – Class AA state champion
Nebraska: Omaha Central – Class A state champion
Nevada: Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) – Division I state champion
New Hampshire: Trinity (Manchester) – Division I state champion
New Jersey: Roselle Catholic – Tournament of Champions winner
New Mexico: Las Cruces – Class 5A state champion
New York: Christ the King (Middle Village) – Projected Class AA state champion
North Carolina: Olympic (Charlotte) – NCHSAA Class 4A state champion, Wesleyan Christian Academy (High Point) – NCISAA Class 3A state champion
North Dakota: Shanley (Fargo) – Class A state champion
Ohio: Walnut Hills (Cincinnati) – Projected Division I state champion
Oklahoma: Edmond Memorial – Class 6A state champion
Oregon: West Linn – Class 6A state champion
Pennsylvania: Chester – Projected Class AAAA state champion
Rhode Island: North Smithfield – Division III state champion
South Carolina: Irmo (Columbia) – Class AAAA state champion
South Dakota: Riggs (Pierre) – Class AA state champion
Tennessee: Southwind (Memphis) – Division I AAA state champion
Texas: Fort Bend Travis (Richmond) – Class 5A state champion
Utah: Lone Peak (Highland) – Class 5A state champion
Vermont: Rice Memorial (South Burlington) – Division I state champion
Virginia: Henrico (Richmond) – VHSL Class AAA state champion, Benedictine (Richmond) – VISAA Division I state champion
Washington: Rainier Beach (Seattle) – Class 3A state champion
West Virginia: Martinsburg – Class AAA state champion
Wisconsin: Germantown – Division 1 state champion
Wyoming: Star Valley (Afton) – Class 3A state champion

AT-LARGE
Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, Calif.) – Northern California Open Division regional champion
Christ Presbyterian Academy (Nashville, Tenn.) – Division I AA state champion
DeSoto (Texas) – Freeman Rankings National Top 25
Etiwanda (Calif.) – California Southern Section Division I-AA champion
Hebron (Carrollton, Texas) – Freeman Rankings National Top 25
Lake Highland Prep (Orlando, Fla.) – Class 4A state champion
Long Beach Poly (Calif.) – Freeman Rankings National Top 25
Lower Merion (Ardmore, Pa.) – Projected Class AAAA runner-up
Morgan Park (Chicago) – Class 3A state champion
Norcross (Ga.) – Class AAAAAA state champion
Northland (Columbus, Ohio) – Projected Division I runner-up
Pershing (Detroit) – Xcellent 25
South Grand Prairie (Texas) – Freeman Rankings National Top 25
Whitney Young (Chicago) – Freeman Rankings National Top 25

Continue to next page for a look at the Midwest Region bracket