The debate on which classification is best for BC is deep and will continue for the foreseeable future. One question that has not come up in any one's argument: What about the competition possibly being better in AA basketball? The reason this question was never asked is because it was virtually impossible to consider any region being any deeper or more competitive than 3-AAAAA. Well its becoming possible.
Savannah basketball has long been some of if not the best basketball in the state. Many think that the success Savannah schools find on the court is why they remain in AAAAA despite their significant struggles in almost every other sport. However, this year is completely different. So different that BC might have found more success in '08-'09 by playing in AAAAA.
Groves is currently tied for first place in the region and has defeated Savannah High twice. Johnson beat Groves last night by 9 points to create the tie for first. That same Johnson team is 6-6 overall and lost to both BC and Calvary by double digits.
Beach is 1-10. Jenkins is 0-9 and lost to BC by 12. Windsor Forest is 7-7, beat BC by 1 in the Holiday tourney and fell to BC by 11 in the first meeting (Windsor is 3-0 against Calvary winning by 13, 15, and 19). Bradwell is 3-2 in the region and lost by a combined 26 points in 2 meetings against 2-AA Long County. BC beat Long by 5.
2-AA sports 5 teams with a 4-2 region record and one with a 7-1 record. Those 6 teams have combined for a 53-23 overall record. Long is at 4-2 and dominated Bradwell twice. BC is 3-1 against 3-AAAAA competition with one of those wins coming against region leading Johnson.
I know that it is real easy with basketball to say something like Savannah State could somehow beat North Carolina because they beat a team who beat a team who beat a team who beat a team that beat Carolina. And if if I was a betting man I'd go with Savannah High to win a tournament if you put all 17 teams from the two regions together. But for this year, with the games I have seen from both regions and the numbers up to this point, it would take a whole lot to convince me that BC doesn't play in the tougher region in '08-'09.
8 comments:
What is up with Sheehan and the word "bingo?" I understand needing a catch phrase but does he have to say it after every single made basket?
It seems pretty obvious that this year, 2AA > 3AAAAA.
It's obvious that 2009 is an outlier. Over the last 40 or so years, this might have been the case another year or two.
BC has a really good team. Jibri is great. He has a solid team around him. I don't think you can overstate the importance of Helton and Stroud on the bench. A little effort/enthusiasm + some positive thoughts can make a world a difference, and that is obvious this year.
Also, Savannah schools are notorious for having stars become eligible after Christmas break. See Antonio Spahn, Franky Jackson, etc.
"They walked and didn't call it"
-Sheehan's favorite
Without a doubt 2009 is an outlier. But its going to become more and more difficult for Peggy Johnson to defend her decision to keep Savannah schools in AAAAA.
All Peggy Johnson has to do is point to the budget. The SCCPS would probably have to double its athletics budget to accomodate the high schools playing in different classifications and traveling all over southeast Georgia.
Snuffy- They all move to AAAA and play in the same region with the 2 Effingham schools and the 2 Brunswick schools. No budget problem whatsoever.
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