As the clock hit zero at Veterans Memorial Coliseum on March 8th, the Perry Pumas celebrated a state championship at center court for the fourth consecutive season.
Once again the school from Gilbert was at the top of the basketball hierarchy in the state after thoroughly dominating the open division bracket for the third year in a row.
However, a conversation had started to take place amongst the media entering the tournament, and by championship weekend, that conversation had reached a fever pitch.
The 32 team Open Division bracket was officially too much.
Now, before fingers are pointed at the AIA, it must be noted that the 32-team bracket was what the Arizona Basketball Coaches Association pushed for, and helped create, in conjunction with the conference committees.
Was the idea of the Open Division bracket for basketball a good one, especially when looking at football's success, and coupled with the volatility of tournament basketball?
Absolutely.
But unlike football, where one player taking over a game single-handedly is less impactful to the overall outcome, basketball is a sport where having the best player (Or in the case of Perry for the last few years, multiple future NBA draft picks) on the court can wildly swing a game in the favor of one side to another.
This season, the Elite Eight of the Open Division featured the consensus top teams in the state, and the Final Four in each year of the Open has featured the best teams with little-to-no argument.
What’s unique is that outside of Hamilton defeating Willow Canyon this season, Desert Vista’s upset over Boulder Creek in the first round in 2024 is the only true major upset to take place in the history of the open.
Being blunt, there aren't 10 teams in any given season that can win an Open title, much less 32.
The Open at both the big and small school level is still necessary- it allows for a battle of the "haves" once the very best of the "have-nots" have given it their best shot. Assuming they do give it their best shot, and don't sit players to avoid having to get into the mix altogether, like a certain 2A team did on the girls side.
And when I say "haves," I'm referring to D1 prospects. Out of the eight Open Division finalists, only Ironwood did not have at least one division one recruit on its roster.
2025 Open Division Elite Eight D1 prospects
The remainder of the Open Division bracket outside of the Elite 8 combined for eight players with D1 offers, four of which did not make the Sweet 16.
For further proof of the predictability of success in AIA basketball- In the 4A-6A conference championship brackets, each champion had at least one D1 prospect, and defeated the top seed en route to the championship game, with each opponent not possessing a D1 prospect.
Brophy (Ryan Burbach and Daylen Sharper) won the 6A title as a 5-seed, Central (John Mattingly) won the 5A as a 4-seed, and St. Mary’s (Cameron Williams) won the 4A title as a 3-seed.
In 2024, only 6A champion Liberty won a conference championship with a D1 prospect while 5A Casteel lost in the championship to Ironwood even though the Colts had Amare King on the roster.
So How Do We Adjust Things?
Basketball is progressing to becoming one of Arizona’s strongest sports, and is drawing attention nationally from media and scouts alike for its depth and quality throughout all levels of the state.
The postseason and overall Open Division tournament itself should reflect the quality of basketball being played in the state.
Perry finished top five nationally, Sunnyslope, Millennium, and O’Connor all spent some point of the season in the top 50, and major national programs lost in matchups against Arizona teams.
As the state continues to progress, addressing questions as to what can continue to change and evolve with that progression is key.
So in the spirit of progress, I believe a "tournament of champions" style format may be ideal for crowning a true champion.
An eight team bracket made up of both the champion and runner up of the conference brackets, and two wild card teams with the highest power point total entering the tournament would be ideal in presenting the most balanced bracket possible.
But if you have a better idea, I'd love to hear it. Join me in discussing it in the Subscriber Blue Chips Forum and we can talk about it there!
