Video: Chino Hills is must-watch TVChino Hills is No. 1 in the rankings and the top overall seed in our field of 68.High school basketball has its own madness in March, with state tournaments producing upsets and drama at a rate that the college game can only dream of.
But what if high school hoops had a
true, national 68-team field patterned after the NCAA Tournament?
Champions and nationally ranked teams from every state in the country battling it out to determine an undisputed high school basketball national champion?
Yes please.
Heck, we would settle for 32, 16 or even eight at this point.
But while we're dreaming, let's go big and plot it out using the 68-team NCAA Tournament model.
Putting together a 68-team high school field
Photos by (left to right): H. Quan/A. Bershaw/R. Sartin
- Using the
MaxPreps Xcellent 25 presented by the Army National Guard and
MaxPreps Computer Rankings, the highest ranked champion from all 50 states earns an automatic bid. The private school champions in North Carolina and Virginia, 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 MaxPreps Xcellent 25 and Computer Rankings not to earn an automatic bid will earn an at-large invite.
- Unlike the NCAA Tournament, participants are clustered geographically, then seeded within respective regions.
Breaking down the field
Automatic Bids
Alabama: Homewood, Class 6A champion
Alaska: Barrow,
Projected Class 3A champion
Arizona: Shadow Mountain (Phoenix), Division II champion
Arkansas: Parkview (Little Rock), Class 6A champion
California: Chino Hills,
Projected Open Division champion
Colorado: Overland (Aurora), Class 5A champion
Connecticut: Fairfield Prep (Fairfield),
Projected Class LL champion
Delaware: Sanford (Hockessin), DIAA champion
District of Columbia (WCAC): St. John's, WCAC tournament champion
District of Columbia (DCSAA): H.D. Woodson, DCSAA champion
Florida: Dillard (Fort Lauderdale), Class 6A champion
Georgia: Westlake (Atlanta), AAAAAA champion
Hawaii: 'Iolani (Honolulu), Division I champion
Idaho: Highland (Pocatello), Class 5A champion
Illinois: Simeon (Chicago),
Projected Class 4A champion
Indiana: New Albany,
Projected Class 4A champion
Iowa: Valley (West Des Moines), Class 4A champion
Kansas: Bishop Miege (Shawnee Mission), 4A Division I champion
Kentucky: Paul Laurence Dunbar (Lexington),
Projected KHSAA champion
Louisiana: Natchitoches Central (Natchitoches), Class 5A champion
Maine: Portland, Class AA champion
Maryland: DeMatha (Hyattsville), Private school state champion
Massachusetts: Cambridge Rindge & Latin (Cambridge, Mass.),
Projected Division I champion
Michigan: U-D Jesuit (Detroit),
Projected Class A champion
Minnesota: Hopkins (Minnetonka), Class AAAA champion
Mississippi: Columbus, Class 6A champion
Missouri: Chaminade (St. Louis),
Projected Class 5 champion
Montana: Skyview (Billings), Class AA champion
Nebraska: Omaha South (Omaha), Class A champion
Nevada: Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), Division I champion
New Hampshire: Portsmouth,
Projected Division II champion
New Jersey: St. Anthony (Jersey City),
Projected NJSIAA Tournament of Champions winner
New Mexico: Hope Christian (Albuquerque), Class 4A champion
New York: Aquinas Institute (Rochester),
Projected Federation AA champion
North Carolina (NCHSAA): Charlotte Catholic (Charlotte), Class 4A champion
North Carolina (NCISAA): Providence Day (Charlotte), Class 3A champion
North Dakota: Minot, Class A champion
Ohio: Lima Senior (Lima),
Projected Division I champion
Oklahoma: Putnam City West (Oklahoma City), Class 6A champion
Oregon: West Linn, Class 6A champion
Pennsylvania: Roman Catholic (Philadelphia),
Projected Class AAAA champion
Rhode Island: Bishop Hendricken (Warwick), RIH Open champion
South Carolina: Flora (Columbia), Class AAA champion
South Dakota: Sioux Falls Christian (Sioux Falls),
Projected Class A champion
Tennessee: Memphis East (Memphis),
Projected Class AAA champion
Texas: DeSoto (Texas), Class 6A champion
Utah: Bingham (South Jordan), Class 5A champion
Vermont: Burlington, Division I champion
Virginia (VHSL): Norcom (Portsmouth), Class 3A champion
Virginia (VISAA): Episcopal (Alexandria), Division I champion
Washington: Federal Way, Class 4A champion
West Virginia: Morgantown (W.Va.),
Projected Class AAA champion
Wisconsin: Stevens Point,
Projected Division 1 champion
Wyoming: Central (Cheyenne), Class 4A champion
At-large bidsOak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), No. 2 Xcellent 25 national ranking
Montverde Academy (Fla.), No. 3 Xcellent 25 national ranking
Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.), No. 7 Xcellent 25 national ranking
St. Benedict's Prep (Newark, N.J.), No. 8 Xcellent 25 national ranking
La Lumiere (LaPorte, Ind.), No. 10 Xcellent 25 national ranking
Greenforest (Decatur, Ga.), No. 11 Xcellent 25 national ranking
Atascocita (Humble, Texas), No. 15 Xcellent 25 national ranking
Hamilton Heights Christian Academy (Chattanooga, Tenn.), No. 18 Xcellent 25 national ranking
Althoff Catholic (Belleville, Ill.), No. 20 Xcellent 25 national ranking
Lancaster (Texas), No. 22 Xcellent 25 national ranking
Bishop Montgomery (Torrance, Calif.), Ranked nationally by multiple media outlets
Foothills Christian (El Cajon, Calif.), Ranked nationally by multiple media outlets
Miller Grove (Lithonia, Ga.), Ranked nationally by multiple media outlets
Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah), Ranked nationally by multiple media outlets
The Brackets
