Every new high school basketball season brings lots of changes, but this season seems packed with more adjustments than usual.
Examples:
- League realignments and a redistribution of state berths following statewide school reclassification.
- New head coaches, including two at one local school, Cascade High, where Ed Bowers is the Bruins’ first-year girls hoops coach and Dan Hornaday is the Bruins’ new boys hoops head coach.
- A revamped state tournament format.
Regarding the latter change, instead of the longstanding 16-team state tournament at one site, this season will feature first-round (round of 16) games at various regional locations. According to the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, there will be two No. 1 seeds and two No. 2 seeds at each first-round site. The No. 1s will play each other and the No. 2s will play each other.
The winner of the No. 1s will qualify for the round of eight. The loser of the No. 1s will play the winner of the No. 2s, and the winner of that game will also advance to the final eight.
Got all that?
Five local schools will host first-round games on Feb. 25-26 in the revamped state boys and girls basketball tournaments.
- Jackson High (4A boys and 4A girls)
- Marysville-Pilchuck High (3A boys and 3A girls)
- Stanwood High (2A boys and 2A girls)
- Glacier Peak High (1A boys and 1A girls)
- Mountlake Terrace High (1B boys and 1B girls)
See the complete list of first-round sites and schedules here
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