IHSAA - REALLY!? GIRLS STATE FINALS IN INDIANA

[bruinbball]

Everyone, I ask for your help! The IHSAA (the NCAA - similarly incompetent), Indiana's High School athletic association is requiring the girls to play on a 94' floor for the State Finals at the Hulman Center in Terre Haute - Indiana State University. I am not sure why this drives me nuts, but in my opinion, this is a disgrace to the girls that earned their trips to the finals on the standard 84' high school floor. Indiana has a 10 second clock, but no shot clock and while this may not change the game a bunch, it is still unacceptable to not have a proper floor provided for these girls to play on.

Please help voice your opinion on Twitter to @ihsaa1 . So yo can be blocked like I will be shortly!

 

[meyers7]

Everyone, I ask for your help! The IHSAA (the NCAA - similarly incompetent), Indiana's High School athletic association is requiring the girls to play on a 94' floor for the State Finals at the Hulman Center in Terre Haute - Indiana State University.

Sounds like a great idea to me. I'm all for it. I imagine they would love to play on a real size court. I would support any kind of petition, etc. that would force them have the girls play on the 94 ft court.

 

[bruinbball]

Sounds like a great idea to me. I'm all for it. I imagine they would love to play on a real size court. I would support any kind of petition, etc. that would force them have the girls play on the 94 ft court.

Hey Smarty Pants - I'm against it. Why have them play on a 84' floor the entire season and then change the dynamics just before the final game. The coaches and teams were just notified of this last night - it's a disgrace to the integrity of the high school game.

 

[meyers7]

Hey Smarty Pants - I'm against it. Why have them play on a 84' floor the entire season and then change the dynamics just before the final game. The coaches and teams were just notified of this last night - it's a disgrace to the integrity of the high school game.

Hey Indiana Guru - I'm for it. They should be playing on the big girl court as much as possible.

I suppose you would like them to lower the basket for the little girls too???? Maybe use a smaller ball???? Hey I got an idea. Let's have them play 6v6 and then they wouldn't have to run the whole length of the court. Could play like 3 on offense and 3 on defense.

 

[ThisJustIn]

I think the boys should play on a 84' court, just to even up the score.

 

[bruinbball]

Hey Indiana Guru - I'm for it. They should be playing on the big girl court as much as possible.

I suppose you would like them to lower the basket for the little girls too???? Maybe use a smaller ball???? Hey I got an idea. Let's have them play 6v6 and then they wouldn't have to run the whole length of the court. Could play like 3 on offense and 3 on defense.

The 84' court is the high school standard for boys and girls. My problem is that this would never be done to the Indiana's boys high school championship game. The girls game has been moved around the state since the '09-'10 season to the highest bidder/lowest cost option to conserve funds while the guys game has been held in Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis every season. This is the second year in a row at the Hulman Center and last years' floor was hideous. Usually the girls state final is the same weekend as the Big Ten Tourney and there has been a scheduling conflict with Bankers Life. This year the Big Ten is in Chicago and the Finals are the weekend prior to the Big Ten Tourney - no reason they shouldn't have been held in Indianapolis.

http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20130226/SPORTS05/302269983/1008/SPORTS

To me, it's more of a slap in the face to the girls that earned their way to the finals on standard '84 foot floors - which is all of them. The IHSAA should not have compromised on the size of the floor when determining the location of the finals. While it may seem trivial, why should their final game be different than the other games they have played this season? They will have time to play on the 94' floor when they get to college - this is not a college game or a high school All-Star game and the expectations should not have changed.

 

[meyers7]

http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20130226/SPORTS05/302269983/1008/SPORTS

To me, it's more of a slap in the face to the girls that earned their way to the finals on standard '84 foot floors - which is all of them. The IHSAA should not have compromised on the size of the floor when determining the location of the finals. While it may seem trivial, why should their final game be different than the other games they have played this season? They will have time to play on the 94' floor when they get to college - this is not a college game or a high school All-Star game and the expectations should not have changed.

I think it is an improvement to play on the bigger courts. And according to the article the coaches didn't seem to have a problem. "The coaches were informed today at the meeting in Terre Haute, and the impression we received was that it was a favorable decision particularly from those that played there last year.”

Of course I am speaking from the epicenter of high school basketball, Illinois. (where "March Madness" originated) IIRC from when I was growing up, the boys and girls always played the state tourney (quarters, semi's and finals) at UofI in Champaign on the Illini floor. Different weekends. Now I believe they play it at two separate places. One being the IL St. floor. I guess they just do it differently at the epicenter.

 

[bruinbball]

Well, in 49 states it just Basketball...but this is Indiana. If you would have seen the floor last year, you would have laughed, it was almost comical.

 

[trisailin]

Regardless of " I think...", if you "allow" the length of the court to change (for ANY reason), what other rule/equipment change could/should be made just for the state championships? Bruinball's point is that the championships should be played to the SAME standards as the regular season. If EVERYBODY knew at the start of the season, then it's not an issue but changing now can change the dynamics of who/what is successful.

 

[tennparker3]

Wisconsin girl's and boy's end their season at the Kohl Center (Badger's homecourt) and it has been held on a college court for as long as I can remember.

 

[tennparker3]

Also, Minnesota's championship games at held at either the Gopher's homecourt (Williams Arena) or Target Center (T-wolves) depending on the division (larger schools are usually at Target Center).

 

[bruinbball]

A lot of Championships are held on college or pro courts. Indiana always adjusted the floor to match the standard 84' length. This is the first year they are not - and I wouldn't have a problem with it other than:

1: They notified the teams about it 5 days before the final game - due to distance, a few schools will not make the State Finals banquet and will not have a chance to practice on the floor - others will.
2:They would not make this alteration for the boys games in Indiana.

 

[meyers7]

Well, in 49 states it just Basketball...but this is Indiana. If you would have seen the floor last year, you would have laughed, it was almost comical.

Well I'd put Illinois at least with Indiana, if not above. You know, it's where March Madness started.

I did read with all the lines on the floor it was ridiculous last year.

 

[meyers7]

Regardless of " I think...", if you "allow" the length of the court to change (for ANY reason), what other rule/equipment change could/should be made just for the state championships? Bruinball's point is that the championships should be played to the SAME standards as the regular season. If EVERYBODY knew at the start of the season, then it's not an issue but changing now can change the dynamics of who/what is successful.

Truthfully, I doubt it will make much difference. Other states have been doing this for years without any problems. True, they could have let them know (if they knew) earlier, but it's not really a big deal.

 

[Husky68]

What a non issue. Played in gyms where wall was out of bounds, old Central High School that was in the basement, Bassick where one backboard was on the balconey wall and you could hit your head if jumped up on the baseline (assuming you could jump that high ) and the fans would jump and shake the balconey when the opposition was shooting - then played the state quarter finals at the old Uconn field house. Man, what is the wossiness on this. The better off schools played on nicer courts (Fairfield Prep played on Fairfield U floor) and the rest of us just played on what we had. At Harding we didn't get glass backboards till I was a Junior (I missed the ol' dead spots on the wood backboards).
Try no such thing as girls basketball.

 

[meyers7]

2:They would not make this alteration for the boys games in Indiana.

Well there is where your outrage should be directed. Not that the girls "have" to play on the little girl court, but that the guys "don't get" to play on the big boy court.

It's not a punishment for the girls to play on a bigger court, it's a reward. It's better, not worse. You are looking at this completely backwards. It's unfortunate that they have to play on 84 ft the rest of the year. There's also where your outrage can be.

 

[Icebear]

2:They would not make this alteration for the boys games in Indiana.

Boys would find it much harder to adjust. ;-)

 

[rjp172]

I'd be more upset that the games are in Terre Haute than the size of the court. Only Evansville, IN could be a more out of the way, pain in the butt, barely populated location to host the games.

 

[bruinbball]

I'd be more upset that the games are in Terre Haute than the size of the court. Only Evansville, IN could be a more out of the way, pain in the butt, barely populated location to host the games.

Yeah, no idea why they wouldn't allow New Castle and the 9,000+ seated gym and the home of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame couldn't host the event. Sure hotels may be more scarce but the outer edges of Indy are a mere 35 minutes away - Muncie also has a few hotels they could have used for the northern teams that didn't want to make the trip to Indy then New Castle.