Sweet Homecoming

Wednesday night was senior night at North Carolina Wesleyan College and it was also play for Kay night as NCW held their night for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund.  So the men took to the court first at 5:30 hosting Methodist College and former State Champion Point guard for the Rocky Mount Gryphons Tabias  Hilliard running the controls for Methodist.

Hilliard was one of three players to score 15 points as Methodist beats NCW 80-69.  Hilliard was 6-9 shooting including 3/4 from three point land and had four assist.  Conference wise Methodist is now while  7-6 while NCW fell to 6-7 and the Battling Bishops close out their regular season Sunday at Ferrum. The conference tournament is next week.

This week highschoolot.com gave their opinion that with this being the second year in a row in which weather has played havoc with the conference tournaments it was time for all high school conferences to do away with conference tournaments.  Asking high schools to do away with their conference basketball tournaments is like asking the ACC to stop having the ACC tournament.

The bigger the ACC gets team wise now at 15 the least enjoyable it is for those who love to go to three days and seven games of basketball the way it use to be.  Now with five days  eleven games  it is hard on anybody's body.  We all know why the ACC had a tournament from the first year of the league.  The four North Carolina schools could fill up Reynolds Coliseum for three straight days and bring in plenty of loot for all conference members.  The Clemson's of the world never won a game but they got their share of the gate receipts.

High schools are the same especially in these times the conference tournament are more important than ever.  Whenever you can catch the host team being one of the very best in the tournament large crowds show up and all the money in the end is split with all members.

High school tournaments do give the underdog one last shot to redeem their season.  It is possible that the last place team or any team that feels  they have improved as the season went on and are playing their best ball of the year but are not an upper crust team can win their tournament and work their way into the state playoffs.

The ACC no longer is win to get in but now if we win a couple it might puts us in the top 68 to make the NCAA tournament.  So basketball tournaments whether it is a Thanksgiving Tournament, Christmas or end of the year conference is nothing more than a money maker.  Why don't you go ask the Glaxo Tournament at Broughton at Christmas to not have one next year and they will kick you out of the place.

Don't care where the tournament is or at what level they all make money.  You find one that doesn't and there won't be one next year.  High schools need income to support all their athletic programs and conference basketball tournaments are one of their top money makers.  The best way to make money is play about three home games during the state football playoffs.  Just go ask Tarboro how much money they made during their five years of glory.

As long as there is money to make there will be season ending conference basketball tournaments whether they effect the state playoff seeding or not.  Ask any Big East athletic director  now how are they going to support athletics next year without this years tournament money  and most will answer.  Go out to the community and beg for help.