14 automatic qualifiers have been decided through district tournament results and next up for the 3A basketball bracket is the release of the 32-team state tournament bracket.  Pairings for the boys division are set for release for today but Colorado Preps gets a jump on the process with some projections below.  These are unofficial but should give a close indication of where teams may end up.

District champions are placed in the top eight if they finish in the top 16 of RPI through play on Saturday.  Seven districts are in the division so that leaves at least one at-large bid for a top eight seed and that will go the highest ranked non-district champion in RPI.  If a district champion is not in the top 16, a second at-large team will be awarded a top eight seed and again that selection will be based on RPI.

The top eight teams host the first two rounds of the tournament next week with the eight champions on Saturday advancing to the Great 8 at the University of Denver March 10-12.  Please note the bracket WILL NOT be reseeded after regional action.

Academy upset Middle Park to win the Frontier division but the Wildcats are not in the top 16 of RPI.  So that leaves two open spots for at-large teams to move into the top eight.  Based on RPI standings from Sunday morning, those clubs are Colorado Academy and Resurrection Christian.  Both teams are regular season conference champions that were beaten in their respective district tournament.

So those two join the six remaining district champions for seeds into the top eight – and according to RPI, they will be placed in this order.

  1. Sterling
  2. St Mary’s
  3. Aspen
  4. Colorado Academy
  5. Centauri
  6. Resurrection Christian
  7. Manual
  8. Eagle Ridge Academy

Now that leaves a long list of remaining qualifiers into the field.  The last entry is Delta.  The Panthers would not qualify through the RPI process but get in as the second automatic qualifier from the Western Slope.  So they bump La Junta and possibly Banning Lewis from the field.  They were 32nd and 33rd in positioning for the bracket and since Banning Lewis beat La Junta, we weren’t sure if the committee would move the Stallions ahead of the Tigers and into the field.  With Delta joining the bracket, that discussion is moot.

So here are the remaining qualifiers are added to the district champions for the overall seed order.

  1. Sterling
  2. St Mary’s
  3. Aspen
  4. Colorado Academy
  5. Centauri
  6. Resurrection Christian
  7. Manual
  8. Eagle Ridge Academy
  9. Faith Christian
  10. Highland
  11. Middle Park
  12. Salida
  13. Pagosa Springs
  14. Englewood
  15. University
  16. Eaton
  17. Lutheran
  18. Colorado Springs Christian
  19. Academy
  20. Kent Denver
  21. Manitou Springs
  22. Alamosa
  23. DSST-Montview
  24. Platte Valley
  25. Brush
  26. Fort Lupton
  27. DSST-Green Valley Ranch
  28. Pinnacle
  29. Moffat County
  30. Prospect Ridge
  31. Denver West
  32. Delta

Now we moved University ahead of Eaton since the Bulldogs won the head to head matchup and we understand the committee can flip teams in that situation if they are touching on the seed line (next to one another).  We did the same with Academy and Kent Denver as the Wildcats won their meeting with the Sun Devils.  A third such situation happened between Manitou Springs and Alamosa so the Mustangs get one spot higher in the bracket.

So here is the projected bracket.  Games are listed in bracket order.  We had to flip Kent Denver and Manitou Springs in spots 20 and 21 since Manitou was paired with league rival Salida in the first round originally.  Manitou Springs could be exchanged with Alamosa at number 22 but that would put the Moose in the same bracket with local rival Centauri.  They could play in the second round and that’s allowed so the committee will have a choice there.

REGION 1
#1 Sterling
#32 Delta
#16 Eaton
#17 Lutheran
REGION 8
#8 Eagle Ridge Academy
#25 Brush
#9 Faith Christian
#24 Platte Valley
REGION 4
#4 Colorado Academy
#29 Moffat County
#13 Pagosa Springs
#20 Manitou Springs
REGION 5
#5 Centauri
#28 Pinnacle
#12 Salida
#21 Kent Denver

 

REGION 2
#2 St Mary’s
#31 Denver West
#15 University
#18 Colorado Springs Christian
REGION 7
#7 Manual
#26 Fort Lupton
#10 Highland
#23 DSST-Montview
REGION 3
#3 Aspen
#30 Prospect Ridge
#14 Englewood
#19 Academy
REGION 6
#6 Resurrection Christian
#27 DSST-Green Valley Ranch
#11 Middle Park
#22 Alamosa