Practice officially opens today for high school basketball teams in Colorado with games just one week away.  The shorter than normal pre-season workout schedule is just one of many changes in effect for the 2021 high school hoops season.

The regular season overall is just seven weeks with each team available to play up to 14 games overall.  The post-season has been reduced to just two weeks as district tournaments have been eliminated in Classes 1A, 2A and 3A.   Playoff qualifiers number 24 clubs in Classes 1A through 3A with 32 teams reaching the post-season in the 4A and 5A divisions.

All state tournament brackets will be released on Monday March 8th with the first round of the playoffs set for the very next day.  The top eight seeds in Classes 1A through 3A will earn first round byes with a straight 32 team bracket designed for the largest two divisions.  The rest of the post-season bracket is on this schedule for all classifications with boys & girls set to play on the same days.

Sweet 16 March 11th
Great 8 March 13th
Semifinals March 16th
Championship Finals March 19-20th

 

League champions receive automatic berths to the state playoffs.  And for mixed leagues, only one conference champion in crowned.  For example, there is only one champion in the 3A/4A Colorado league instead of one 3A winner and another in Class 4A.  The same setup will take place in smaller division such as 1A/2A San Juan or the 1A/2A Union Pacific.  Schools must play at least seven games to qualify for the post-season unless they are granted a waiver by CHSAA.

The rest of the playoff field will be determined by the Selection and Seeding index that is very similar to what see in football.  Qualifiers are decided and then placed in bracket based on overall rankings in RPI, MaxPreps, Packard and the CHSAA Coach Poll.  Points from those four data points will be added up and then divided by four to determine at-large bids.  Those teams will join league champions in the playoff bracket.

All playoff contests leading up to the state finals will be hosted by teams with the higher seed.  If fans are allowed at the state finals, then those 10 games will most likely be played at one site over a two-day period; again, much like the football experience in Pueblo.  Under the current structure, the state finals will be played in this order.

  • March 19th: Classes 2A & 4A (boys & girls), 5A Girls
  • March 20th: Classes 1A & 3A (boys & girls), 5A Boys

No consolation games will be conducted at any state tournament this year.