Resolutions, Wishes and Calendar

#3 posting 1.1.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS, WISHES, AND WHAT TO LOOK FOR
RESOLUTIONS
Resolution #1
I will try to see all the better teams in in state. I work off a list and usually work my way down from AAAA to A. I have about 12 teams left to see in AAAA, 22 in AAA, and many, many more in AA, and A. I won't be able to get to all the schools, but I will see all the top AAAA teams, I hope by the end of January.
Resolution #2
To get to games in surrounding states. Time and distance prevent me from seeing more.
Resolution #3
Get my data entry done (things you don't see) by tournament time.
Resolution #4
Add more links and keep them current. If you know of any, feel free to let me know. Go to my profile and email me.
Resolution #5
Move to a full fledged website at some point in the year.

WISHES
#1. That Minnesota would seed the entire state in AAAA 1-64. It is a absolute travesty of justice that the best teams won't be there at the end. I think the semis will be great, but the quarters would be power packed too. Only one of these teams will make it in the current system
Section 2: Kennedy, Edina, Chaska, Eden Prairie, Richfield
Section 3: Eastview, Park-Cottage Grove, Lakeville North, Burnsville
Section 6: Hopkins, Minneapolis South, Armstrong

#2. The ability to see the best in the state vs the best of other states----an Olympic style format. Canada is able to do it with their youth national teams. The United States should be able to get it done too.

#3. A tournament/event/Showcase on Martin Luther King Day like they have in Chicago. There the event stretches from Friday, Saturday to Monday. I am not asking for much, only Monday. It could be a great day.

#4. Better lighting in most high school gyms. With photos now a bigger part of the picture, you can really tell the difference. Good marks go out to Mounds Park, St. Anthony, St. Peter off the top of my head. So schools are living in the dark ages.

#5. More box scores in the papers, online and hard copies. The Mankato Free Press---I am directing this to you. (I will be grading out the mainstream media on their coverage later in the year, with box scores a big part of the grade.)

#6. More RSS feeds. What am I talking about? It is a way to "subscribe" and get updates automatically on your home page from different websites. You can do it with this site for example. But some colleges don't have their act together. I guess I will call out Michigan, Michigan State and Northwestern to name a few. Join 2008 and get it done.

#7. Better cuisine at the concession stands. Yes hot dogs are fine, but this last week not one site had pizza. Reporters can not live on hot dogs alone.

#8. Lower Gas prices. Venturing across the state far and wide ain't free.

#9. more reader content---like Thorpe on a Soap Box, Teas' Peeves, or special segments from Seashells & Balloons. Thorpe I think is in seclusion.

THE YEAR AHEAD
Mark your calendars
January/February--conference races will heat up. Classic games are in the offing. Too many games, too many choices. Only one site at a time makes it tough. Any and every Tuesday and Friday will have a prime time match up. I know I will miss some donnybrooks, but I will be at the best game available (see Resolution #1).

Tournaments begin:
IOWA: Feb 7 districts kick off with tournament finals taking place on Monday, Feb. 18 and Tuesday, Feb. 19. Here are all the pairings and sites. The State tournament starts Monday, Feb. 25 and runs through March 1 in Des Moines.

MICHIGAN: Their districts tip off on Feb. 18 and wrap up Feb. 22. The Regionals are Feb 26 & 28. The State Quarters are on March 4. The Semis and Finals are March 6-8 at Ypsilanti, Michigan.

MINNESOTA: The Subsections in class A start as early as February 21. Most get going the week of Feb. 25-March 1. Section finals take place the following week. The State tournament is March 12-15 at the Target Center and Williams Arena. Here is a list of all pertinent information.

NORTH DAKOTA: It appears district tournaments start as early as Feb. 12. Regionals are the 18, 19, 21 in B; 28, 29, and March 1 in A. State for B: Feb. 28, 29, March 1. State for A: March 6, 7, 8.

SOUTH DAKOTA: Districts start Feb 18 & 19. Regions run from Feb 26 to Feb. 29. AA schools regions are Feb 25-March 1. The state tournaments take place a week later, March 6-8. Huron gets the Bs; Watertown the As, and Rapid City the AAs.

WISCONSIN: Regionals start on Feb. 26 and March 1 for D1. For the rest of the classes their regionals run Feb. 26, 28, and March 1. Sectionals are March 6, 7, 8 and the state tournament is March 13-15 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison.

The AAU season actually kicks off in March with the Iowa State AAU tournament at Des Moines Hoover on March 28-30.

APRIL
There will be a variety of AAU type tournaments.
The Wisconsin Viking club holds one in Menomonie on April 11-13.
April 18-20 – Charlotte, NC adidas Super South Showcase
April 18-20 Dick's Early Bird Rouser at Bloomington Jefferson
April 26-28 Battle of the Dimes at Hortonville, Wisconsin.

MAY
The Minnesota State AAU Tournaments will be held May 9-10-11.
Battle of the Hardwood, May 31-June 1 at Woodbury.

JUNE
June 26-28 Dakota Showcase in Sioux Falls, South Dakota

JULY
July 3-8 Big Show at Kearney, Nebraska
July 6-9 End of the Trail, at Oregon City, Oregon
July 10-16 AAU Nationals at Orlando, Florida
July 10-13 Miss Basketball Showcase in Kearney, Nebraska
July 12-15 – College Station, (TX Texas A&M) adidas Womanhood Championships
July 22-24 – Lincoln, NE Battle on the Plains
July 22-25--River City, Memphis
the North/Tartan Meltdown wraps up the AAU season on July 26-27-28. That tournament will also be going up against the MN Stars Mid America Championships.
July 29-31 – Cincinnati, OH adidas Summer Slam)
July 28-31 – Las Vegas, NV adidas Womanhood National

There will also be High school summer leagues, team camps, and all star camps too in July.

AUGUST
AAU will be done by then. The culmination of the summer is with the Sweet 16 held at the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, MN. That will take place Aug. 2 & 3.

SEPTEMBER
Fall leagues kick in.
Showcase events at the end of the month.

OCTOBER
The leaves will be falling, and expect an avalanche of verbals to fall too. Where will Tayler Hill of Minneapolis South land?

NOVEMBER
The high school practice season begins. The Hamline tournament will be held Nov 28 & 29.

DECEMBER
High school seasons will be in full swing. The holiday tournaments may be a bit tricky next year with Christmas falling on a Thursday. Look for many to start Monday, Dec. 29.

By no means is this a full and comprehensive list. But it does give you a start.

Thanks again to the best readers on the internet for the help.

next up: tomorrow morning.