Alleged power points flaw could affect Perry boys hoops

3 February 2012 One Comment Kyle Odegard

There is a very interesting story on our website today in which a local engineer and power points guru exposes an alleged flaw in the power points system.

If his allegation is correct, then teams that play more power point games are inadvertently rewarded for simply playing the extra games. Wins magnify the problem more, but if the claim holds true, even losing the extra game is likely to benefit a team.

This is very important because it may alter the landscape of the boys and girls boys basketball tournaments.

There are several real-world examples of who this supposed flaw may affect in the next eight days, but the best example is probably Perry boys basketball. As it stands, the Pumas are 20th overall in the Division I power point rankings and ninth in Section II.

As a reminder, 24 teams make the state tournament, with 12 coming from automatic bids by making the sectional semifinals, and the other 12 coming from at-large berths on the strength of their power ranking.

Perry went 12-6 and is done with its power point games, so it’s very unlikely that the Pumas qualify for the section tournament.

If there is no flaw, missing the tournament would not necessarily be a bad thing, because as of now, the No. 8 seed (Dobson) would have to face top-ranked Corona del Sol. If the Aztecs hypothetically beat the Mustangs in the first round, it could actually help Perry because Dobson would tack on a loss to its power point record, which common sense dictates would make the Mustangs slide down in power points.

However, if the flaw is real, a loss in the extra game is actually going to help teams. There is a very real possibility that every team that loses in the first round of the section tournaments gets a boost to their power point rankings.

This is obviously a big problem for Perry, because any team below them in the power rankings could get a boost for losing in the section while the Pumas sit idle.

It also hurts teams like Desert Ridge and Highland, who were probably longshots to qualify for the tournament but now would have no chance at all if the formula is flawed. Chaparral will likely be in the same boat if they don’t make the Section III tournament.

If Dobson and Hamilton win tonight, both teams should qualify for the section tournament and would subsequently greatly enhance their chances at making the postseason if this flaw is real.

One last point: If any of the lower seeds make a run to the sectional finals or win it, this flaw will allow them to make a gigantic leap in the standings (possibly into the top-8).

So hold on to your hats. If this alleged mistake rears its head during the sectional tournaments, there are going to be a lot of unhappy coaches by the end of next week.