The last couple of weeks has brought a much-debated issue for both boys and girls basketball teams in the area, one that varies from league-to-league.
Should there be conference tournaments before the state tournament?
One on hand, Kosmo can side with the leagues like the OAA who want nothing to do with them.
It's a pain to plan the tournaments around regular season schedules, and teams understandably want to avoid having to play one another four times in year. Some rivals can meet twice in the regular season, once in the conference tournament and once in the state tournament.
The OAA used to have conference tournaments about 10 years ago, but obviously felt it wasn't worth it.
With the season change that moved the girls season from fall to winter, it's especially difficult for a league with as many teams like the OAA to pull off a conference tournament.
On the other hand, the Catholic League, Metro Conference and the KLAA do have conference tournaments, and Kosmo has to admit, the last couple of weeks have been exciting. Kids have gotten a good sneak preview of what playoff atmospheres will be like once the state tournament arrives, so it's been nothing but beneficial.
Kosmo knows conference tournaments aren't the easiest things to pull off, but leagues like the CHSL and the KLAA have it right. Hopefully the OAA can find a way to re-institute a conference tournament in the future that can be both beneficial to the schools competition-wise and easy on administrators to plan and run.