The brackets are set for the 2018 ASAA 3A State Basketball Championships and the seeding for the tournament illuminates the inherent problems with the current Winning Percentage Index used as the means to seed the tournament.
The #5 Nikiski Bulldog girls open 3A state basketball tournament play on Thursday, March 22nd against the #4 Barrow Whalers. Both teams are on the same side of the bracket as undefeated ACS.
How can the Nikiski Bulldog girls basketball team be seeded #5 with a 17-3 record against 3A competition; including no losses to any 3A opponent except Anchorage Christian School, the #1 seed for the tournament.
The answer is the WPI.
Girls 3A State Basketball Seeding: based on Winning Percentage Index
#1 Anchorage Christian School
#2 Sitka
#3 Valdez
#4 Barrow
#5 Nikiski
#6 Bethel
#7 Galena
#8 Kotzebue
The ACS Lions earn the #1 seed with an undefeated 3A record, undefeated Southcentral Conference record, and only one loss on the year (loss to 4A Wasilla at the Lady Lynx tournament).
Nikiski #5?
The #5 seed Nikiski girls defeated #2 Sitka, and #4 Barrow at the Grace Hardwood Tournament. The #2 Sitka Wolves loss to both ACS and Nikiski. Barrow, the #3 seed, has losses to Bethel, Sitka and Nikiski and did not play ACS.
ASAA Explanation of WPI: Two Main Categories
1. Your team’s win-loss record (50% of WPI)
2. Your corrected win-loss record of all your opponents (50%).
Based on the WPI, Nikiski was 17-3 for win/loss percentage of .85%; however, the Bulldogs’ opponent’s (bottom four teams in the SCC) win/loss percentage was under .40%! The combined WPI for the Nikiski girls equals .649; dropping Nikiski to the #5 seed.
Sitka (.699) and Barrow (.660) were not weighed down by the composite records of the bottom three SCC teams: Houston 0-20, Joe Redington 4-14, and Seward 6-16. A combined 10-50 win/loss record and 20% winning percentage.
ASAA 3A State Basketball Championship: First Round
Thursday, March 22:
Nikiski vs Barrow 5 p.m. ESPN 1140AM and www.radiokenai.com
Anchorage Christian School vs Kotezbue 3:30 p.m
Valdez vs Bethel 8:00 a.m.
Galena vs Sitka 9:30 a.m.
