High school hoops season expands to 22 games

Coaches convince OHSAA to boost its  20-game limit.

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By Skip Weaver, Staff Writer Updated 7:13 AM Monday, June 13, 2011

MIDDLETOWN — The high school basketball season just got a little longer.

The Ohio High School Athletic Association approved by a 5-4 vote on Thursday at its June meeting a proposal to allow member schools to play up to 22 regular-season games beginning with the 2012-13 season.

The proposal was made by the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association. However, the length of the season will not be expanded and teams do not have to play 22 games.

“I think it’s a great thing,” said Hamilton High School boy’s basketball coach Tim Robinson. “I think it gives us more opportunities to play in some tournaments.”

Robinson said his Big Blue squad has not played in any holiday tournaments in recent years, but HHS hopes to add something in the future, possibly even as a host.

“I think it would be good to play teams from other areas,” Robinson said.

Hamilton was 6-15 overall and 3-11 in the Greater Miami Conference last season.

First-year Middletown coach Josh Andrews also likes the idea.

“I’m a fan of it,” Andrews said. “It does multiple things, but the key thing is the flexibility to scheduling.

“It’s going to allow teams to play a schedule that will help them prepare for a postseason run,” he added.

The Middies, who finished 18-5 overall and 11-3 in the GMC last season, competed in a holiday tournament in Louisville, Ky. They played three games including a loss in the tournament championship game.

Teams in the GMC currently play a 14-game league schedule, which means in a 20-game season teams can only schedule six nonleague games.

“Now you can balance out the schedule and still accomplish what you are trying to do,” Andrews said. “It will also be beneficial for the kids in gaining that much more experience. I just don’t see any negatives with it.”

State games

The difference in games played by state champs:

Michigan: Boys Class A (big school), Kalamazoo Central (25-3).

Indiana: Girls 4A (big school), Jeffersonville (28-2).

Kentucky: Boys, Christian County (25-9).

Ohio: Division I boys (big school), Cin. LaSalle (26-2).

Ohio: D-I girls, Twinsburg (27-0).

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