Boys’ basketball: Seeding committee did not follow its own playoff bulletin
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When the Southern Section seeding committee put together the Division 4AA playoff pairings in boys’ basketball, it did not follow a rule from its own playoff bulletin posted on its website.
According to the rule, adjustments should be made if seeds in the same brackets are from the same league, so if the No.1 and No. 4 seeds are from the same league, No. 4 would become No. 3 and the No. 3 seed would fill the No. 4 designated position.
Instead, No. 4 Gardena Serra was dropped to No. 6, leaving JSerra at No. 3 seed. It means that No. 1 seed Bishop Montgomery is missing the No. 2, 3 and 4 seeds from its bracket. Serra and Bishop Montgomery come from the Del Rey League.
In an email sent by assistant commissioner Rainer Wulf to Serra Athletic Director Ted Dunlap, Wulf wrote, ‘I appreciate you bringing tht part of the bulletin to my attention as it is not accurate with how we have been doing bracket seeding in the years that I have been here. It will be updated to reflect what we talked about on the phone.
‘When we did the 4AA bracket this past weekend, I had myself, Rob [Wigod] and a former commissioner review that specific division because of the anomaly created by the final poll and the positions of Bishop Montgomery and Serra. We then followed what we had done in the past. The same scenario happened in a division with La Canada last year, and we talked specifically about following the same steps.
‘We will be correcting this part of the bulletin to reflect what we have been doing as we feel the top seeds should hold their spot until they have to be moved by Blue Blook criteria. In this case, that holds the top three in their spot and makes the adjustments at 4-5-6. In talking to others, it is consistent with what they have done in their sports as well. I apologize for the confusion and wish you the best in the upcoming playoffs.’
-- Eric Sondheimer