by: Marc Stern
As we enter the 22nd and final day of the 2023 Capitol Hoops Summer League at DeMatha+ there’s a lot up for grabs when it comes to playoff positioning and seeding.
The playoffs begin on Monday, June 26th. All playoffs will take place at DeMatha.
48 teams have competed this season and 24 will qualify for the playoffs. The top 8 seeds will receive a first round bye. Seeds 9-24 will face off in eight first round games on 6/26 and winners will advance to play the top 8 who receive that coveted bye.
At approximately 10:15PM tonight (Wednesday, 6/21) seeding will be determined and tie breakers will be sorted out. In the event that only two teams tie with a specific record and they have a head to head result, that will serve as the tie breaker. In any scenario where more than two teams are tied with a specific record, we will draw names out of a hat at random to determine seeding.
The biggest game of the night and perhaps the regular season pairs up undefeated Bullis and the 8-1 Brandywine Boyz (Gwynn Park). If BB can pull off the upset we will have up to five teams tied at 9-1. If Bullis wins they will claim the #1 seed and up to three teams could tie for the #2-#4 seeds. At 8-1, DeMatha and the Tenley Tigers can clinch a first round bye with a victory.
Another big game on the day 22 docket is Alexandria City vs RWE Lions (Largo). Alexandria City would finish 8-2 with a victory and finish in a tie with anywhere between four and seven teams. A pivotal coin flip would then leave one 8-2 team without a first round bye.
Up to eight teams can potentially finish at 7-3 and all will qualify for playoffs, and play a first round game. Up to eight teams could finish 6-4 and they will all play a first round game as well.
As always, the most exciting coin flip situations of the night will determine who makes the cut and who misses out. With a slew of 5-5 teams hovering around the 24th seed, a random game of chance will seal many teams’ fate. Annapolis Area Christian is the only team in this boat that controls their own destiny. A win tonight versus Flint Hill stamps their spot in the playoffs and 22 spots would be spoken for. Should AACS fall they would join Landon, Clarksville (River Hill), Forest Park, New Hope Academy, St. Mary’s Ryken, Good Counsel, and Warriors (Sherwood). Three of those seven schools would qualify for playoffs through the blind draw.
Tune in to IG Live tonight at approximately 10-10:15PM where the annual drawing will take place. Good luck to all.