Basketball playoffs: NCHSAA adjusts playoff schedule

Published 3:04 pm Friday, February 27, 2015

Drastic changes were announced Friday by the N.C. High School Athletic Association for its basketball state playoffs. The adjustments were a reaction to Winter Storm Remus, which dumped a mix of snow, ice and rain on a majority of the state.

“These extraordinary circumstances have caused us to make significant adjustments in the NCHSAA basketball playoffs,” association commissioner Davis Whitfield said in a statement. “We sincerely appreciate the cooperation of superintendents, principals and our member schools in working with us to complete the basketball playoffs.”

Only 33 of the 256 girls and boys basketball playoff games were complete when the association sent its advisory right before noon Friday.

Every game that cannot be played Friday should be moved to Saturday. If Saturday is not an option, Sunday is. That, however, only applies to first-round games.

Teams must play their first-round game by Sunday. Second-round games must be played Monday, and the third round must be finished by Tuesday.

The start of the regional tournaments were changed from Tuesday to Thursday. Four region semifinal games are scheduled for Thursday and four more for Friday. The regional championship games will be played Saturday.

The adjustment to the schedule means if a team cannot play its first-round game before Sunday, there is a possibility of playing five games in a seven-day span.