AD Leeth weighs in on hot topics

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

Added divisions in sports like basketball, volleyball, soccer, baseball and softball, a still new Ratings Performance Index (RPI), a shot clock and no more neutral court sectional tournament games have generated discussion among local and area high school coaches, athletic directors and fans.

Last week, the VW independent polled area girls and boys basketball coaches on those topics and the results were very interesting. A link to the story and results can be found by clicking here. After the feature ran, Lincolnview Athletic Director Greg Leeth emailed his thoughts on those topics, from an athletic director’s standpoint. With his permission, here is what Leeth had to say.

Division expansion

“I am open to division expansion that seeks to address enrollment disparities, especially at the D1 level. Additionally, I would like to see the talent disparity addressed at the lower divisions, especially in basketball. The competitive balance initiative has helped move some schools to larger divisions; however, I believe a few schools have adjusted to the system to the degree that they are able to maintain D3 or D4 status while attracting transfers/open enrollees who are potential DI college prospects. Richmond Heights is the latest example of this. I sent a proposal to the OHSSA for open divisions using CB numbers. I have attached my proposal to this email if you are interested in reading.”

The proposal can be seen here.

RPI

“I heard positive feed back from our coaches when we used Martin RPI last season. I like that there was a strength of schedule factor to last year’s seeding. Unfortunately, Max Preps has been historically inaccurate because it relies on coaches input. I cringe when I hear about teams or individuals “ranked” whatever in Ohio when I know not all schools actually contribute to Max Preps. This inaccuracy may change because the OHSAA has mandated the use of Max Preps. Previously, Max Preps was just another company (like Hometown Ticketing, Gipper, and Final Forms) that the OHSAA partnered with and encouraged schools to use.”

Shot clock

“I am opposed to the shot clock. I see few if any schools possess the ball longer than 20-30 seconds as it is, so I don’t see a need to take away a potential strategy for a school that can hold the ball longer to get their best shot. Administratively, the shot clock poses some problems. Another volunteer is needed at the score table and nearly every college game I watch there is a problem with the shot clock at some point in the game. How would we rectify errors in a high school game? I assume the 27 states who use it have the answer. Lastly. If we want to see more points scored in games, we are addressing the wrong issue. The reduction in scoring over the years has occurred because the game is more physical and less skilled. My opinion is players are less skilled because of the proliferation of club, travel, and youth teams emphasizing playing games rather than developing skills.”

Higher seed hosts

“I am a traditionalist and like neutral sites for tournament. I like the atmosphere and the hope that an upset can occur on a neutral court. That being said, I recognize that the high school sports scene has changed. With district level seeding, fewer schools willing to host, and fewer people actually attending games, I understand the need to play sectional games at the better seed location. My concern is that when Lincolnview is good in boys’ basketball, our gym is not large enough to admit all the fans who will want to see us play. The opportunity to purchase sectional tickets is going to be split 50/50 between the two participating schools. This is fair; however, I foresee a time when fans are not able to attend a particular game because of the intense interest in our local schools.”

A vote on the first topic, expansion could come as soon as this Thursday by the OHSAA’s Board of Directors.