5 reactions to the OHSAA boys basketball district tournament draws
There is still more than a week left in the boys basketball regular season, but teams statewide learned their postseason paths in the district tournament draws Sunday.
Olentangy Orange (19-1), which won its first 17 games and spent a few weeks atop the Associated Press state poll, is the top seed in the Central District in Division I. Hartley (15-3), Columbus Academy (16-3) and Northside Christian (14-5) lead divisions II, III and IV, respectively.
This is the first season seeds were determined statewide by a ratings percentage index adopted by the Ohio High School Athletic Association rather than coaches’ votes.
The Central District still employs an open draw in which coaches place their teams on the bracket.
Here are five takeaways from the draws:
1. Central District’s ‘bottom’ Division I bracket is loaded
It’s the lowest on the page of the four Division I district brackets, but it might ultimately produce the most drama.
Only one of third-seeded New Albany (16-4), No. 4 Newark (17-3) and No. 6 Westerville North (16-4) – if any – will emerge as a district champion from the late game March 9 at Ohio Dominican.
New Albany, which under first-year coach Tim Casey already has won the OCC-Ohio, jumped on defending district champion Newark after passing the first time its name was called. The teams could meet in a semifinal March 6.
Casey has utilized the pass many times over the years, usually with success considering he has won more than 500 games.
The bracket also includes last year’s state runner-up and 2022 state champion, No. 15 Pickerington Central (12-7), which could see North in a semifinal. Central handed Orange its loss, beating the Pioneers 59-56 on Feb. 3.
2. Bottom bracket winner probably faces No. 1 Olentangy Orange at regional
The champion of the bottom district bracket earns a showdown with the winner of Orange's bracket in the first of two regional semifinals March 13 at Ohio Dominican.
Orange could face No. 9 South in a district semifinal and No. 8 Reynoldsburg in a final.
Fifth-seeded Hilliard Bradley (14-5) is the best seed in its bracket, which also includes No. 7 Licking Heights (16-3), No. 13 Westerville Central (12-7), No. 14 Pickerington North (12-7) and No. 17 Olentangy Liberty (12-8).
That district champion lines up for a potential regional semifinal against No. 2 Delaware Hayes (19-1), which is the only single-digit seed in its bracket.
3. Hartley doesn’t have easy road in Division II
If the top seeds hold serve in Division II, the No. 1 Hawks will face tough challenges as they battle for a district championship.
Hartley could see No. 8 Granville (12-8) in a semifinal March 6 and No. 2 River Valley (15-5) in a final March 9 at Central Crossing. River Valley opted to take a spot in Hartley's bracket that also includes a first-round bye.
In the other portion of the bracket, defending regional champion Ready (13-6) is seeded third and could see No. 6 Jonathan Alder (12-7) in a semifinal. No. 4 Bloom-Carroll (13-7) and No. 5 Watterson (11-8) could meet in the other semifinal.
4. Columbus Academy locks up top seed in Division III
The Vikings are a No. 1 seed for the first time in the 11-season tenure of coach Jeff Warstler. They last won a district title in 2008, as a No. 3 seed, and earned No. 2 seeds in 2013 and 2017.
Academy could face No. 9 Grove City Christian (15-4) in a semifinal March 4. No. 4 Northridge (14-5) or No. 5 Worthington Christian (15-4) could be the matchup in a final March 7 at Ohio Dominican.
The Vikings (8-2) are second in the Central Buckeye League behind Worthington Christian (9-1) with two games to play, including a matchup between the teams in their league finale Friday at Academy. The Vikings won the first meeting 52-44 on Jan. 16.
The other bracket includes No. 2 North Union (16-3), No. 3 Harvest Prep (16-4), No. 6 Fairbanks (18-4), No. 7 Heath (14-5), No. 8 Fredericktown (13-5) and No. 10 Cardington (14-6).
Harvest Prep has won back-to-back district titles and five in the past six seasons. The Warriors might be peaking at the perfect time, as they have won nine consecutive games.
5. Northside Christian again tops Division IV
Even with a different look from a season ago, the Lions are the No. 1 seed in Division IV for a second year in a row.
Last year’s leader, now-junior forward Landon Vanderwarker, now plays at Delaware. He paced the Lions to the regional final at Ohio University, the path this year’s team would take.
Third-seeded Galion Northmor (13-5) and No. 4 Patriot Prep (12-7) are possible district final opponents.
Second-seeded Shekinah Christian (17-3) headlines the bracket that will feed into the Kettering Fairmont regional. No. 5 Tree of Life (11-8) and sixth-seeded Fisher Catholic (9-9) are in line for a district semifinal meeting, with the winner possibly seeing Shekinah.
Only the top five teams in the 19-team bracket have winning records. Ninth-seeded Morral Ridgedale is 9-9.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: OHSAA boys basketball: 5 takeaways from the postseason pairings
