‘CBC Tournament’ comes to Springfield

Seven seeded Central Buckeye Conference teams in lower bracket.

Austin Morgan (44) of Graham is guarded by Brandon McNeil (33) of Greenon during Friday's basketball game at Greenon High School on Jan. 26, 2012. Staff Photo by Barbara J. Perenic

Barbara Perenic/Staff Photographer Austin Morgan (44) of Graham is guarded by Brandon McNeil (33) of Greenon during Friday's basketball game at Greenon High School on Jan. 26, 2012. Staff Photo by Barbara J. Perenic

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By Michael Cooper, Staff Writer 10:53 PM Monday, February 20, 2012

SPRINGFIELD — While the upper bracket at the Division II sectional boys basketball tournament at Springfield High School features the two top seeds in Urbana and Trotwood, the lower bracket could have the best games.

After the two top seeds went to the upper bracket, the next seven seeded teams — all from Central Buckeye Conference, including No. 3 seed Graham and No. 4 seed Shawnee — went to the lower bracket.

One CBC team will be assured a spot in the district championship. Getting out of the mini CBC tournament will be the hard part.

“It’s a toss-up,” said Graham coach Brook Cupps. “I think any team in that bracket could win it, and that includes the lowest-seed team (Ben Logan). You can’t take anything for granted.”

Springfield will host three lower bracket games Saturday, including No. 6 Tippecanoe against No. 9 Benjamin Logan at 3 p.m., No. 5 Bellefontaine against No. 8 Greenon at 4:30 p.m. and No. 7 Kenton Ridge against No. 4 Shawnee at 6 p.m.

“It’s a lot of parity there,” said Shawnee coach Chris McGuire. “We really feel like any team can get out of that bracket. There’s not a lot of difference between those teams.”

Graham will face the winner of Tippecanoe and Ben Logan on Feb. 29 at 6:30 p.m. The Falcons swept Ben Logan this season and beat the Red Devils 57-52 on Jan. 24.

Shawnee could face division rivals in all three rounds. It’ll face stingy KR in the first round, who the Braves swept this season. They also could see Bellefontaine in the second round and Tippecanoe in the sectional final.

“We realize from our standpoint, we’re going to have to play really well to win,” McGuire said. “We know KR is going to come and be ready to play against us.”

There’s been rumors that the D-II sectional could become a super sectional — similar to D-I and D-III — where the 28 Dayton-area schools are seeded together, then choose which sectional bracket they’d like to enter.

The change would likely end any chance of another CBC tournament bracket — and that’s something many of the coaches don’t want.

“It’s really neat for the kids to go to Dayton and play in the district finals,” McGuire said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0365.

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