2017-18 Week 12: The Eyes Have It Over the Machine
Who won, the ratings or the seedings? Since the seedings are based on the ratings and the ratings are based on the Ocomputer, the question should be who won, the computer or the human eye?
So far, the computer is trailing the organ of sight, at least in this impromptu survey.
Writer John Maffei of The San Diego Union, employing the eyeball test, has selected the winner in 77.8 per cent of games each Friday during the season since 2015.
Lead seeded teams, based on Max Preps ratings this season, have won 42 of the 60 games in the first two weeks of the San Diego Section playoffs, or 67.7 per cent. A nice number, but….
Heading into this week’s semifinals, there are 9 lower seeds (5 and above) still alive.
Higher seeded teams won 29 of 40 first-round games, 72.5 per cent, although there were a couple unexpected whoppers.
Fifteen seed University City upset Division IV No. 2 Rancho Buena Vista, 61-51, and 14 seed El Centro Central tripped No. 3 Bonita Vista, 55-54 in D-III.
The higher seeds won 13 of 20 second round games, 65 per cent, but there were more surprises.
No. 9 Francis Parker, coached by veteran Jim Tomey, who won a state championship at University High with Luke Walton, Nate Staggs, and others in 1998, ousted No. 1 Montgomery, 80-76, in D-III and No. 8 El Centro Southwest ushered out No. 1 Maranatha, 57-55, in D-IV.
Three fifth seeds, three sixes, and one seventh, eighth, and ninth, respectively, are in the hunt as the semifinals get under way Wednesday.
Boys Open and D-1 championships will be Saturday at Viejas Arena. Divisions II, III, and IV will be at San Marcos High. La Costa Canyon will host D-V. All games Wednesday are scheduled to tip at 7 p.m.
Full disclosure: Maffei admitted to not doing so well in the 2017 playoffs, tabbing around 50 per cent of the winners, but that included the Southern and state postseason, involving many teams the writer had not seen.
Semifinals pairings:
| Division | Team | Record | Opponent | Record |
| Open | 5 Mater Dei | 24-6 | @1 Foothills Christian | 25-5 |
| 3 Mission Bay | 25-5 | @2 Torrey Pines | 28-2 | |
| I | 5 Orange Glen | 18-12 | @1 El Camino | 17-12 |
| 6 Mission Hills | 16-12 | @2 Santa Fe Christian | 18-11 | |
| II | 9 Francis Parker | 12-12 | @5 Otay Ranch | 18-10 |
| 3 The Bishop’s | 17-10 | @2 Christian | 20-8 | |
| III | 4 Hoover | 19-9 | @1 Mount Miguel | 28-4 |
| 7 Brawley | 20-9 | @6 Carlsbad | 14-15 | |
| IV | 8 El Centro Southwest | 18-11 | @4 Tri-City | 19-11 |
| 6 Guajome Park | 20-5 | @2 San Diego | 20-7 | |
| V | 3 Escondido Charter | 13-12 | @2 San Diego Southwest | 15-12 |
| 5 San Diego Academy | 14-12 | @1The Cambridge | 17-1 |
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SEEDING
| Team | Record | Opponent | Record |
| St. Augustine | 17-8 | San Marcos | 23-7 |
Since all eight Open Division teams automatically qualify for the Southern California regional playoffs, a seeding game was necessary for the quarterfinals losers, St. Augustine and San Marcos, which will meet Thursday at 7 p.m. at San Marcos.
The Saints were beaten, 85-55, by Foothills Christian, representing revenge for the Knights, who lost a playoff at St. Augustine, 72-69, in 2017.
Foothills stifled the Saints with a suffocating zone defense, which coach Mike Haupt’s team could not penetrate. The Saints shot air balls and rim rattlers from three-point range.
The only similarity to the 2017 contest was the Knights’ propensity for technical fouls. They had three in the 2017 game and two in the encore.