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Central's #15 Jerome Parkins sends up the ball for two as Hillhouse's #1 Freddie Wilson tries to block, during Class L state championship action at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. on Saturday Mar. 20, 2010.

Oh, you thought the Central boys basketball season ended with the Class LL championship and the No. 1 ranking in Connecticut?

Well, guess what: there’s still more basketball to play.

The state championship and No. 1 ranking has earned the Hilltoppers a spot in MaxPreps.com‘s national high school championship tournament, appropriately dubbed “MaxMadness.”

It’s an NCAA bracket-style playdown to the No. 1 high school team in the country. The tournament begins tomorrow, April 1, and continues until the national champion is crowned on April 22.

The MaxPreps.com selection committee awarded Central a No. 13 seed in the West. The Hillhoppers will play No. 4 seeded Milton (Alpharetta, Ga.); the 32-2 AAAAA state champions from Georgia.

Milton, which defeated Westlake, Ga. for the title, features a starting five of all underclassmen, all of whom are listed as NCAA Division I-caliber recruits. This includes Ohio State commit Shannon Scott. Also included are  juniors Julian Royal, Dai-Jon Parker, and  sophomore Evan Nolte.

Here’s a video of the Hilltoppers’ opponent via MaxPreps against Westchester, Calif. in the 2009-10 City of Palms Classic  Basketball tournament on Christmas Day, 2009.

Quite impressive.

Central clearly has its work cut out. Winner advances to face the winner of the No. 5 Detroit County Day (Beverly Hills, Mich.)/No. 12 Arrowhead (Hartland, Wis.)  winner in the second round.

CLICK HERE FOR THE TOURNAMENT BRACKET

…OK, early April Fool’s joke. This tournament is entirely fictional. But you can get involved by voting for Central (and its senior-laden squad) to pull the upset over the heavily-favored Eagles.

The voting for the first round begins tomorrow and continues until Sunday. Here’s how it worked and where to vote.

So get your vote out, and see if the Hilltoppers can ride a Cinderella wave to the national championship!

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As expected, Central was correctly voted No. 1 in the final CSWA State Polls today after a tremendous 27-1* season

The Hilltoppers destroyed practically all-FCIAC comers in the regular season, won the FCIAC and then ripped through the ultra-tough Class LL championship bracket and toppled a very tough and motivated Hillhouse squad in the title game.

The forfeit loss to Staples, was merely an unfortunate circumstance that’s not to be blamed on the players or the coach, but the Bridgeport administration, and not up for debate.

This was an awesome team, the best coach Barry McLeod has ever had in the North End.

Stratford, which had an incredible two year run, was equally as good this season — but not as dominant as this Central team was during the regular season. It’s a fine No. 2.

Hyde… sorry boys, undefeated on in the Shoreline Conference and electing not to play-up in Class LL (like Hillhouse or Sacred Heart), will not get you a No. 1. Oh, you beat Bassick by 30-something points and Central only 10 in the regular season. All we can say is you can pin the game on that it was a city rivalry game played at Bassick. …Besides, that was a 40-point Central victory in the FCIAC semifinals.

Like Kermit Carolina said before the Class LL championship: If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best. Class S doesn’t cut it.

Anyway, here’s the final tally for both boys and girls:

CSWA Boys Basketball Poll
Final
Released March 22, 2010

Also Receiving Votes: Northwest Catholic 21-6 62; New Britain 20-6 61; Windsor 20-6 54; Prince Tech 19-8 41; Wilbur Cross 18-8 40; Abbott Tech 25-2 25; E.O. Smith 19-4 19; East Hartford 18-6 16; Cromwell 22-5 13; Kolbe Cathedral 20-4 13; Crosby 18-7 8; Nonnewaug 24-1 7; Holy Cross 18-6 4; North Haven 19-5 3; Ansonia 15-9 1; East Granby 5-15 1; Newtown 19-5 1; Valley Regional 18-7 1

Voters: Bill Bloxsom (Hersam Acorn), Jim Bransfield (Middletown Press), Johnny Burnham (Bristol Press), Mike Cardillo (Connecticut Post), Henry Chisholm (Connecticut Post), Anthony Della Calce (Central CT weeklies), John Goralski (Southington Observer), Dave Greenleaf (CCC website), Mike Guerrera (Southington Citizen), John Holt (WFSB Channel 3), Larry Kelley (Times Community Newspapers), Greg Lederer (Cheshire Herald), Ken Lipshez (New Britain Herald), Andrew Lovell (New Britain Herald), Dave Phillips (Shoreline Times), Ryan Pipke (New Britain Herald), Elliott Schickler (Westport News), Peter Vander Veer (Elm City Newspapers), Tom Yantz (Hartford Courant), Jimmy Zanor (Shore Line Newspapers)

CSWA Girls Basketball Poll
Final
Released March 22, 2010

Also Receiving Votes: Career Magnet 19-5 97; Lauralton Hall 21-3 91; Manchester 18-6 66; Branford 20-5 42; St. Joseph 21-3 29; Brookfield 20-4 28; Holy Cross 21-4 20; Portland 22-6 10; Tolland 16-9 6; RHAM 14-10 5; Torrington 21-4 5; Coventry 13-11 3; Ridgefield 19-6 3; Bacon Academy 21-3 2; Windham 19-6 2

Voters: Bill Bloxsom (Hersam Acorn), Johnny Burnham (Bristol Press), Mike Cardillo (Connecticut Post), Anthony Della Calce (Central CT weeklies), George DeMaio (WELI Radio), John Goralski (Southington Observer), Dave Greenleaf (CCC website), Mike Guerrera (Southington Citizen), Larry Kelley (Times Community Newspapers), Greg Lederer (Cheshire Herald), Ken Lipshez (New Britain Herald), Andrew Lovell (New Britain Herald), Dave Phillips (Shoreline Times), Ryan Pipke (New Britain Herald), Paul Rosano (Meriden Record-Journal), Elliott Schickler (Westport News), Mike Suppe (Hersam Acorn Newspapers), Peter Vander Veer (Elm City Newspapers), Jimmy Zanor (Shore Line Newspapers)

*Rules are rules. I’ll respect the forfeit, but not the loss.

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We’re live at all the CIAC state championship games today — Division III and I hockey, and all of the CIAC girls and boys basketball championships at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Our featured games, which will include live video highlights and interviews, will be the following:

The Division III hockey championship game between Guilford and Brookfield/Bethel/Danbury at 10 a.m.

Fairfield Prep and Hamden will face off for the Divsion I hockey crown at 2 p.m.

Then, at Mohegan Sun, Stratford will take on New London in the Class L boys basketball championship at 6:30 p.m.

And Central will take on Hillhouse for the boys basketball Class LL final at approximately 8:30 p.m.

Click the window below to follow along.

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We’re at Ingalls Rink in New Haven all night for the Division I hockey semifinals.

Click the window below to follow along.

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We didn’t get a rematch of the FCIAC championship game in the Class LL championship at Mohegan Sun.

But it’s probably just as well. Central and St. Joseph already settled the issue back then.

What we have now is, in my opinion, a lot more enticing.

New Haven vs. Bridgeport.

Two storied basketball towns duking it out for a state championship and, quite possibly, the No. 1 ranking.*

We haven’t had a Bridgeport vs. New Haven final in 35 years — when Central defeated Wilbur Cross for the 1975 Class LL title. New Haven and Bridgeport have met in the championship a grand total of five times. New Haven schools are 4-1 against Bridgeport schools in title games.

New Haven schools have won 35 state championships to Bridgeport’s 17.

It’s been a while since we had a Bridgeport team in a true basketball state championship game — one that will command the attention of hoops aficionados across the state. Central, which has assembled one of its best teams in school history, takes on the perennial power from New Haven, which has won two titles under current coach Kermit Carolina in the last five seasons (2006, 2007).

Hillhouse is a Class L school by trade. But Carolina said his team purposefully moved up into the Class LL bracket because they’re not concerned about just any championship. They want to win the championship.

“Let me just say this: In order to be the best you’ve got to play the best,” said Carolina, who was spotted at a handful of Central basketball games this winter. “We moved up into the double-L division for a reason. We wanted to play whoever the best team was considered to be in the state. And we’re happy that the state gets to watch two very powerful programs go head-to-head.”

Hillhouse started the season No. 1. Central, which hasn’t lost a game all season (not including the forfeit loss to Staples), usurped the top ranking midseason. Central creates off its full-court pressure defense, has solid outside shooting and a strong interior game. Hillhouse, relatively smaller than the Hilltoppers, runs a basketball version of the football spread offense. They play a four-guard set and love to hammer you with 3-pointers.

“We have a great deal of respect for what they bring to the table,” Carolina said. “We’re pretty sure they’re going to be on their A-game. So will we.”

We’ll have much more on this mega-match up a little bit later.

For now, give us your thoughts.

*Stratford might have something to say about this.

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Just got the word via the CIAC on Twitter, the state championship girls and boys basketball championship times at Mohegan Sun Arena are set.

Here’s the schedule:

Class LL boys: (Central/Sacred Heart) vs. (St. Joseph/Hillhouse), Saturday, 8:30 p.m.

Class L boys: Stratford vs. New London — Saturday, 6:30 p.m.

Class M boys: (Abbott Tech/Bloomfield) vs. (Sheehan/Cromwell) –  Saturday, 1:30 p.m.

Class S boys: Hyde vs. Prince Tech — Saturday, 9:30 a.m.

Class LL girls: Mercy vs. Norwich Free Academy — Friday, 8 p.m.

Class L girls: Hillhouse vs. Wethersfield — Saturday, 4:30 p.m.

Class M girls: Brookfield vs. Kolbe Cathedral, Friday, 6 p.m.

Class S girls: Portland vs. St. Paul, Saturday, 11:30 p.m.

So we will definitely be at the Sun on Friday night at 6 p.m. to cover the Kolbe Cathedral-Brookfield game. Then we’ll be back at it again Saturday at 6:30 p.m. for Stratford. Regardless of who gets into the final game, we will be covering the Class LL game.

All of our coverage will be on the live blog. Check back here for more details.

-spb

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day from Sean Patrick,

We’ll be taking our St. Patty’s Day festivities to New Haven and New Britain for the Class LL boys basketball semifinal games. Central takes on Sacred Heart in one semifinal at the New Haven Athletic Center at 7 p.m. St. Joseph takes on Hillhouse at Central Connecticut State at 7 p.m.

Since I know Central is well covered by our man in the field, Henry Chisholm, I will be running the live blog up at Central Connecticut for Hillhouse-St. Joseph (besides, it’s easier to get an internet connection there).

We’ll also attempt to get Abbott Tech-Bloomfield updates from Kennedy High School in the Class M semifinals.

Follow along all the action, including in-game videos, here on our liveblog:

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Stratford takes on Wilbur Cross in the Class L boys basketball semifinals; Masuk takes on Brookfield/Bethel/Danbury in the Division III hockey semifinals… Can’t go? Follow all the action here on our live scoring blog.

We’ll also have reports from Guilford-Northwest Catholic hockey and some of the other regional games.

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We begin the final week of the winter sports season, but there’s so much more on tap for the next few days.

Tonight, we’ll have correspondents at the major Class LL boys basketball quarterfinals: Harding-Sacred Heart and Central-New Britain at the New Haven Athletic Center. We have St. Joseph vs. East Hartford in East Haven. And, yes, we may even get the Hillhouse-Windsor quarterfinal updates from Southington. We’ll also have Abbott Tech vs. Granby Memorial and Law vs. Bloomfield Class M quarterfinal updates.

In hockey we’re hoping to get Amity-Trumbull and St. Joseph-Branford Division II semifinal hockey updates from Ingalls Rink.

As always, the reports will come from our correspondents and citizen journalists via Twitter, which will show up here. Can’t get to the games, click the window below to follow all the action.

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The CIAC has recently announced new legislation that enables it to punish coaches of member schools who publicly criticize basketball referees.

The rule, which goes into effect immediately, comes on the heels of Hillhouse boys basketball coach Kermit Carolina’s berating of officials following a close victory (yes, victory) over Xavier in Middletown last month.

According to the new legislation, already dubbed the ‘Kermit Rule’ by at least one media outlet covering the Academics, schools are fined $250 and the offending coach is suspended after the first offense. In a second offense, the coach is suspended for two games and the school fined $500.

A third offense means the offending coach is disqualified for the rest of the season and the school is fined $750.

Should the third offense come at or near the end of the season, the coach will be suspended for a minimum of five games. If the season ends before that five-game suspension is completed, it will be carried into the next season.

With each infraction, the CIAC also requires a report from offending school’s administration on how they are handling the situation.

To be fair, and (hopefully) to prevent overzealous enforcement by king CIAC, there is a public appeals process in place.

Read the full policy here.

I’ve heard good arguments for and against the new policy.

Since I believe open criticism of referees is wrong, that it goes against everything we should be teaching our student athletes, I believe this policy is — in fact — the correct way to go.

Yes, it can be invasive,  much like the CIAC’s 50-point policy is over school administrations. Would we much rather have this handled in-house? Yes.

But the lines can get blurred around a school’s supposed objectivity. Maybe an athletic director believes his coach was justified in making critical comments and won’t take any hard-line action. Or maybe they simply don’t believe action is necessary at all.

In any case, I believe a third-party should needs to intervene in these cases. Any problems a coach or athletic director or principal has with certain referees or officials boards must be handled behind closed doors; so when we walk onto the field or into a gymnasium, our participants can maintain an even greater degree of integrity and sportsmanship, instead of squabbling over who might have gotten screwed by whom.

Besides, if you believe your team has been so egregiously harmed by the actions of a referee, you’re still welcome to let us know. You’ll just have to pay to do it.