A quick look at the current basketball standings will reveal some different theories about how basketball coaches make their schedules.
And for the record, you can view updated league and team standings for basketball on the prep sports page of Columbian.com, also accessed at www.360preps.com. Look for the header “Standings/schedules.”
Some teams headed into the winter break from school having completed almost half of their 20-game schedules. Others have barely made a dent.
And how busy a team will be over the break will depend largely on what kind of a schedule that team has played to date.
On one of end of the spectrum, you have the Evergreen girls basketball team. Evergreen (7-2) has played nine of its 10 non-league games, meaning the Plainsmen will be off this week. Evergreen got its tournament action in earlier this month at the Grant Tournament in Portland.
On the other end of things is the Columbia River boys basketball team. The Chieftains have played just three games so far this season.
River (3-0) has not played a game since Dec. 6. The Chieftains were slated to play Camas on Dec. 11, but weather postponed that game. That means River will have endured a three-week hiatus when the Chieftains travel to Tacoma to play in the Bellarmine Prep Tournament on Friday.
Here are some other teams that will be playing in holiday basketball tournaments this weekend.
Boys basketball
Evergreen opens the three-day Bend (Ore.) Tournament on Friday.
Union opens the three-day Tournament of Champions at Franklin High in Seattle on Thursday.
Skyview opens the three-day Barlow Trail Tournament in Gresham, Ore., on Thursday.
Prairie opens the three-day North Idaho College Tournament in Coeur d’Alene on Thursday.
Hudson’s Bay goes to Hillsboro, Ore., on Thursday to open the three-day Century Tournament.
Hockinson opens the three-day Surf ‘N Slam Tournament in San Diego, playing in the San Diego bracket on Friday.
Battle Ground, Ridgefield, La Center will play two games each on Friday and Saturday at the SunDome Shootout in Yakima.
Girls basketball
Skyview and Union open the four-day Nike Interstate Shootout in Lake Oswego, Ore., on Friday.
Battle Ground and Heritage play in the two-day Mark Morris Tournament on Friday.
Prairie travels to sunny San Diego to play in the Surf bracket of the Surf ‘N Slam Tournament, which opens Friday.
Mountain View goes to Everett on Thursday to open the three-day Archbishop Murphy Tournament.
