Alright so here’s how I tackled putting together my Class C State Basketball 2025 Tournament Preview. Wanted to give folks a solid heads-up on who to watch, but figured I needed to actually do the homework myself, not just recycle others’ lists. Started feeling the pressure last Sunday morning.
Getting Started & Finding Info
First thing? Coffee. Always coffee. Then, I sat down at my cluttered desk, fired up the laptop. Knew I needed to look at the official state high school athletics site – gotta go straight to the source, right? Spent maybe an hour just scrolling through standings from different regions. Man, there are a lot of teams! Focused on Class C specifically, filtering out the noise. Jotted down the top 4 from each qualifying division onto a messy legal pad – old school style before going digital.
Digging Deeper into the Teams
Okay, had the names. Needed more meat. This is where it got time-consuming. Started searching local news sites for those teams. Think “Riverdale Gazette” or “Oakwood Chronicle” kind of stuff, not the big national headlines. Looked for game recaps, season summaries, any buzz about key players. Found this great article about how Jefferson High’s point guard averaged a triple-double in their conference tourney. Made a note: star player alert! Also kept an eye out for injury reports – found out one team’s center was out for the season after the regionals, huge blow for them.
Here’s some stuff I tracked for each shortlisted team:
- W-L Record & Conference: Obvious stuff, but gotta have it.
- Key Wins/Losses: Who’d they beat? Who crushed them? Tells you about toughness.
- Star Player(s): Names, stats, position. Who carries the load?
- Playing Style: Fast break chaos? Grind-it-out defense? Gotta describe it.
- Coach’s Rep: Any patterns? Known for upsets or choking?
- Recent Hot Streak? Who’s peaking at the right time?
Putting Stats Together & Making Picks
After drowning in browser tabs and scribbled notes for probably two afternoons straight, it was crunch time. Started filling in the blanks on my list. Compared records head-to-head when they played each other. Looked at point differentials – not just the W, but how they won. Some teams squeak by, others dominate. That Jefferson kid with the triple-doubles? Definitely making the “Must Watch” list. Also got really interested in this underdog team, Maple Creek. Barely made the tournament, raw record was just okay, but found stats showing they had the best defense in their class after January. Gritty team, could pull an upset!
Writing & Sharing the Process
Finally, opened my blog editor yesterday. Didn’t just dump the final list. Wanted to show the work. Started the post by explaining how I felt overwhelmed picking just a few from so many, then walked through my steps: starting with the basics, hunting down local news, analyzing stats, spotting trends. Shared little discoveries like Maple Creek’s defense surge or that crucial injury I found. Made sure to include why some seemingly top teams didn’t make my personal “Top Teams to See” list – maybe their schedule was weak, or they looked shaky down the stretch. Finished writing late, felt my eyes crossing. But this morning, after a final proofread looking for my usual typos, I hit publish. Always feels good sharing the real effort behind the recommendation.
I love this part. The digging, the finding those little nuggets of info others might miss. That’s what makes it feel real, not just another listicle.