Mark Morrow's My View/Your View: Maybe it's time we seed the Marion County Tournament

An inquisitive friend of mine said he wished they would seed the Marion County Tournament for boys basketball. In a way, I agree. Hey, while we're at it, why not seed sectionals, too. I mean, that way there's a good chance you'd have the best two teams meeting in the championship game. Right? Well, yeah, most years. Still, others may contend that the blind draw, the way basketball tournaments are run in Indiana, is the best - and fairest - way. The individual wrestling, swimming and track and field tournaments at sectional level are seeded (seeds based on regular-season performances). The blind draw comes into play for the state tournament for girls and boys basketball and soccer, football, baseball, softball, volleyball, team tennis and team wrestling. The last I heard, the IHSAA (board of directors) has not discussed any possibility of doing away with the blind draw. Of course, other news outlets and individuals have a tendency to bring up going to a blind draw in basketball from time to time. I can see a good, spirited argument either way, though it would appear that a blind draw in basketball tournaments, state tournaments at least, has worked well for the most part. Yet, this year in particular, three Marion County schools are ranked among the state's top five teams in boys basketball by the Coaches' Association. But only one of those teams can reach the championship game Saturday night at Southport. Third-ranked Lawrence North knocked off No. 5 Franklin Central in a quarterfinal match-up Wednesday night. Thanks to the draw, No. 2 North Central (12-0) and Lawrence North (12-1) meet in one semifinal game tonight at Southport, following the Warren Central-Brebeuf Jesuit tussle. So, all indications are that the Lawrence North-North Central winner - based on records and rankings and arguably better talent - should be a big, big favorite in the final. DID YOU KNOW? ... Judi Warren, the 1976 Miss Basketball from Warsaw, who coached the Carmel girls from 1988-2000, was selected the first female basketball coach inducted into the Hamilton County Hall of Fame. Speaking of Warren, her son Andy Warren, a 2000 graduate and a two year point guard, played for Pete Smith at Carmel and now is an assistant coach under Smith at Guerin Catholic. Brian Spacey, who played for Smith at Noblesville (1993 grad) also is a current assistant for Smith. Brian's dad, Bob Spacey, was a longtime Noblesville athletic director and also a state championship golf coach. . . . Scott Bunnell, who played baseball at Hamilton Southeastern in 1990 and was a former recruiting assistant for the Ball State men's basketball team, owns a 57-26 won-loss record in his fourth year as head basketball coach at Lafayette Jeff. His Broncos, weather-permitting, were scheduled to visit Fishers tonight.