Spotswood Athletic Director Mike DelAversano talks about the unique GMC “pods” that will be created for the unique 2021 postseason.
Scroll down to hear Spotswood Athletic Director and GMC seeding committee co-chair Mike DelAversano discuss this year’s unique postseason in the Greater Middlesex Conference.
The 2021 high school basketball season has been anything but typical, so it follows that the postseason will be just as unusual.
The GMC Tournament – one of the most exciting tournaments in the state with games that come fast and furious in a span of less than two weeks – won’t be held in a traditional fashion this year, due to the COVID-shortened season. Instead, teams will be paired into four-team pods.
But that doesn’t mean seeding won’t take place. In fact, similar rules will apply in terms of determining the top overall team, then working all the way down to the last team. The top four will go in the first pod, with the next four to go in the second pod, and so on.
Each pod will have the winners face each other in the second game, and the losing teams square off in their own matchup.
The seeding committee will be headed by South River Athletic Director Carl Buffalino – a past GMC President – and Spotswood Athletic Director Mike DelAversano.
Seeding the teams will be done just like in prior years, with the top four teams in each of the Red, White, Blue and Gold Divisions on the board. When the top team is picked from one of those divisions, the next best team goes on the board, with four teams on the board at all times. All division champions must be among the top 8 seeds. Teams must be pulled from their division in the order of their standings, unless there are ties, in which case other criteria can be used.
READ MORE: Edison boys’ on two-week COVID shutdown, but had planned to opt-out of GMC “pods” anyway
Teams must declare their intent to participate by the end of the day Wednesday. So far, two boys’ teams have opted out: Edison and JP Stevens. Edison Athletic Director Dave Sandaal says the two did not meet in the regular season and wanted to meet in the GMC pods, but league officials couldn’t guarantee a matchup. So they opted out, and will meet that week, on March 3rd.
Seeding will take place and the pairings will be announced on Monday, March 1, with “first-round” boys’ and girls’ games on Wednesday, March 3rd. “Second round” or “finals/consolations” would be on Friday, March 5th, with Saturday built in for a backup day in case of inclement weather.
By NJSIAA rules, the last day of play for basketball is March 6. When asked via email by Central Jersey Sports Radio whether an extension to the season is under consideration, NJSIAA Assistant Director for Basketball Tony Maselli said, “at this point, no extensions.”
Click below to listen to Spotswood Athletic Director and GMC seeding co-chair Mike DelAversano talk about this year’s unique postseason event: