Playoff picture remains unclear

Adam Candee

Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2003 | 8:57 a.m.

The final week of the regular season is upon us, and not much is settled on the boys basketball scene. Here is a look at the picture heading into tonight's and Friday's games:

SOUTHEAST DIVISION

Tickets punched: Green Valley (8-0)

Tickets please: Coronado (5-3), Foothill (5-3)

Limited seating: Basic (3-5), Silverado (3-5)

Sold out: Vo-Tech (0-8)

The skinny: The Southeast could be simple, or it could end up with the four teams fighting for three berths below Green Valley tied at 5-5. We know this much: Green Valley will be the No. 1 seed and Vo-Tech will have next year's No. 1 draft pick.

Though the Falcons have lost three of their last five games, Foothill still controls its destiny. A win tonight over Green Valley would give the Falcons the inside track to the No. 2 seed and a first-round home game, based on tie-breakers with Coronado. The late-charging Cougars almost certainly finish second if Foothill loses tonight.

Silverado gives itself some breathing room for the final berth with a win tonight over Vo-Tech, while Basic must pull at least one upset to have a chance.

NORTHEAST DIVISION

Tickets punched: Las Vegas (5-3), Desert Pines (5-3)

Tickets please: Rancho (5-3), Valley (4-4)

Limited seating: Chaparral (3-5)

Sold out: Eldorado (2-6)

The skinny: Clumps of yanked-out hair on the ground. Empty takeout containers strewn about. Wailing to be heard for miles.

These are the by-products of hours spent trying to compute all the possible playoff scenarios in the Northeast. It is next to impossible to figure out who will finish where, but we can look at who might be in and out.

A potential three-way tie with Chaparral and Valley could create trouble for Rancho, but Las Vegas and Desert Pines win potential tie-breakers. The Rams, Wildcats and Jaguars all clinch a berth with one more win. Valley, however, could mix things up a bit because it owns wins over the teams it trails and also has the easiest final week.

Chaparral still has a chance with two wins, but Eldorado loses its only potential tie-breaking situation.

SOUTHWEST DIVISION

Tickets punched: Bishop Gorman (7-1), Durango (6-2), Sierra Vista (5-3)

Tickets please: Western (3-5)

Limited seating: Bonanza (2-6)

Sold out: Clark (1-7)

The skinny: With three teams already in, the Southwest is pretty well set. Gorman wins the division in 99.9 percent of potential scenarios. The Blazers will finish second unless they win out and Sierra Vista loses twice. How do the Lions affect a situation between Gorman and Durango? Welcome to the world of NIAA tie-breakers.

Durango must likely win out just to avoid falling to the No. 3 seed, because Sierra Vista wins the tie-breaker with the Blazers. Western clinches the dubious right to face Cheyenne with a win or Bonanza loss, and can still finish third with some help.

Bonanza needs two wins and some help to qualify, and the Chargers are out of the picture any way you look at it.

NORTHWEST DIVISION

Tickets punched: Cheyenne (7-0), Palo Verde (4-2)

Tickets please: Mojave (2-4), Centennial (2-4)

Limited seating: Cimarron-Memorial (1-6)

Sold out: None

The skinny: Cimarron-Memorial owns two wins this season, and a third might just be enough to get the Spartans into the playoffs in the Have vs. Have-Not Division.

The Haves -- Cheyenne and Palo Verde -- clinched their playoff spots and are near locks to head to Reno at the end of the month. At the other end of the spectrum are the Spartans, along with Mojave and Centennial, two very average squads. Those three are looking at the strong possibility of a three-way tie at 2-6, which would leave one of them out of the region playoffs.

Mojave and Centennial are underdogs in their games tonight, and should Cimarron complete a season sweep of the Bulldogs Friday, the teams could all finish 2-2 against one another. We'll spare you a whole mess of tiebreaking procedures and just tell you that any of those three teams can still end up in or out of the playoffs, with Cimarron needing the most help. The Rattlers and Bulldogs both clinch a berth with any win.