Ideas for the Greene County Invite

This year’s Greene County Invitational Tournament might have been the last with its current format. Talking with coaches this past week it is clear that why they like the GCI, they also don’t want to play a team they might see in sectionals a second time in the regular season.

The GCI has been going on since 1971 but I have only covered the last two of them. Watching the games this past week, it is clear changes are needed to make the tournament work going forward. Here some ideas.

1. Make it a SWIAC Tournament. In order for this plan to work though the eight SWIAC teams would really have to work together. Linton and Bloomfield are trying to play conference teams less so this tournament would be a big sacrifice on their part.

2. Shorten the tournament to four teams and just two days. While a SWIAC Tournament is doubtful, having just four games over a Friday and Saturday night is a decent option. WRV will invite two teams from out of the county and another school from the county will stay in the field. The Banks of the Wabash Tournament is just four games and that makes it easier to manage. Having games Saturday morning where seventh and fifth place are on the line in Greene County Invite is a tough draw.

3. Make it a boys and girls tournament. Having just four teams of boys and four teams of girls could still provide three full days of quality basketball. The girls could play Thursday and title game Saturday. The boys Friday with title game Saturday night.

4. Pick another county to compete with. If two Greene County teams were going up against two teams from Clay or Martin Counties, now you have some pride on the line. The other county could host every other year with WRV hosting the years at Greene County.

I hope the Greene County Invitational can continue. With some creativity it should, just probably not in the way it did before.

Nathan Pace is the Sports Editor of the Greene County Daily World and can be reached at npacegcdw@gmail.com. His “Low Budget Sports Show” airs weekly on Facebook Live.