High school tournament basketball action begins tonight with prelim games across the state.

There are two areas of prelims that bother this old coach.

First of all, if the Maine Principals’ Association continues this format, then we need to give the entire process more of a tournament flare. How do we accomplish that? By bringing all postseason participants to the tournament sites in Augusta, Bangor, and Portland.

Secondly, a simpler solution would be to return to the days of taking only eight teams from each division, East and West, to the tournament, returning to a playoff system that worked and should never have been touched in the first place.

And while we’re on the subject of changes in the post-season format, how about a word on tournament officiating?

It has been my contention for a number of years that we could solve a lot of regionally-biased accusations with IAABO referees if we encouraged the Commissioner of Basketball’s office to switch officials who traditionally work one area of the state in the tournament to another.

For sake of argument, let’s move the top Aroostook County officials from their home site of the Bangor Auditorium to Portland. Yes, we’d be placing men and women in games with teams they aren’t familiar with, but would that be so bad?

Food for thought.

While we’re changing things around, I’d like to see all tournament games televised.

That would give more people a chance to see more exciting tournament basketball. In order for this media change to transpire, the MPA would have to accept bids for quarterfinal coverage. Currently the Maine Public Broadcasting Network does only semifinals, regional finals, and state finals.

A separate station would have to take on the early round games – perhaps prelims if we kept them – and a good time would be had by all.

Personally, I miss the quarterfinal coverage that WABI-TV of Bangor used to provide viewers in the East in the large school division.

WABI put the tourney on the map years ago, and I know I’m not alone in thinking that their Johnny-on-the-spot, pre-tourney coverage is missed.

From this corner, fans of the game have missed the in-depth coverage of the large school tourney, which WABI provided.

And finally, there’s really only one way to make this old coach happy with the high school basketball tourney.

Let’s bring the four Class state champs – girls and boys – to one tourney site and play for a true state crown.

A blind draw could determine who plays whom – based on class – each year, but consider the possibilities and the excitement that could be generated by such a thing.

Can you imagine a solid Class D champ such as Valley High of Bingham, taking on a Bangor or a Brunswick in those programs’ heydays? I can. The fervor of that type of event once made Indiana’s open tournament a historical event.

Postseason is here. Enjoy the games, and remember the tender age of the participants.

NEWS columnist Ron Brown, a retired high school basketball coach, can be reached at bdnsports@bangordailynews.net