There doesn’t seem to be much of a dividing mark between the regular season and playoffs, which open Friday for 17 local programs, with first-round games. After an extended break due to a winter storm last week, the region tournament grind pushes right up against the state tournament, leaving very little time to rest players and strategize for first-round opponents. All in a couple of days, coaches have had to wrap up region tournaments, scramble to learn about the playoff opponent and come up with a game plan in a tight window.
High school basketball playoffs: Season zips into postseason from region tournaments