Copper Division: Arizona’s “Small School Open Division” Debuts with Boys and Girls Rankings

PHOENIX – The Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) has unveiled the rankings for the inaugural Copper Division, often referred to as the “Small School Open Division.” This groundbreaking tournament will showcase the top 16 boys’ and girls’ basketball teams from the state’s 1A, 2A, and 3A conferences, providing a premier stage for small-school programs to compete at the highest level.

Tournament Structure and Qualification

The Copper Division will feature separate 16-team brackets for boys and girls, with the top teams qualifying based on their AIA rankings powered by MaxPreps at the conclusion of the regular season. To be eligible, teams must play at least 12 games during the regular season.

The 16 qualifiers for each division are seeded according to their rankings, and both tournaments will follow a single-elimination format consisting of four rounds. This innovative structure emulates the larger schools’ Open Division, while tailoring the competition to highlight the talent in Arizona’s smaller schools.

Boys Copper Division Rankings: Top 16 Teams

RankSchoolTeam NameConferenceRatingConference RankRecord
1Valley ChristianTrojans3A Central18.52793A #17-1
2Gilbert ChristianKnights3A Metro18.26903A #28-0
3Yuma CatholicShamrocks3A West18.05753A #37-1
4Phoenix Country DayEagles2A Valley16.60512A #18-1
5FlorenceGophers3A Central15.98243A #49-0
6Arizona LutheranCoyotes2A Valley15.88082A #26-1
7San Tan CharterRoadrunners2A East15.79232A #37-4
8Rancho Solano PrepMustangs2A Central15.77212A #411-2
9Benjamin FranklinChargers3A Metro15.45933A #58-1
10SnowflakeLobos3A East14.07403A #66-2
11Palo Verde MagnetTitans3A South13.73873A #78-1
12North Valley ChristianLions2A West13.69652A #57-1
13CoolidgeBears3A Central12.93663A #87-2
14PimaRoughriders2A East12.62602A #67-1
15PageSand Devils3A North12.42343A #99-2
16ParkerBroncs3A West10.94093A #105-2

Girls Copper Division Rankings: Top 16 Teams

RankSchoolTeam NameConferenceRatingConference RankRecord
1ChinleWildcats3A North24.42673A #111-0
2Phoenix Country DayEagles2A Valley21.89162A #19-1
3MiamiVandals2A East19.58262A #29-0
4SnowflakeLobos3A East18.43923A #27-2
5PimaRoughriders2A East18.06222A #38-0
6Valley ChristianTrojans3A Central17.92293A #38-0
7San CarlosBraves2A East17.77052A #410-0
8PageSand Devils3A North17.50163A #48-3
9Tuba CityWarriors3A North17.18923A #58-2
10Pusch RidgeLions3A South16.85513A #66-1
11TombstoneYellow Jackets2A South16.07952A #59-0
12Joseph CityWildcats1A Central16.05091A #19-1
13St. JohnsRedskins2A North14.22792A #68-1
14GanadoHornets3A North13.43443A #77-3
15Fountain HillsFalcons2A Central13.06882A #76-2
16Arizona LutheranCoyotes2A Valley13.00242A #86-2

Impact on Conference Tournaments

Teams that are eliminated the first two rounds of the Copper Division will transition into their respective conference tournaments. For the 3A, 2A, and 1A conferences, these tournaments will adjust brackets based on Copper Division participation.

As Arizona’s first combined small-school tournament, the Copper Division represents a new era in high school basketball, uniting top programs in a highly competitive format. Both the boys’ and girls’ tournaments are expected to deliver thrilling matchups as teams aim to claim the first-ever Copper Division Championships.

The Copper Division tournament is scheduled to start February 11th and 12th at the higher seed.

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