Breaking down the YAIAA tournament seeding and scenarios

As we head into the final full night of YAIAA regular-season basketball on Tuesday, here's everything you need to know about the league tournament picture: Who's in, who's out and which teams will be seeded where.

First, a look at the boys' field...

A quick primer: For the the purposes of the league tournament, the YAIAA is seperated into two "sections." Section 1 consists of Divisions I and II; Section II contains Divisions III and IV. Each section qualifies four teams into the tournament based on league record. While division winners are guaranteed a spot in the field, the teams are seeded according to their divisional records. So the winner from Division II can theoretically be seeded behind three teams from Division I (which was the case last season on the boys' side).

Ok, now onto the scenarios.

In Section I, three teams are guaranteed playoff spots. They are, in current seeding order, William Penn (12-2), South Western (11-3) and Dover (10-3) . William Penn can sew up a No. 1 seed -- and another YAIAA Division I title -- with a win at home against Red Lion on Tuesday, while Dover can still move ahead of South Western with a win at Kennard-Dale and a Mustangs loss at Dallastown.

Northeastern (8-5) occupies the fourth-and-final playoff spot from Section I.  The Bobcats can wrap up a playoff berth with a win at New Oxford on Tuesday. But a win by Dallastown (8-6) coupled with a Northeastern loss would see the Wildcats grab the final seed.

We already know which teams will emerge from Section II: York Suburban, Bermudian Springs, York Catholic and Delone Catholic. Where those teams will be seeded, however, is still up for grabs.

Suburban (12-1) can lock up the No. 1 seed with a victory at Susquehannock on Tuesday or losses by Bermudian Springs and York Catholic.

York Catholic (12-2) could secure at least a No. 2 seed by beating Delone Catholic (11-3). Win or lose Tuesday, the Irish own the tiebreaker over the Squires. The third tiebreaker criteria (after head-to-head and record against divisional foes) is a team's record against cross-division teams, starting with the first-place team from that division and working down. In this case, York Catholic wins the tiebreaker because it beat York Suburban and Delone did not.

Bermudian Springs (11-2) hosts Eastern York, and would guarantee at least a No. 3 seed with a win.

So, as it currently stands, the bracket for the boys' tournament would look like this:

1-1 William Penn vs. 2-4 Delone Catholic

2-2 York Catholic vs. 1-3 Dover

2-1 York Suburban vs. 1-4 Northeastern/Dallastown

1-2 South Western vs. 2-3 Bermudian Springs

Of course, those seeds are all subject to change...

Now, onto the girls' field.

In Section 1, four teams have already clinched playoff berths, They are, in current order of seeding, Red Lion (14-0), West York (12-2), Dover (10-3) and Dallastown (10-4). The Lions have already sealed a No. 1 seed in the tournament field, while the Bulldogs are locked into the No. 2 spot.

Dover can lock up the third seed with a win at home against Kennard-Dale. But an Eagles loss coupled with a Dallastown victory at South Western would vault the Wildcats into the three seed.

Pretty straightforward. Now onto Section 2...

Three teams can still finish with a No. 1 seed -- Eastern York, York Catholic and Delone Catholic all have 11-1 league records. The Irish and Squirettes play on Tuesday. Eastern York hosts Bermudian Springs.

Eastern York holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over Delone, so the Golden Knights would earn the top seed with a win against the Eagles and Squirettes' victory over York Catholic.

Delone would take the top spot with a win and an Eastern York loss.

York Catholic, which beat Eastern head-to-head, would earn a first seed with a win at home against its rivals.

Finally, Susquehanock (8-4) and York Suburban (7-5) are still battling for the fourth and final spot from Section II -- and wouldn't you know it, the two teams play at Suburban Tuesday. If the Warriors win, they advance into the league tournament. If the Trojans win the two teams would be tied; and since none of the three tiebreakers would separate them, the teams would play in a tiebreaker game Wednesday night.

So, here are, as it stands, your girls' bracket scenarios (keeping in mind that Dover and Dallastown could flip-flop seeds):

If Eastern York and Delone Catholic win...1-1 Red Lion vs. 2-4 Susquehannock/Suburban

2-2 Delone Catholic vs. 1-3 Dover

2-1 Eastern York vs. 1-4 Dallastown

1-2 West York vs. 2-3 York Catholic

If Eastern York and York Catholic win...

1-1 Red Lion vs. 2-4 Susquehannock/Suburban

2-2 Eastern York vs. 1-3 Dover

2-1 York Catholic vs. 1-4 Dallastown

1-2 West York vs. 2-3 Delone Catholic

If Eastern York loses and Delone Catholic wins...

1-1 Red Lion vs. 2-4 Susquehannock/Suburban

2-2 York Catholic vs. 1-3 Dover

2-1 Delone Catholic vs. 1-4 Dallastown

1-2 West York vs. 2-3 Eastern York

If Eastern York loses and York Catholic wins...

1-1 Red Lion vs. 2-4 Susquehannock/Suburban

2-2 Eastern York vs. 1-3 Dover

2-1 York Catholic vs. 1-4 Dallastown

1-2 West York vs. 2-3 Delone Catholic

The boys' tournaments begins Friday, with doubleheaders set for Red Lion and Spring Grove. The girls' quarterfinals are set for Saturday, with doubleheaders at Dallastown and Dover.