Leading off today: The high school sports divide between New York City and the rest of the state became a little bit more pronounced when The New York Daily News reported Thursday afternoon that two PSAL championship basketball teams will be allowed to play in a national tournament next week.

   Sources told the paper that Boys & Girls (boys) and Murry Bergtraum (girls) will compete in Bethesda, Md., in the National High School Invitational sponsored by ESPN RISE beginning March 31. Eight boys teams and five girls squads from a handful of participating states are invited.

   A handful of independent New York schools were eligible for the event the past two years, but the decision by the PSAL to allow its teams to go is a quantum leap forward. The PSAL and New York City's CHSAA are two of the most competitive, talent-laden leagues in the country. Having one of them agree to participate is a coup for the NHSI.

   It may also be the first domino to tumble. In the highly competitive NYC scene, won't the CHSAA have to strongly consider following suit and approve participation by its own schools? While both organizations have become reasonably serious about enforcing recruiting rules among their own members, there's still anarchy out there when it comes to luring players from the other association.

   The prospect of playing in a national tournament on a national cable network could be very appealing to young players (I won't participate in the NCAA sham by referring to them as "student-athletes") who are already easily influenced.

   If the CHSAA follows suit, where does that leave the New York State Public High School Athletic Association, which encompasses most of the rest of the state?

   Far, far behind.

   The 2011-12 basketball regular season for NYSPHSAA members will once again be 18 games, extending the cut from 20 put in place in the aftermath of the horrible national recession in 2008 that shredded the New York State budget. According to the Basketball Coaches Association of New York, that's the shortest regular season in the country.

   It also limits some once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for schools. In Section 3, for instance, the Jamesville-DeWitt boys (with Dajuan Coleman) and Cicero-North Syracuse girls (Breanna Stewart) will have two of the nation's highest-rated seniors next basketball season. Coaches for both literally have their choice of any tournament in the country to play in during the season, but two fewer games means one less tournament or two fewer showcase games.

   "A school like Jamesville-DeWitt might never have a player like Dajuan Coleman again," Red Rams coach Bob McKenney said this week. "It's a shame abut those two games because it's the kids who get hurt. You cut two games and what are you saving? In my heart I don't believe you saving anything. With the gate from the home

Winter season bonus links Federation tourney: Schedule, results Boys hoops: Road to Glens Falls, your all-purpose destination Boys hoops: Sectional tourney scores and NYSPHSAA brackets Girls hoops: NYSPHSAA brackets

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game you're going to pay for the away game. It's a shame. We're supposed to be doing this for the kids."

   Sectionals and the two statewide tournaments could tack 10 games onto the season for a NYSPHSAA school, though eight is more typical.

   PSAL and CHSAA teams are already playing up to 24 during their season and could in theory play 10 more (again, eight is more likely) by reaching the Federation final.

   Now, throw in three games at that national tournament -- and it's inevitable that they'll grew to a 16- or 24-team field within five years -- and the difference between New York City and the rest of the state becomes much more vast.

   The longer season associated with the NHSI is likely bad on several levels, starting with academics. The PSAL decision to approve participation is rich with irony considering the principal at Boys & Girls this week suspended seven of the 16 players for academic reasons. The trip to Maryland will cost some players from Boys & Girls or Murry Bergtraum up to three days in the classroom.

   I wrote my first column opposing a national postseason tournament back in 1985, and I don't think much more of the idea now.

   But I remain open to change. After all, I was one of the people who supported the cut to 18 games initially because I felt everyone needed to do their share during the recession, even if the contribution -- an estimated maximum savings across the state of $15 million when the state budget deficit was in excess of $12 billion -- amounted to deck chairs on the Queen Mary.

   After seeing how little other entities across the state have been chipping in to fix the ongoing budget problems, I won't make that mistake again.

   The list of school districts proposing cuts to sports during the budgeting process leading up to the May vote is immense. It's becoming abundantly clear that we might not get the two games back for a long, long time.