Pairwise & Bracketology 2020

[Clark17]

40 minutes ago, Wilbur said:

So fans.  Here lies the question:

Do you rather want Penn State in Pennsylvania, or Denver in Colorado.

IMHO they put Cornell in Albany so that's out of the question for us.  I think if Denver does something crazy like win the NCHC tournament and moves way up we will be in PA.

Funny how where our guys end up is controlled by how Denver plays until the NCAA tournament.  

 

Penn State

[Clark17]

2 hours ago, yzerman19 said:

So we’re closer to Loveland than Allentown by 500 miles.  The question with both being flights is do they send us to Allentown with the number 7 seed PSU or to Loveland with the number 6 seed DU.  
 

Current seeding calls for some controversial moves within the brackets.  A UND vs DU final will make that region a success.  I’d also venture that a UND vs PSU final would also result in a successful region.

the UMass Clarkson half bracket would certainly move to Albany.

i think you do your best to protect the overall #1 in terms of bracket integrity (even if only 1 spot), so I’ve got:

Allentown:

UND vs Atlantic Winner

PSU vs BSU

Loveland:

mankato vs maine

DU vs OSU

Worcester:

BC vs Quinnipiac

UMD vs ASU

Albany:

Cornell vs Lowell

UMAss vs Clarkson

A side benefit is you have 4 conferences represented in 3 of the 4 regionals.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mine is the same.

[iluvdebbies]

NE

1.UND vs 16 AIC

8. Mass vs 9. Clarkson

W

2. Mankato vs 15. Maine

6. DU vs 12. ASU

E

3. Cornell vs 13. UML

5 Duluth vs 11. OSU

MW

4. BC vs 14. QU

7. PSU vs 10. Bemidji

 

 

 

[yzerman19]

21 minutes ago, iluvdebbies said:

NE

1.UND vs 16 AIC

8. Mass vs 9. Clarkson

W

2. Mankato vs 15. Maine

6. DU vs 12. ASU

E

3. Cornell vs 13. UML

5 Duluth vs 11. OSU

MW

4. BC vs 14. QU

7. PSU vs 10. Bemidji

 

 

 

No way is UND in northEast and BC in Midwest if both are #1s

[iluvdebbies]

1 minute ago, yzerman19 said:

No way is UND in northEast and BC in Midwest if both are #1s

Maybe....but in the last 11 years, as far back as I could find, no number 1 overall has been placed with a host school.

[Goon]

On 2/29/2020 at 2:38 PM, Godsmack said:

Dave Starman went off on a rant last night during the St Cloud game about how bad the ice is at the regionals because of what the NCAA does to it with the painting of the logos and not allowing the ice to set, etc. He wasn’t making excuses for St. Cloud losing to AIC but he did say the ice was really bad. 

I was at that regional, I don't recall the ice being that bad. I mean seriously, everyone plays on the same ice. 

[Sweethockey]

1 minute ago, Goon said:

I was at that regional, I don't recall the ice being that bad. I mean seriously, everyone plays on the same ice. 

I was there also and do not recall the ice being bad. There was really bad ice at the Frozen Faceoff when it was at the Target Center. The Denny Sanford Center in Sioux Falls the year before was freezing for the fans. They kept the arena at 53 degrees, supposedly per NCAA rules?

[cberkas]

48 minutes ago, Goon said:

I was at that regional, I don't recall the ice being that bad. I mean seriously, everyone plays on the same ice. 

Losers make excuses about the ice, winners find a way to win on the same ice.

[yzerman19]

I agree that you have to play conditions, but skating and skill teams are impacted by bad ice more than grinder teams 

[AJS]

5 hours ago, yzerman19 said:

But isn’t Cornell by proxy the host of Albany.  I believe it’s host is officially the ECAC...seems To me that they’d put the ECAC #1 seed there for that reason.  Like I said, current brackets will result in some controversy.  Be a lot easier if the committee just moved a regional to the Ralph - LOL

 

4 hours ago, Wilbur said:

So fans.  Here lies the question:

Do you rather want Penn State in Pennsylvania, or Denver in Colorado.

IMHO they put Cornell in Albany so that's out of the question for us.  I think if Denver does something crazy like win the NCHC tournament and moves way up we will be in PA.

Funny how where our guys end up is controlled by how Denver plays until the NCAA tournament.  

 

I guess we'll see, but if things ended today, I would put my $ on UND not being sent to Allentown. There's no way that they would give UND a better #2 seed that also happens to be the host. 

[90siouxfan]

Is there any definitive evidence that the NCAA gives a hoot about host school getting a better shake?  just pointing out that it happens here and there seems to along the lines of coincidence vs causation

[Stack]

On 2/29/2020 at 2:38 PM, Godsmack said:

Dave Starman went off on a rant last night during the St Cloud game about how bad the ice is at the regionals because of what the NCAA does to it with the painting of the logos and not allowing the ice to set, etc. He wasn’t making excuses for St. Cloud losing to AIC but he did say the ice was really bad. 

It's true at every regional. In every arena, they end up taking out the ice, painting all of the NCAA logos under and then putting ice back in. This of course happens after whatever team that normally plays on that rink gets done on Saturday. For example last year the Fargo Force played on March 23 at the Scheels Arena. The NCAA came in on Monday March 25th and took out the ice, painted their logos and then put back in new ice on Tuesday March 26. Regionals started three days later on March 29th.  Ice was terrible. It is at every regional even at a place like the  Denny Sanford Center in Sioux Falls the year before. There was an event on Saturday and then the NCAA did their normal stuff on Monday and Tuesday. So once again 2.5-3 days to get the ice where it should be. It never is good. 

[Godsmack]

51 minutes ago, Stack said:

It's true at every regional. In every arena, they end up taking out the ice, painting all of the NCAA logos under and then putting ice back in. This of course happens after whatever team that normally plays on that rink gets done on Saturday. For example last year the Fargo Force played on March 23 at the Scheels Arena. The NCAA came in on Monday March 25th and took out the ice, painted their logos and then put back in new ice on Tuesday March 26. Regionals started three days later on March 29th.  Ice was terrible. It is at every regional even at a place like the  Denny Sanford Center in Sioux Falls the year before. There was an event on Saturday and then the NCAA did their normal stuff on Monday and Tuesday. So once again 2.5-3 days to get the ice where it should be. It never is good. 

You’d think the geniuses with the NCAA would be aware of this. Yet another reason to have regions on the host teams’ own ice rink. That, or avoid having to paint over the ice and just leave it as is. I’m no fan of St. Cloud but this matter is about the student athletes and doing what’s right and making sure the ice conditions don’t deteriorate as a result of the NCAA wanting their logos on the ice. End of rant, I’m going to go grab a Coke and a smile. 

[yzerman19]

Speculating that if we were to get swept by Omaha and lose to the Dawgs in st Paul, we could possibly end up the #2 overall, and UMD could get up to #4...

[petey23]

5 hours ago, Goon said:

I was at that regional, I don't recall the ice being that bad. I mean seriously, everyone plays on the same ice. 

I was there. it was terrible.

[mattim]

1 hour ago, yzerman19 said:

Speculating that if we were to get swept by Omaha and lose to the Dawgs in st Paul, we could possibly end up the #2 overall, and UMD could get up to #4...

Yes, possible but unlikely. If, as I see worst case scenario, we split with O, take the best of three from CC and just show up to Frozen Four we’ll maintain overall #1. OBVIOUSLY we want to do better than that but we can still rest an injured player if need be! 

[Old Fella]

13 hours ago, yzerman19 said:

So we’re closer to Loveland than Allentown by 500 miles.  The question with both being flights is do they send us to Allentown with the number 7 seed PSU or to Loveland with the number 6 seed DU.  
 

Current seeding calls for some controversial moves within the brackets.  A UND vs DU final will make that region a success.  I’d also venture that a UND vs PSU final would also result in a successful region.

the UMass Clarkson half bracket would certainly move to Albany.

i think you do your best to protect the overall #1 in terms of bracket integrity (even if only 1 spot), so I’ve got:

Allentown:

UND vs Atlantic Winner

PSU vs BSU

Loveland:

mankato vs maine

DU vs OSU

Worcester:

BC vs Quinnipiac

UMD vs ASU

Albany:

Cornell vs Lowell

UMAss vs Clarkson

A side benefit is you have 4 conferences represented in 3 of the 4 regionals.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

You have it right.

[MafiaMan]

9 hours ago, Goon said:

I was at that regional, I don't recall the ice being that bad. I mean seriously, everyone plays on the same ice. 

St Cloud State after losing like 5 games all year:  "OMG!  The ice is SOOOOO bad!  We'll NEVER beat (looks at notes) American International College now!"

I don't care if they were playing water polo instead of hockey, North Dakota should have mopped the pool with Canisius College's jerseys last year, too.  No excuse!  

[Wilbur]

11 hours ago, Big Green said:

Why not UMass in Worcester?  That would be my preference.

I just can't see them not putting BC there if they are a 1 seed. 

[Clark17]

New bracketology out from the guys at USCHO.

Once again I get Connelly’s rationale even though I don’t like it this week.  He states UND in Loveland instead of Allentown due to proximity.  If that’s the case we should hope for the 2 spot overall so we can go to Allentown, I’d rather see us there than Loveland.  Only benefit is that it is a drive for folks that would do so. 

Moy has the same but then swaps teams in the 3rd. band which I feel is unnecessary as the brackets are about as good as they can get for attendance.  He avoids 1 and 2 matchups from the same conf. being placed in the same regional.  Seems a bit arbitrary to me. 
 

 

[AJS]

1 hour ago, Clark17 said:

New bracketology out from the guys at USCHO.

Once again I get Connelly’s rationale even though I don’t like it this week.  He states UND in Loveland instead of Allentown due to proximity.  If that’s the case we should hope for the 2 spot overall so we can go to Allentown, I’d rather see us there than Loveland.  Only benefit is that it is a drive for folks that would do so. 

Moy has the same but then swaps teams in the 3rd. band which I feel is unnecessary as the brackets are about as good as they can get for attendance.  He avoids 1 and 2 matchups from the same conf. being placed in the same regional.  Seems a bit arbitrary to me. 
 

 

I realize it's only projections, but I'm kind of speechless that this rationale is actually taking place. If Denver was #8, I'd have no problem. The only reason I have a huge problem is from a PWR standpoint, there's such a big difference between #6 and #7. It's hard to put into words how insane it would be to send UND to a place where they get (from a bracket integrity standpoint) screwed 2 spots with the #2 seed for that regional, who also happens to be the home team. The more I work myself up, the less likely I feel it'll happen. I mean no way.

Now, just to be safe, I'm going to cheer for Denver to rise up to the #5 spot. They are the only team I really don't want UND to play after already beating them 4 times this year. Guess I still have nightmares from the 2003 (?) season where they beat Denver every time and then lost in the Regional final. 

[TNF]

If this was a preferred eastern team there is a 0% chance they would be arguing for a #1 vs #6 intraconference 2nd round matchup in #6s backyard. Just read that back one more time; #1 overall (not playing #8 or even #7) but #6 in the 2nd round, who is in their conference, AND the host school. Incredible. 

 

The only upside is this would become a huge argument towards returning to campus regionals.  But since BC is going to be in Worcester yet again nothing will change.  Until BC is a higher seed and gets sent to Fargo this nonsense will continue. And since that will never happen the western schools will get screwed annually especially with a single regional even close. 

[siouxfaninseattle]

I think the guys at USCHO have forgotten what the NC$$ has always said - a flight is a flight so proximity shouldn't matter.

[brianvf]

Tonight's results, mainly BC tying #30 UNH (a game in which UNH dominated BC in SOG 50-27), caused some good movement in the top of the PWR.
BC started the day #4 as the last 1 seed and fell to #6, which moved UMD up to #4 and DU to #5.

That definitely changes the PWR predictions that the USCHO staff had earlier this week.
Of course, everything can (and will) change before Selection Sunday but it's so close between those three (BC/UMD/DU) that it'll make it interesting to watch the next couple weekends.

[siouxforce19]

18 minutes ago, brianvf said:

Tonight's results, mainly BC tying #30 UNH (a game in which UNH dominated BC in SOG 50-27), caused some good movement in the top of the PWR.
BC started the day #4 as the last 1 seed and fell to #6, which moved UMD up to #4 and DU to #5.

That definitely changes the PWR predictions that the USCHO staff had earlier this week.
Of course, everything can (and will) change before Selection Sunday but it's so close between those three (BC/UMD/DU) that it'll make it interesting to watch the next couple weekends.

I just saw this too. Natural bracket matchups would put UMD in Loveland vs Bemidji, which I hear UMD fans will LOVE. 

If BC stays a 2-seed I’m interested to see what they do in Worcester.