NCAA Hockey Bracketology: February 15, 2012
by Brian Favat on Feb 15, 2012 12:00 PM EST
in Boston College Hockey
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BC is back on the top line of the latest NCAA Tournament projections / PairWise rankings. All is right with the world.
Previous brackets ... January 13 ... December 12 ... February 8.
Onward.
Step 1: Pick the 16 tournament teams
1. Ferris State
2. Boston College
3t. Boston University
3t. Minnesota-Duluth
5t. Michigan
5t. Massachusetts-Lowell
7. Denver
8. Maine
9t. Northern Michigan
9t. Union
11. Merrimack
12. Michigan State
13. Miami
14. Minnesota
15t. Ohio State* -- currently in a three-way tie for 15th with North Dakota and Cornell
16. Air Force -- AHA Champ
Bubble teams (in order): North Dakota, Cornell, Notre Dame, Western Michigan, Lake Superior
By conference: 6 CCHA, 5 Hockey East, 3 WCHA, 1 ECAC, 1 Atlantic Hockey
Step 2: Assign the seeds
No. 1 seeds: Ferris State, Boston College, Boston University, Minnesota-Duluth
No. 2 seeds: Michigan, Massachusetts-Lowell, Denver, Maine
No. 3 seeds: Northern Michigan, Union, Merrimack, Michigan State
No. 4 seeds: Miami, Minnesota, Ohio State, Air Force
Step 3: Place host teams in regionals
This year's four regional hosts are Yale and Fairfield (East in Bridgeport), Holy Cross (Northeast in Worcester), Michigan Tech (Midwest in Green Bay) and Minnesota (West in St. Paul). The Gophers are the only hosts safely in the field of 16, so Minnesota will be slotted into the West Regional. Only thing is ... Minnesota has plummeted from the No. 2 line to the No. 4 line. Awarding a no. 4 seed with "home ice?" Grumbles stupid NCAA regional hosting rules grumbles.
Step 4: Place number 1 seeds in Regionals
Number 1 seeds are placed based on proximity to regional site.
No. 1 Ferris State is placed in the Midwest Regional in Green Bay.
No. 2 Boston College is placed in the Northeast Regional in Worcester.
No. 3 Boston University is placed in the East Regional in Bridgeport.
No. 4 Minnesota-Duluth is placed in the West Regional in St. Paul.
Step 5: Place the other 12 teams avoiding intra-conference match ups if possible. Begin by filling each bracket by banding groups. Remember that teams are not assigned to the regional closest to their campus sites by ranking order within the banding.
If this is the case, then the committee should seed so that the quarterfinals are seeded such that the four regional championships are played by No. 1 v. No. 8, No. 2 v. No. 7, No. 3 v. No. 6 and No. 4 v. No. 5.
Number 2 seeds:
No. 8 Maine is placed in No. 1 Ferris State's Regional, the Midwest.
No. 7 Denver is placed in No. 2 Boston College's Regional, the Northeast.
No. 6 Massachusetts-Lowell is placed in No. 3 Boston University's Regional, the East.
No. 5 Michigan is placed in No. 4 Minnesota-Duluth's Regional, the West.
Number 3 seeds:
No. 9 Northern Michigan is placed in No. 8 Maine's Regional, the Midwest.
No. 10 Union is placed in No. 7 Denver's Regional, the Northeast.
No. 11 Merrimack is placed in No. 6 Massachusetts-Lowell's Regional, the East.
No. 12 Michigan State is placed in No. 5 Michigan's Regional, the West.
Number 4 seeds (moved around to accommodate regional host Minnesota):
No. 14 Minnesota is placed in No. 4 Minnesota-Duluth's Regional, the West.
No. 13 Miami is placed in No. 3 Boston University's Regional, the East.
No. 15 Ohio State is placed in No. 2 Boston College's Regional, the Northeast.
No. 16 Air Force is placed in No. 1 Ferris State's Regional, the Midwest.
Our bracket as we have it set up:
Midwest Regional (Green Bay, Wisconsin)
1 Ferris State vs. 16 Air Force
8 Maine vs. 9 Northern Michigan
Northeast Regional (Worcester, Massachusetts)
2 Boston College vs. 15 Ohio State
7 Denver vs. 10 Union
East Regional (Bridgeport, Connecticut)
3 Boston University vs. 13 Miami
6 Massachusetts-Lowell vs. 11 Merrimack
West Regional (St. Paul, Minnesota)
4 Minnesota-Duluth vs. 14 Minnesota
5 Michigan vs. 12 Michigan State
After initially populating the bracket, the NCAA then looks to avoid intra-conference matchups. Plenty wrong with this bracket, including three intra-conference matchups in no. 6 UMass-Lowell vs. no. 11 Merrimack in the East, no. 4 Minnesota-Duluth vs. no. 14 Michigan and no. 5 vs. no. 12 Michigan State, both in the West.
However, if the Committee goes ahead and swaps #11 Merrimack and #12 Michigan State, that would avoid two intra-conference matchups. Easy enough.
Next, you have to get Minnesota-Duluth out of the West Regional, since they are up against fellow WCHA members the Golden Gophers in the first round. This will prove complicated, as you still want to reward the tournament's top seed (Ferris State) with the lowest ranked tournament team (Air Force), and Minnesota is currently stuck in the West on the number 4 line.
The simplest move is to make the current Midwest Regional the East Regional, the East Regional the Midwest Regional, and swap regional 1 seeds BU and Minnesota-Duluth.
Our bracket as we have it set up now:
East Regional (Bridgeport, Connecticut)
1 Ferris State vs. 16 Air Force
8 Maine vs. 9 Northern Michigan
Northeast Regional (Worcester, Massachusetts)
2 Boston College vs. 15 Ohio State
7 Denver vs. 10 Union
Midwest Regional (Green Bay, Wisconsin)
3 Minnesota-Duluth vs. 13 Miami
6 Massachusetts-Lowell vs. 11 Michigan State
West Regional (St. Paul, Minnesota)
3 Boston University vs. 14 Minnesota
5 Michigan vs. 12 Merrimack
Finally, the NCAA looks at ways of boosting attendance by tweaking the programs within each band. But honestly, it took us this long to get here I'm not sure they'd make any more moves. The Northeast is OK, anchored by BC and Union. The West is decent between host Minnesota and Michigan and the Midwest looks good with Minnesota-Duluth, Miami and Michigan State. The East is a little weak, but Black Bears fans should show up enough not to make that regional a total attendance disaster.
BU really gets screwed with the above bracket, playing in easily the toughest bracket with Minnesota and Michigan. And what's not to love about that?
Boston College doesn't have a cake draw, but it's manageable and the Eagles would have to go through the Pioneers, a team that knocked them off earlier in the year. The tournament's top seed gets -- by far -- the easiest regional draw, which is why every game from here on out will be very important for the Eagles. Should BC be able to wrangle the top spot away from Ferris State down the stretch, the Eagles will likely be awarded with "home ice" in Worcester and the AHA champ in the first round.
Also, what I like about this bracket is it opens up the possibility of an All-Hockey East Frozen Four, with only BU and MC doubling down out West.
One trophy down, three to go.
Go Eagles!
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I think the complicated switch you pulled for UMD does a lot more harm than good. Hurts attendance in two regions and screws #3 overall BU without doing much to “help” UMD.
I know it isn’t strictly within stated committee criteria, but it would make a lot more sense to simply switch UMD and Michigan at the 4/5. Playing #11 or #12 instead of #14 at a regional it is hosting doesn’t do too much damage to UMD (if any), and you keep what is otherwise good geographic mix. If you do that, you might choose to swap #11 Merrimack with #10 Union instead of #12.
Yeah, that works if they are able to move teams across bands. Really, Minnesota either needs to get off the 4 line and back into the 2-3 (so that UMD can also play in St. Paul) or, as 74 says, GTFOOMFF (Frozen Four).
Editor, BC Interruption
YO Sir Brian!! Your Running Up Quite A Intellectual Propagation Toll
By the end of the spring Season, you could be in debt to me by millions.
I am having a speciallyl made Big Maroon Dog suit made in high tech spandex for me like the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit models.
I was gonna have one painted one, but below the 74th parallel equator would use too much product and the sticking to the Conte seat might be uncomfortable.
that would certainly help
I know the committee has said they will preserve the integrity of bands this year, but I think the above is very close to a perfect scenario in terms of pushing them to violate that edict.
Also, Western College Hockey Blog has a great post today on this year’s TUC. Why are we considering teams like PC and Northeastern? This has definitely skewed the PWR this year.
Editor, BC Interruption
Liked the Letter to the Corinthians --BUT!! --- No thanks on the West Bracket!
There are four host institutions this year: Yale in Bridgeport, Holy Cross in Worcester, Michigan Tech in Green Bay and Minnesota in St. Paul.
Even a 14 seed is at home and let’s send BU or UMD there!
Reading this makes it seem that the Hockey East Conference
Is similar to ACC lacrosse. Every team could make it to the tournament, as they are that good. Can’t wait to have Syracuse in the ACC, it will make the conference one large beating stick.
Don't give up, don't ever give up ~ Jim Valvano
Unlike ACC lacrosse, there are a lot of ‘meh’ programs in Hockey East this year. Vermont (2-18-1 HEA, 5 points) is particularly awful this year.
Vermont was also the last HEA expansion team before Notre Dame joins in 2013. If enough people cared, they’d be saying the same thing about UVM hockey joining Hockey East — they don’t belong! they’re terrible! — that people say about BC football and basketball after one bad season. This after Vermont recently made the Frozen Four in 2009.
Small sample sizes FTW!
Editor, BC Interruption
Brian
One day, the other now retired famous posters of EI and EO fame should tell you the story about our greasy Gene and how GDF told a group if they raised $7M?, (I forget), BC would re-install Men’s Lacrosse!
Then of course Gene reneged or jerked them around and a tiff ensued. I really forget the details, but boy were they pissed off!
BC Men’s Lacrosse was great on astroturf in 1973-1974 and those guys wore 3 jocks since the turf was like concrete and a bounce shot ruined your junk.
Gene DeFilippo…. GTFOMAM and take your pet stooge Spazzo with you!
BC would do fabulous in recruiting rich kids who play lacrosse and would be a national power very quickly and we could offset the women schoalrships with a rifle team or rodeo like they do down here!
BC Prada and Gucci coeds with rifles and ponies….EASY!! Hey, it could happen???
BC's club lacrosse team is one of the top in the nation
They just recently played a 3 game series down here, beating Clemson, UCF, and FSU in one weekend. It is a shame that they do not have their varsity program anymore, but similar story with NCSU, budgeting and Title IX forced the removal.
Don't give up, don't ever give up ~ Jim Valvano
TITLE 9 EXCUSES FOR BC!
BC over the last 15 years is the Land of Excuses.
Title 9 can be adjusted and BC has 31 sports or one of the most in the USA! BC has over $1.6 BILLION and can adjust and add a new sport or increase women’s scholarships in another sport. Swimming is one option for both sexes.
It’s all about $$$$$$$$$$!
Oklahoma State uses Rodeo, TCU uses a rifle team, and other Universites know how to work the system!
This is about GreaseballDF. WE ARE L-A-Z-Y and had former alums that raised a huge sum for Men’s lacrosse!
BC recruits all sports heavily in Long Island and all over in rich private lacrosse high schools and lacrosse and even ice hockey is even taking off here in …. er….
77 degree today….. TEXAS!
Face it Eagle Nation. I have been posting it for 10 seasons and so have many, many BC posters.
Boston College is run by left wing radical limp wristed puddinheads and lazier Jesuits and Trustees who do not care about being National Champions in 31 sports like Stanford or Notre Dame!
Worse…. Worse!!!!…. Our athletic department is run by a clownshoes guy whose main job is the Football the glamour sport and revenue cash cow and the face, (or sadface) of our program is a boob I named SPAZOO!
Please. Club sports?
What are we U Mass Nantucket?
GTFOMAM!
The biggest problem is that Gene cut men’s lax. He’s not going to go back on that decision. No shot.
There are ways around Title IX, especially if alumni are willing to raise the funds necessary to operate at D-IA. One way is to add another women’s sport. Another is to cut one.
BC has 31 varsity sports — most in the ACC — and strives to be a broad-based athletics department like Stanford and Ohio State. Could easily add two more sports.
The convenient excuses for not re-installing men’s lax at the D-I level are:
1) Title IX (which there are ways around)
2) Funding, which sounds like there have been several attempts to self-fund the program by alumni, and
3) The fact that we have National Championship-calibre ice hockey program (which is a bait-and-switch).
The fact that we prioritize hockey, football and men’s lax has no bearing on not having a I-A lax program. There are several examples of schools that participate in I-A football, men’s ice hockey and men’s lacrosse. Some examples:
- Air Force
- Notre Dame
- Ohio State
- Penn State (soon)
- Army
Editor, BC Interruption
I mean, look at this map. Men’s lacrosse is more a Northeast-centric sport than even men’s ice hockey.
Editor, BC Interruption
Pretty sure BC men’s lax tears it up at the club level. They seem to make the club national tournament every year.
Editor, BC Interruption
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