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2015 Pairwise Discussion & Predictions

Re: 2015 Pairwise Discussion & Predictions

TonyTheTiger20 said:
Because I love you all, here is every possibility and every resulting bracket.
Click to expand...

What an excellent format! Great work.

Looking at each of the permutations closely reveals lots of fascinating quirks. Using Harvard as an example, apart from meeting BU after a BU defeat by BC (the preferable match up for H), who do you prefer to meet: QU, which took you to three one-goal nailbiters, two of which went to OT; Cornell, which by hypothesis would just have beaten you in the ECAC final; or BU in the permutation in which they would have just upset BC? At least it's great that they don't have to tangle with Clarkson, which won their season series. So what a mixed bag of possible match ups for the QFs!
 
Re: 2015 Pairwise Discussion & Predictions

Cali said:
Well done Grant. I guess we will see how important bracket integrity is to the NCAA if BU somehow beats BC. Will RIT go to BC no matter?
Click to expand...
RIT is going to BC if either Bemidji wins the WCHA or BC wins Hockey East. It's nice to control our own destiny again!
 
Re: 2015 Pairwise Discussion & Predictions

Tony the Tiger, Is there anyway for UND to still get in the final 8. It just seems to me rankings should be back loaded so that the teams on the upswing, or teams that have sacrificed early wins for later season success , should have a better chance of cracking the top rankings.
 
Re: 2015 Pairwise Discussion & Predictions

dennismaruk77 said:
Tony the Tiger, Is there anyway for UND to still get in the final 8. It just seems to me rankings should be back loaded so that the teams on the upswing, or teams that have sacrificed early wins for later season success , should have a better chance of cracking the top rankings.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately no -- they are out. The selection criteria is very clear.
 
ARM said:
With what you are describing, the comparison swings on one result, that not being a H2H result, so that meets my definition of "close." If the committee can produce a better bracket, then I for one wish that it would, because it isn't like either team has clearly demonstrated superiority over the other. It is different if you are sorting out something like fourth versus fifth or last team in, but the road teams aren't seeded, so I don't think there is much integrity of bracket at stake in a thin-margin comparison.
Click to expand...
You have a point there. My assessment is really more about how I don't believe a bracket with a Harvard BU pairing is significantly improved from a Harvard Qpac pairing in this case.

If we were talking about a situation where swapping BU & Qpac created some really exciting new matchups, then I would feel differently.

Sadly of course, usually the reason for swapping is minimizing flights, not creating exciting unusual matchups.
 
Re: 2015 Pairwise Discussion & Predictions

Well, now we see what the committee would want to do. Straight Pairwise would be:

Your NCAA tournament field:

8 RIT @ 1 Minnesota
7 Clarkson @ 2 BC
6 QU @ 3 Harvard
5 BU @ 4 Wisconsin

But BU and QU are separated by just the smallest bit in RPI, just .0005 -- QU has a distinct edge in TUC 10-8-2 to 3-5-3. Common opponents is a total squeaker.

I actually do think you are going to see the committee swap the two as others have said. It leaves no intraconference matchups. BU does have the one head to head win, but the argument is there to be made if they want it.

8 RIT @ 1 Minnesota
7 Clarkson @ 2 BC
5 BU @ 3 Harvard
6 QU @ 4 Wisconsin

http://www.bcinterruption.com/ncaa-...gy-minnesota-boston-college-harvard-wisconsin

That's my prediction.
 
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Re: 2015 Pairwise Discussion & Predictions

TonyTheTiger20 said:
Well, now we see what the committee would want to do. Straight Pairwise would be:

Your NCAA tournament field:

8 RIT @ 1 Minnesita
7 Clarkson @ 2 BC
6 QU @ 3 Harvard
5 BU @ 4 Wisconsin

But BU and QU are separated by just the smallest bit in RPI, just .0005 -- QU has a distince edge in TUC 10-8-2 to 4-5-3. Common opponents is a total squeaker.

I actually do think you are going to see the committee swap the two as others have said. It leaves no intraconference matchups and the only compelling difference in BU and QU is their TUC record.

8 RIT @ 1 Minnesota
7 Clarkson @ 2 BC
5 BU @ 3 Harvard
6 QU @ 4 Wisconsin

That's my prediction.
Click to expand...

I don't care where Clarkson plays as long as the committee does not decide to put in North Dakota.
 
Re: 2015 Pairwise Discussion & Predictions

I think BU@Harvard and Quinnipiac@Wisconsin seems reasonable. It's up to the committee in how they want to prioritize.

This seems fair to all teams involved. It'd be bizarre to reward BU's Hockey East title with a flight to Wisconsin instead of going crosstown. At the same time you have to ask if it's fair to Harvard to give them the "better" BU team instead of Quinnipiac. But (1) it's not like there's any meaningful distance between Harvard & Wisconsin at #3 anyway, and (2) you're giving Harvard the team it beat 9-2 and tied 1-1 instead of the team it beat 2-1 three times, twice in OT... so don't see a whole lot of difference there. Lastly, there's more fan access and (the non-revenue sport favorite) lower travel costs for Harvard-BU. So the more you think about it, the more it makes sense.
 
Re: 2015 Pairwise Discussion & Predictions

So as it turns out the only favourite within the CHA, WCHA, ECAC, and Hockey East leagues, the only prevailing team is Harvard. Is this parity or what? BC doesn't win, Gophers don't win, Hurst doesn't win. WOW!!!!!!

Parity. Maybe it's the Olympic year thingy, but weird!!!!
 
Re: 2015 Pairwise Discussion & Predictions

This is the most wide open tournament (RIT's impending 10 goal lost excepted) I can ever remember.
 
Re: 2015 Pairwise Discussion & Predictions

Just thinking, since BU lost it's first Hockey East game with Philip-Poulin, BU is 6-0 in Hockey East semis/finals + 2-1 NCAA quarterfinals + 2-0 NCAA semifinals, with the only loss the epic 8-7 3OT Cornell game. So maybe drawing BU instead of Quinnipiac is not as much of a wash for Harvard as I first thought ;) But it is a fresher matchup for Harvard and would prepare Harvard better for the Frozen Four, if Harvard were to get that far.
 
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