Boring 2018 Bracketology Thread - Here we go again...

[LTsatch]

Re: Boring 2018 Bracketology Thread - Here we go again...

It would not be surprising to see two upset conference tourney winners out of the ECAC and HE. Actually, I really hope it happens.

 

[TheRevengeance]

Re: Boring 2018 Bracketology Thread - Here we go again...

As a recent NU alum who would love to prove you wrong, NU would absolutely not pack Worcester. I can't imagine getting more than like 100 students there unless they get matched up with someone like a Hockey East champion BU in a regional final. The alumni contingent would probably be decent, but i wouldnt trust us as a main draw further than the city limits. The students just don't go for that, much less for 40 bucks or whatever the tickets are.

 

[cetihcra]

As a recent NU alum who would love to prove you wrong, NU would absolutely not pack Worcester. I can't imagine getting more than like 100 students there unless they get matched up with someone like a Hockey East champion BU in a regional final. The alumni contingent would probably be decent, but i wouldnt trust us as a main draw further than the city limits. The students just don't go for that, much less for 40 bucks or whatever the tickets are.

Probably more than B-Port, unless there’s some huge contingent from the City. All the regionals have the potential to be complete $h1t. Allentown could be ok if PSU makes it, Sioux Falls is close to nothing but could do ok if the Fawks or gophers make it. The eastern regionals are banking on the Boston schools, or maybe a Minnesota or other B1G school that has an alumni base large enough to be big everywhere. This could suck.

r

 

[Numbers]

Re: Boring 2018 Bracketology Thread - Here we go again...

Probably more than B-Port, unless there’s some huge contingent from the City. All the regionals have the potential to be complete $h1t. Allentown could be ok if PSU makes it, Sioux Falls is close to nothing but could do ok if the Fawks or gophers make it. The eastern regionals are banking on the Boston schools, or maybe a Minnesota or other B1G school that has an alumni base large enough to be big everywhere. This could suck.

r

Sioux Falls is the one that will be fine. NoDak is the host, and they chose Sioux Falls because they didn't want to use Sheels in Fargo every year. It's 4 hours down the road from Grand Forks, or something like that, and their fans are rabid. Probably most tickets are already sold.

Should NoDak not qualify, Mankato is very nearby as well, and Minnesota, too. Like I say, that's the one place that is safe.

 

[Iwearpurple]

Re: Boring 2018 Bracketology Thread - Here we go again...

Sioux Falls is the one that will be fine. NoDak is the host, and they chose Sioux Falls because they didn't want to use Sheels in Fargo every year. It's 4 hours down the road from Grand Forks, or something like that, and their fans are rabid. Probably most tickets are already sold.

Should NoDak not qualify, Mankato is very nearby as well, and Minnesota, too. Like I say, that's the one place that is safe.

And St. Cloud most likely will be there as the #1 seed.

This venue will do just fine.

 

[purpleinnebraska]

Sioux Falls is the one that will be fine. NoDak is the host, and they chose Sioux Falls because they didn't want to use Sheels in Fargo every year. It's 4 hours down the road from Grand Forks, or something like that, and their fans are rabid. Probably most tickets are already sold.

Should NoDak not qualify, Mankato is very nearby as well, and Minnesota, too. Like I say, that's the one place that is safe.

Mankato is considerably closer to Sioux Falls than NoDak, although of course NoDak has a much bigger fan base. SCSU is also relatively close as well, at least as Western schools go. Should be a fun atmosphere if things fall right

 

[Tater]

Re: Boring 2018 Bracketology Thread - Here we go again...

Mankato is considerably closer to Sioux Falls than NoDak, although of course NoDak has a much bigger fan base. SCSU is also relatively close as well, at least as Western schools go. Should be a fun atmosphere if things fall right

Yes, but NoDak KNOWS they will be in that regional if they make the NCAAs, which is a forgone conclusion at this point. So NoDaks fans can, and are, buying their tickets already. MSU and SCSU will not know what regional they are going to until the week before the game.

 

[Numbers]

Re: Boring 2018 Bracketology Thread - Here we go again...

Sioux Falls is the one that will be fine. NoDak is the host, and they chose Sioux Falls because they didn't want to use Sheels in Fargo every year. It's 4 hours down the road from Grand Forks, or something like that, and their fans are rabid. Probably most tickets are already sold.

Should NoDak not qualify, Mankato is very nearby as well, and Minnesota, too. Like I say, that's the one place that is safe.

And St. Cloud most likely will be there as the #1 seed.

This venue will do just fine.

Mankato is considerably closer to Sioux Falls than NoDak, although of course NoDak has a much bigger fan base. SCSU is also relatively close as well, at least as Western schools go. Should be a fun atmosphere if things fall right

Yes, but NoDak KNOWS they will be in that regional if they make the NCAAs, which is a forgone conclusion at this point. So NoDaks fans can, and are, buying their tickets already. MSU and SCSU will not know what regional they are going to until the week before the game.

Regardless of how many of those schools are actually there, the point is that Sioux Falls will be the one regional that will be fine. The other 3 are all ??? at this point. All depending on who qualifies. If Penn State makes it, then Allentown is in better shape. Bridgeport and Worcester sites are also in question without a big draw of an eastern school.

I'm wondering if this situation finally tips the NCAA in favor of campus sites somehow.

 

[mookie1995]

Re: Boring 2018 Bracketology Thread - Here we go again...

Which D1 hockey teams from Maryland and New Jersey are in the big ten?

any lack of participants doesn't change the footprint of the conference. big ten is just a pricier AAC mumbled jumbled mess

 

[Tipsy McStagger]

Re: Boring 2018 Bracketology Thread - Here we go again...

any lack of participants doesn't change the footprint of the conference. big ten is just a pricier AAC mumbled jumbled mess

Be that as it may, his point that the tournament is not going to have many teams located in the Eastern part of the country still stands. Even if two of UNO, UMD, UND and WMU drop out of the top 14 or have a record below .500, the teams replacing them would probably not be from the East, minus Penn State.

Out of those, I really only see WMU as likely to fall out of the top 14 or dip below .500.
UNO is one game above .500, has 4 of their last 6 at home. If they can split with UND and sweep CC, they'd only need to win one game at UMD or in the playoffs.
UMD is one game above .500, has 4 of their last 6 at home. Home vs. Miami, at WMU, home vs. UNO. They will win 4 of 6 and be in.
Nodak is 4 games above .500, has only 2 of their last 6 at home. At UNO, at Miami, home vs SCSU. They only need to win 3 of their last 6 to get in the tournament.
WMU is one game above .500, has 4 of their last 6 at home. Hosting UMD and SCSU, at CC. Without Allison and Conrad, I don't see them winning more than 2 of those games.

 

[Numbers]

Re: Boring 2018 Bracketology Thread - Here we go again...

Be that as it may, his point that the tournament is not going to have many teams located in the Eastern part of the country still stands. Even if two of UNO, UMD, UND and WMU drop out of the top 14 or have a record below .500, the teams replacing them would probably not be from the East, minus Penn State.

Out of those, I really only see WMU as likely to fall out of the top 14 or dip below .500.
UNO is one game above .500, has 4 of their last 6 at home. If they can split with UND and sweep CC, they'd only need to win one game at UMD or in the playoffs.
UMD is one game above .500, has 4 of their last 6 at home. Home vs. Miami, at WMU, home vs. UNO. They will win 4 of 6 and be in.
Nodak is 4 games above .500, has only 2 of their last 6 at home. At UNO, at Miami, home vs SCSU. They only need to win 3 of their last 6 to get in the tournament.
WMU is one game above .500, has 4 of their last 6 at home. Hosting UMD and SCSU, at CC. Without Allison and Conrad, I don't see them winning more than 2 of those games.

Let me try this Tipsy.....
For Omaha, Duluth and NoDak, if we assume 3 pts versus CC and Miami, then we get:
Omaha: +2 with 2 games vs NoDak and 2 vs UMD
UMD: +2 with 2 games vs WMU and 2 vs Omaha
NoDak: +5 with 2 left vs Omaha, and vs SCSU.
WMU: +2 with 2 left with Duluth and SCSU.

If everyone splits with each other, they are all in, except that WMU needs a result v St Cloud and/or in the 1/4 Finals.

I suppose that works, but I think there might be a chance it goes haywire, too, with a Miami sweep in there somewhere, or even a split rather than 3 pts vs CC

 

[Tipsy McStagger]

Re: Boring 2018 Bracketology Thread - Here we go again...

Let me try this Tipsy.....
For Omaha, Duluth and NoDak, if we assume 3 pts versus CC and Miami, then we get:
Omaha: +2 with 2 games vs NoDak and 2 vs UMD
UMD: +2 with 2 games vs WMU and 2 vs Omaha
NoDak: +5 with 2 left vs Omaha, and vs SCSU.
WMU: +2 with 2 left with Duluth and SCSU.

If everyone splits with each other, they are all in, except that WMU needs a result v St Cloud and/or in the 1/4 Finals.

I suppose that works, but I think there might be a chance it goes haywire, too, with a Miami sweep in there somewhere, or even a split rather than 3 pts vs CC

There might be a chance Miami and WMU win out, too. An incredibly slim one. My post is just my guess as to how it will play out. In my opinion, UMD and North Dakota will definitely be in. WMU will definitely not. UNO could go either way. Given their total ineptitude in the playoffs (UNO has not won a first round series since joining the WCHA in 2010-11), I think they need to win 4 of their next 6.

 

[manurespreader]

Re: Boring 2018 Bracketology Thread - Here we go again...

Let me try this Tipsy.....
For Omaha, Duluth and NoDak, if we assume 3 pts versus CC and Miami, then we get:
Omaha: +2 with 2 games vs NoDak and 2 vs UMD
UMD: +2 with 2 games vs WMU and 2 vs Omaha
NoDak: +5 with 2 left vs Omaha, and vs SCSU.
WMU: +2 with 2 left with Duluth and SCSU.

If everyone splits with each other, they are all in, except that WMU needs a result v St Cloud and/or in the 1/4 Finals.

I suppose that works, but I think there might be a chance it goes haywire, too, with a Miami sweep in there somewhere, or even a split rather than 3 pts vs CC

I don't see either WMU or Omaha making it.

 

[Split-N]

Re: Boring 2018 Bracketology Thread - Here we go again...

Based on the Beanpot attendance, Northeastern would pack Worcester if they end up there.

I hope I'm wrong but I'm not sure I'd go so far as to say "pack." The Beanpot has a uniquely strong emotional pull for the Beanpot school fan bases (well, at least for three of them) that doesn't necessarily translate to NCAA regionals. OTOH, the NCAA powers that be had to take notice of the enormity of the NU Beanpot crowd and reason that at least a slice of that would buck up attendance at either Worcester or Bridgeport. Then there's Jeff Konya, the brand new AD, who seems to be marketing and promotion-minded and would likely see putting butts in the seats as a good way to advance the NU brand.

And FWIW, NU managed to turn out at least a semi-respectable crowd in Cincinnati two years ago (I was there), despite the fact that Cincy wasn't the easiest airport to get to and air fares from Boston were outrageous.

 

[joecct]

clarkson gets the autobid for <strike>beating</strike>shutting out rpi three times.

fyp.

 

[Numbers]

Re: Boring 2018 Bracketology Thread - Here we go again...

Don't forget in the coming weeks. Lots of information at Jim Dahl's website

collegehockeyranked.com

He even has a simulator for games yet to be played. Likely this is the best way to work through the scenarios of the early rounds of the conf playoffs

 

[TheRevengeance]

FWIW, NU managed to turn out at least a semi-respectable crowd in Cincinnati two years ago (I was there), despite the fact that Cincy wasn't the easiest airport to get to and air fares from Boston were outrageous.

I drove there because of the absurd prices. Whoever thought it was smart to have a regional in Cincinnati the same weekend as the basketball final four (Or Elite Eight or something) was a stone throw away in Louisville deserves to be removed from any decision making ever.

But yeah, NU would pull their weight and not much more. They aren't a main attraction, they're a good undercard.

 

[Numbers]

Re: Boring 2018 Bracketology Thread - Here we go again...

I drove there because of the absurd prices. Whoever thought it was smart to have a regional in Cincinnati the same weekend as the basketball final four (Or Elite Eight or something) was a stone throw away in Louisville deserves to be removed from any decision making ever.

But yeah, NU would pull their weight and not much more. They aren't a main attraction, they're a good undercard.

You are so right on the choice of location for the regional. But, there probably weren't any other bids. I would venture a guess that, since they started the 4 regionals system, there has not been one Midwest Regional that made money for its host. Not Grand Rapids, Mich. Not Cincinnati. etc. (Possible exception would be NoDame hosting on campus). No one wants to host it. That's why it's in Allentown this year.

 

[Schmitty]

I'm wondering if this situation finally tips the NCAA in favor of campus sites somehow.

Let’s hope not!

 

[scoreboard]

Let’s hope not!

Agreed. The TV coverage will not be there.