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

[LTsatch]

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

Does Fairfield host other NCAA events? They might have a deal with the NCAA. Yale has money to burn so who knows why they do it. Skulls tell them to?

Fairfield does play D-1 BB in that building and has a huge hospitality club/suite as well. They have never hosted a BB regional there though, too small for that. I wouldn't be surprised if the City of Bridgeport chips in somehow. I also heard Skulls member George Bush covers it, even though he was a baseball player for Yale.

 

[Schmitty]

I'm neither for nor against home games in the tournament, but I think we ought to pick a rationale and stick with it. Right now, we insist on regional sites because they are neutral and "fair," but then we have host schools and we mess with bracket integrity by swapping teams to boost attendance. What are we trying to achieve?

I agree that some of the other rules need to change. The attendance swapping I would prefer to see stop but also understand why it happens. Host cities have a purpose on paper, but I would find a situation where the host of one regional appears in another interesting (though the schools wouldn’t go for that one).

My big problem is the rule against first round conference matchups. Those would be a big step towards maintaining bracket integrity and also building excitement for regionals.

 

[The Exiled One]

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

The west/midwest will continue to be a mess under the neutral site format, but the coaches don't want to change it.

I suggested a couple years ago that the Twin Cities could host both the West and Midwest regionals in the same year. Minnesota could host at the Xcel and the NCHC could host at Target Center. (Yes, conferences can host.) The Twin Cities regionals are almost always the best attended and I believe having both regionals in the same metro area would actually compound attendance.

Assuming that the top seeded NCHC would get preference, using current standings, you would have SCSU at the Target Center (with possibly North Dakota or Duluth) and you'd have Minnesota at the Xcel with Mankato (and possibly North Dakota or Duluth). Attendance would be fantastic at both venues.

 

[Numbers]

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

I suggested a couple years ago that the Twin Cities could host both the West and Midwest regionals in the same year. Minnesota could host at the Xcel and the NCHC could host at Target Center. (Yes, conferences can host.) The Twin Cities regionals are almost always the best attended and I believe having both regionals in the same metro area would actually compound attendance.

Assuming that the top seeded NCHC would get preference, using current standings, you would have SCSU at the Target Center (with possibly North Dakota or Duluth) and you'd have Minnesota at the Xcel with Mankato (and possibly North Dakota or Duluth). Attendance would be fantastic at both venues.

This arrangement also works in conjunction with the present situation with NoDak hosting at Sioux Falls. I honestly believe you won't see NoDak giving up their option to bid to host at Sioux Falls or Fargo, and those are strong bids, because they know they will sell out every year.

What you need is to convince St Cloud to bid to host at Target Center. There isn't a reason that precludes that, except one strong elephant in the room: State Basketball Tournament, which is held at Target Center. So, then, you would have to bid at Xcel. But, Xcel is host to the State Hockey Tourney the week before, so you would effectively have the Wild locked out of their home arena for 2 weeks at the end of their schedule, and I am not sure that flies very well.

Hmmmm......

 

[davyd83]

I suggested a couple years ago that the Twin Cities could host both the West and Midwest regionals in the same year. Minnesota could host at the Xcel and the NCHC could host at Target Center. (Yes, conferences can host.) The Twin Cities regionals are almost always the best attended and I believe having both regionals in the same metro area would actually compound attendance.

Assuming that the top seeded NCHC would get preference, using current standings, you would have SCSU at the Target Center (with possibly North Dakota or Duluth) and you'd have Minnesota at the Xcel with Mankato (and possibly North Dakota or Duluth). Attendance would be fantastic at both venues.

Of course, then you have to clear both buildings for three days each on the same weekend. Not an easy task when you have the NHL, NBA and concert promoters to appease as well.

 

[The Exiled One]

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

So everybody agrees it's a great idea other than the logistics of timing? I can live with that.

 

[Numbers]

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

So everybody agrees it's a great idea other than the logistics of timing? I can live with that.

This is why NoDak has such an advantage. Their fans will easily travel 250 miles for a weekend to holler "Let's go Sioux...." (never mind it's Hawks now, but....). Gopher fans won't. Husky fans won't in those numbers. It's the advantage of rural No American red-neck-ism.... (And, I don't mean that as an insult. The reality is that the more rural people are more likely to be gonzo over their team.)

St Cloud can't bid enough to knock High School BB out of Target Center, or to get the Wild to suspend that weekend at the X. And, home arenas are off limits. St Cloud is as close to Sioux Falls as Grand Forks (closer, really), but you wouldn't get the same support as NoDak if the Huskies bid to host there. So, there is nowhere left.

 

[Pump It Up]

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

If I'm not mistaken - and The Exiled One would know this better than me - but I believe SCSU's AD was asked about the possibility of hosting a regional at Target Center and basically declared no interest in doing so.

 

[The Exiled One]

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

If I'm not mistaken - and The Exiled One would know this better than me - but I believe SCSU's AD was asked about the possibility of hosting a regional at Target Center and basically declared no interest in doing so.

Did you overhear our conversation? This is 100% true.

In fact, she's the one who informed me that conferences can host regionals.

 

[J.D.]

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

[B]Bridgeport		Worcester	Allentown		Sioux Falls[/B]
St Cloud		Cornell		Notre Dame		Mankato
Minnesota		Ohio State	Clarkson		Denver
Providence		Northeastern	Minn-Duluth		Michigan
Mercyhurst		Omaha		Boston Coll		No Dakota

BC is in as the projected Hockey East champion. They replace Western Michigan.

BC and Omaha could be an easy switch there. What's funny in all of this is that Cornell is actually closer to Allentown than it is Bridgeport/Worcester. Also, looks like Clarkson is pretty much the same distance from Allentown, Worcester and Bridgeport.

 

[J.D.]

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

Based on the current PWR, I'd expect some headaches trying to figure it out. There are a good number of possibilities.

 

[Numbers]

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

BC and Omaha could be an easy switch there. What's funny in all of this is that Cornell is actually closer to Allentown than it is Bridgeport/Worcester. Also, looks like Clarkson is pretty much the same distance from Allentown, Worcester and Bridgeport.

Based on the current PWR, I'd expect some headaches trying to figure it out. There are a good number of possibilities.

These things are true together, and that's exactly the curiosity. With the "Midwest" in Allentown, there are actually 3 eastern regionals. And, again, most of the teams will be from the West. Nice, eh?

 

[Numbers]

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

Friday night....

#1s: SCSU, NoDame, Cornell, Mankato
#2s: Denver, OSU, Clark, UMD
#3s: Minn, Prov, Mich, N’East
#4s: Omaha, NoDak, NoMich, AHA
Sioux Falls: Mankato v NoDak….Den v N’East
Allentown: NoDame v NoMich….Clark v Prov
Bridgeport: Cornell v Omaha….OSU v Mich
Worcester: SCSU v AHA…..UMD v Minn

We want: Prov in Worcester, OSU in Allentown, the UMD-Minn game at Sioux Falls….

Thus:
Sioux Falls: Mankato v NoDak….UMD v Minn
Allentown: NoDame v NoMich….OSU v Mich
Bridgeport: Cornell v Omaha….Den v N’East
Worcester: SCSU v AHA….. Clark v Prov

Which would be perfect, except for OSU-Mich. So, we are left with two choices:
A) Where we preserve the Eastern schools in the Eastern regionals, but lose OSU from Allentown
Sioux Falls: Mankato v NoDak….UMD v Minn
Allentown: NoDame v NoMich….Den v Mich
Bridgeport: Cornell v Omaha….OSU v N’East
Worcester: SCSU v AHA….. Clark v Prov, or

B) Where we keep OSU in Allentown, but N’eastern goes to Allentown as well, which is not extra flights
Sioux Falls: Mankato v NoDak….UMD v Minn
Allentown: NoDame v NoMich….OSU v N’Eastern
Bridgeport: Cornell v Omaha….Den v Mich
Worcester: SCSU v AHA….. Clark v Prov


And, in the PWR, note BC and PSU rising, and W Mich fallen out of the field.

 

[Bonin21]

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

Sioux Falls: Mankato v NoDak….UMD v Minn

Legendary

 

[purpleinnebraska]

Legendary

That would be fun.

 

[darker98]

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

Sioux Falls: Mankato v NoDak….UMD v Minn

Couldn't ask for a better Regional.

 

[purpleinnebraska]

Couldn't ask for a better Regional.

It puts the “region” back in Regional

 

[MissThundercat]

NMU falls to 16.

So for us to get in, I'm guessing a deep playoff run.

 

[Numbers]

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

Saturday Night:

#1s: SCSU, NoDame, Cornell, Mankato
#2s: Denver, OSU, Clarkson, UMD
#3s: Minn, Mich, N’Eastern, Providence
#4s: PSU, Omaha, NoDak, AHA

(First note that any conference upset knocks NoDak out of the field. Personally, I think that an upset in WCHA, HE or ECAC is quite likely, due to the small number of teams from those conferences presently in the field. NoDak might actually be the most interesting case to watch here. If NoDak is knocked out of the tournament, then it’s easy to put SCSU at Sioux Falls)

Since St Cloud can’t play at Sioux Falls, and NoDame can’t play in its natural place at Allentown (PSU is hosting, right?), then NoDame plays at Sioux Falls, and here we go……

Sioux Falls: NoDame v NoDak; Minn v UMD
Allentown: Mankato v PSU; OSU v N’eastern
B’Port: Cornell v Omaha; Denver v Providence
W’Cester: SCSU v AHA; Clarkson v Michigan

The following is merely by eyeballing the RPI right now. Of course, some unusual situation will likely develop in the next 2 weeks, because it always does.
For all WCHA teams except Mankato, win the tourney
For all HE teams except PC, NE and BC, win the tourney
For BC: 3 wins and a loss might get you in
For all ECAC teams except Clark and Corn, win the tourney
For PC and NE, probably 'don't get swept on home ice' will be enough.
AHA: Obviously, win the tourney.
NCHC: One week left of conf play.
Western Mich clearly needs to at least split this weekend, and then win one round of playoffs (.500 rule)
Omaha needs something similar, unless they go all the way to the NCHC finals.
CC, Miami: Win the tourney
NoDak: Better than .500 from here on out will raise their RPI a little, and keep them safe, barring Omaha's results. (Current RPI is almost identical between those 2)
SCSU, DU, UMD likely in
B10: NoDame, OSU in
Minn and Mich want to avoid a sweep, which could kill their RPI.
PSU: Needs to win the round against Minn (which, judging by this weekend, won't be tough. What a horrible weekend for the Rodents)
Wisc and MSU: Win the tourney

 

[klbaum1077]

Saturday Night:

#1s: SCSU, NoDame, Cornell, Mankato
#2s: Denver, OSU, Clarkson, UMD
#3s: Minn, Mich, N’Eastern, Providence
#4s: PSU, Omaha, NoDak, AHA

(First note that any conference upset knocks NoDak out of the field. Personally, I think that an upset in WCHA, HE or ECAC is quite likely, due to the small number of teams from those conferences presently in the field. NoDak might actually be the most interesting case to watch here. If NoDak is knocked out of the tournament, then it’s easy to put SCSU at Sioux Falls)

Since St Cloud can’t play at Sioux Falls, and NoDame can’t play in its natural place at Allentown (PSU is hosting, right?), then NoDame plays at Sioux Falls, and here we go……

Sioux Falls: NoDame v NoDak; Minn v UMD
Allentown: Mankato v PSU; OSU v N’eastern
B’Port: Cornell v Omaha; Denver v Providence
W’Cester: SCSU v AHA; Clarkson v Michigan

The following is merely by eyeballing the RPI right now. Of course, some unusual situation will likely develop in the next 2 weeks, because it always does.
For all WCHA teams except Mankato, win the tourney
For all HE teams except PC, NE and BC, win the tourney
For BC: 3 wins and a loss might get you in
For all ECAC teams except Clark and Corn, win the tourney
For PC and NE, probably 'don't get swept on home ice' will be enough.
AHA: Obviously, win the tourney.
NCHC: One week left of conf play.
Western Mich clearly needs to at least split this weekend, and then win one round of playoffs (.500 rule)
Omaha needs something similar, unless they go all the way to the NCHC finals.
CC, Miami: Win the tourney
NoDak: Better than .500 from here on out will raise their RPI a little, and keep them safe, barring Omaha's results. (Current RPI is almost identical between those 2)
SCSU, DU, UMD likely in
B10: NoDame, OSU in
Minn and Mich want to avoid a sweep, which could kill their RPI.
PSU: Needs to win the round against Minn (which, judging by this weekend, won't be tough. What a horrible weekend for the Rodents)
Wisc and MSU: Win the tourney

Bc right now would be the auto bid from hockey east and would knock out north dakota. Am i wrong?