Bracket Analysis

[USCHO Newsbot]

Well, the NCAA tournament brackets are out and there was only one surprise, that being the placement of Maine in the third-seeded band and Massachusetts in the fourth-seeded band. Otherwise, I was right on the money. Here are the brackets I projected after last night's games: West Regional: Air Force vs. Minnesota North Dakota vs. Michigan Midwest Regional: Alabama-Huntsville ...

Read more at uscho.com ...

[gkfan]

What am I missing? From Ann Arbor, it's 600 miles to Albany and 350 to Madison. So why do the Wolverines go East?

[St. Cloud State Fan]

I'm happy with where the Huskies landed. Sure, playing Michigan will be a very tough task, but I think SCSU has a very good chance of getting their first-ever NCAA Tournament victory. Clarkson is a good squad, but we've had some success against them in recent years. Plus, I'd much rather play them then to have to go to Madison and take on the Badgers.

GO HUSKIES!!!

[michpuckhead]

Originally Posted by gkfan

What am I missing? From Ann Arbor, it's 600 miles to Albany and 350 to Madison. So why do the Wolverines go East?

They moved Michigan out to Albany as a reward for being the #1 overall seed. Wisconsin HAS to play in Madison since they are the host so if Michigan went there, they'd play the Badgers in the first round on the Badgers' home ice. Not much of a reward for being the overall #1 seed.

I'm very happy with our (Michigan's) bracket. Nothing is easy in the NCAA tournament but I think that bracket is the path of least resistance into the Frozen Four.

[JB]

Originally Posted by michpuckhead

They moved Michigan out to Albany as a reward for being the #1 overall seed. Wisconsin HAS to play in Madison since they are the host so if Michigan went there, they'd play the Badgers in the first round on the Badgers' home ice. Not much of a reward for being the overall #1 seed.

I'm very happy with our (Michigan's) bracket. Nothing is easy in the NCAA tournament but I think that bracket is the path of least resistance into the Frozen Four.

Actually you are wrong. They would have had a potential 2nd round match-up with the Badgers - Wisco is a 3 seed.

[michpuckhead]

Originally Posted by JB

Actually you are wrong. They would have had a potential 2nd round match-up with the Badgers - Wisco is a 3 seed.

Ah yes. Thank you for the correction. I forgot that Wisconsin jumped up to a 3 seed last night. Either way, they wanted to save the #1 seed from having to essentially play a road game in the NCAAs. As a Michigan fan, I like it, obviously. Although, had we went to Madison and played the Badgers you wouldn't have heard a complaint from me since we've benefitted in the past from hosting games at Yost.

Good luck in the tourney to everybody and GO BLUE!

[streaker]

Originally Posted by michpuckhead

Ah yes. Thank you for the correction. I forgot that Wisconsin jumped up to a 3 seed last night. Either way, they wanted to save the #1 seed from having to essentially play a road game in the NCAAs. As a Michigan fan, I like it, obviously. Although, had we went to Madison and played the Badgers you wouldn't have heard a complaint from me since we've benefitted in the past from hosting games at Yost.

Good luck in the tourney to everybody and GO BLUE!

well, as a Michigan fan, I am tired of hearing about how Michigan benefited from having hosted at Yost. True, they won all three regionals and went on to a NC in 1998, but NONE of the games there were easy- and certainly there was no sympathy in 1998 winning a NC in BOSTON against UNH and BC in front of 20K HEA fans.

Michigan has been placed in the backyard of the toughest WCHA teams most recently in the NCAA tourney and have also battled Minnesota in Minneapolis in the FF.

I don't want to hear about the Yost advantage anymore- Michigan has more than paid their dues for it and won't enjoy that luxury in the future.

[JB]

Originally Posted by streaker

well, as a Michigan fan, I am tired of hearing about how Michigan benefited from having hosted at Yost. True, they won all three regionals and went on to a NC in 1998, but NONE of the games there were easy- and certainly there was no sympathy in 1998 winning a NC in BOSTON against UNH and BC in front of 20K HEA fans.

Michigan has been placed in the backyard of the toughest WCHA teams most recently in the NCAA tourney and have also battled Minnesota in Minneapolis in the FF.

I don't want to hear about the Yost advantage anymore- Michigan has more than paid their dues for it and won't enjoy that luxury in the future.

They weren't easy but the benifit is clear look at the results.

Why won't they host at Yost anymore?

[Wol4ine]

Originally Posted by JB

They weren't easy but the benifit is clear look at the results.

Why won't they host at Yost anymore?

Since the NCAA's went to a regional system, these are the games played on a teams HOME ICE:
94- at MUNN - msu 3/UML 4
95- at DANE - WISC 5/ msu 3 and wisc 3/MICHIGAN4
96- at MUNN - msu 2/ UML 6
98- at YOST - MICHIGAN2/princeton 1 and MICHIGAN4/und 3
02 - at YOST - MICHIGAN4/scsu 2 and MICHIGAN5/du 3
03 - at YOST - MICHIGAN2/maine1 and MICHIGAN5/cc 3
03 - at MARIUCCI - UMTC 9/mercyhurst 2 and UMTC 7/fsu 4
05 - at MARIUCCI - UMTC 1/maine 0 and UMTC 2/cornell 1
06 - at ENGELSTAD - UND 5/michigan 1/ UND 5/holy cross 2
edit: add this years home teams
08 - at KOHL - du vs WISCONSIN
08 - at CSWA - msu vs CC

So it would appear that Princeton,UND, SCSU,DU,Maine, and CC all lost to Michigan at YOST. But Mercyhurst, FSU, Cornell and again Maine lost to Minnesota at Mariucci. Holy Cross then lost to UND at REA, as did Michigan. The only other team to lose to a 'home' team was MSU in 95 to Wisconsin. By my calculations, UML, Maine and Michigan are the only schools to face a 'HOME' team twice. UML won both times, UM was 1-1, and Maine was 0-2. Since Michigan has faced the 'home' team twice and Minnesota hasn't ever, I wonder why it's always Michigan that is singled out? For me, Maine is the only one with a legitimate gripe, and they must name Minnesota as often as Michigan. Also note that Wisconsin (1999), Minnesota (2000), and CC (2004) hosted regionals those years and would have 'benefited', except they failed to quilify for the NCAA's.

[AFHockeyFan]

Looking at the sum of the seeds in the regionals, we have:
Albany-34
Worcester-35
Madison-36
Colorado Springs-31
Based on that, the Springs is the toughest regional, and Madison the easiest.

Moving the 4 seeds around, and putting Air Force in CS, ND in Madison and Princeton in Worcester would have given:
Albany-34
Worcester-33
Madison-35
CS: 34
Much more even brackets, and it would have saved all 3 teams flights.
What was the committee thinking?

[Pucky-Bucky Backer]

Originally Posted by AFHockeyFan

Looking at the sum of the seeds in the regionals, we have:
Albany-34
Worcester-35
Madison-36
Colorado Springs-31
Based on that, the Springs is the toughest regional, and Madison the easiest.

Remember that in Madison, there are three conference rivals playing.
There is no such thing as an easy conference game, no matter which conference it is.

[Kevinskogg]

Originally Posted by Wol4ine

Since the NCAA's went to a regional system, these are the games played on a teams HOME ICE:
94- at MUNN - msu 3/UML 4
95- at DANE - WISC 5/ msu 3 and wisc 3/MICHIGAN4
96- at MUNN - msu 2/ UML 6
98- at YOST - MICHIGAN2/princeton 1 and MICHIGAN4/und 3
02 - at YOST - MICHIGAN4/scsu 2 and MICHIGAN5/du 3
03 - at YOST - MICHIGAN2/maine1 and MICHIGAN5/cc 3
03 - at MARIUCCI - UMTC 9/mercyhurst 2 and UMTC 7/fsu 4
05 - at MARIUCCI - UMTC 1/maine 0 and UMTC 2/cornell 1
06 - at ENGELSTAD - UND 5/michigan 1/ UND 5/holy cross 2
edit: add this years home teams
08 - at KOHL - du vs WISCONSIN
08 - at CSWA - msu vs CC

So it would appear that Princeton,UND, SCSU,DU,Maine, and CC all lost to Michigan at YOST. But Mercyhurst, FSU, Cornell and again Maine lost to Minnesota at Mariucci. Holy Cross then lost to UND at REA, as did Michigan. The only other team to lose to a 'home' team was MSU in 95 to Wisconsin. By my calculations, UML, Maine and Michigan are the only schools to face a 'HOME' team twice. UML won both times, UM was 1-1, and Maine was 0-2. Since Michigan has faced the 'home' team twice and Minnesota hasn't ever, I wonder why it's always Michigan that is singled out? For me, Maine is the only one with a legitimate gripe, and they must name Minnesota as often as Michigan. Also note that Wisconsin (1999), Minnesota (2000), and CC (2004) hosted regionals those years and would have 'benefited', except they failed to quilify for the NCAA's.

Nobody uses UMTC, it would be like saying UMAA. Its bad enough that you arrogant Wolfie fans say Michigan is the real UM.

[Wol4ine]

Originally Posted by Kevinskogg

Nobody uses UMTC, it would be like saying UMAA. Its bad enough that you arrogant Wolfie fans say Michigan is the real UM.

University of Michigan
Location: Ann Arbor, Mich.
Founded: 1817

University of Minnesota
Location: Minneapolis
Founded: 1851

Would you prefer UMn? I think that is the accepted nomenclature USCHO posters have agreed upon. I'll do better next time.

[hanasoni]

Originally Posted by Kevinskogg

Nobody uses UMTC, it would be like saying UMAA. Its bad enough that you arrogant Wolfie fans say Michigan is the real UM.

Isn't there a lawsuit pending that deals with this issue? Seems the uofm flint and uofm dearborn people are unhappy because that is what their diplomas say, vs one that is from uofm ann arbor, which just says uofm? The flint and dearborn groups want ALL diplomas to state which campus the graduate attended, or something to this effect.

Please correct if I'm off base, or if there is no lawsuit, but that is what I recently heard.

[muredhawks2008]

I think that this Michigan to Albany vs. Madison would be avoided if the committee had gotten it right and NOT PUT WISCONSIN IN THE THE TOURNAMENT!!!!! let's look at the qualifications for the badgers:

1. sub-.500 record (15-16-7)
2. finished 6th in conference
3. were swept out of the first round of conference playoffs

wow....really screams for a NCAA birth, don't you think?!?!?!?

On another note...

I think that we need to reassess this "hosting" situation. I find it criminal that there are three or four clubs that will always have home ice no matter what their seed is. Boston College could squeak in as a four seed and still end up with home ice. same with Wisconsin and the Colorado clubs. that is just flat out wrong.

[Pucky-Bucky Backer]

Originally Posted by muredhawks2008

On another note...

I think that we need to reassess this "hosting" situation. I find it criminal that there are three or four clubs that will always have home ice no matter what their seed is. Boston College could squeak in as a four seed and still end up with home ice. same with Wisconsin and the Colorado clubs. that is just flat out wrong.

This is only the third time Wisconsin is hosting a regional. Check out the post above with the rundown. You will see other schools with more impact.

As for UW not deserving an invite (I won't disagree), take that up with the selection committee. Chances are, they will change the criteria for next year. In the mean time, they finished 12th in the PWR.

[muredhawks2008]

I'm not unhappy with Wisconsin (team or fans). They had little to do with their selection following their season. The frustration is for the committee and its selection of a team that is really sub-par.

On the topic of hosting, however, I put Wisconsin in with the other clubs simply because of this year's situation. I understand that this doesn't happen often for Wisconsin. However, i don't think a 3 seed should be hosting a venue. heck, i'm not happy when a 2 seed hosts a 1 seed.

I realize that this won't happen, but what about the 1 seed - no matter who - hosts the regionals. This way we don't have (purely theoretical of course) Miami playing on BC's home ice for the third year in a row!!!!!

I know you'll all of some problems with this solution, so instead of just posting "you're an idiot" comments, also provide suggestions for improvement.

[NCAAPuckhead]

I want to start by saying that I think the Pairwise rankings are good. However, I've noticed something I consider to be a flaw in the system. Please correct me if I'm wrong. It seems that a team that finsihes 1st or second in their conference, who palys a 7th or 8th place team in their conference tournament, likely loses the opportunity to improve their PWR ranking in the first round of the conference tournament. Whereas a team that finishes 3rd through 6th, likely will have an opportunity to improve their PWR rankings. I say this becasue the 7th and 8th teams in a conference are likely not ranked very high in the PWR. To me this seems like it punishes teams for doing well in conference play - while rewarding teams who don't do as well. That's just wrong. This is especially true in the Hockey East, where the first round is a best of 3 series. Perhaps the system could be tweaked so that the top teams don't lose ground due to playing a weaker opponent in the first round of their conference tournaments. Anyone have any ideas on this?

[jimbo15]

Originally Posted by muredhawks2008

I think that this Michigan to Albany vs. Madison would be avoided if the committee had gotten it right and NOT PUT WISCONSIN IN THE THE TOURNAMENT!!!!! let's look at the qualifications for the badgers:

1. sub-.500 record (15-16-7)
2. finished 6th in conference
3. were swept out of the first round of conference playoffs

wow....really screams for a NCAA birth, don't you think?!?!?!?

On another note...

I think that we need to reassess this "hosting" situation. I find it criminal that there are three or four clubs that will always have home ice no matter what their seed is. Boston College could squeak in as a four seed and still end up with home ice. same with Wisconsin and the Colorado clubs. that is just flat out wrong.

FYI - Boston College is not the host team in Worcester. Holy Cross is (and Boston University used to be). Boston College has never bid for or hosted an NCAA Hockey Regional.

[sudsguzzler]

I've been a Badger Hockey fan since before I could walk. I can't think of anyone that bleeds more Badger than me. I too am a bit surprised that they made the tourney and wonder myself how deserving they are, but obviously, there are some other teams that had a chance to control their own destiny and failed as well which let the Badgers enter back in through the back door. There is one thing I want to bring up which I hate doing, but for those of you that don't know about the fiasco in Denver where, with 4 seconds left in the game and the Badgers down by one, the Badgers had an unbelievable goal to tie the game only to have D. Shepherd review the play and disallow the goal. Badgers left with 0 points from that game and even though the WCHA recognized that Shepherd made a mistake while watching the replay(idiot watched the clock as the puck bounced out of the goal and crossed the line again) and aplogized to Eaves prior to the following Saturday game, nothing was ever done about it. I realize there are bad calls every game, but this was blatent! I remember even seeing Manino shrug his shoulders after the goal as he knew it was good. You would have a good arguement saying that the Badgers should have had at least one point. Guess what, that would have given home ice in the WCHA tourney and so on and so on. Given that, I'm glad they're in! and I'm glad they're playing Denver! If they don't go far, so be it, but just like in basketball, some underdogs make it happen and beat the higher seeds. I just like college hockey and I'm looking forward to the tourney.