NCAA Tournament Thread

DWhite21 · Post by **DWhite21** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 4:24 pm

Finally, something to talk about other than the future, or potential lack of a future, of the BG hockey program (not that it's not important). Four CCHA teams ended up getting into the tournament; OSU, Michigan, Notre Dame and Miami. I was kinda surprised to see OSU get in, especially after they got bounced from the CCHA tournament by Alaska.

Here are some links to brackets and TV schedules:

http://www.insidecollegehockey.com/1Sch ... les_tv.htm

http://www.uscho.com/ncaad1/

bgpuckster · Post by **bgpuckster** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 5:30 pm

How did Ohio St. get in over Alaska Fairbanks? The Nanook's finish above OSU in the CCHA standings and then bounce OSU out of the CCHA playoffs. Yet OSU gets in and Alaska is left out?????

Freddie · Post by **Freddie** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 6:09 pm

bgpuckster wrote:How did Ohio St. get in over Alaska Fairbanks? The Nanook's finish above OSU in the CCHA standings and then bounce OSU out of the CCHA playoffs. Yet OSU gets in and Alaska is left out?????

The NCAA's current selection process is very cut and dried, and leaves nothing to polls OR conference standings. It looks at record, strength of schedule and a series of team-to-team comparrisons that take into account the entire body of a team's work throughout the season. Ohio State was the LAST at large team to get into the field, and made it just by the skin of their teeth. Their 'quality wins' over Denver, Notre Dame, Michigan and Miami all helped them, while Fairbanks getting swept by Alaska-Anchorage hurt them tremendously.

The PWR (pairwise rankings) mimick the selection committee's process, and a good explanation of it can be found at :

http://www.uscho.com/FAQs/?data=pwrexplanation

The Buckeye's spot on the bubble was SO precarious, that if just about ANY of Saturday's games had not turned out they way they did, tOSU would NOT have made it, and either Wisconsin, Minnesota, St Lawrence or Mass-Lowell would have been in.

Nobody who didn't make it has any reason to gripe, the standards and measurement system is established, comprehensive and objective. Alaska KNEW they had no chance to get in the NCAA's unless they won at LEAST one game at JLA.

I hope this helps. It's a bunch of fun to watch the PWR develop as the season comes to a close, especially when the conference tournaments are all going on. Of course it's a WHOLE lot more fun when your team is in the mix...but that's for another thread.

MACMAN · Post by **MACMAN** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 6:21 pm

a good hated time of the year....last night was the lastnight unless two CCHA team square off that I will be rooting against MI! Go CCHA Ill have to check the regional set up to see if we could remotely have an all CCHA frozen four....''ok so I Checked out the brackets
Midwest Regional:

Bemidji State vs. Notre Dame
Princeton vs. Northeastern

West Regional:

Miami vs. Denver
Cornell vs. Minnesota-Duluth

East Regional:

Air Force vs. Michigan
Vermont vs. Yale

Northeast Regional:

Ohio State vs. Boston University
New Hampshire vs. North Dakota

an all CCHA Frozen four is possible. OSU will have the toughest road coming out against a super hot and strong BU team, but the CCHA is top down the strongest conference in college hockey again this year, esp that top half. MIch will have to stumble to not make it AF is good but not MI good and yale just is not what it could be.
Miami if they thier best can make it, one could argue their road is harder than OSU's and it could be, but the redhawks can get it done.
ND should just rock the first night and as long as they dont look past anyone should be a shoe in tot he frozen four!
It would be just awesome for an all CCHA ...Im pulling for it and clearly optimistic about it!

Freddie · Post by **Freddie** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 6:38 pm

My prediction for the FF

NotreDame, Min-Duluth, Yale, Boston U

I can't bring myself to root for the skunks no matter WHO they play

murphdogg · Post by **murphdogg** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 11:37 pm

I've got Northeastern, Denver, Michigan and North Dakota. Those last two picks are killing me on the inside

MACMAN · Post by **MACMAN** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 12:32 am

Im at
ND over NorthEastern in an ot squeaker
Miami wins a squeaker over Denver to run away from Cornell
Mich dominates
ND over Bu in a squeaker(id like to OSU off but I dont think they can even though BU is realistically on the same level as OSU as I believe the pWR Rankins were again to heavily skewed to their competition.

Ydfalcon · Post by **Ydfalcon** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:11 am

MACMAN wrote:Im at
ND over NorthEastern in an ot squeaker
Miami wins a squeaker over Denver to run away from Cornell
Mich dominates
ND over Bu in a squeaker(id like to OSU off but I dont think they can even though BU is realistically on the same level as OSU as I believe the pWR Rankins were again to heavily skewed to their competition.

Lot of squeaking...

sbkbghockey · Post by **sbkbghockey** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 2:38 am

ooh some good matchups!! Can't wait to watch these games next weekend!!!

DWhite21 · Post by **DWhite21** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:55 pm

I'm gonna say that Boston U., Notre Dame, Michigan and Minnesota-Duluth get into the Frozen Four. I'm hoping that ND can win it but I'm not getting my hopes up. I'd hate to see Boston U. win it after BC won it last year.

rood · Post by **rood** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 2:06 pm

College Hockey News is running a bracket contest:

http://tinyurl.com/CHNbracketcontest

I've got Michigan, Notre Dame, BU and Denver in the Frozen Four with ND winning it all.

PegCityFalcon · Post by **PegCityFalcon** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 2:14 pm

Even though my Fighting Sioux look weaker this year, no BC to beat them in the Frozen Four this year means a win. Plus BU's Colin Wilson is a traitor and I'll pick the team with a Toews on it.

ziggy z · Post by **ziggy z** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 11:30 pm

BU is unbelievable this year, i have a hard time seeing them beaten. MAYBE UNH in regionals

DWhite21 · Post by **DWhite21** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 11:46 pm

PegCityFalcon wrote:Even though my Fighting Sioux look weaker this year, no BC to beat them in the Frozen Four this year means a win. Plus BU's Colin Wilson is a traitor and I'll pick the team with a Toews on it.

BC not getting in should help Miami as well, but then again they do have get through Denver and probably Minn.-Duluth to get to the Frozen Four. I think BC knocked MU out the last 3 years. Just wondering, but why is Wilson a traitor? I'm guessing it's because he's playing for the US in Int'l comp. but was raised in Canada.

MACMAN · Post by **MACMAN** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 6:00 pm

WOW.
MI shut out by Airforce to get the games going 2-0
yale and VT getting ready to take the ice and
Denver and Miami redskins readying to play
Who ever could have thought AirForce over MI, dont get me wrong AirForce is very good, but not that good, MI must have looked past them and at the way wrong time.