>Check out this article on USCHO:
>http://www.uscho.com/news/2003/03/03_006320.php
...
>What do you guys think?

I'm a bit at odds with Mr. Moy's reasoning, but we're so far out now
that this is really just practice.  Besides, he knows what he's writing
about and I'm just spouting off.  ;-)

Here are my (perhaps "blonde") remarks ...

* Why does Moy emphasize "Top 14" when describing the conference
tournament winners and not Top-16?

* (To answer a ME-Hockey poster) Winning your conference tournament gets
  you selected for the tournament, it does nothing for your placement in
  the brackets.  The NCAA uses the term "seeded" in a very strange way
  that I don't completely understand.  The NCAA seeds only the top 4
  teams.  That is, they get special treatment in their placement in the
  regionals, and are placed so that if they all win their regional, 1-4
  and 2-3 will play in the Frozen Four.

* Mr Moy uses PWR to order the selected 16 teams, but I think this may
  be incorrect.  I expect the NCAA to use a similar ranking, as they
  have in the past, that includes comparisons just between the selected
  teams.  Then again, I may be dreaming.  :-) Also, it's not clear if
  the seeded teams (top 4) will be those from the top 4 PWR (as
  calculated by NCAA), or those from the reordered list.

* I agree with Mr. Moy's Steps 2 and 3.

* In Step 4, Mr. Moy speaks of avoiding intraconference matchups, but
  this will be done only for the opening game of the regionals.

* The NCAA has NOT suggested it will place bands 2-4 teams by the same
  highest-rank/closest-to-home method, yet Mr. Moy's selection uses that
  method.  I think the NCAA's method will be similar, but will set to
  maximize regional attendance according to past experience.

* I see no NCAA reason for Mr Moy's Step 5. I think they would leave
  Mercyhurst and Alabama-Huntsville alone, given the situation actually
  existed.  Likewise, I don't see the NCAA using Mr. Moy's reasoning in
  the St.Cloud/N.Dakota placements.

* Finally, I agree (wow) with Mr. Moy that, given the top 4 seeds the
  Frozen Four semis would be east-east and west-west, as the top 4 seeds
  are 1-West, 2-East, 3-East and 4-West.  Thus it worked out that the 2
  eastern regional winners will play in the Frozen Four, though this
  will not necessarily the case, come selection time.

But it's way too early for any of this to be useful, except in gaining
understanding of the process.

My take on the process: the new rules will emphasize the banding.
Banding is absolute (will not be overridden by other "rules").  The NCAA
may need to adjust within bands in order to keep the strengths of each
regional approximately the same.  One way to do this would be to seed
bands #3 & #4 in the opposite order from #1 & #2.

There apparently will be some potential for strangeness in the rules
this year.  For example, let's say team X might be ranked 8th or 9th.
Being ranked 8th should be better because it would mean the first game
would be played as the home team (#2 in regional vs #3).  However, if
Mr. Moy's apparent reasoning is used, the #8 ranked team is placed in
whatever regional is left over (after placing #5, 6 & 7).  Drop down to
#9 and team X gets first (in band) pick at a regional close to home and
road jerseys.

Arguments, coherent or otherwise, are hereby solicited!

cheers, wayne (ready to shuffle off to Buffalo)