Okay, help me out here. As I see it, the possibilities for the NCAA
tournament play out like this:
1. Already In (1): Bemidji
1-1/2. Will be In (1): Atlantic Hockey Champion
2. In (7): BU, Northeastern, Yale, Michigan, Notre Dame, Denver, North
Dakota. I see no reasonable way any of these can fail to get an at-large.
3. Probably In, but stranger things have happened (3): Cornell, Vermont,
New Hampshire. If Cornell goes 0-2, there are a few ways they can fail to
make it, but the other 2 are done playing and so can't move that much.
4. Win or Go Home (8): BC, Lowell, Alaska, Northern Michigan, Wisconsin,
and the 3 AHA teams that don't win that tournament. I have tried, but
can't find a way for BC or Wisconsin to play their way into an at-large
bid, either they win the tourney or they don't make the top 14 - I can get
BC to #15, but no higher.
5. The Bubble: St. Lawrence, Duluth, Princeton, Minnesota, Miami. If
there are no cinderella teams this weekend, 4 make it and 1 stays home.
So obviously all these teams are rooting for favorites in the conference
tournaments. Minnesota & Miami in particular as they have nothing better
to do now. ;-) SLU, UMD, and Princeton at least can play their way in.
So what am I missing? Is there a way for any of my "Win or Go Home" teams
to play their way into an at-large bid? How do Vermont or UNH get booted?
What combinations of wins and losses would favor some bubble teams the
most? Can any of my 7 "In" teams possibly be "Out" by Saturday night?
And how the heck will the tourney end up being bracketed with 3 host
schools smack in the midst of the rankings?
Oh yes, it's the most wonderful day of the year. Except if you're my
boss, expecting productivity...
Mike A
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