--- Original Message --- From: Craig Powers <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: I guess I answered my question >It was announced up-front. First, there were the rumblings about it >happening due to the NCAA policy change, then during conference calls >within the last few weeks, the committee was quite candid about what >was going to happen. There was even a story in the Boston Globe about >how the seeding was going to change. > > >I don't think it's an accident that Lee Urton of USCHO, Mike Machnik of >there and here, myself, and John Whelan all came up with the same >regionals, aside John's placement of UNH out west and my punting on >the question. If they had really been clear, you wouldn't have needed to punt on the question of where UNH was going. But my point was somewhat broader. If this is really the direction we're headed, then let's just announce at the beginning of the season that we're having an East Regional, to which the top six eastern teams will be invited, and a West Regional, to which the top six western teams will be invited. (Modify accordingly for a sixteen team tournament.) I would rather see that, and I think it is less inherently flawed and dishonest, than the current system of taking the top twelve teams and then not using the slightest bit of thought to place them in the regionals based upon the rankings. J. Michael Neal