Dick To get back to your roundball reference and the MAAC The non conference schedule of roundbal teams generally do include nationally ranked teams. Most of them are blow outs while "big" teams get set for their conference schedule. The exception seems to be Princeton. They seem to do well against the "big boys". That is why Princeton gets a seeding higher than 14. If the Patriot league champion (George Mason this year) had played Duke, Maryland, UConn, etc and did well, then they'd deserve a higher seed than what they're going to get. Now for an idea for next season, because this season's post season is set in stone. A long time ago, in the days of a 4 team NCAA tourny, the CCHA got no respect. Finally, the NCAA relented and had the CCHA champion play the WCHA runner up for the 2nd west seed. I don't think the CCHA won any of those (maybe one??), but the point is they had a shot at the big dance. Since we have a week off next year between the regionals and the nationals, can't we have a play-in between the bottom PWR team that made the tourny and the MAAC champion? Say 2 out of 3 at the non-MAAC school? The NC$$ uses playins for the baseball tournament and used to use them for the roundball tourny. It would not hurt to try until the MAAC becomes more established and can get an auto bid outright. Joe LaCour Clarkson '77 "Still waiting after all these years" PS Don't forget that BU needed a playin (against PC) to get to the '78 tournament. WHOLLY unjustified, IMHO <G>. ___________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey; send information to [log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.