Bracket Projections Week 3

Current PairWise

1.Quinnipiac
2. St Cloud State
3. North Dakota
4. Boston College
5. Providence
6. Michigan
7. Notre Dame
8. Boston University
9. Nebraska Omaha
10. Yale
11. Harvard
12. Denver
13. Lowell
14t. Cornell
14t. Penn State
16. Dartmouth 
19t. Robert Morris (AHA)
19t. Michigan Tech (WCHA)

Every league in the NCAA must have one team in the field and here I am assuming the highest rated team in the PairWise has won their respected conference tournament. So, Robert Morris and Michigan Tech get in, Penn State and Dartmouth are out. 

Field of 16

1.Quinnipiac
2. St Cloud State
3. North Dakota
4. Boston College
5. Providence
6. Michigan
7. Notre Dame
8. Boston University
9. Nebraska Omaha
10. Yale
11. Harvard
12. Denver
13. Lowell
14. Cornell
15. Robert Morris (AHA)
16. Michigan Tech (WCHA)

The field is then broken into four groups or the four regionals with the goal of "bracket integrity", i.e 1vs16, 2vs15 and so on. There can not be inter conference match-ups in the first round and hosts of regionals must be placed in their host city no mater what their ranking is. Holy Cross hosts in Worcester, Union in Albany, Minnesota in St. Paul and Miami in Cincinnati. Teams can also be moved to "boost attendance" (see Providence playing in Providence last year). 

Regionals

Worcester
1. Quinnipiac vs 16. Michigan Tech
8. Boston University vs 9. Nebraska Omaha

St. Paul
2. St. Cloud State vs 15. Robert Morris
7. Notre Dame vs 10. Yale

Cincinnati
3. North Dakota vs 14. Cornell 
6. Michigan vs 11. Harvard

Albany
4. Boston College vs 13. Lowell
5. Providence vs 12. Denver

We have one inter conference match-up: BC-Lowell in Albany. This is a quick fix. Move Lowell to Cincinnati and bring Cornell to Albany. There is a rule that states if a conference has five or more teams in the field, first round inter conference games can take place. That being said, I think the committee will do everything they can to get Cornell in the Albany regional for attendance purposes. Going off of that, I could also see Boston College as the top seed in Worcester. If that's the case, then Worcester and Albany regionals would just flip flop. It's all based off what the committee wants to do. Technically, QU has to be seeded closest to its campus as the are the number one overall seed. I'm just saying it would not shock me in the least if BC ended up in Worcester. 

For QU it is an hour and a half drive to Worcester and a two and half hour drive to Albany. For this week, I'll keep QU in Worcester because that is what is supposed to happen. As for other attendance boosters, swapping Michigan and Notre Dame may help out a bit in both respected sites. 

Final Bracket 

Worcester
1. Quinnipiac vs 16. Michigan Tech
8. Boston University vs 9. Nebraska Omaha

St. Paul
2. St Cloud State vs 15. Robert Morris 
6. Michigan vs 10. Yale

Cincinnati
3. North Dakota vs 13. Lowell
7. Notre Dame vs 11. Harvard

Albany
4. Boston College vs 14. Cornell
5. Providence vs 12. Denver

In this week: Michigan Tech, Cornell. 

Out this week: Mankato, RPI.