Brackets One Week Out

We are less than a week out from selection Sunday, so here’s my projected bracket, acting as if the season has ended and this is the final PairWise.

1. Denver
2. Duluth
3. Harvard
4. Western
5. Minnesota
6. Boston University
7. Union
8. Lowell
9. Cornell
10. Notre Dame
11. North Dakota
12. Providence
13. Penn State
14. Ohio State
15. Air Force
16. Boston College

25. Canisus (AHA)
28. Michigan Tech 37. Bowling Green (WCHA)

Conference Leaders based on win% (projected tourney winners): Canisus (AHA), Minnesota (B1G), Union (ECAC), Lowell (HE), Denver (NCHC), Tech and Bowling Green are the final teams left in the WCHA tournament.

Every league in the NCAA must have one team in the field and that is determined by league title winners. So here we are assuming the conference leaders (above) have won their respective conference championships. That means Air Force and Boston College are out and Canisus and either Bowling Green or Michigan Tech are in.

1. Denver
2. Duluth
3. Harvard
4. Western

5. Minnesota
6. BU
7. Union
8. Lowell

9. Cornell
10. Notre Dame
11. North Dakota
12. Providence

13. Penn State
14. Ohio State
15. Canisus
16. Tech/BGSU

Regionals
The field is then broken into four groups or the four regional 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 matter what their ranking is. Brown hosts in Providence, North Dakota in Fargo, New Hampshire in Manchester, and Miami in Cincinnati. Teams can also be moved to "boost attendance" (see Providence playing in Providence two years ago.).

Fargo
1. Denver vs 16. Tech/BGSU
8. Lowell vs 9. Cornell

Cincinnati
2. Duluth vs 15. Canisus
7. Union vs 10. Notre Dame

Providence
3. Harvard vs 14. Ohio State
6. BU vs 11. North Dakota

Manchester
4. Western vs 13. Penn State
5. Minnesota vs 12. Providence

North Dakota must play in Fargo, so they are flipped with Cornell. Other than that, there are no other necessary moves, but we all know the committee will move teams for attendance reasons, so here’s what I got: Minnesota to Cincinnati, BU to Manchester, Union to Providence, Providence to Providence, and Cornell to Manchester

Fargo
1. Denver vs 16. Tech/BGSU
8. Lowell vs 11. North Dakota

Cincinnati
2. Duluth vs 15. Canisus
5. Minnesota vs 10. Notre Dame

Providence
3. Harvard vs 14. Ohio State
7. Union vs 12. Providence

Manchester
4. Western vs 13. Penn State
6. Boston University vs 9. Cornell

The idea of bracket integrity is completely thrown out the window in the system. In addition, the other idea that the tournament has a “national flavor” is a joke. Teams are shuffled around so much to boost attendance that it practically becomes and east vs west tournament. Solution? you know where this is going if you have followed for a while… first round (at least) games on campus.

It shouldn’t be that hard to line up teams 1-16, play a first round best of three series on campus and then the next weekend play a “super regional” before the Frozen Four. Attendance will inevitably go up by virtue of there being more games. The NCAA will still get it’s money (we all know that’s the most important factor) from the super regional at a neutral site. Have one in the east and one in the west. First round followed by the super regional and then the Frozen Four in back to back to back weekends and get rid of that dumb weekend off between the regionals and the FF. It would be the best way to find the best team and boost attendance.