Last week was the Bracketologist’s dream.
All of the 16 teams fit nicely in a perfect bracket without any sort of conference matchups in the opening round and, even geographically all of the teams insured that attendance would be strong.
This week, not so much.
We mentioned a number of weeks back that UMass qualifying for the tournament as the host in Springfield could create some issues for seeding, particularly if the Minutemen are a No. 4 seed, which sitting at 13th in the currently PairWise is exactly what we have. We can’t place another Hockey East team in the region as a No. 1 seed or you’d have an interconference matchup in the opening round, something the committee tries to avoid like the plague.
When we had three of the four No. 1 seeds from Hockey East – at the time Boston College, Boston University and Maine – I basically called the interconference game unavoidable. Technically you could move one of those teams to Sioux Falls and send North Dakota east, but that would destroy the attendance in the Sioux Falls regional.
But today, we have just two Hockey East teams as No. 1 seeds – BC and BU – and I’m ready to ship the lower of those teams west.
Let’s first do the simple and bracket the tournament, 1 through 16.
- Boston College
- Boston University
- North Dakota
- Wisconsin
- Michigan State
- Denver
- Quinnipiac
- Minnesota
- Maine
- Providence
- St. Cloud State
- Western Michigan
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- RIT (placeholder for AHA champion)
- Bemidji State (placeholder for CCHA champion)
Bracketing these teams, 1 vs. 16, 2 vs. 15, etc., we get:
1. Boston College
8. Minnesota
9. Maine
16. Bemidji State
2. Boston University
7. Quinnipiac
10. Providence
15. RIT
3. North Dakota
6. Denver
11. St. Cloud
14. Michigan
4. Wisconsin
5. Michigan State
12. Western Michigan
13. Massachusetts
Let’s first look for interconference matchups and we have one – Denver and St. Cloud. If we swap Denver and Quinnipiac, we’d do the least damage to the bracket integrity (swapping 6 for 7) and avoid that conflict.
1. Boston College
8. Minnesota
9. Maine
16. Bemidji State
2. Boston University
6. Denver
10. Providence
15. RIT
3. North Dakota
7. Quinnipiac
11. St. Cloud State
14. Michigan
4. Wisconsin
5. Michigan State
12. Western Michigan
13. Massachusetts
Okay, now let’s assign regions, remembering that UMass must play in Springfield, Mass., as the host.
Providence, R.I.
1. Boston College
8. Minnesota
9. Maine
16. Bemidji State
Maryland Heights, Mo.
2. Boston University
6. Denver
10. Providence
15. RIT
Sioux Falls, S.D.
3. North Dakota
7. Quinnipiac
11. St. Cloud State
14. Michigan
Springfield, Mass.
4. Wisconsin
5. Michigan State
12. Western Michigan
13. Massachusetts
This is hardly ideal for attendance, but I think the committee would have to stay with a version of this – particularly when it comes to assigning where each #1 seed plays.
As it is, Sioux Falls will be sold out and Providence with Boston College and Maine should have good crowds. UMass should help the Springfield Region significantly (though the Michigan State-Western Michigan game might be a small crowd as would the final if UMass loses). And Maryland Height is such a small building that an ambitious RIT following could fill most of it.
Is there another change to consider? Yes. Swapping the Minnesota-Maine matchup with the Denver-Providence matchup. That would put Providence closer to home (they are not the host in Providence, Brown is) while Minnesota, one of the closest teams to Maryland Heights, would move there.
Right now, though, I don’t want to do that as it further crumbles the bracket integrity. So I’ll stick with my final bracket:
Providence, R.I.
1. Boston College
8. Minnesota
9. Maine
16. Bemidji State
Maryland Heights, Mo.
2. Boston University
6. Denver
10. Providence
15. RIT
Sioux Falls, S.D.
3. North Dakota
7. Quinnipiac
11. St. Cloud State
14. Michigan
Springfield, Mass.
4. Wisconsin
5. Michigan State
12. Western Michigan
13. Massachusetts
