Welcome back to Bracketology!
This week, things look pretty straightforward to setting up our brackets. But let’s be forewarned that things could change quickly and we could have one of the worst nightmare scenarios in memory.
Last weekend, Omaha swept North Dakota in the final weekend of the NCHC regular season. Good for the Mavericks, not good for bracketologists.
You see, Omaha has played its way into the top 14 of the PairWise, currently sitting at 12. Omaha is also the host in Sioux Falls, S.D. (many believe it is North Dakota – it is not).
Should Omaha slip just a little bit – say to 13 – it would become a number four seed. The Mavericks have to play in Sioux Falls, but that would likely set up a first-round matchup with North Dakota, the team that likely will drive most of the ticket sales at the regional.
For the past few weeks, we’ve discussed a similar issue with Massachusetts. The Minutemen are the hosts in Springfield and, if they climb from 15 (out of the field) to 14 by selection Sunday, you’d also have the issue of UMass and presumptive No. 1 seed Boston University being an avoid-at-all-costs interconference first-round matchup.
That would leave the committee with some difficult decisions. But, right now, neither are those are in front of us so let’s keep things simple and put together this week’s brackets.
Here are the teams, seeded 1 through 16:
1. Boston College
8. Quinnipiac
9. Wisconsin
16. Bemidji State
2. Boston University
7. Maine
10. Michigan
15. RIT
3. Denver
6. Minnesota
11. Colorado College
14. Providence
4. North Dakota
5. Michigan State
12. Omaha
13. Western Michigan
We do have one interconference matchup here, and that’s North Dakota and Western Michigan. You also have three NCHC teams in that one bracket, something that should be avoided.
But before we move, let’s just assign the appropriate regional to each group of four.
Providence, R.I.
1. Boston College
8. Quinnipiac
9. Wisconsin
16. Bemidji State
Springfield, Mass.
2. Boston University
7. Maine
10. Michigan
15. RIT
Maryland Heights, Mo.
3. Denver
6. Minnesota
11. Colorado College
14. Providence
Sioux Falls, S.D.
4. North Dakota
5. Michigan State
12. Omaha
13. Western Michigan
Now let’s deal with the Western Michigan. The Broncos can’t go to Maryland Heights as that would set up a matchup with Denver, another NCHC opponent. So the most sensible switch is to send Western Michigan to Springfield and RIT to Sioux Falls.
Providence, R.I.
1. Boston College
8. Quinnipiac
9. Wisconsin
16. Bemidji State
Springfield, Mass.
2. Boston University
7. Maine
10. Michigan
13. Western Michigan
Maryland Heights, Mo.
3. Denver
6. Minnesota
11. Colorado College
14. Providence
Sioux Falls, S.D.
4. North Dakota
5. Michigan State
12. Omaha
15. RIT
The rest of the bracket looks fine, so that’s my final bracket this week. Should we worry about attendance at all? Probably Maryland Heights, but there is no easy solution there.
So that is my final bracket:
Providence, R.I.
1. Boston College
2. Quinnipiac
3. Wisconsin
4. Bemidji State
Springfield, Mass.
1. Boston University
2. Maine
3. Michigan
4. Western Michigan
Maryland Heights, Mo.
1. Denver
2. Minnesota
3. Colorado College
4. Providence
Sioux Falls, S.D.
1. North Dakota
2. Michigan State
3. Omaha
4. RIT
