Bracketology article

Tom Pasniewski 98 · March 04, 2003, 06:24:24 PM

We are only adding fuel to the fire underneath HE fans who think we are overrated by consistently saying over and over that we are trying to avoid Providence. Would a CHA team be easier? On paper, yes. On any given day, one can't say. We are also adding fuel to the fire by trying to figure out the easiest route to the Frozen Four. There is no such thing as a good result of not winning the ECAC championship in Albany. The team will be ready to play whoever they have to.

ugarte · March 04, 2003, 06:57:27 PM

I think it is less fear than a lamentation. It is just disappointing to have a season so successful that it earns a high seed only to be forced into a road game in what is theoretically a neutral site tournament. It isn't so much that we are worried that Providence will beat us, only that playing in Providence increases their chances.

They sure as hell wouldn't want to play us in Ithaca.

Jim Hyla · March 04, 2003, 07:03:47 PM

Agree. Win what you can win, and then go on. If we knew we could win the NCAA's by losing the ECAC's, then do it. But how would you like to lose the ECAC's and again lose the NCAA's? Or putting it another way, last year would you have felt better losing the ECAC's and beating QU like we did; or would you rather have won the ECAC's and lost to UNH or someone else in the first round. I know my answer.

So let's get what we can for as long as we can.

Luke 05 · March 04, 2003, 11:23:23 PM

Hypothetical--

Does the committee take the top 4 PWR teams as the number one seeds or is it discretionary?

jtwcornell91 · March 05, 2003, 01:41:37 AM

Luke '05 wrote:

QuoteDoes the committee take the top 4 PWR teams as the number one seeds or is it discretionary?

According to the championships handbook, the committee ranks the teams according to the selection criteria (which are the same criteria used to generate KRACH), then gives #1 seeds to the top four teams. So there is not supposed to be any discretion involved.

jy3 · March 05, 2003, 12:14:39 PM

Orono, ME US Providence, RI US

Total Distance: 298.69 miles Total Estimated Time: 4 hours, 55 minutes

Orono, ME US to Worcester, MA US

Total Distance: 288.17 miles Total Estimated Time: 4 hours, 52 minutes
Ithaca, NY US to Worcester, MA US

Total Distance: 329.33 miles Total Estimated Time: 5 hours, 41 minutes
Ithaca, NY US to Providence, RI US

Total Distance: 362.30 miles Total Estimated Time: 6 hours, 17 minutes

Denison 71 · March 05, 2003, 12:52:50 PM

At what point prior to the NCAA seeding of the Regional sites will our studied bracjetolgists feel that they have a 80% chance of determining inwhich Regional that Cornell will be?

jtwcornell91 · March 05, 2003, 02:34:09 PM

Probably not until the weekend of the conference championships. I was able to determine last year that we had an at-large bid and would be staying East by running "You Are The Committee" on my laptop between periods of the ECAC Championship Game.

Also, it's more complicated this year with the four regionals, but if we're a #1 seed it should be somewhat easier, especially if the conference affiliation and host status of the #4 seeds comes into play.

ugarte · March 06, 2003, 08:53:45 AM

If there are upsets in the ECAC's this weekend, will our RPI drop even though we are idle? Or will we stay the same because the increase in, say, Princeton's RPI is offset by the drop in Brown's?

jkahn · March 06, 2003, 10:11:28 AM

ECAC results this weekend should only have a minimal impact on our RPI. In Opponents' Winning Percentage, for every win added there'd be a loss added. An upset would actually help temporarily, for example, a win for Princeton would move their winning pct. up by more than Brown's goes down. Unfortunately, this would be dramatically offset the next week if we added two (or heaven forbid three) games against a team with a lower winning percentage to our schedule.

Tom Pasniewski 98 · March 06, 2003, 11:10:37 AM

But before we get to changes in our RPI this weekend, there will be changes in our RPI tonight with two opponents of ours on the HE three-game schedule tonight. Most notably of course is Maine v. UMass-Amherst, Round 5 tonight and Round 6 tomorrow. Maine leads 3-1 in regular season matchups. If UMass is to beat Maine, it will probably have to come in three games with a round 7 on Saturday.