LaxMag Bracketology (4/30/19)

[JeremyCuse]

NCAA Committee Chair Says Criteria Doesn't Change; Scenarios Do

Here’s the question for committee chairman Jack Hayes: What’s the most important data point of all?

www.uslaxmagazine.com

Syracuse is in the clubhouse, but it surely wouldn’t mind seeing some combination of Towson, Loyola, Notre Dame and Johns Hopkins all lose this weekend to keep its chances of a home game alive. …

Hempstead, N.Y.
(1) BIG TEN/Penn State vs. METRO ATLANTIC/Marist-AMERICA EAST/Vermont
(8) PATRIOT/Loyola vs. Syracuse

East Hartford, Conn.
(5) Yale vs. Johns Hopkins
(4) IVY/Penn vs. Maryland

Hempstead, N.Y.
(3) Virginia vs. SOUTHERN/High Point
(6) Notre Dame vs. BIG EAST/Denver

East Hartford, Conn.
(7) COLONIAL/Towson vs. Cornell
(2) Duke vs. NORTHEAST/Hobart

Last three in: Johns Hopkins, Maryland, Cornell
First three out: Ohio State, North Carolina, Villanova

Moving in: Hobart, Johns Hopkins, Vermont
Moving out: UMass, Mount St. Mary’s, Stony Brook

Multi-bid conferences: Atlantic Coast (4), Big Ten (3), Ivy (3)

Not sure SU wants Loyole or Towson to lose.

 

[Hoo's That]

What is with the continued dook love?

 

[Powellfan]

I like Anish's bracket a lot better. I think with Towson and Loyola being the 7 and 8 seeds would mean SU is next in line to host if one were to lose. Also SU is not the last team in, if Maryland or if Hopkins were to lose in the Big Ten title game, I think they are in more danger of losing out on a bid than SU. Cornell if it loses to Yale as well. So I think at this point SU is pulling for some chaos, but not total chaos.

I think there are three potential bids that could be stolen, Ivy, CAA and Patriot. If say Army and Drexel steal a bid, Maryland and Hopkins would probably be on the outside looking in. If all heck breaks lose and Army, Drexel and Brown steal bids, even then I think Cornell is out before SU. Maybe if Cornell beats Yale but losses to Brown they get in over the Orange but I doubt it. No more bid stealing is available. I just don't see a scenario where SU is out.

 

[DoctahLexus]

What is with the continued dook love?

Unfortunately the fact that they only beat Marquette by 1 doesn't really matter since the committee doesn’t seem to consider goal differential at all in their selections. Kinda wish they did as it is clear Duke has not looked good as of late when you combine the ACC tourney loss with the Marquette one. But they do have quality wins over the two ACC teams that look the best right now (ND and UVA), along with Loyola and Penn which are huge, and Denver and Towson who continue to hang around the tourney conversation. They do a truly insane amount of schedule overload, to the point where you wonder how it is allowed. They strait up play at the very least 2 more games than everyone else and have tons of out of conference RPI boosting opportunities. To their credit they tend to make the most of it.

They also beat UVA without Michael Kraus but that is yet another thing that the committee doesn't consider at all.

 

[JeremyCuse]

Unfortunately the fact that they only beat Marquette by 1 doesn't really matter since the committee doesn’t seem to consider goal differential at all in their selections. Kinda wish they did as it is clear Duke has not looked good as of late when you combine the ACC tourney loss with the Marquette one. But they do have quality wins over the two ACC teams that look the best right now (ND and UVA), along with Loyola and Penn which are huge, and Denver and Towson who continue to hang around the tourney conversation. They do a truly insane amount of schedule overload, to the point where you wonder how it is allowed. They strait up play at the very least 2 more games than everyone else and have tons of out of conference RPI boosting opportunities. To their credit they tend to make the most of it.

They also beat UVA without Michael Kraus but that is yet another thing that the committee doesn't consider at all.

Nailed it.

 

[MD Cuse Fan]

Unfortunately the fact that they only beat Marquette by 1 doesn't really matter since the committee doesn’t seem to consider goal differential at all in their selections. Kinda wish they did as it is clear Duke has not looked good as of late when you combine the ACC tourney loss with the Marquette one. But they do have quality wins over the two ACC teams that look the best right now (ND and UVA), along with Loyola and Penn which are huge, and Denver and Towson who continue to hang around the tourney conversation. They do a truly insane amount of schedule overload, to the point where you wonder how it is allowed. They strait up play at the very least 2 more games than everyone else and have tons of out of conference RPI boosting opportunities. To their credit they tend to make the most of it.

They also beat UVA without Michael Kraus but that is yet another thing that the committee doesn't consider at all.

Good point about their schedule and I have wondered this myself for years why there isn't a limit to how many games schools can schedule. It's not just Duke, look at UNC and UVA too they both throw in a few extra games a season with Furman, Marist, VMI now Utah. I wonder if Syracuse has thought about adding a couple more games or whether they've determined it wouldn't make enough of a difference?

 

[JeremyCuse]

Good point about their schedule and I have wondered this myself for years why there isn't a limit to how many games schools can schedule. It's not just Duke, look at UNC and UVA too they both throw in a few extra games a season with Furman, Marist, VMI now Utah. I wonder if Syracuse has thought about adding a couple more games or whether they've determined it wouldn't make enough of a difference?

There is a max, I believe it is 17 or so games which includes scrimmages fall and pre-season. Duke purposely doesn't play a fall scrimmage and I think plays like one in the spring so they can play 15+ games in the regular season. They also play Fri/Sun games once or twice in the early part of the season.

SU is the opposite, Dekso does not like to play mid week games when he can avoid it and likes to have at least two scrimmages pre-season and a fall scrimmage. SU had only 12 regular season games and could have scheduled at least 2 more if they wanted to but purposely did not. Desko feels to many games against bottom feeders lowers the RPI to much but I thought SU should have had at least 1 more game this season, 12 is to few.

 

[ClvrUsrnm]

There is a max, I believe it is 17 or so games which includes scrimmages fall and pre-season. Duke purposely doesn't play a fall scrimmage and I think plays like one in the spring so they can play 15+ games in the regular season. They also play Fri/Sun games once or twice in the early part of the season.

SU is the opposite, Dekso does not like to play mid week games when he can avoid it and likes to have at least two scrimmages pre-season and a fall scrimmage. SU had only 12 regular season games and could have scheduled at least 2 more if they wanted to but purposely did not. Desko feels to many games against bottom feeders lowers the RPI to much but I thought SU should have had at least 1 more game this season, 12 is to few.

That sums up Desko’s thinking really well. I agree they should add a 13th game, maybe against a Lehigh or someone in that range. No bottom feeders but a winnable top 20 game. Or bring back the Princeton game, if possible

 

[Powellfan]

 

[ClvrUsrnm]

Patriot League Semis: Army Defense Holds Back No. 1 Seed Loyola

(Inside Lacrosse Photo: Jaclyn Borowski) BALTIMORE — Two weeks ago Army West Point’s No. 2 ranked defense gave up double-digit goals

www.insidelacrosse.com

This is why I don’t like “bracketology.” After weeks of breathless guesswork, one game blows up the whole thing.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Bracketology: Cornell or Maryland? Let the Debate Begin

Cornell didn’t get any assistance before it took the field Friday night. Then it couldn’t help its own cause.

www.uslaxmagazine.com

Hempstead, N.Y.
(1) BIG TEN/Penn State vs. METRO ATLANTIC/Marist-AMERICA EAST/Vermont
(8) Loyola vs. Syracuse

East Hartford, Conn.
(5) IVY/Penn vs. Maryland
(4) Yale vs. PATRIOT/Lehigh

Hempstead, N.Y.
(3) Virginia vs. SOUTHERN/High Point
(6) Notre Dame vs. BIG EAST/Denver

East Hartford, Conn.
(7) COLONIAL/Towson vs. Johns Hopkins
(2) Duke vs. NORTHEAST/Hobart

Syracuse, like Notre Dame, saw its chances of securing a home game improve with Loyola’s loss on Friday. Stumbles by Hopkins, Notre Dame and Towson on Saturday would all figure to benefit the Orange

Last three in: Syracuse, Johns Hopkins, Maryland
First three out: Cornell, Ohio State, Army

Moving in: Lehigh
Moving out: Cornell

Multi-bid conferences: Atlantic Coast (4), Big Ten (3), Ivy (2), Patriot (2)

 

[orange79]

That's two sites now assuming that Lehigh beats Army (CC being the other). I'm not sure why. I know Lehigh beat them in the regular season, but Loyola beat them, too. So...

 

[ks orange]

That's two sites now assuming that Lehigh beats Army (CC being the other). I'm not sure why. I know Lehigh beat them in the regular season, but Loyola beat them, too. So...

Go Army!

 

[OrangeXtreme]

That's two sites now assuming that Lehigh beats Army (CC being the other). I'm not sure why. I know Lehigh beat them in the regular season, but Loyola beat them, too. So...

Lehigh is the higher seeded remaining team?

 

[ivorytower]

Like Army IF Army goalie Baretto at full health. He was limping badly at game end. Another example why the crease should belong to the gk only