We’re coming off a couple of interesting weeks in terms of looking at the PairWise Rankings and trying to develop the brackets that would best represent what the committee might do if the NCAA field were seeded today. Two weeks ago we were dealing with likely having a conference matchup between Hockey East teams in … Read more
If you read last week’s Bracketology, you are familiar with the nightmare that was created when you had three Hockey East teams in the No. 1 seed and UMass, the host in the Springfield, Mass., regional, sitting as a four seed. What it created was either the conundrum to move North Dakota from the Sioux … Read more
A conundrum is defined as a confusing and difficult problem or question. This week, as we approach how to seed the NCAA men’s Division I hockey tournament brackets based on the current PairWise Rankings, we have a conundrum. Right now, three of the four number one seeds in the regionals are Hockey East teams. The … Read more
Let me begin with an error correction, one of which was careless on my part: North Dakota is not the host team this year in the Sioux Falls, S.D. regional. The host is actually Omaha, which means the Fighting Hawks do not technically need to be placed in Sioux Falls (though it will be difficult … Read more
Welcome back to a new season of Bracketology. Here we try to explain the process of seeding the NCAA Tournament and selecting which regional each of the 16 men’s Division I teams will play. Let’s begin with the simple. Figuring out which 16 teams would make the field based on the current PairWise Rankings. Note … Read more
Here is our shot at a final bracketology in advance of Sunday’s NCAA selection show: The field of 16, seeded 1-16 is: 1 Minnesota 8 Penn State 9 Ohio State 16 Canisius 2 Quinnipiac 7 Harvard 10 Michigan Tech 15 Colgate 3 Michigan 6 St. Cloud State 11 Minnesota State 14 Merrimack 4 Denver 5 … Read more
Here we are with the final Bracketology prior to Saturday night’s championship games where the final field will be set. Jayson and I are taking a little bit of a different approach this week, yet again, so let’s see what that yields. (Editor’s note: Jim and Jayson will produce a single, final bracket prediction on … Read more
Editor’s note: This was written prior to Wednesday’s Hockey East first-round playoff games and thus could be altered if individual teams move in the RPI/PWR after those three contests. We can tell you one thing from last week’s Bracketology — people did not like Minnesota and St. Cloud State playing in the same region. We … Read more
Let me first begin by welcoming back USCHO’s long-time bracketologist Jayson Moy and giving him a cap tip/apology as last week his bracket and reasoning were missing because I didn’t check the spam folder in my email and thus never found what he had sent. This week, without incident, Jayson is back and ready to … Read more
Welcome back to Bracketology, where we try to simulate the process that the NCAA Men’s Division I Hockey Championship committee will go through on Sunday, March 19. We’ve discussed the selection criteria enough in the past, so if you need a refresher on what the PairWise Rankings are, head to this link. All that said, … Read more
Selection Sunday is just a few days away, which means the NCAA picture for most of the schools is getting quite clear. We’ve mentioned it elsewhere this week, but we can say with full certainty that the top 10 teams in the PairWise have secured their spots: Minnesota State, Michigan, Denver, North Dakota, Minnesota, Western … Read more
We’re three weeks into Braceketology and we’re already seeing some conference tournament results that are having lasting impact. Last weekend, it was Ohio State losing its series in three games to Penn State. The Buckeyes have no games remaining to change their PairWise possibilities, and right now OSU sits right on the tournament bubble – … Read more
As we approach the home stretch of the college hockey season, we’re seeing some teams really solidify their NCAA tournament positions. We can say certainly that Minnesota State, Michigan and Minnesota all have punched their NCAA tickets and Denver, North Dakota, Western Michigan Notre Dame and St. Cloud State are all virtual locks (though my … Read more
It’s finally that time of year where everyone is wondering what teams will make the NCAA men’s Division I ice hockey tournament and, more so, where their favorite teams will likely be playing. Thus, we’ll dust off the old column called Bracketology. Each week until selection Sunday, Jayson Moy and I try to give you … Read more
With the conference tournaments in full swing, there are already teams that have finished their seasons while some continue to hold hope that they will automatically go or be selected to be in the NCAA tournament (photo: Jim Rosvold).
For the first time since Bracketology premiered about a month ago, there is balance among the top four teams in the PairWise. We have two teams from the west in North Dakota and Minnesota State and two from the east in Cornell and Boston College (photo: Rich Gagnon).
We’re down to five and a half weeks until selection Sunday, and as things begin to shape up in terms of what teams are getting closer to punching their NCAA tickets, we are also running into some problems on how to best seed the tournament (photo: Jim Rosvold/University of Minnesota).
Jayson Moy breaks down how the committee put the pieces together for the bracket (photo: Jim Rosvold).
Jayson Moy gives his prediction of what the NCAA tournament bracket will look like when it’s revealed on Sunday (photo: Melissa Wade).
All four No. 4 seeds are automatic qualifiers for the first time since the tournament expanded to 16 teams in 2003 (photo: Omar Phillips).