NCAA Tournament Bracket Formation

UPSoccerFanatic wrote:
"* Eligibility and availability of student-athletes for NCAA championships [which I think refers to academic eligibility, etc., etc.];

We have three prominent student-athletes who are widely known not to be available for the NCAA championship. Should we be worried about this criterion?

SoreKnees wrote:
We have three prominent student-athletes who are widely known not to be available for the NCAA championship. Should we be worried about this criterion?

Only if we can't field an 11 to put on the pitch.

We have a report, which I consider very reliable, from a person who has been involved in the actual process on a regional advisory committee at the D3 level, that the NCAA uses the same criteria for seeding as it does for at large selections. That also fits with the little analysis I've done of the seeding last year.

Our missing the U20s is not a factor, so far as I know. For one thing, they could change their minds and be here. The U20s could be bumped early and they could be here for the Final Four (I hope that doesn't happen). I think player availability and eligibility has to do with other things.

Also, regarding game outcomes -- win-loss-tie vs scores. Our expert with experience at the D3 level says that almost always the question is win-loss-tie. Scores are not important, with the possible exception when there's absolutely no other way to make a decision.

FSUfan wrote:How of a drop will FSU make after yesterdays utter failure. Do you think we can still get a 2 seed? Also should we be cheering for Virginia to win the ACC Tournament, since they are the only ACC team to beat us during the regular season?

I just posted an updated RPI through yesterday's games (the 11.5.2008 games) on the BigSoccer website. You can use the following link to access it: http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=650592

Florida State dropped two positions to #6, behind Portland and Notre Dame. Because of Portland's and FSU's common result against Florida, FSU probably was going there anyway. So, they really haven't lost much. Florida is just behind them and close in the RPI, so Florida probably will move ahead based on their head to head result. That would put FSU at #7. Right now, unless the RPI does something really weird I'm not expecting, and if teams win the games they're supposed to win, I'm guessing FSU gets one of the four #2 seeds.

Washington State beat Arizona today 1-0. It's looking pretty for WSU to get into the tournament. I think a tie against Arizona State will do it. I think Arizona is out of the picture.

You mean that in a week

We're Home?

Something to watch, in relation to whether Washington State and Oregon get into the NCAA Tournament, is how the high-ranked teams do in terms of winning their conferences. The more top teams that win their conferences, the better. (If a low-ranked team wins the conference, they get the automatic qualifier spot and the high-ranked teams occupy the at large spots.) Almost for sure, eight high-ranked teams will win their conferences, but the number could be as high as sixteen. That's a difference between the top 42-ranked non-conference champions getting in and the top 48. (In referring to "ranked," I mean as ranked by the NCAA after considering the RPI, head to head results, and results against common opponents.)

Trish Miller from UP's Athletic Marketing Dept. put out an email today that said if the UP women received the privilege of hosting rounds I and II of the playoffs the first round could be a doubleheader on Friday, November 14th (game times 5:30pm and 8:00pm) and round II on Sunday in the afternoon!! Now that's what I call something to dream about. GO PILOTS!!!

Geezer - you sound, (and look), like we've got a #1 seed locked up.

What gives? Don't we have to beat USD first? And if we do beat USD, how can we "really" know for sure until Monday at 5pm when official announcements are made? You "trust" the selection committee?

FANatic wrote:Geezer - you sound, (and look), like we've got a #1 seed locked up.

What gives? Don't we have to beat USD first? And if we do beat USD, how can we "really" know for sure until Monday at 5pm when official announcements are made? You "trust" the selection committee?

The way I figure it, even if we lose to USD (won't happen) we still get atop 16 seed. That means if we have a partner, we're still home for rounds 1 & 2.

As to waiting for 5:00PM Monday, well sure. The committee has three more days to figure out how to screw us, but I think they won't figure out how.

They aren't that bright.

The right answer, Geez!