LaxPower Back-Up Stick

laxmenow wrote: ↑Tue Mar 19, 2024 8:02 pm It seems like a good time to start this, what with us all just finishing making donations to our local NCAA BB pools!
Someone mentioned Duke potentially making the WLAX tournament this year, after they beat Harvard the other day, so I thought I would run through a cut at a bracket. I am not good with graphics, so I am just going to list them 1 -29, highlighting where I believe the last few at large spots will be up for grabs. Something for the experts in the group to improve upon
Bracket guidelines: 29 bids, with 15 AQs and 14 at-large bids:
1) Northwestern (Big 10 AQ)
2) Maryland (At large)
3) Notre Dame (ACC AQ)
4) Boston College (At large)
5) Loyola (Patriot AQ)
6) Michigan (At large)
7) James Madison (AAC AQ)
8) Syracuse (At large)
9) Virginia (At large)
10) North Carolina (At large)
11) Florida (At large)
12) Stony Brook (CAA AQ)
13) Johns Hopkins (At large)
14) Denver (Big East AQ)
15) Penn (Ivy AQ)
16) Yale (At large) I feel like these first 16 have done enough to be highly likely to make it, lots of work required for those below:
17) Stanford (Pac 10 AQ)
18) Navy (At large)
19) Princeton (At large)
20) Richmond (A 10 AQ)
21) For these last three AL slots I think it will come to (in my current order):
22,23) USC, Harvard, Clemson, Penn State, Duke, Brown, Colorado, Rutgers, Drexel, Dartmouth
24) Fairfield (MAAC AQ). ** Note, from this line down, imo these are one bid leagues, no matter who wins the tourney (some above can be steals)
25) Albany (Amer East AQ)
26) Mercer (Big South AQ)
27) Lindenwood (A Sun AQ)
28) Stonehill (NEC AQ)
29) E Michigan (MAC AQ)

LaxDadMax wrote: ↑Tue Mar 19, 2024 8:04 pm Small important not. Lindenwood won't be eligible for the tourney until 2027 due to 4-year transition period (NCAA rules). That said, don't think it impacts list at all since A sun is likely 1 bid conference.

laxmenow wrote: ↑Tue Mar 19, 2024 9:01 pm I would presume the A SUN gets a bid no matter, it just goes to the team that finishes highest in the conf tourney, other than Lindenwood

laxmenow wrote: ↑Tue Mar 19, 2024 9:01 pm I would presume the A SUN gets a bid no matter, it just goes to the team that finishes highest in the conf tourney, other than Lindenwood

OuttaNowhereWregget wrote: ↑Tue Mar 19, 2024 9:35 pm

laxmenow wrote: ↑Tue Mar 19, 2024 9:01 pm I would presume the A SUN gets a bid no matter, it just goes to the team that finishes highest in the conf tourney, other than Lindenwood

So bogus. Especially coming from D2 up to D1. I wouldn't think the NCAA would have such a stipulation in place. But then again--it is the NCAA.

OuttaNowhereWregget wrote: ↑Tue Mar 19, 2024 9:35 pm

laxmenow wrote: ↑Tue Mar 19, 2024 9:01 pm I would presume the A SUN gets a bid no matter, it just goes to the team that finishes highest in the conf tourney, other than Lindenwood

So bogus. Especially coming from D2 up to D1. I wouldn't think the NCAA would have such a stipulation in place. But then again--it is the NCAA.

laxdadpat wrote: ↑Thu Mar 21, 2024 11:09 am How many Ivys get in?? I think the Ivy tourney is a 4 team championship. Penn and Yale are locks. Princeton, Brown, Harvard, Cornell and Dartmouth battling for 2 spots. That may be the most interesting conference this year, drama for most every game going forward. Get out the popcorn!

laxmenow wrote: ↑Tue Mar 19, 2024 8:02 pm It seems like a good time to start this, what with us all just finishing making donations to our local NCAA BB pools!
Someone mentioned Duke potentially making the WLAX tournament this year, after they beat Harvard the other day, so I thought I would run through a cut at a bracket. I am not good with graphics, so I am just going to list them 1 -29, highlighting where I believe the last few at large spots will be up for grabs. Something for the experts in the group to improve upon
Bracket guidelines: 29 bids, with 15 AQs and 14 at-large bids:
1) Northwestern (Big 10 AQ)
2) Maryland (At large)
3) Notre Dame (ACC AQ)
4) Boston College (At large)
5) Loyola (Patriot AQ)
6) Michigan (At large)
7) James Madison (AAC AQ)
8) Syracuse (At large)
9) Virginia (At large)
10) North Carolina (At large)
11) Florida (At large)
12) Stony Brook (CAA AQ)
13) Johns Hopkins (At large)
14) Denver (Big East AQ)
15) Penn (Ivy AQ)
16) Yale (At large) I feel like these first 16 have done enough to be highly likely to make it, lots of work required for those below:
17) Stanford (Pac 10 AQ)
18) Navy (At large)
19) Princeton (At large)
20) Richmond (A 10 AQ)
21) For these last three AL slots I think it will come to (in my current order):
22,23) USC, Harvard, Clemson, Penn State, Duke, Brown, Colorado, Rutgers, Drexel, Dartmouth
24) Fairfield (MAAC AQ). ** Note, from this line down, imo these are one bid leagues, no matter who wins the tourney (some above can be steals)
25) Albany (Amer East AQ)
26) Mercer (Big South AQ)
27) Lindenwood (A Sun AQ)
28) Stonehill (NEC AQ)
29) E Michigan (MAC AQ)

laxmenow wrote: ↑Tue Mar 19, 2024 8:02 pm
21) For these last three AL slots I think it will come to (in my current order):
22,23) USC, Harvard, Clemson, Penn State, Duke, Brown, Colorado, Rutgers, Drexel, Dartmouth

spidey44 wrote: ↑Fri Mar 22, 2024 9:33 am

laxmenow wrote: ↑Tue Mar 19, 2024 8:02 pm
21) For these last three AL slots I think it will come to (in my current order):
22,23) USC, Harvard, Clemson, Penn State, Duke, Brown, Colorado, Rutgers, Drexel, Dartmouth

Some thoughts on these AL picks.
Penn State will end the season at 7-8 unless they can steal a win vs NW, MD, JHU, or Michigan - they won't.
Duke comes down to the Louisville game to see if they can be above .500. That said, their SOS is not great. They don't have a win against a tournament team.
Clemson has head to head against Duke so if it comes down to it, don't think both will get in. Clemson will finish above .500, but the only potential tourney team they have a win against, is Mercer currently. They'll finish 10-6, but again, no good wins really, and they'll end up 3-6 in conference.
USC should win out except for Stanford (maybe Colorado??). Think they have a good shot at the AL bid.
If Colorado can beat USC, they'll get it over USC, but doubt both get in. They don't have any "bad" losses thus far.
Haven't seem much of the Ivies to comment, but the more I look at the AL list, the more I don't like any of these teams besides USC and Colorado lol. Clemson may sneak in on hype. Rutgers should get to .500, but lost to Penn State.

Anyway, non-AQs will be on the edge of their seats in a month or so...

610Lax wrote: ↑Fri Mar 22, 2024 12:41 am

laxmenow wrote: ↑Tue Mar 19, 2024 8:02 pm It seems like a good time to start this, what with us all just finishing making donations to our local NCAA BB pools!
Someone mentioned Duke potentially making the WLAX tournament this year, after they beat Harvard the other day, so I thought I would run through a cut at a bracket. I am not good with graphics, so I am just going to list them 1 -29, highlighting where I believe the last few at large spots will be up for grabs. Something for the experts in the group to improve upon
Bracket guidelines: 29 bids, with 15 AQs and 14 at-large bids:
1) Northwestern (Big 10 AQ)
2) Maryland (At large)
3) Notre Dame (ACC AQ)
4) Boston College (At large)
5) Loyola (Patriot AQ)
6) Michigan (At large)
7) James Madison (AAC AQ)
8) Syracuse (At large)
9) Virginia (At large)
10) North Carolina (At large)
11) Florida (At large)
12) Stony Brook (CAA AQ)
13) Johns Hopkins (At large)
14) Denver (Big East AQ)
15) Penn (Ivy AQ)
16) Yale (At large) I feel like these first 16 have done enough to be highly likely to make it, lots of work required for those below:
17) Stanford (Pac 10 AQ)
18) Navy (At large)
19) Princeton (At large)
20) Richmond (A 10 AQ)
21) For these last three AL slots I think it will come to (in my current order):
22,23) USC, Harvard, Clemson, Penn State, Duke, Brown, Colorado, Rutgers, Drexel, Dartmouth
24) Fairfield (MAAC AQ). ** Note, from this line down, imo these are one bid leagues, no matter who wins the tourney (some above can be steals)
25) Albany (Amer East AQ)
26) Mercer (Big South AQ)
27) Lindenwood (A Sun AQ)
28) Stonehill (NEC AQ)
29) E Michigan (MAC AQ)

Nice work and good list. Think you're selling the MAAC a little short though. They have a winning record vs the Big East, Patriot and A-10 while also being .500 vs the Ivy. If Niagara wins their tournament I don't think you can leave Fairfield out.

laxdadpat wrote: ↑Fri Mar 22, 2024 9:57 am Denver is the only Big East team making national tourney as well.

laxlaxlax wrote: ↑Thu Mar 21, 2024 4:15 pm

laxdadpat wrote: ↑Thu Mar 21, 2024 11:09 am How many Ivys get in?? I think the Ivy tourney is a 4 team championship. Penn and Yale are locks. Princeton, Brown, Harvard, Cornell and Dartmouth battling for 2 spots. That may be the most interesting conference this year, drama for most every game going forward. Get out the popcorn!

Agreed - last year it went down to the final day of the regular season to even determine which teams even made the ivy tournament, let alone the NCAA.

I always find checking out lacrosse reference is worthwhile when talking bracketology, it gives a good early read on RPI and also SOS - looks like the current list is accurate as of today 3/21

https://lacrossereference.com/stats/rpi-d1-women/

LaxDadMax wrote: ↑Fri Mar 22, 2024 10:39 am

laxdadpat wrote: ↑Fri Mar 22, 2024 9:57 am Denver is the only Big East team making national tourney as well.

Likely. But if Denver (or stony brook) get shocked in their conference tourney, they will still make the ncaa tourney.

The 6 conferences mentioned don’t have a single team who qualifies on their own