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Correct... they are not tournament games. They are play in games.
Basically there are two ways to get into the tournament
1) Winning specific NCAA Division 1 Conference Tournaments = automatic bid into the tourney.
2) The Selection committee select the rest of the field.
- The job of the selection committee is hard because there are difference conferences and different schedules and such.
- I imagine there is always some debate between members of the selection committee
- So they have these playing games to allow extra teams a chance into the tournament.
The question I always have is why is there always play-in games for 11 seed and the 16 seed - this I have no explanation for.
Shouldn't all 4 play-in games be for the 16th seed? Well teams like Michigan State and UCLA are probably too good to be 16th seed.
But there lies the answer... if they are both too good to be 16th seed. Then why not let them be the 11 and 12 seed... move everyone down a lot and have the play-in games for the 16th seed for each of the 4 regions.
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It's basically play-in games (11 vs 11) between those colleges that were on the verge of being completely left out of the field by selection committee. And 16 vs 16 are the worst teams in the rankings that received an auto-bid by winning their respective conference.
16 Team H2H Yahoo Keeper League; 30 men roster (and 20 combined IR; IR+; 5 NA spots)
Starters: 4C, 4LW, 4RW, 2D, 4UTIL, 1G (2 starts per week required)
Categories: G; A; P; +-; PPP; SHP; GWG; SOG, FOW, HIT / W; L; GAA; SV%; SHO
C: Barkov, Horvat, Cirelli (RW), Mercer (RW), Newhook (LW), A. Lowry, Hayton (LW), Dowd (RW), Rossi, Dellandrea (RW), M. Savoie
LW/RW: A. Svechnikov, Guentzel, J. Robertson, E. Kane, Batherson, Bjorkstrand, Jarvis, Lehkonen, C. Brown, Vatrano, Peterka, Chinakhov, Balcers, Raddysh, Marchenko, Soderblom, Barabanov, Ohgren
D: Seider, Dahlin, Heiskanen, Liljegren
G: Hellebuyck, Saros, Ullmark, Wolf, Annunen
But isn't the bracket set??? How are there play in games the night before the Round of 64?
There's a reserved place for play-in winners in the bracket.
16 Team H2H Yahoo Keeper League; 30 men roster (and 20 combined IR; IR+; 5 NA spots)
Starters: 4C, 4LW, 4RW, 2D, 4UTIL, 1G (2 starts per week required)
Categories: G; A; P; +-; PPP; SHP; GWG; SOG, FOW, HIT / W; L; GAA; SV%; SHO
C: Barkov, Horvat, Cirelli (RW), Mercer (RW), Newhook (LW), A. Lowry, Hayton (LW), Dowd (RW), Rossi, Dellandrea (RW), M. Savoie
LW/RW: A. Svechnikov, Guentzel, J. Robertson, E. Kane, Batherson, Bjorkstrand, Jarvis, Lehkonen, C. Brown, Vatrano, Peterka, Chinakhov, Balcers, Raddysh, Marchenko, Soderblom, Barabanov, Ohgren
D: Seider, Dahlin, Heiskanen, Liljegren
G: Hellebuyck, Saros, Ullmark, Wolf, Annunen
they become part of the bracket.
If you look at Gonzaga's first round opponent... its two potential teams.
So Gonzaga will not know the team they play until one of the play-in games is done between NORF and APP
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Don't forget to get your bracket entered!! Deadline is today before games start!! I think around 12:00 EST
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Filled one in.
12 Team, H2H, Keep 6 (in Bold)
G, A, Pts, PPP, FW, SOG, Hits, Blocks
W, Saves, S%, GAA, Game Started
2C, 2LW, 2RW, 4D, 1Util, 2G, 5BN, 2IR, 1IR+, 1NA
C: Horvat, Trocheck
LW: J. Robertson, Byfield (C), Guenther
RW: Pavelski (C), Giroux (C), Svechnikov (LW)
D: Fox, Makar, Bouchard, Morrissey, Gudas
Util: Meier (LW, RW)
G: Oettinger, Georgiev, Samsonov, Woll
I didn't get to crazy
Final Four:
Gonzaga
Alabama
Baylor
Houston
Finals:
Gonzaga over Baylor
Upsets:
Abilene Christian (14) over Texas (3)
UCSB (12) over Creighton (5)
Winthrop (12) over Villanova (5)
Utah State (11) over Texas Tech (6)
St. Bonaventure (9) over Michigan (1)
Made it just in time.
Looks like upset #1 is already happening.