MLax: Selection Committee Screws Duke

[burnspbesq]

Twice, in fact.

First, as the number one overall seed Duke should be playing the 16th best team in the first round. IMO, that would be Canisius. But due to the NCAA's ridiculous insistence of minimizing travel, Canisius will be fed to Syracuse, while Duke gets a rematch (!) with Loyola, which might actually be number 14 overall (there are pretty good arguments for Hofstra at 15).

Second, the number eight overall seed is Cornell. Why do we care about this? Because the Big Red are hosting quarterfinals. That's right, Duke could have an actual away game instead of a neutral site game. Right now I am the biggest Ohio State fan on the planet.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?

Duke plays Loyola at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Koskinen.

[roywhite]

Twice, in fact.

First, as the number one overall seed Duke should be playing the 16th best team in the first round. IMO, that would be Canisius. But due to the NCAA's ridiculous insistence of minimizing travel, Canisius will be fed to Syracuse, while Duke gets a rematch (!) with Loyola, which might actually be number 14 overall (there are pretty good arguments for Hofstra at 15).

Second, the number eight overall seed is Cornell. Why do we care about this? Because the Big Red are hosting quarterfinals. That's right, Duke could have an actual away game instead of a neutral site game. Right now I am the biggest Ohio State fan on the planet.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?

Duke plays Loyola at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Koskinen.

Thanks for the info.

I don't follow the sport as closely as you do; the possible quarter-final game aginst the 8-seed at their place, that sounds more unreasonable than the first-round opponent.

Love to see this team go all the way. It would be a great conclusion for the careers of some fine young men who have gone through a lot.

[DukeFencer]

Is Cornell hosting the quarter-finals for that both games in that bracket? Where are the semis & final? And do you know where the quarter-final for the other side of the bracket is?

[Oriole Way]

Twice, in fact.

First, as the number one overall seed Duke should be playing the 16th best team in the first round. IMO, that would be Canisius. But due to the NCAA's ridiculous insistence of minimizing travel, Canisius will be fed to Syracuse, while Duke gets a rematch (!) with Loyola, which might actually be number 14 overall (there are pretty good arguments for Hofstra at 15).

Second, the number eight overall seed is Cornell. Why do we care about this? Because the Big Red are hosting quarterfinals. That's right, Duke could have an actual away game instead of a neutral site game. Right now I am the biggest Ohio State fan on the planet.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?

Duke plays Loyola at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Koskinen.

All that, plus playing Cornell would be a juicy revenge game for Cornell from last year's NCAA semi-final loss to Duke.

AND, we will have to face either JHU or UNC in the semi-finals, which I think is a tough draw. Hopkins under-achieved all season, and now they're starting to play well. I hope Duke can steam roll them this time around.

[burnspbesq]

Is Cornell hosting the quarter-finals for that both games in that bracket? Where are the semis & final? And do you know where the quarter-final for the other side of the bracket is?

Quarterfinal double-headers are at Cornell and Navy. Semifinals and finals are at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.

HUGE surprises in the bracket. Georgetown, Army and Brown out. The Great Western League gets two at-large selections (Ohio State I don't have a problem with, but Denver?). Navy is the last at-large team in, at number 13 overall. Notre Dame seeded ahead of Maryland?

Bracket is at www.insidelacrosse.com. All eight first-round games are on ESPNU.

My first round upset special? Need you ask? Navy over Carolina! Also like Colgate over Notre Dame; the Red Raiders are on a roll and play a tougher schedule. Anything can happen in 8 vs. 9 games, and I will be rooting for Ohio State, but they don't give me a warm, fuzzy feeling.

[brevity]

I don't know a thing about lacrosse, but when the #4 ranked team (Georgetown) doesn't make the field of 16, something's way off. I feel like I should withdraw any complaint I've ever made about the men's basketball selection committee.

On second thought... nah.

[burnspbesq]

I don't know a thing about lacrosse, but when the #4 ranked team (Georgetown) doesn't make the field of 16, something's way off. I feel like I should withdraw any complaint I've ever made about the men's basketball selection committee.

On second thought... nah.

Losing to Penn State last week killed Georgetown. Strength of schedule didn't help them any, and Duke was their only noteworthy win. According to the guys at IL, Colgate's late run not only got them into the tournament, it also got Navy and Denver in by enhancing those teams' SOS.

[brevity]

Strength of schedule didn't help them any, and Duke was their only noteworthy win.

So, to put it in terms I can understand...

Georgetown lacrosse 2008 = Maryland basketball 2005?

[TheTrain]

Georgetown did not get in because their RPI was #19...well below those at-large teams that did get in

[K24U]

Will never know. Either the RPI was to low or the ranking was to high in Georgetown's case.

[Rudy]

Twice, in fact.

First, as the number one overall seed Duke should be playing the 16th best team in the first round. IMO, that would be Canisius. But due to the NCAA's ridiculous insistence of minimizing travel, Canisius will be fed to Syracuse, while Duke gets a rematch (!) with Loyola, which might actually be number 14 overall (there are pretty good arguments for Hofstra at 15).

Second, the number eight overall seed is Cornell. Why do we care about this? Because the Big Red are hosting quarterfinals. That's right, Duke could have an actual away game instead of a neutral site game. Right now I am the biggest Ohio State fan on the planet.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?

Duke plays Loyola at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Koskinen.

So in order to avoid Canisius having to travel to Durham, they make Duke travel to Ithaca (600 miles) for its likely opponent's home field instead of Annapolis (280 miiles), despite Duke being the #1 seed. In what universe does that make sense? Is this a little payback for the extension of eligibility?