They earned the right to fly and play the higher seeded team. Same as St Mary's last year flying to Brown and then UNC after travelling to Bakersfield and then UCI. Actually Tulsa and then Georgetown is less travel. Play better during the season against a harder schedule and they will earn a home game.
Maryland gets a chance to redeem themselves after getting spanked by Louisville in the Sweet 16 a year ago. How about these Quarterfinal games? Can you say parity? Of the eight, 7 were by one goal, 5 went to OT and 2 went to PKs.
To be candid about today's Northwestern team, they were tough to beat but not elite 8 material. The striking thing about their program, however, is how much their level of talent is rising. In the years ahead, their returning players could really make some noise.
It almost doesn't matter who the opponent is, when a team dominates a first half like TU did and is only ahead 1-0, it usually spells trouble later on... in the first half, USD didn't look like they belonged on the same field... I'm comparing them to C-USA teams and to the level of play in the NCAA playoff game against Northwestern played here in 2009... In the second half, USD predictably pushed forward, starting winning some 50/50 balls to claim the momentum, and TU seemed happy to play a counter-attack style, then USD scored a couple of goals "by committee"... Announced attendance 1622 was a sellout for TU, believe it or not; don't remember the temporary stands being on the east side before... fun seeing the TU mascot actually in attendance...
So, the Big East turns out to be pretty good, huh? Three of the eight quarter finalists. The ACC has two more and the Big Ten, Missouri Valley the WCC one each. Nice to see one Cinderella in the QFs in the form of San Diego.
Considering where they were when Timmy Lenahan took over in 2001, where they are now is absolutely phenomenal.
Two of the Elite 8 matchups are rematches from last year's NCAAs: Maryland will host Louisville (Louisville beat UMd last year 4-2 in Sweet 16) UNC will host Indiana (UNC beat Indiana 1-0 in OT in the Sweet 16)
There's no denying that the games were close, but I'm not sure I'd call it parity. For the most part, I thought there was a clear difference between the favorites and the underdogs. That was even true in the games where the underdog found a way to advance.
2012 Road Wins Minus Home Losses (Half Credit for Ties, Final Four Gets Credit as Road) WCC +3 (+3 in 2011, 0 in 2010) Big Ten +2 (0 in 2011, +3.5 in 2010) NEC +2 (-0.5 in 2011, -1 in 2010) Big South +1.5 (+0.5 in 2011, 0 in 2010) America East +1 (+0.5 in 2011, +1.5 in 2010) Others +0.5 (-0.5 in 2011, 0.5 in 2010) Ivy League 0 (0 in 2011, +1.5 in 2010) Atlantic-10 -1 (+2.5 in 2011, 0 in 2010) Pac-12 -1 (+1.5 in 2011, +0.5 in 2010) Big West -1 (-1 in 2011, 0 in 2010) CUSA -1.5 (-1.5 in 2011, +1.5 in 2010) Colonial -1.5 (+0.5 in 2011, 0 in 2010) ACC -1.5 (-0.5 in 2011, -3.5 in 2010) Big East -2.5 (-1.5 in 2011, 0 in 2010) 2010-2012 Three Year Total WCC +6 Big Ten +5.5 America East +3 Big South +2 Atlantic-10 +1.5 Ivy League +1.5 Pac-12 +1 NEC +0.5 Others +0.5 Colonial -1 CUSA -1.5 Big West -2 Big East -4 ACC -5.5
Saint Mary's a year ago. They won at: CSU-Bakersfield, UC Irvine, and Brown. In 2009, Drake and Maryland both got to the Elite Eight, but had their first match at home. Northwestern did the same in 2008. The team that did it before Saint Mary's was Illinois-Chicago in 2007, winning at Saint Louis, Northwestern, and Creighton before falling at fellow unseeded team UMass in the Elite Eight.
Just to be picky about UIC, they didn't win all three games like SMC and USD did. They tied at SLU and advanced on PKs.
This is true! However, at this stage in the season, seeing yourself to the next match is all that counts.
And we had a Big East team knock off another Big East team otherwise, there could have been more in the Elite 8.
For the most part, the ACC and Big East don't earn home field advantage, at least not to anywhere near the extent that they're given it. As a whole, they fail to schedule tough away games during the regular season, and then they fail to punch their weight in the post-season. And if the measure was biased against big conferences, you wouldn't see the Big Ten sitting at the top and the Pac-12 above the break-even point.
Look for Maryland to open a Kan of Whoop A$$ on the Ville come Sunday on Dec 2, 2012 in the NCAA tourny. Remember, Maryland klocked the Ville early this year 3 - 0 and I don't see any results differently. This Maryland team, is not going to be denied. Maryland 3 - Ville 0 on Sunday.... Tman
How can you claim the ACC doesn't punch its weight in the NCAA Tournament when the conference has dominated the damn thing for most of the past quarter century? The last time an ACC team didn't make the Final Four Bill Clinton was still president. The conference has won 5 of the last 7 national titles and had more years recently with multiple teams in the Final Four than no teams in the Final Four. And as for not earning it, they earn their place by playing several of the top teams in the country, home-and-away, every year, in the regular season. Just because they don't play as many tough games as you want doesn't mean they aren't playing them. You can't ignore the conference games as tough match-ups just because they're automatically scheduled.
Usually, yes! But not in this reckoning. I like how Hararea found a way to give a pat on the back to those who start slow and come on like gangbusters at the end. Speaking of which, has anyone else noticed that Top Drawer, Ives, and all the other usual experts are pretty much tongue-tied about San Diego's wonderful run? Being a fan (well, slightly more than a fan), I check to see what others are saying, and you can hear a pin drop on those sites. The little that they have to say is clearly based on box scores and old news rather than personal observation. Caught flat footed.