2021 NCAA Tournament Bracket Builder

Discussion in 'College & Amateur Soccer' started by JoeSoccerFan, Apr 18, 2021.

  1. JoeSoccerFan

    JoeSoccerFan Member+

    Aug 11, 2000
    With most of the conference tournaments completed, I started putting together a bracket. This year is going to be weirder than normal - with many conferences only playing within their own conference, Sunbelt and ACC playing in the fall 2020, COVID cancellations, some conferences not playing, etc.

    Just a reminder, 36 teams with #8 and #9 in each bracket playing a play-in game next week. All the games are held in NC (with limited specators). There are 22 conferences (24 normal, but BW and Ivy didn't play this spring). So that leaves 12 other teams.

    Here are the teams that have already qualified:

    America East – NH
    American Athletic Conference: UCF
    Cincinnati ACC: Clemson
    Atlantic Sun: FGCU
    Atlantic 10: Fordham
    Big East: Seton Hall
    Big South: High Point
    Big Ten: Indiana
    Colonial: James Madison
    Conference USA: Charlotte or Marshall depending upon 4/18 result
    Horizon League: Milwaukee
    MAAC: Monmouth
    Mid-American: Depends upon 4/18 matches (BGSU, WV, WMich)
    Missouri Valley: Missouri State
    Northeast: St Fran-NY
    Pac-12: Stanford
    Patriot League: American
    Southern: UNCG
    Summit League: Denver
    Sun Belt: Coastal Carolina
    Appalachian StateWAC: Air Force
    WCC: LMU


    Who would be my 12 wild-card teams?

    Final losers in some of the bigger conferences.
    1. Georgetown
    2. Pittsburgh
    3. Penn State
    4. Washington
    5. Loser for CUSA (Charlotte or Marshall)​

    Final losers in a conference that team has had a very good year and looked to be a lock but lost
    6. Lafayette
    7. Grand Canyon
    8. Quinnipiac
    9. Northern Ky​

    Others
    10. Wake Forest
    11. St Mary’s
    12. Tulsa or Oregon State - I'm leaning toward Tulsa​

    Here is the RPI according to the most reliable source, GauchoDan’s site: http://rpiupdatemenssoccer.blogspot.com/search/label/RPI Rank

    Here is the less reliable NCAA RPI.
    https://www.ncaa.com/rankings/soccer-men/d1/ncaa-mens-soccer-rpi

    I have no doubt that I have overlooked a viable team. Here are a few that have claims for inclusion that may have gotten in if not for upsets by AU, USAF, Monmouth, etc.
    1. UNC
    2. Marquette (meh) crushed by SHU in BE SF.
    3. Michigan
     
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  2. Diceshooter

    Diceshooter New Member

    Dec 30, 2015
    Atlanta
    Wait, aren't there 14 at-large bids? 36 minus 22 is 14.
     
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  3. JoeSoccerFan

    JoeSoccerFan Member+

    Aug 11, 2000
    Damn you, with your fancy math skills! :oops:
     
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  4. JoeSoccerFan

    JoeSoccerFan Member+

    Aug 11, 2000
    Let me try this again....

    Who would be my 14 wild-card teams?

    Final losers in some of the bigger conferences.
    1. Georgetown
    2. Pittsburgh
    3. Penn State
    4. Washington
    5. Loser for CUSA (Charlotte or Marshall)

    Final losers in a conference that team has had a very good year and looked to be a lock but lost
    6. Lafayette
    7. Grand Canyon
    8. Quinnipiac
    9. Northern Ky

    Others
    10. Wake Forest
    11. St Mary’s
    12. Tulsa
    13. Oregon State
    14. UNC


    These are the last teams that didn't get in per me.
    1. Michigan
    2. Marquette (meh) crushed by SHU in BE SF
    3. There are probably a handful of ACC teams worthy (ND, UVA, L)
     
  5. JoeSoccerFan

    JoeSoccerFan Member+

    Aug 11, 2000
    SIUE @ WV match is canceled. Here is the MAC explanation.
    SIUE is at the bottom of the MAC table.

    Here's a twitter interview (from a WV ally?) that coach Dan Stratford claims that SIUE doesn't have COVID issues but have injury issues with nothing left to play for. Seems pretty douchy (if true).

    Current MAC standings.

    With this forfeit (WV gets no relief) instead they have no chance to win the MAC. It sucks - but so does 2020 and COVID - though this isn't related.

    Now, WV could have beaten Bowling Green on Wednesday and this situation may have been to WV advantage. As you see above, Math is not my forte.

    Bowling Green is in the driver seat with a victory over 2nd worst team in MAC (NIU), they would win the MAC. But, NIU has a few players that are interesting and soccer can be cruel.
     
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  6. TimB4Last

    TimB4Last Member+

    May 5, 2006
    Dystopia
    Pretty obvious solution: add Maryland into one of the 8/9 games and let the fun begin.

    Those RPI lists are risable, to say the least. Indiana is 38 in one, and 40 in the other.
     
  7. BigRedFootie

    BigRedFootie Member+

    Jan 31, 2003
    B-town
    There simply isn't enough data and/or inteconference play for the RPI to reliably rank teams this season. For the first time since forever, it appears that the united coaches poll will be more accurate.
     
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  8. TimB4Last

    TimB4Last Member+

    May 5, 2006
    Dystopia
    Marshall 2-0 Charlotte - Marshall grabbing the auto-bid, Charlotte one of the JSF final losers bids.

    Bowling Green 2-1 NIU, Bowling Green capturing the MAC's auto-bid.
     
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  9. fknbuflobo

    fknbuflobo Member+

    Arsenal FC
    United States
    Nov 16, 2011
    Akron, Ohio
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Barf!
     
  10. JoeSoccerFan

    JoeSoccerFan Member+

    Aug 11, 2000
    Here are the teams that have already qualified:

    America East – NH
    American Athletic Conference: UCF
    Cincinnati ACC: Clemson
    Atlantic Sun: Jacksonville? I had FGCU.
    Atlantic 10: Fordham
    Big East: Seton Hall
    Big South: High Point
    Big Ten: Indiana
    Colonial: James Madison
    Conference USA: Marshall
    Horizon League: Milwaukee
    MAAC: Monmouth
    Mid-American: BGSU
    Missouri Valley: Missouri State
    Northeast: St Fran-NY
    Pac-12: Stanford
    Patriot League: American
    Southern: UNCG
    Summit League: Denver
    Sun Belt: Coastal Carolina
    Appalachian StateWAC: Air Force
    WCC: LMU


    Who would be my 14 wild-card teams?

    Final losers in some of the bigger conferences.
    1. Georgetown - Yes
    2. Pittsburgh - Yes
    3. Penn State - Yes
    4. Washington - Yes
    5. Loser for CUSA (Charlotte) - Yes

    Final losers in a conference that team has had a very good year and looked to be a lock but lost
    6. Lafayette
    7. Grand Canyon - Yes
    8. Quinnipiac
    9. Northern Ky

    Others
    10. Wake Forest - Yes
    11. St Mary’s
    12. Tulsa
    13. Oregon State - Yes
    14. UNC - Yes


    These are the last teams that didn't get in per me.
    1. Michigan
    2. Marquette (meh) crushed by SHU in BE SF - Yes, but didn't think they would get in.
    3. There are probably a handful of ACC teams worthy (ND, UVA, L) VT - Yes but didn't think they would get in.
    So, in summary, the committee decided not to include these teams
    • Lafayette
    • Quinnipiac
    • Northern Ky
    • St Mary’s
    • Tulsa
    For these teams.
    Who did I not have?
    • Maryland
    • UMass
    • KY
    • VT
    • Marquette
    Essentially, the committee found the bigger conferences deserved more slots regardless of how the teams played this spring.
     
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  11. quzybuk

    quzybuk Member

    Wake Forest
    United States
    Oct 22, 2018
    Wake and Stanford, name a more iconic duo.

    (Kill me.)
     
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  12. BigRedFootie

    BigRedFootie Member+

    Jan 31, 2003
    B-town
    I'm amazed that two teams with .500 records, Virginia Tech and Maryland, got in. Neither has to "play-in" on the first round. If I were Michigan I'd be bitter.
     
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  13. ElCassador

    ElCassador New Member

    Everton
    Brazil
    Aug 17, 2019
    Agree. Just off the top of my head, Furman was 7-2-1 with one loss from conference play in the tournament. While there is no doubt the ACC is the elite conference and SOCON is arguably the exact opposite, I would be pissed.
     
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  14. Newports

    Newports Member

    Jan 19, 2012
    • "UMass
    • KY
    • VT"
    • It's interesting UMass and VaTech had a game scheduled (Blacksburg) the last weekend of season. It was a late sched. inclusion I'm sure. Both were close but UMass in particular was in trouble being in the very weak RPI A-10. They played to a draw and both get an at-large bid.
     
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  15. VASoccer75

    VASoccer75 Member

    Oct 28, 2015
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  16. bhoys

    bhoys Member+

    Aug 21, 2011
    Club:
    Celtic FC
  17. winster

    winster Member

    Jul 7, 2008
    Club:
    Besiktas JK
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I am definitely not hot on Virginia Tech's inclusion. They were also mildly lucky to get in last year.

    This season Virginia Tech looked ok in the fall when they were drawn into the weaker of the ACC's two divisions. However, overall they only have two good wins (Coastal Carolina and UNC) and 2 decent wins (Virginia and Virginia). That's it.

    Despite the win over UNC, overall the Spring season revealed a pretty big gap between Virginia Tech and the ACC's better teams.
     
  18. TimB4Last

    TimB4Last Member+

    May 5, 2006
    Dystopia
    The tournament has begun, with the four play-in games today, the winners playing the top four seeds on Sunday.

    Jacksonville v American (winner gets #1 seed Clemson)

    Omaha v UNC Greensboro (winner v #4 Stanford)

    Milwaukee v St Francis Brooklyn (winner v #3 Indiana)

    Bowling Green v Monmouth (winner v #2 Pittsburgh)
     
  19. Sandon Mibut

    Sandon Mibut Member+

    Feb 13, 2001
    AU (in PKs), Omaha, St. Psycho and Monmouth advance.
     
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  20. stphnsn

    stphnsn Member+

    Jan 30, 2009
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  21. JoeSoccerFan

    JoeSoccerFan Member+

    Aug 11, 2000
    stphnsn repped this.
  22. BigRedFootie

    BigRedFootie Member+

    Jan 31, 2003
    B-town
    I'm trying to find an app that can be used w/ Roku or FireTV, but haven't had any luck. Looks like I have to cast from a computer...
    :(
     
  23. JoeSoccerFan

    JoeSoccerFan Member+

    Aug 11, 2000
    or just drive over to Wilmington! :eek:.
     
  24. Newports

    Newports Member

    Jan 19, 2012
    Two I was pulling for --USAFA and OregSt-- did not survive.
     

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