Well we are coming right down to it with teams having only two games left to go in the season and for the NAC, only one regular season game, it's time to look at some possible tiebreaking scenarios.
As this is the first one here is how it's going to go for subsequent ones. I'm going to take the biggest tiebreakers and run you through the possible scenarios with the teams involved.
So here we go.
Currently: Wisconsin Lutheran and Rockford are tied at 6-9, while Benedictine chases at 5-10. Rockford already has one of the two spots locked up in the South division, just a matter of what seed.
Ahead: Rockford faces off against Benedictine at Benedictine while Wisconsin Lutheran takes on last place Concordia-Chicago in River Forest Tuesday.
1. Rockford Win, Wisconsin Lutheran win: Rockford will get the No. 3 spot (and possibly the number No. 2 slot, more on that later) in the South based on head-to-head with Wisconsin Lutheran. Lutheran gets the No. 4 spot (And possibly the No. 3 spot, again, more later).
2. Rockford Loss, Wisconsin Lutheran win: Lutheran gets the No. 3 spot because it has a better record than Rockford as Lutheran would be 7-9 while Rockford would be 6-10. Rockford gets in over Benedictine thanks to better record against Dominican (1-1 to 0-2).
3. Benedictine Win, Wisconsin Lutheran loss: The only way BenU sneaks in. All three would tie at 6-10 and form mini-conference. Three-way tie dictates the record in the mini-conference as the first tiebreaker. This means that Rockford would be 3-1 virtue a split with BenU and a sweep of Wisconsin Lutheran and get the No. 3 spot, BenU would be 2-2 thanks to two splits and get the No. 4 spot and Wisconsin Lutheran would be 1-3 and the odd man out.
Quick tangent: If I'm reading everything correctly on the conference website as far as tiebreakers and how the tournament seeding goes (looks to be the same except with no crossover game this year), Both these teams will miss out on hosting a game this year and, again if I'm reading this correctly, Dominican (if they win on Tuesday), by virtue of a H2H victory over Concordia-Wisconsin is the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament. (If anyone knows any different I'd love to know)
To me the fact that these two 10-win teams won't host a tournament game over someone from the South other than Aurora is a travesty and if that last part is also true than it is even more of a travesty to have Dominican as the No. 3 seed. Thank goodness this will never happen again because Maranatha is leaving, but someone is going to be right PO'd if they lose first round of the tournament. Even though having to travel is no excuse, it still is sad that these teams who have had good seasons won't be hosting a game. Tangent over.
Currently: Marian and MSOE are tied at 10-5, a game behind Concordia-Wisconsin for the No. 2 spot but I'm going to assume that the Falcons beat Maranatha, because they should.
Ahead: MSOE is at fifth-place Edgewood and Marian is at North division leader Lakeland on Tuesday.
1. MSOE win, Marian win OR MSOE loss, Marian loss: Both teams would be 11-5 or 10-6. Marian would be the two spot via head-to-head with Raiders, who they beat twice.
2. Marian loss, MSOE win: MSOE gets in via the better record
Currently: Dominican is a game up on Lutheran and Rockford for the No. 2 spot at 7-8, while the other two are 6-9.
Ahead: Dominican gets South Division leader Aurora at home Tuesday, Rockford and Wisconsin Lutheran we have covered already.
1. Dominican loss, Rockford win, Wisconsin Lutheran loss: A Stars loss and a Regents win would put both teams at 7-9 in conference the two split the season series, so the tiebreaker heads to the top of the division on down. Rockford would get the No. 2 spot thanks to a sweep of Wisconsin Lutheran.
2. Dominican loss, Wisconsin Lutheran win, Rockford loss: Same as above with the record, but Lutheran would get the two spot based on H2H with Dominican.
3. Dominican loss, Wisconsin Lutheran win, Rockford win: All three would be 7-9 so we head to the mini-conference. Rockford would be 3-1 and get the No. 2 spot, Wisconsin Lutheran would be 2-2 and get the No. 3 spot and Dominican would be No. 4 at 1-3.
What does this all mean? Well it all means that the South is the division to watch on Tuesday, as the North is pretty much set. But these are the tiebreakers so that you can follow along.
As this is the first one here is how it's going to go for subsequent ones. I'm going to take the biggest tiebreakers and run you through the possible scenarios with the teams involved.
So here we go.
1. Rockford, Benedictine, Wisconsin Lutheran for the final two tourney slots in the South division
Currently: Wisconsin Lutheran and Rockford are tied at 6-9, while Benedictine chases at 5-10. Rockford already has one of the two spots locked up in the South division, just a matter of what seed.
Ahead: Rockford faces off against Benedictine at Benedictine while Wisconsin Lutheran takes on last place Concordia-Chicago in River Forest Tuesday.
Scenarios
1. Rockford Win, Wisconsin Lutheran win: Rockford will get the No. 3 spot (and possibly the number No. 2 slot, more on that later) in the South based on head-to-head with Wisconsin Lutheran. Lutheran gets the No. 4 spot (And possibly the No. 3 spot, again, more later).
2. Rockford Loss, Wisconsin Lutheran win: Lutheran gets the No. 3 spot because it has a better record than Rockford as Lutheran would be 7-9 while Rockford would be 6-10. Rockford gets in over Benedictine thanks to better record against Dominican (1-1 to 0-2).
3. Benedictine Win, Wisconsin Lutheran loss: The only way BenU sneaks in. All three would tie at 6-10 and form mini-conference. Three-way tie dictates the record in the mini-conference as the first tiebreaker. This means that Rockford would be 3-1 virtue a split with BenU and a sweep of Wisconsin Lutheran and get the No. 3 spot, BenU would be 2-2 thanks to two splits and get the No. 4 spot and Wisconsin Lutheran would be 1-3 and the odd man out.
2. MSOE and Marian for the No. 3 spot in the North division
Quick tangent: If I'm reading everything correctly on the conference website as far as tiebreakers and how the tournament seeding goes (looks to be the same except with no crossover game this year), Both these teams will miss out on hosting a game this year and, again if I'm reading this correctly, Dominican (if they win on Tuesday), by virtue of a H2H victory over Concordia-Wisconsin is the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament. (If anyone knows any different I'd love to know)
To me the fact that these two 10-win teams won't host a tournament game over someone from the South other than Aurora is a travesty and if that last part is also true than it is even more of a travesty to have Dominican as the No. 3 seed. Thank goodness this will never happen again because Maranatha is leaving, but someone is going to be right PO'd if they lose first round of the tournament. Even though having to travel is no excuse, it still is sad that these teams who have had good seasons won't be hosting a game. Tangent over.
Currently: Marian and MSOE are tied at 10-5, a game behind Concordia-Wisconsin for the No. 2 spot but I'm going to assume that the Falcons beat Maranatha, because they should.
Ahead: MSOE is at fifth-place Edgewood and Marian is at North division leader Lakeland on Tuesday.
Scenarios
1. MSOE win, Marian win OR MSOE loss, Marian loss: Both teams would be 11-5 or 10-6. Marian would be the two spot via head-to-head with Raiders, who they beat twice.
2. Marian loss, MSOE win: MSOE gets in via the better record
3. Dominican, Wisconsin Lutheran and Rockford for the No. 2 spot in the South
Currently: Dominican is a game up on Lutheran and Rockford for the No. 2 spot at 7-8, while the other two are 6-9.
Ahead: Dominican gets South Division leader Aurora at home Tuesday, Rockford and Wisconsin Lutheran we have covered already.
Scenarios
1. Dominican loss, Rockford win, Wisconsin Lutheran loss: A Stars loss and a Regents win would put both teams at 7-9 in conference the two split the season series, so the tiebreaker heads to the top of the division on down. Rockford would get the No. 2 spot thanks to a sweep of Wisconsin Lutheran.
2. Dominican loss, Wisconsin Lutheran win, Rockford loss: Same as above with the record, but Lutheran would get the two spot based on H2H with Dominican.
3. Dominican loss, Wisconsin Lutheran win, Rockford win: All three would be 7-9 so we head to the mini-conference. Rockford would be 3-1 and get the No. 2 spot, Wisconsin Lutheran would be 2-2 and get the No. 3 spot and Dominican would be No. 4 at 1-3.
What does this all mean? Well it all means that the South is the division to watch on Tuesday, as the North is pretty much set. But these are the tiebreakers so that you can follow along.
Marian beat MSOE both times.
ReplyDelete