Pool C

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Dave Martin also said they don't know that "number" until probably a time period like this week or this coming weekend. And yes... they are told not to exceed it. I am assuming that the flights to Salem do not count in that tally... but I am not 100% sure about that.

[ziggy]

We all know the NCAA works to MINIMIZE flights, but is there any eveidence that they have an actual magic number that they won't exceed?  I've heard rumors of that on this board, but I've never actual seen that in print or spoken by any NCAA representative. If someone has proof of a magic number of flights, please post.

It was stated in the hoopsville interview. The number was not revealed but its existence was acknowledged.

Yeah, Dave Martin, committee chair, said that the NCAA gives them a number each year. They are strictly told not to exceed the limit.

Possible flight scenarios based on current bracketology:
- A California team to somewhere (Assuming Chapman plays SCIAC winner in first round of three team pod)
- 2 teams into or out of Texas (since the projection has 2 ASC teams and they can't play in the first round by rule)
- Three teams to Whitworth for sectional
- NCAA probably has to reserve two flights for potential final four teams

That's seven flights and that sounds like a lot.

[nwhoops1903]

We all know the NCAA works to MINIMIZE flights, but is there any eveidence that they have an actual magic number that they won't exceed?  I've heard rumors of that on this board, but I've never actual seen that in print or spoken by any NCAA representative. If someone has proof of a magic number of flights, please post.

It was stated in the hoopsville interview. The number was not revealed but its existence was acknowledged.

Yeah, Dave Martin, committee chair, said that the NCAA gives them a number each year. They are strictly told not to exceed the limit.

How many flights occured last year?  2009?

[ziggy]

We all know the NCAA works to MINIMIZE flights, but is there any eveidence that they have an actual magic number that they won't exceed?  I've heard rumors of that on this board, but I've never actual seen that in print or spoken by any NCAA representative. If someone has proof of a magic number of flights, please post.

It was stated in the hoopsville interview. The number was not revealed but its existence was acknowledged.

Yeah, Dave Martin, committee chair, said that the NCAA gives them a number each year. They are strictly told not to exceed the limit.

How many flights occured last year?  2009?

Five flights jump out to me from last year:
Chapman to Whitworth
Wheaton to Mary Hardin-Baylor
Whitworth to Guilford
UW-Stevens Point to Salem
Williams to Salem

[Pat Coleman]

- 2 teams into or out of Texas (since the projection has 2 ASC teams and they can't play in the first round by rule)

They can play in the first round if the NCAA deems fit. Happens all the time in other sports. Could take the winner of a game like that and fly it to a bye team like with California.

[ziggy]

- 2 teams into or out of Texas (since the projection has 2 ASC teams and they can't play in the first round by rule)

They can play in the first round if the NCAA deems fit. Happens all the time in other sports. Could take the winner of a game like that and fly it to a bye team like with California.

Thanks, didn't realize that was a soft rule.

Perhaps that will happen with the winner going to Whitworth. The Cali schools would be the other likely candidate although Chapman's resume may be too good to force a Whitworth/Chapman second round game due to geography.

[hickory_cornhusker]

We all know the NCAA works to MINIMIZE flights, but is there any eveidence that they have an actual magic number that they won't exceed?  I've heard rumors of that on this board, but I've never actual seen that in print or spoken by any NCAA representative. If someone has proof of a magic number of flights, please post.

It was stated in the hoopsville interview. The number was not revealed but its existence was acknowledged.

Yeah, Dave Martin, committee chair, said that the NCAA gives them a number each year. They are strictly told not to exceed the limit.

Possible flight scenarios based on current bracketology:
- A California team to somewhere (Assuming Chapman plays SCIAC winner in first round of three team pod)
- 2 teams into or out of Texas (since the projection has 2 ASC teams and they can't play in the first round by rule)
- Three teams to Whitworth for sectional
- NCAA probably has to reserve two flights for potential final four teams

That's seven flights and that sounds like a lot.

Actually it's 8 flights. 1+2+3+2=8. But you can send one team to Texas for a three team pod to drop it to seven. It does sound like a lot but I would almost think the Final Four doesn't count. That would be way too dificult to figure out a bracket some years for 2 teams in the Virginia area if there the top teams are Calvin, Whitworth, McMurry and Bowdoin. Even so 6 then seems like a lot. 5 might happen. Last year on a quick count I came up with 4 without counting the Final Four (someone may want to check that count). In 2009 I came up with 4 on a quick count.

Edit: Ralph Turner's comment on the Bracketology Blog from yesterday could scrap another flight into Texas bringing the total down to 4 for the first two weekend which seems to be what the committee has been doing in the past. One for the California schools and three (one of which is the Texas pod champion) into Whitworth.

[89Pirate]

Wow, didnt expect that much reaction from my comment.

Sorry Old School - I bleed Crimson and Black and have the tattoo to prove it.  Forgot about the Tommies too...

I know, i know, I need to be patient and see how the conference tourneys play out.  I am pretty confident that Whitworth will take the NWC but others tourneys seem to be tougher.

In the end, hopefully the committee will give the Pirates some credit for their regional AND national rankings this year, and make that option at least possible.

What are people thinking will happen with rounds 1/2?  Whitworth bye, waiting for Chapman v SCIAC winner in round 1?

[7express]

Speaking of flights, whats the milage that a team can fly to a destination vs. bussing or does it depend??  I have to assume any school more then 550-600 miles away the school gets the opportunity to fly there, less then 500 is probably bussing only, and 675 or more is probably flight only unless the school wants to save money.

[hickory_cornhusker]

Speaking of flights, whats the milage that a team can fly to a destination vs. bussing or does it depend??  I have to assume any school more then 550-600 miles away the school gets the opportunity to fly there, less then 500 is probably bussing only, and 675 or more is probably flight only unless the school wants to save money.

The number from the NCAA is 500 miles. Less than that the NCAA will only pay for bussing. More than that the NCAA will pay for a flight.

[ziggy]

Actually it's 8 flights. 1+2+3+2=8. But you can send one team to Texas for a three team pod to drop it to seven. It does sound like a lot but I would almost think the Final Four doesn't count. That would be way too dificult to figure out a bracket some years for 2 teams in the Virginia area if there the top teams are Calvin, Whitworth, McMurry and Bowdoin. Even so 6 then seems like a lot. 5 might happen. Last year on a quick count I came up with 4 without counting the Final Four (someone may want to check that count). In 2009 I came up with 4 on a quick count.

Edit: Ralph Turner's comment on the Bracketology Blog from yesterday could scrap another flight into Texas bringing the total down to 4 for the first two weekend which seems to be what the committee has been doing in the past. One for the California schools and three (one of which is the Texas pod champion) into Whitworth.

Thanks for correcting my math 

The committee can kind of control flights to Salem since a 500 mile line due east from salem is about the western edge of kentcuky. Rotate that into an arc and most schools are inside the 500 mile radius except for the West, Midwest, Michigan schools in the Great Lakes and the northern portion of the Northeast. The NCAA can guarantee themselves no more than 2 flights by setting up the bracket accordingly.

[Flying Dutch Fan]

In the end, hopefully the committee will give the Pirates some credit for their regional AND national rankings this year, and make that option at least possible.

The committee does not recognize any national rankings

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Speaking of flights, whats the milage that a team can fly to a destination vs. bussing or does it depend??  I have to assume any school more then 550-600 miles away the school gets the opportunity to fly there, less then 500 is probably bussing only, and 675 or more is probably flight only unless the school wants to save money.

The number from the NCAA is 500 miles. Less than that the NCAA will only pay for bussing. More than that the NCAA will pay for a flight.

Can't remember where they were headed due to my winter-snow-storm-in-early-at-work-on-no-sleep brain... but Mount Union women bussed themselves to Illinois BY CHOICE. It was over 500 miles, but they chose to bus it... so there is always the chance a team can say thanks... but no thanks!

[Pat Coleman]

Wash U.

[Ralph Turner]

We all know the NCAA works to MINIMIZE flights, but is there any eveidence that they have an actual magic number that they won't exceed?  I've heard rumors of that on this board, but I've never actual seen that in print or spoken by any NCAA representative. If someone has proof of a magic number of flights, please post.

It was stated in the hoopsville interview. The number was not revealed but its existence was acknowledged.

Yeah, Dave Martin, committee chair, said that the NCAA gives them a number each year. They are strictly told not to exceed the limit.

Possible flight scenarios based on current bracketology:
- A California team to somewhere (Assuming Chapman plays SCIAC winner in first round of three team pod)
- 2 teams into or out of Texas (since the projection has 2 ASC teams and they can't play in the first round by rule)
- Three teams to Whitworth for sectional
- NCAA probably has to reserve two flights for potential final four teams

That's seven flights and that sounds like a lot.

First Round playoff games against conference members?  Happens often in Football and has happened in women's basketball, too.