The committee likes FSU a lot more than the PI does. Wonder where's the discrepancy.
Probably the RPI, where Fairmont State is ranked fourth in the region.
Per the NCAA's spreadsheet on the Regional Rankings page, here are the top 10 based solely on RPI:
1. IUP
2. West Liberty
3. Virginia State
4. Fairmont State
5. East Stroudsburg
6. Mercyhurst (RR: 8)
7. West Chester
8. NDC (RR: 9)
9. Shippensburg (RR: 6)
10. Slippery Rock
Shippensburg defeated Mercyhurst 62-60 on Dec. 29, while Mercyhurst did not face West Chester this season. NDC also has a season-opening win over Slippery Rock at Fairmont, so that might explain their placement in the rankings.
Probably the RPI, where Fairmont State is ranked fourth in the region.
Per the NCAA's spreadsheet on the Regional Rankings page, here are the top 10 based solely on RPI:
1. IUP
2. West Liberty
3. Virginia State
4. Fairmont State
5. East Stroudsburg
6. Mercyhurst (RR: 8)
7. West Chester
8. NDC (RR: 9)
9. Shippensburg (RR: 6)
10. Slippery Rock
Shippensburg defeated Mercyhurst 62-60 on Dec. 29, while Mercyhurst did not face West Chester this season. NDC also has a season-opening win over Slippery Rock at Fairmont, so that might explain their placement in the rankings.
Yeah those head-to-head results can make things messy as well as clarify. Slippery Rock beat West Chester this season too. The tournaments clear things up as already started last night.
(let me clarify for some of our readers this list is my opinion ... not factual ... not MEC-bias ... not anti-WL ... etc.)
1. IUP
2. West Liberty
3. Virginia State
4. Fairmont State
5. East Stroudsburg
6. West Chester
7. Mercyhurst
8. Notre Dame
9. Shippensburg
10. Concord or Charleston
1. IUP
2. West Liberty
3. Virginia State (Won the CIAA tourney)
4. Fairmont State
5. East Stroudsburg
6. Shippensburg
7. West Chester
8. Mercyhurst
9. Notre Dame
10. Slippery Rock
Highlighted are still in it.
My prediction...SRU and Ship* are out with their loss. Hurst* will be out if they lose to WCU.
* For Ship and Hurst (assuming they lose vs WCU) to have a shot, #6 seeded WV State will have to defeat #3 seeded NDC in the MEC tourney.
Baring upsets the 8 teams will probably be:
1. IUP
2. WLU
3. VA State
4. Fairmont
5. E Stroud
6. NDC
7. WCU
8. Hurst
Only true wild card is does the MEC Tourney produce a winner other than WLU, Fairmont or NDC? Still in the hunt for that Tourney championship and the NCAA tourney seat are #4 Charleston, #5 Concord, #6 WV State, #7 Shepherd and #9 WJU. Best bet is the winner of the Charleston/Concord game.
My prediction...SRU and Ship* are out with their loss. Hurst* will be out if they lose to WCU.
* For Ship and Hurst (assuming they lose vs WCU) to have a shot, #6 seeded WV State will have to defeat #3 seeded NDC in the MEC tourney.
Baring upsets the 8 teams will probably be:
1. IUP
2. WLU
3. VA State
4. Fairmont
5. E Stroud
6. NDC
7. WCU
8. Hurst
Only true wild card is does the MEC Tourney produce a winner other than WLU, Fairmont or NDC? Still in the hunt for that Tourney championship and the NCAA tourney seat are #4 Charleston, #5 Concord, #6 WV State, #7 Shepherd and #9 WJU. Best bet is the winner of the Charleston/Concord game.
Hard to say. Mercyhurst has a good resume and got another win against a regionally ranked team last night. Would a Mercyhurst loss to East Stroudburg on Saturday drop them out? Maybe. Maybe not.
My prediction...SRU and Ship* are out with their loss. Hurst* will be out if they lose to WCU.
* For Ship and Hurst (assuming they lose vs WCU) to have a shot, #6 seeded WV State will have to defeat #3 seeded NDC in the MEC tourney.
Baring upsets the 8 teams will probably be:
1. IUP
2. WLU
3. VA State
4. Fairmont
5. E Stroud
6. NDC
7. WCU
8. Hurst
Only true wild card is does the MEC Tourney produce a winner other than WLU, Fairmont or NDC? Still in the hunt for that Tourney championship and the NCAA tourney seat are #4 Charleston, #5 Concord, #6 WV State, #7 Shepherd and #9 WJU. Best bet is the winner of the Charleston/Concord game.
If Hurst loses to WCU, then WCU is the PSAC champion and you still have them behind E Stroud?
1. IUP
2. WLU
3. VA State
4. Fairmont
5. E Stroud
6. NDC
7. WCU
8. Hurst
In order for NDC to jump WCU and Mercyhurst at this juncture, they're probably going to have to defeat Fairmont State. With Mercyhurst grabbing two wins at the conference tournament and WCU dispatching Shippensburg, NDC beating WV State and losing to Fairmont shouldn't be enough for them to make a leap in the regional rankings. NDC should definitely be rooting for IUP and ESU in the conference semis to make things easier.
(let me clarify for some of our readers this list is my opinion ... not factual ... not MEC-bias ... not anti-WL ... etc.)
1. IUP
2. West Liberty
3. Virginia State
4. Fairmont State
5. East Stroudsburg
6. West Chester
7. Mercyhurst
8. Notre Dame
9. Shippensburg
10. Concord or Charleston
OUT: Slippery Rock
WCU may have moved ahead of ESU based on the records of the teams they beat last night. Ship's 23-7. Kutz is 16-14.
Metric-wise they may have. Human factor ... ESU just blew WCU off the floor in WC.
Why do I get the feeling we're going to end up seeing another WCU-ESU final? Because that seems to be a frequent matchup over the past several years in the PSAC final (2012 and 2014 come to mind), especially after an IUP-WCU semifinal. Not saying it's going to happen, but just throwing that out there.
Why do I get the feeling we're going to end up seeing another WCU-ESU final? Because that seems to be a frequent matchup over the past several years in the PSAC final (2012 and 2014 come to mind), especially after an IUP-WCU semifinal. Not saying it's going to happen, but just throwing that out there.
I was thinking the opposite. Mercyhurst turns in to Golden State inside the KCAC. Manchel also likely rented out the whole Hilton.
COULDN'T ask for a better doubleheader.
West Chester played here right before Christmas in basically a funeral home. The KCAC will be rocking Saturday. Damien Blair may want earplugs. A Kevin Reynolds-type welcome is coming his way.
Watching Lombardi and Blair go at it all game is usually as good as the game. Those poor refs ...
I wouldn't be shocked if these teams see each other again next week on an even bigger stage.
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