It's Time for Last Call

As I write this it's almost 4:00 a.m. Eastern Time, and from what I've heard, this is about the time the national committee is ready to wrap up its business for the night. The regional calls begin around 8:00 local time, or as soon as possible. Remember that some committee members are coaches and if they've ended the season with a road game the committee could be holding the call until the coach can get back to his office (or perhaps into cellular range). After that is done, the eight-person national call starts. None of the national committee members are coaches, by the way.

I don't envy this crew's job. I have most of the same numbers in front of me that they do and I still have some doubts as to whether this bracket makes any sense. But I'm not going to belabor this any more. I will analyze my choices at the end. This is our last call on the brackets for the 1999 playoffs until they are announced.

These are the teams and the pool they come from. Teams in bold have clinched a playoff spot.

The East Bracket
1. Lycoming (A)
2. Western Connecticut (A)
3. Montclair State (B)
4. Rowan (B)
5. RPI (B)
6. Buffalo State (B)
7. Bridgewater State (A)
This bracket is relatively cut and dried. It's 387 miles from Buffalo, N.Y. to Upper Montclair, N.J., according to Yahoo! maps and that's within the 400-mile busing limit. But if the NCAA's charts read something else, expect to see Buff State at RPI and Rowan at Montclair. Plus, here Lycoming fans finally get the top seed they feel they deserve.

The South Bracket
1. Trinity (A)
2. Western Maryland (A)
3. Hardin-Simmons (B)
4. Catholic (A)
5. Washington U. (B)
6. Washington & Jefferson (B)
7. Ursinus (C)
There's a great possibility of changes in this bracket. First of all, the committee will want to avoid flights whenever possible, and according to the pairings criteria, "Geographic proximity takes precedence over seeding." That is key, because the committee may take the first-round bye away from Trinity and bus Hardin-Simmons to San Antonio (less than 400 miles). This would be extreme but not unprecedented. Geographic proximity is a powerful thing. But since a flight will be required in this bracket anyway, it would make just as much sense to send Washington U. to Hardin-Simmons, play Washington & Jefferson at Western Maryland and Ursinus at Catholic.

The North Bracket
1. Mount Union (A)
2. Wittenberg (A)
3. Hanover (A)
4. Augustana (A)
5. Ohio Northern (C)
6. Alma (A)
7. Aurora (B)
Pairings here would be Alma at Wittenberg; Aurora at Augustana and Ohio Northern at Hanover. Just a mild juggling, none of the Top Four loses home-field advantage. All in the name of 400-miles-or-less.

The West Bracket
1. Wartburg (A)
2. St. John's (A)
3. UW-La Crosse (A)
4. Pacific Lutheran (B)
5. St. Norbert (A)
6. Central (C)
7. UW-Stevens Point (C)
I've heard thoughts that the committee might want to pair up the two WIAC schools against each other in the first round and have one knock the other out. Someone will have to fly regardless, whether it's to Pacific Lutheran (say St. Norbert on a Green-Bay-to-Seattle charter) or PLU flying elsewhere (say, from Seattle to Minneapolis and an hour north to St. John's). Our prediction: Stevens Point at La Crosse; Central at St. John's; St. Norbert at Pacific Lutheran.

So who was hurt most by the Montclair State upset win? Probably Redlands, as they're the only Pool B team that was here last week and isn't anymore (other than McMurry, which lost).

Again, the pairings will be announced at 2:30 p.m. EST Sunday. Click here to get to the announcement page.