NPI Tracker: Things are starting to settle, at least near the top
Plus: Providence adds a goalie, RPI set to begin arena renovations, and more
Things with the NPI are starting to settle — at least near the top of the rankings. There’s still volatility in the middle of the pack, though, and we’ll take a closer look at some of the more dramatic drops over the last month.
Also in today’s issue (#628):
We’ll dive into the PairWise and how it compares to the current version of the NPI. Do some of the dials need adjusting? Maybe. Which leagues appear to be helped — or hurt — by the new formula, at least for now?
Providence added former AHL/ECHL goalie Michael Simpson to the roster effective immediately, likely in response to the injury to goaltender Philip Svedeback. Simpson played junior hockey in the OHL before turning pro and signing an AHL contract last season.
A quick note on the start time for the national championship game.
The NBA and NCAA have engaged in talks about changing the way draft rights work, and it could wind up looking a lot more like the model the NHL and NCAA have operated under for decades.
RPI’s Houston Field House is getting an upgrade.
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Now, let’s get into today’s newsletter.
NPI Tracker: Things are starting to settle, at least near the top
Inter-Conference Records
Overall, inter-conference records for each league factor considerably into the NPI. Traditionally, the NCHC, Hockey East, and Big Ten have had the most teams per season make the NCAA Tournament, and that’s because those leagues traditionally perform the best in inter-conference games.
Here is where the inter-conference records stand as of this week:
Current NCAA Tournament Field
Automatic qualifiers are selected using the highest-ranked NPI team in each league. The Top 30 Pairwise teams each week are recorded. If a cell is left blank, that team was not in the Top 30 that week.
Click on this image to expand it
Conference Count
NCHC — 4 (Last Week: 4)
ECAC — 4 (Last Week: 4)
Big Ten — 4 (Last Week: 4)
CCHA — 2 (Last Week: 2)
Hockey East — 1 (Last Week: 1)
AHA — 1 (Last Week: 1)
Qualification Changes
IN: Providence (HEA AQ)
IN: St. Thomas
IN: Bentley (AHA AQ)
OUT: UConn (HEA AQ)
OUT: Minnesota State
OUT: Holy Cross (AHA AQ)
Bracket Projection
This isn’t meaningful until conference championships are decided in March, but it’s still worth looking at weekly and tracking who has potentially locked up specific positions. Specifically, we’re looking at the No. 1 seeds because the placement of those teams will happen first in the process and will largely dictate what the rest of the bracket looks like.
Also, going through this process weekly can help us identify potential issues the committee will have to face when formulating the bracket.
Lining up the bracket using a straight serpentine order looks like this:
