MCLA-A Top 25 Results: March 12-18th

[univduke21]

True, but at the same time all three of those teams you mentioned were in the Semifinals. So Utah may have still been a top 10 team they just weren't a top 4 team. Should of a team like Texas or Minnesota Duluth not gone to the tournament even though they got AQ's. They lost to both CSU and CU worse than Utah did? The idea behind the tournament is not to get the best 16 teams in the league, but the best 10 teams that didn't win their conference. If the idea was the best 16 teams then we should simply take the top 16 in the poll and take them to nationals. But that is not what the system is designed for, the system takes conference winners, no matter where you are in the polls and then the remaining best teams. This idea is to promote the idea that anyone has the chance to make the tournament no matter what your past has been and until we are willing to give up that idea/system the best 16 teams will not be in the tournament. Personally I feel for a team like Utah, I played them for 3 years, but at the same time you want a team that finishes 4th in the regular season to have a chance to win 3 or 4 games in a conference tournament setting and go to the national championships.

[laxguru41]

Minnesota Duluth beat Utah last year, so your logic in that they lost to Colorado by a greater margin is flawed. In saying this I am trying to make the point that there is no real answer to this question. The current system ensures that weaker conference get a team in the national tournament and feel like they are a part of the league as a whole. I personally see no problem with it.

[ineedmorecowbell]

utah is just in an unfortunate situation. the rmlc,in my mind, is certainly the toughest conference. some big fish in a tiny tiny pond and i feel they get the shaft because of their losses in conference sometimes. however, they are on the upswing (talentwise and recruitingwise) and should continue to get better. i can see both sides on the aq issue. you want everyone to have a chance to go to nationals, but it can let in lesser teams over better ones as what happened to utah last year. i'm still bitter about not being able to go as a senior. however, the aq is here to stay, so teams will just have to suck it up and get in that top 11 or 12 to gurantee a spot.

[x1dschm]

The current system ensures that weaker conference get a team in the national tournament and feel like they are a part of the league as a whole. I personally see no problem with it.

I second. The AQ is an essential part of the league and it helps to grow the sport at our level all over the country. It gives every team in an AQ conference hope that as long as they make the playoffs all they have to do is win. Also there is no distinct advantage given to those that win conference chamionships. They can still end up as a #16 seed.

Could you imagine if say Michigan State (this is just an example no harm intended) goes into their conference playoffs and wins out. Then in the first round of nationals they draw like a 4/5 seed and win, in the next round they probably play a #3 seed, but before you know it we have a Cinderella story on our hands. That's what I look forward to come tourney time is the cinderella from a "weaker" that's gonna upset someone and make a run at it. It hasn't happened yet but I think we are a getting closer.

[Campbell]

The current system ensures that weaker conference get a team in the national tournament and feel like they are a part of the league as a whole. I personally see no problem with it.

I second. The AQ is an essential part of the league and it helps to grow the sport at our level all over the country. It gives every team in an AQ conference hope that as long as they make the playoffs all they have to do is win. Also there is no distinct advantage given to those that win conference chamionships. They can still end up as a #16 seed.

Could you imagine if say Michigan State (this is just an example no harm intended) goes into their conference playoffs and wins out. Then in the first round of nationals they draw like a 4/5 seed and win, in the next round they probably play a #3 seed, but before you know it we have a Cinderella story on our hands. That's what I look forward to come tourney time is the cinderella from a "weaker" that's gonna upset someone and make a run at it. It hasn't happened yet but I think we are a getting closer.

The other problem is without an AQ some teams would never get a shot. If you are a new program the top 10 schools are probably not going to put you on their schedule. You also may be strapped for money and can't travel to a lot of OOC games. Without OOC play there is no way for the voters to compare teams and thus rank them for at-large bids.

[univduke21]

Minnesota Duluth beat Utah last year, so your logic in that they lost to Colorado by a greater margin is flawed. In saying this I am trying to make the point that there is no real answer to this question. The current system ensures that weaker conference get a team in the national tournament and feel like they are a part of the league as a whole. I personally see no problem with it.

Yes I understand that. But I also watched that game 11-10. In addition last year Minnesota Duluth played 3 games outside the great state of Minnesota. @Michigan, @ Oakland, @ Oregon, and lost all three.

Not only did Utah play games outside of Utah, CA & MN, they also beat Arizona, and Sonoma State. That would be two quality wins to MN-Duluth's 1.

I still believe that Minnesota Duluth should of gone over Utah because of the AQ, but if again we wanted the top 16 teams in the country I believe that Utah would of been in the tournament at the expense of a team like Minnesota-Duluth. As evident by last years final poll, Utah #13 and Minnesota Duluth #15.

Don't get me wrong I am not saying that we should abandon the current system but we have to understand that the solution our system gives us is not the top 16 teams in the league, and as long as we are alright with that then the system is not broken.

[laxguru41]

You just proved my point that Duluth didn't take Utahs spot. They were ranked 15th in the country, therefore in the top 16 and in the national tourney. Did Utah get shafted last year? Who knows, but you have to admit according to your arguement that Duluth deserved to be there.

[horn17]

We also beat Cal Poly on that same road trip in overtime as well. So actually, it would have been 2 wins.

[ineedmorecowbell]

there wasn't any (or shouldn't have been) any controversy over duluth getting to the tourney last year. they deserved it. the big deal was cal poly vs. utah. the aq is beneficial to the league as a whole and is here to stay even if certain teams that are good enough to be in the tourney don't get to go.

[Danny Hogan]

The current system ensures that weaker conference get a team in the national tournament and feel like they are a part of the league as a whole. I personally see no problem with it.

I second. The AQ is an essential part of the league and it helps to grow the sport at our level all over the country. It gives every team in an AQ conference hope that as long as they make the playoffs all they have to do is win. Also there is no distinct advantage given to those that win conference chamionships. They can still end up as a #16 seed.

Could you imagine if say Michigan State (this is just an example no harm intended) goes into their conference playoffs and wins out. Then in the first round of nationals they draw like a 4/5 seed and win, in the next round they probably play a #3 seed, but before you know it we have a Cinderella story on our hands. That's what I look forward to come tourney time is the cinderella from a "weaker" that's gonna upset someone and make a run at it. It hasn't happened yet but I think we are a getting closer.

The other problem is without an AQ some teams would never get a shot. If you are a new program the top 10 schools are probably not going to put you on their schedule. You also may be strapped for money and can't travel to a lot of OOC games. Without OOC play there is no way for the voters to compare teams and thus rank them for at-large bids.

in this day and age, in this league, strapped for money is no excuse...

that being said the AQ/Conference tourneys (not just in lacrosse) are set up to avoid every team having to travel all over the country to prove they are best.

The conferences segment the country geographically and produce a champion from each geographical area to make sure that no one gets overlooked just because they did not afford themselves the opportunity for some OOC W's.

[univduke21]

I understand that Minnesota-Duluth would of been in the tournament with a #15 seed, but my point is, that a team like Utah will not get in over a team like Minnesota Duluth. Sorry coach about missing the Cal-Poly game, that does give you 2 good wins. But my point remains the same, I never said Minnesota Duluth never should of got into the tournament, I said that it is a shame Utah didn't get into the tournament because because Utah was a better team, according to the polls. I used Utah and Minnesota Duluth because I am familiar with the two teams, not because I think that Minnesota Duluth didn't deserve to be there.

The National Tournament should be reserved for those AQ winners and the best remaining at-large teams to fill the 16 team field. However, each year a good team gets left out, and I think that in Utah's case it becomes difficult to say that the #4 team in the RMLC shouldn't go. Cause when you look at it, CSU, CU, and BYU were all in the top 6 in the country. Granted I believe that if Utah had won one more game, then they would of been in the tournament, but you have to look at it and say, wow were the 16 best teams there, and personally I don't believe they were. But I understand and accept the system we have, because I want a team like Texas who finished outside the top 16 a chance in the tournament. I am sorry if I offended anyone using Minnesota Duluth as an example but this is the same conversation we have with bastketball, who is better a fourth place team from a major conference or a number one team from a Mid-Major Conference.

I believe that BOTH Minnesota Duluth and Utah should of been in the tournament last year, but that is not how it unfolded. But there will always be that team that was the last one out, that someone thought should of been in. I just thinking that Utah has been put in that situation unfairly the last two years. If it hadn't been for CSU mishap with credit hours then Utah wouldn't of gone two years ago.

[CATLAX MAN]

The conferences segment the country geographically and produce a champion from each geographical area to make sure that no one gets overlooked just because they did not afford themselves the opportunity for some OOC W's.

In order to qualify for the national tourney, a team must have 3 OOC games if they are not the AQ from their conference. So, those that don't choose to play a more "national schedule" limit their opportunity to participate in the national tournament. For those, it's win the AQ or don't go.