Roundtable Reaction to the 2019 NCAA Bracket

Give us your reaction to the bracket in 5 words or fewer?

AS: My dog could’ve done better.

NE: Could be the worst ever?

DIIIWest: Why aren’t the best in?

RegNE/C: I legitimately don’t understand it.

RegAS: Coach Marty isn’t big time.

NewReg: Unsurprisingly disappointing

What bothers you most about the bracket?

AS: I know other people are going to say it, but the most baffling decision is not sending Kenyon to Wash U. It literally makes no sense and we’re not going to get an answer because there’s absolutely no transparency from the Committee. They will just continue to go about their ways, doing their job in mediocre fashion.

NE: As much as Wash U over Brandeis bothers me, what REALLY bothers me is that Wash U hosts their own region and don’t have to deal with Kenyon as their No. 2 seed. In my mind, Wash U is the worst one seed (even if the NCAA clearly doesn’t agree) and they get a team ranked #27 in the country as their No. 2 seed instead of #11 Kenyon.

DIIIWest: I think all bloggers share the Brandeis sentiment, but what bothers me the most is that we have roughly 40% of the top 20 not making nationals. I understand Pool A bids trump and there are just very few pool C spots up for grabs, but my god, has it ever been this easy for the same 6-8 teams to make the quarters each and every year?? Makes it less exciting and frankly impossible for the tier B teams of the world to make a national run.

RegNE/C: We’ve known for a while that the first team out was going to feel (rightfully) shafted, we just didn’t know who it was going to be. So while I feel for Brandeis, that blow is somewhat softened from my objective point of view because we knew something like that was going to happen. While I agree with the other bloggers that Brandeis probably had a better argument to get in over Wash U, I don’t think it’s quite as black and white. What really bothers me is that Wash U not only got in, but that they got the easiest regional, by far. It seems extremely clear cut to me that Kenyon could’ve straight up gone to Wash U and been the 2 seed while Kzoo became the 3 seed and everything else stayed the same. Instead Kenyon gets sent to Hopkins to be the 2 seed with Wesleyan. Why does a higher 1 seed (Wesleyan) get a MUCH higher 2 seed (Kenyon) while a lower 1 seed (Wash U) gets the lowest 2 seed (Kzoo) of anyone, especially considering geography shouldn’t matter in this case?

RegAS:I am going to echo the sentiments of the other bloggers. While Wash U over Deis is BAD, the fact that Wash U got KZoo and Wesleyan drew the unlucky 2 seed of Kenyon is an absolute travesty.

NewReg: It just doesn’t make sense. We know there are multiple alternatives that make more sense and create a more fair bracket. We know because ASouth posted them. Wesleyan drawing Kenyon while Wash U draws Kalamazoo is a joke. There’s no reason for teams to be shafted if they don’t deserve to be.

Can you attempt to justify what the NCAA did with this bracket?

AS: No because I made a better one with similar costs.

NE: Buzzwords like geography, travel cost and overall body of work are thrown around but the simple answer is that I cannot.

DIIIWest: At the end of the day, it’s a business and they’re trying to save money with costs, travel, etc. But no unfortunately.

RegNE/C: I generally see both sides of every coin, but I really can’t understand why Kenyon got placed with Wesleyan at Hopkins instead of going to Wash U. I’ve tried to figure it out but I haven’t found any explanation whatsoever.

RegAS: I’m sober, no. I’ve had a couple of drinks, well maybe, actually no. I’m blacked out, nope definitely not.

NewReg:I mean, no.

What do you like about the bracket?

AS: Nothing really. We don’t get many matches we haven’t seen before.

NE: No matter what the NCAA did this year, we’re still going to have an amazing quarterfinals and beyond

DIIIWest: I agree with NE above, regardless of teams getting shmised, the quarterfinals on will have some incredible matchups and at the most appropriate tennis venue in the country for a national event (Kalamazoo).

RegNE/C: There are some HOT regional matches: Kalamazoo vs UW-Whitewater, Luther vs Augustana, and maybe Yeshiva vs Eastern Nazarene and Nichols vs Wilkes.

NewReg: We’re going to have some competitive second round matchups – Whitman/Trinity (TX), Kenyon/Hopkins, Sewanee/N.C. Wesleyan, and I’ll even toss Kalamazoo/Whitewater in there.

Which region are you looking forward to the most?

AS: I won’t answer this because there’s a clear answer in my mind.

NE: The obvious answer is Wesleyan vs Kenyon as that’s the only entertaining Sweet-16 hypothetical matchup. Throw in a possibly tank and tree Hopkins team and you have by far the most entertaining region.

DIIIWest: Wesleyan and Kenyon will be a sweet 16 matchup to behold. Both teams have had spectacular years and each have had players that have stepped up big time this year (Zalenski, Finkelman). Hopkins could have something to say, but having a Hopkins thrown in this region makes it all that more competitive and a region to keep your eye on.

RegNE/C: I hate to be repetitive but it’s the Wesleyan/Kenyon/Hopkins region, even though it shouldn’t exist.

RegAS: Definitely the Wesleyan/Kenyon/Hopkins region. Kenyon is the toughest 2 seed out there and is going to give Wesleyan a run for their money, but they also need to watch their back for a Hopkins team that you can’t count out come tournament time.

NewReg: I want to watch MIT vs. MIddlebury. MIT lost 5-4 to CMS and Brandeis this year and 6-3 to Middlebury. MIT doesn’t play good doubles, and while Midd played great dubs in the NESCAC tournament, they were inconsistent this year. I don’t think they win, but if MIT can get a doubles point, this could turn into a close 5-3 or 5-4 match

Which team (besides Wash U) won the bracket?

AS: EMORY. They benefit from the NCAA love for Wash U by drawing the Bears instead of the Polar Bears or the Cardinals in the Elite 8. Wash U will be a tough out but not nearly as tough as either of those NESCAC teams would have been.

NE: Emory. The Eagles were always going to have a relatively easy path to the Quarterfinals, but now, where Bowdoin should have stood, they have a VERY likely matchup against Wash U, a team they’ve already beaten this year.

DIIIWest: I’m going to go with CMS on this one. Emory might have an easy draw, but CMS has a Bowdoin that they absolutely thrashed just a few weeks back. When they played Bowdoin in March, they didn’t lose a single set in singles and were in absolute control from the beginning to end. Bowdoin doesn’t seem as strong as years past and with a fierce CMS squad, I see this as a relatively easy quarterfinal for the top seed.

RegNE/C: It’s an unconventional answer, but in the interest of mixing things up I’m actually going to say Wesleyan. The default is to think they are draw losers because they have a very tough 2 seed in Kenyon, but I think they’ll win another tight match like earlier this season against the Lords, and then will come into the Elite 8 the most recently battle tested team for a matchup against Middlebury. There are no easy Elite 8 opponents (even Wash U), and Wesleyan already has a win against the Panthers this year. I realize this argument is a bit of a stretch, but whatever.

RegAS: Emory and Chicago. The winner of Sewanee/NC Wes could be tricky for the Eagles, but I don’t see them losing. Chicago gets to host and Gustavus isn’t quite the team they were last year, so I see the Maroon waltzing into the Elite 8 as well.

NewReg: Emory. Emory is going to cruise into the Final Four by beating Wash U 5-1 in the Elite Eight.

Which team (besides Brandeis) lost the bracket?

AS: I’ll keep it within region and go with Johns Hopkins. They could have been a #2 seed (I mean Kalamazoo is a 2 seed) and made the Sweet 16 fairly easily in what has been a pretty uneventful year for the Jays. Now, they get a rough first round matchup against a team that has multiple top 15 wins on the year and a known ability to perform when it counts.

NE: So many losers. CMS drawing Bowdoin in the QFs, Wesleyan getting stuck with Kenyon. Kenyon getting stuck with Wesleyan, Mary Wash having its best season in recent memory and having to travel up to Amherst, MIT getting the No. 2 seed in Midd’s region instead of Bowdoin’s after they JUST beat Skidmore, all of us for having to deal with this crap year in and year out.

DIIIWest: Kenyon/Wesleyan seems to be obvious choice here. Both teams deserve a shot to the quarters in separate regions as their seasons call for such a run. Unfortunately, one’s quarterfinal dream will come up short due to a draw that is unreasonable and frankly wrong.

RegNE/C: I would say Kenyon, as they probably would’ve preferred to go to Wash U (which they could’ve and should’ve done). But I’ll also say that Trinity is an (expected) loser for having to play CMS despite being one of the stronger 2 seeds.

RegAS: I think Kenyon would be my choice. Geographically they should have gone to Wash U and had a very good chance to make an Elite 8, instead they get rewarded for their great season with a trip in the opposite direction to meet a very hot Wesleyan in the Sweet 16.

NewReg: MIT (playing Midd in the Sweet Sixteen). Doesn’t make much sense to give Skidmore an easier matchup (Bowdoin), when MIT beat Skid last week.