Hustle Belt: All Posts by Brandon FitzsimonsMAC Football, MAC Basketball, MAC Recruiting, MAC Baseball and all of the other #MACtion hijinks in between - hustlebeltblog@gmail.comhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50387/hustle-fav.png2017-03-27T15:00:01-04:00https://www.hustlebelt.com/authors/brandon-fitzsimons/rss2017-03-27T15:00:01-04:002017-03-27T15:00:01-04:00A message from the Western Michigan editor
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<img alt="Waldo Stadium 09.04.15 (Alex Alvarado)" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/sZpsdt37IrQ_vfBq7EvHKIymj3I=/0x0:4482x2988/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53914753/20150904_200813.0.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>One of my favorite images of Waldo Stadium, from the 2015 Michigan State game | Alex Alvarado</figcaption>
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<p>Read all these words carefully, since you probably didn’t read the thousands of others I’ve written thus far.</p> <p id="rtysyo">In the Winter of 2011, I was a sophomore at Western Michigan. </p>
<p id="bRwAdw">I was dumb, mostly naive, and still getting over getting cheated on and dumped by a girl (this was and has been a recurring theme in my life, but I digress). In that, I looked to start my own Bronco blog. </p>
<p id="o7EmEb">Some place on the World-Wide Web that WMU fans could gather and hear me talk about Bronco athletics, while providing their own feedback. And in that, I found SB Nation. </p>
<p id="K7UrAQ">So I did what any dumb kid would do: I put in a name and applied.</p>
<p id="tAsIP2">Turns out, I just registered a user name. Brown and Gold is who I would become. When inquiring further, the big heads running SBN denied me a blog, and turned me over to Matt Sussman. “Suss” told me he was the editor of a blog called Hustle Belt. He told me that while I was denied for now, I could write a few ditties on his site as a sort of “tryout” (his verbiage was better). </p>
<p id="NitmRl">On March 12th, I took his advice and <a href="http://www.hustlebelt.com/2011/3/12/2046153/wait-till-next-year-bronco-fans">wrote my first FanPost</a>. Over the following Summer, Suss would offer me a spot on the roster, and I never understood why. But my joy beat the ever-living shit out of my doubt, and I joined this blog to talk Bronco stuff to MAC fans.</p>
<p id="AvNo12">The rest, as they say, is history.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="dbBDGM">
<p id="34gri1">Fast forward over six years later, and that dumb, naive kid is a dumb, naive adult. I’ve moved out of the dorms into apartment livin’. I went from meal plans to hot pockets. I traded schoolwork for real work. So yeah, not much has changed. </p>
<p id="MUONBd">Except here. </p>
<p id="poh3Gr">We’ve gone from “To The Jump” to “Five-Up”. </p>
<p id="VXlHgK">We’ve had 3 new managers to lead after Suss. I moved up from one of the original staffers to a Football/Hockey/WMU editor. </p>
<p id="30Asrr">I’ve covered five conference championships in three separate sports. I’ve written about baseball! </p>
<p id="pmTg1M">But all good things must come to an end. </p>
<p id="ChjLOs">In those six years, I’ve had a lot of great memories. I’ve lived a lot of dreams. I always wanted to go to games for free. Through media credentials and this blog, that became a reality (and I got fed for it too!) </p>
<p id="1ukNNK">I grew up a Notre Dame fan. Through hockey, I got to cover games at a Notre Dame venue (Go Broncos, forever). I grew up watching ESPN wishing I could be an anchor on SportsCenter. I’m not nearly outgoing and charismatic enough for that, but <a href="http://www.hustlebelt.com/2016/11/17/13668456/hustle-belt-espn-outside-the-lines-kate-fagan-pj-fleck-western-michigan-college-football-playoff?_ga=1.168628321.1570832652.1472615509">I was on Outside The Lines</a>. You take what you can get, and through this blog, I believe the Lord has given me plenty.</p>
<p id="lEi9aq">But through those good times, the joy of covering these games have waned. When I first started going, I was a student, and it was great to cover my school. As I graduated and covered as an alumnus, that excitement dissipated. Going to football games alone every Fall weekend started to become a weight. Basketball and hockey games had to be planned, and eventually cut from the repertoire. I moved to Detroit and the coverage became more of a burden than a joy. </p>
<p id="CQkuEe">For regular journalists, it’s part of the job. For us here at the Belt? Well, we’re volunteers. We do this for the fun of it. When it stops being fun, well, that’s what brings us here. </p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="eu1vGZ">
<p id="00aOKt">I’m stepping down, effective today. </p>
<p id="JM6uCM">On top of losing the joy of writing, I’ve lost the joy of a lot of things. I have to find that joy once again, and writing is something I feel I must step away from in order to do that. </p>
<p id="Dr4Tf4">But before I go, I want to instill and enforce the good things about this blog in all of you. </p>
<p id="fXlwXF">I want to remind you that this blog is <strong>the BEST</strong> place on the face of this Earth for MAC news. It’s a place that has allowed me to cover a <a href="http://www.hustlebelt.com/2012/3/19/2882379/western-michigan-wins-the-ccha-title">WMU CCHA Championship</a>, three MAC Football Championships (including this season’s title game that saw my Broncos hold their first crown in my lifetime), this year’s MAC Men’s Basketball Tournament in Cleveland, and a Cotton Bowl. </p>
<p id="jh6WSD">All in person. All without paying a dime for a ticket.</p>
<p id="d8QNM6">You can do that. Are you an inspiring journalist? Hustle Belt has seen plenty of them. The three managing editors before Alan, our current Fearless Leader? Sussman now writes for Baseball Prospectus while having a day job in IT (which, we’ve indirectly done business with each other through my former employer). </p>
<p id="Wwov0z">Bryan M. Vance? He moved from South Carolina to Portland, Oregon when he moved from one journalistic job to another. He currently works with Oregon Public Broadcasting. </p>
<p id="KhQXZ6">Alex Alvarado? He’s been a great friend and he’s covering Northeast Indiana sports while doing his own thing with baseball on the side. Former Belter Kaleb Carter moved from Ohio to Iowa to covers sports in the center of the cornland, and current assistant site manager James H. Jimenez moved from northern Michigan to northeast Alabama to pursue a career in journalism covering political and local art beats. It’s a solid resume builder.</p>
<p id="LNb9m8">Are you just a fan looking to have your voice heard? Well, as long as you aren’t a pretentious douchebag, the Belt is the perfect place for you. </p>
<p id="mHhgIc">You’re me six years ago, except you know where to go. Hustle Belt is always looking for writers, and if you have opinions, let them be heard! </p>
<p id="0BbNRf">Join the staff. Enjoy the experience. And I’ll be the first to tell you that the behind-the-scenes chatter between our writers is some of the zaniest nonsense you’ll ever read, and you’ll have a few good laughs along the way.</p>
<p id="LG8IG7">And I do mean you can write about just about anything. </p>
<p id="vYAs31">I <a href="http://www.hustlebelt.com/2011/8/3/2341499/2011-mac-pick-em">started the MAC Pick’em</a> when there was (and still is) nothing else out there that tracks all of the MAC games. I wrote a cross-over piece between<a href="http://www.hustlebelt.com/2013/7/2/4470468/mac-fbs-non-conference-games-by-legend-of-zelda-ocarina-of-time"> MAC football and the Legend of Zeld</a>a. We’ve covered gymnastics, baseball, volleyball, and soccer. We’ve even conducted fantasy drafts and tracked our progress on these pages on a week-to-week basis.</p>
<p id="HpWxaQ">And there are plenty more sports left to write about.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="WNv4oD">
<p id="qcF3Tn">I’ll still be around the site. Being a part of this community is a fun time, and I hope you all invite your friends to join me and the writers here. </p>
<p id="nPXoi1">Hustle Belt is like a drug, and you can’t quit it. Come football season, I’ll be back to talk smack to CMU and NIU fans. And who knows, maybe I’ll pull a Brett Favre and give it another go around. </p>
<p id="FrTkqq">For now, I just want to say one last RTB, Go Broncos, and Fight On. </p>
<p id="TsAt4k">See you around, nerds.</p>
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https://www.hustlebelt.com/2017/3/27/14992920/brandon-fitzsimons-says-goodbye-to-hustle-belt-see-ya-around-losersBrandon Fitzsimons2017-03-27T12:00:01-04:002017-03-27T12:00:01-04:002017 Way Too Early Predictions: Western Michigan Broncos
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<img alt="NCAA Football: MAC Championship-Western Michigan at Ohio" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/SA937HcYnYFhM7q-MqlKkAPyx5Y=/0x0:3000x2000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53906475/usa_today_9718186.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>With the 2017 MAC schedule announced, we can now go through the defending MAC Champions’ slate to see if they have the chance to repeat</p> <p id="cT8uCq">After an insanely historic 2016 for Western Michigan, 2017 has been incredibly tumultuous for the Broncos. </p>
<p id="OlZNHy">They suffered a heart-breaking loss in the Cotton Bowl, saw energetic head coach P.J. Fleck leave for Minnesota, and saw solid contributors like Butch Hampton and Robert Spillane leave the program (along with 9 recruits that followed Fleck to the “Land of 10,000 Lakes”). </p>
<p id="dU92We">That said, this is still a very formidable team. </p>
<p id="sdtUJ7">The run game retains its prolific one-two punch of Jarvion Franklin and Jamauri Bogan, the defense remains mostly intact outside of Spillane and Keion Adams, and Fleck’s recruiting prowess should still provide solid depth at all skill positions, even with first-year coach Tim Lester at the helm. So while the Broncos have to replace their entire passing offense - including the loss of All-American Corey Davis and four-year QB Zach Terrell - the odds for a solid season are high. </p>
<p id="b88ble">Soon, we’ll look at how the schedule might break out. <a href="http://www.hustlebelt.com/wmu-broncos/2015/3/2/8130987/way-too-early-projections-breaking-down-western-michigans-2015">Two years ago</a>, I said 8-4 (6-2), and was pretty damn close (thanks, Georgia Southern). Last year, <a href="http://www.hustlebelt.com/2016/3/30/11094552/2016-way-too-early-predictions-western-michigan-broncos-football">I said 10-1 with CMU being a toss-up</a>, which is... funny in retrospect . </p>
<p id="xniGYM">The lone loss? To Northwestern, “by a field goal.” Thanks to Spillane, I was wrong, but could’ve nearly hit the spread on the nail. It was a close game. Either way, I was pretty damn good other than overestimating the Chippewas. </p>
<p id="lkGzUI">This year? The outlook won’t be that bright. Everything that changed between seasons adds uncertainty to a more difficult schedule. Can Tim Lester keep the momentum up? Or do the Broncos start to fade back to obscurity? Let’s prognosticate:</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="pz1a7a">
<h3 id="zkm3E6">Week 1 - Saturday, September 2nd - @ Southern Cal</h3>
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Rose Bowl Game-Penn State vs Southern California" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ijEZ5ukivACgVecYf0476Yy0o7g=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8213955/usa_today_9801329.jpg">
<cite>Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
</figure>
<p id="x09wOt">Oy vey. This is a NY6 match-up, but only one of these teams will resemble the power they had on January 2nd. USC has a Heisman-esque QB in Sam Darnold, and a butt load of talent everywhere else. While Franklin and Bogan might be able to keep the possession numbers in WMU’s favor, I don’t see them upsetting the defending Rose Bowl Champs.</p>
<p id="M6GW94"><strong>Prediction: </strong>Broncos lose.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="VO46bf">
<h3 id="NlBz0t">Week 2 - Saturday, September 9th - @ Michigan State</h3>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="NCAA Football: Ohio State at Michigan State" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6g_MChyf-5Ypkv4fHBN3tt09UMI=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8213989/usa_today_9689753.jpg">
<cite>Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
</figure>
<p id="bKfR0S">How do you follow-up your coaching debut on the West Coast? With a trip to neighboring Sparty, of course! </p>
<p id="Jn8OKl">This game is more tough to gauge. Mark Dantonio’s squad had a horrific season last year and looked like poo after beating an equally bad Notre Dame team in September. In fact, they would only win one game after that: against a horrible Rutgers team.</p>
<p id="UBLBWV">Now, can the Broncos win? Sure. But the Spartans will have something to prove, and LJ Scott will be back with a vengeance. This is the game that the Broncos will miss Spillane the most, as his box leadership would’ve been key in stopping this man.</p>
<p id="mwk9YH"><strong>Prediction: </strong>Broncos lose.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="RQ1uxU">
<h3 id="f17k3p">Week 3 - Saturday, September 16th - vs Idaho</h3>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="NCAA Football: Idaho Potato Bowl-Idaho vs Colorado State" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/BfURxVLRUyY2WEWuPD1GpBIHOXw=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8214001/usa_today_9763155.jpg">
<cite>Brian Losness-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
</figure>
<p id="5mxpWc">No, U-dah-ho. (sorry, I had to)</p>
<p id="Ehc4VY">So, uhhh, the Vandals are finishing off a home-and-home that started in Fleck’s 2nd season when he got his 2nd ever coaching victory in the Kibbie Dome. It’ll certainly be a game with some somber undertones; Fleck is gone, and Idaho is dropping to the FCS starting in 2018. That said, Idaho did go to a bowl game, so they aren’t a bad team. It’ll be interesting to se how Lester reacts to being at home as a head coach at his alma mater for the first time.</p>
<p id="4q8f6L">However, WMU should just simply be better. They have the talent, and the home-field advantage. Jarvion opens up his final season at Waldo with 100+ and a pair of scores. </p>
<p id="kUlQGC"><strong>Prediction: </strong>WMU wins.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="XZcRG0">
<h3 id="H8iKdK">Week 4 - Saturday, September 23rd - vs Wagner (FCS)</h3>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="NCAA Football: Wagner at Brigham Young" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/cVB2JZ8McEJbeRx60Wpte_anS3c=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8214023/usa_today_8881453.jpg">
<cite>Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
</figure>
<p id="OarU8E">Let’s not waste too much time here. The Seahawks were 6-5 last year, and upset FCS Playoff participant St. Francis to end the season, but they went 0-2 against some ugly FBS teams. As long as Lester doesn’t pull a Year One Fleck and lose, he’s fine by me.</p>
<p id="c9Ldqt"><strong>Prediction: </strong>WMU wins handily.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="LRtcOh">
<h2 id="pI3RMP">Week 5 - Saturday, September 30th - vs Ball State</h2>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Western Michigan v Ball State" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/AseqYLDiulrAssu9vv25glG7MZQ=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8214029/620181682.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<p id="T8hgtg">The last two seasons, Western has absolutely destroyed Ball State. The main factor? Corey Davis. </p>
<p id="2AXeND">The wide-out put up monster numbers on the Cardinals both years, while the Broncos put up 50 each game. Now, not only is Davis gone, but the guy who had to scheme against him will be on the other sideline as the Broncos hired Tim Daoust to be their defensive coordinator. Why? I have no idea. </p>
<p id="2Ya5VR">This game should be really quick to watch. Between Franklin, Bogan, and James Gilbert, the MAC’s running-back showcase will be on display as we open conference play. But in the end, one of the QBs will have to make a play. Riley Neal was shaky at times last year in a sophomore slump, and I can’t trust him to do it over either Jon Wassink or a Flacco.</p>
<p id="rTGJmS"><strong>Prediction: </strong>Broncos win.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="1okm5V">
<h3 id="r8ibqR">Week 6 - Saturday, October 7th - @ Buffalo</h3>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Buffalo v Western Michigan" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/zMyaNqPQE5MebW5Y2xv-nr0OWDE=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8214035/624449490.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<p id="0HnjZq">Buffalo is weird. They went 2-10 last year. They lost to Albany, but beat a decent Army team (then got pounded by Boston College a week later). They got shelled in the MAC East, but pounded preseason favorite Akron by three scores. Either way, Lance Leipold has to show he belongs with the big boys after jumping from D-III Wisconsin-Whitewater before the 2015 season. </p>
<p id="GnrJQc">As for who the Bulls have? I love Tyree Jackson. He has the build of Cam Newton, but is way more raw. If he can develop his decision making, and get some playmakers around him, he’s easily my pick for 2018 MAC Player of the Year. </p>
<p id="XGcCyM">But that’s next year. This year, he’s still got work to do, and the Broncos are still just too good. Weird things happen in Buffalo, but Western should come away with the win.</p>
<p id="76Vvpw"><strong>Prediction: </strong>Broncos win.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="WyNwtp">
<h3 id="TjLW4p">Week 7 - Saturday, October 14th - vs Akron (Homecoming)</h3>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Akron" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/NxsOGmL6Nlzj3DxOW6ecruvPbgg=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7287833/BV4D8983e.0.jpg">
<cite>Scott Warren/BaldMonkeyPhoto</cite>
</figure>
<p id="h1u7gJ">The Zips have dual-threat QB’s that can scare you. The way they were able to break down the Bronco defense last year made it seem like it should’ve been a game. But instead of putting together consistent drives, the Zips collapsed to the tune of their first-ever shutout in InfoCision Stadium.</p>
<p id="LAEjRW">What really killed Akron was the pounding they took on the ground. Jarvion Franklin went for 281 yards against the Zips. Not even two weeks later, Jordan Johnson put up 282 for Buffalo in a surprise win. Both are horrifying to happen that close together. </p>
<p id="16Z0ne"><strong>Prediction: </strong>Broncos win.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="RKNofp">
<h3 id="Bexqoe">Week 8 - Saturday, October 21st - @ Eastern Michigan</h3>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="Northern Illinois at Eastern Michigan Football - In Pictures" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/vJbRVvzNm-t_dtanNGolgKCsibk=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7492343/niu02.0.jpeg">
<cite>Kenneth Bailey</cite>
</figure>
<p id="ExvheW">Rivalry game. Probably the trophy game for the Michigan MAC, unless CMU can muster up anything against the other two directionals this year. And it’s in Ypsilanti. Oof.</p>
<p id="Zzl2Vj">Here’s the thing: Shaq Vann should be back and rearing to go this season. He was outstanding his freshman season as a compliment to Darius Jackson, and we all expected him to be top dog for the Eagles last year. Instead, he got hurt early in the season and didn’t play the entire MAC schedule.</p>
<p id="pakra5">Now, take a running-back like Vann, add the compliments in Ian Eriksen and Breck Turner, and put them behind a (what feels like) six year senior in Brogan Roback. What do you have? A pretty damn good offense. </p>
<p id="nST863">Sure, the starting offensive line made up of literally all seniors graduates a bit of experience, but with the skill players the Eagles have, they are a solid bet to be scary good.</p>
<p id="Mh9Mee">The key to this game is can Chris Creighton replace leaders like Daquan Pace and Pat O’Connor on defense? That’s tough to say, especially with how studly O’Connor was last year. By now, the new Bronco signal-caller should be set in the system, but if he’s not fully along, that screams bad news for WMU.</p>
<p id="Q0A2br"><strong>Prediction:</strong> Broncos lose on that weird Rynearson Stadium— err, Factory— magic late.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="47uQHQ">
<h3 id="Ab8TAM">Week 9 - Break Time! (Bye)</h3>
<p id="iqqVd4">Ok, so right now I have Western at 5-3 and 3-1 in the MAC. That’s pretty solid for a first year coach with the schedule he’s been given. But now he has to deal with something he really hasn’t seen all that much: #MACtion.</p>
<p id="bQQqs2">Call it what you want, say what you want about it, but the weeknight games are becoming more and more regular, as shown by the previous game being the last Saturday game on the schedule. In fact, while the Broncos prepare for their next opponent, the last Saturday game in the MAC will be played on October 28th. It is what it is, and it’s a different monster.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="s82uHt">
<h3 id="IZrqhI">Week 10 - Wednesday, November 1st - vs Central Michigan</h3>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="NCAA Football: Central Michigan at Miami (Ohio)" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/f7v2ejq_bIzpIglEMraLDBCA2f8=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8214101/usa_today_9653782.jpg">
<cite>Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
</figure>
<p id="0DI38v">You. Don’t. Lose. To. Central. At. Home. </p>
<p id="x3pDOT">PJ Fleck nearly beat the Chippewas in that 1-11 season with a horrible team (and he made up for it by never losing another Michigan MAC game the rest of his tenure). Bill Cubit won his first Central-Western game at home. </p>
<p id="zG7NlL">Gary Darnell won his first Central-Western game at home as well. So did Al Molde. You have to go back to Jack Harbaugh in 1983 to find the last WMU coach to lose to Central at home while having a winning record in his first CMU-WMU game at Waldo. </p>
<p id="zmTtzq">There is nothing to suggest this Bronco team can’t have a winning record. That’s why we’re here. The Chippewas lose Cooper Rush, and the Broncos lose Terrell and Friends. The Victory Cannon will likely stay in Kalamazoo for a 4th straight year, and for the 6th time in the last 7 years. </p>
<p id="uw9MK9"><strong>Prediction: </strong>Broncos win.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="FrhUiT">
<h3 id="DurMAE">Week 11 - Wednesday, November 8th - vs Kent State (Senior Night)</h3>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="NCAA Football: Kent State at Alabama" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/hoC6JqH95LaXQfMKO17cCSOF9mg=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8214123/usa_today_9560799.jpg">
<cite>Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
</figure>
<p id="KX2rIv">Wait, what!?!?!?! Senior Night already? NOOOOOOOOOOOOO.</p>
<p id="l4uwf6">You can harp on the MAC all you want for the weeknight games, but that’s exactly what the conference signed up for when they made their deal with the Devil (ESPN). However, putting senior night on the 8th day of November? Get the **** out. </p>
<p id="kViCyy">I believe this senior group should’ve been awarded a chance sometime in the middle of the month to be recognized for all they’ve done. The 2016 seniors didn’t get to be recognized for their Cotton Bowl berth because it hadn’t happened yet. Same with the MAC Championship. These seniors experienced 3 straight bowl games, the program’s first bowl win, and the first ever (and thus best) ranking in WMU football history. All should be celebrated with great pomp and circumstance, even if on a Wednesday night?</p>
<p id="53ATyh">But on the 8th? No. Just no.</p>
<p id="kyei6T">As for the game? Nick Holley causes problems (see Akron and dual-threat QBs, but actually executed well). Mylik Mitchell, who showed flashes of prmise before injuring his hand against Alabama, and Antwan Dixon, who fought a blood disorder last season, should be fully healthy next season as well. </p>
<p id="asC0me">The defense is stellar, and I think Demetrius Monday will be in the NFL prospect talk by the time this game rolls around. But I think Jarvion Franklin and Darius Phillips put on a show in their last dance in Waldo. It won’t be the prettiest game, but it should be a win.</p>
<p id="dvl2o7"><strong>Prediction: </strong>Broncos win on a late score.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="n60w13">
<h3 id="D9RTHZ">Week 12 - Wednesday, November 15th - @ Northern Illinois</h3>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt="NCAA Football: Toledo at Northern Illinois" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/5t52ohCZDGWtpLAxnEgFyEVTqos=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8214155/usa_today_9665677.jpg">
<cite>Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
</figure>
<p id="qbLX9F">Who will be QB for the Huskies next year? Do they continue to trend downward in Rod Carey’s tenure, or do they fix the issues that prevented them from a 7th straight MAC West Championship? Big, big questions. </p>
<p id="TStm8n">Gone are Anthony Maddie, Kenny Golladay, and Joel Bouagnon. As are key players in a defense that was once feared. But there is something about Dekalb that makes me think the Huskies take this game. It’ll have been 10 years since the Broncos beat NIU at Huskie Stadium, and I think they’ll have to wait at least 2 more. I just can’t see Carey being that bad of a coach. </p>
<p id="M2EGSH">Yes, I can hear you from DeKalb, Huskie fans.</p>
<p id="BBrZCC"><strong>Prediction:</strong> Broncos lose.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="zCI8jf">
<h3 id="1bzqKu">Week 13 - Friday, November 24th - @ Toledo</h3>
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Camellia Bowl-Appalachian State vs Toledo" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/fCGn1yGLZtd8NFDbSm_Lg4S-JI8=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8214159/usa_today_9752802.jpg">
<cite>Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
</figure>
<p id="7PyMGw">So not only does WMU have to have Senior Night on the 8th, but they have to finish their season with trips to DeKalb and Toledo? Seems legit.</p>
<p id="zV8vhO">Really, I like the Toledo/WMU game on Black Friday. The past two seasons have seen Top 25 teams host solid their MAC West brethren. Both times, WMU prevailed. But this Bronco team doesn’t have the firepower to purely out-gun the Rockets. If Toledo has a healthy Logan Woodside, it’s hard to think he doesn’t exorcise the demons from the past two disappointments in a game that might decide whether Toledo finally gets to Detroit.</p>
<p id="MGSdyw">Candle finally gets the Rockets over the hump, and Cody Thompson has a solid game as he gets the insurance touchdown late.</p>
<p id="OOzVpt"><strong>Prediction: </strong>Broncos lose.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="wJGYTE">
<p id="2hDYLr">So let’s review. 7-5, with a 5-3 mark in the MAC. No repeat, but with all the turnover between the coaching staff (which was completely redone), the players (you don’t replace a Corey Davis), and the recruits, I’ll take it. </p>
<p id="wQoHEf">A 7-5 record still earns a bowl bid, and I think WMU can win it with some extra time to prepare an offensive gameplan.</p>
<p id="zIU5WC">Maybe this is a conservative approach. Do the Eagles really have enough to get past WMU? Can NIU and MSU rebound that much against a still highly skilled and deep WMU team? Do the Rockets get over their MAC West curse? </p>
<p id="rSLuXP">On the flipside, how much does losing Spillane hurt in games like Akron or Kent State, where you have QBs who can break down the play and hurt you with their legs? It’s just very hard to judge with the turnover. </p>
<p id="LH8RZE">It’s not unreasonable to think the Broncos can repeat. It’s not unreasonable to think they can’t win 10+ games again next year. If Lester can get his system and QB in place, the talent Fleck recruited over the past 3+ years can be enough to keep Western Michigan on the throne. But for me, 7-5 is where I think a guy like Lester finishes in his first year. </p>
<p id="iJz44h">Curb your expectations for now, but expect to be back in contention next season. </p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/mac-football/2017/3/27/14792376/2017-way-too-early-predictions-western-michigan-broncos-football-mactionBrandon Fitzsimons2017-03-19T00:34:04-04:002017-03-19T00:34:04-04:002017 Hockey Bracketology: Our Guess at the NCAA Tournament Bracket
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/kPONjpNkkNLenNsk4iADN0cJa0E=/182x0:1205x682/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53766221/espn.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Our resident hockey bracketologist breaks down the field before tomorrow’s selection show</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>With the field set to be announced tomorrow at noon, we breakdown the final Pairwise rankings and guess the road to Chicago</p> <p id="xUkfw6">What a fantastic Conference Championship evening. After it was all said and done, the six conferences in D-I hockey decided their champions, and only the ECAC failed to provide some excitement at the end. Air Force held off Robert Morris, UMass-Lowell denied Boston College a spot in the tourney, Michigan Tech survived scares in the first OT period before winning in the 2nd, Duluth’s late goal to break a 3-3 tie for the NCHC title, and Penn State winning 3 times in 3 days with the last two being double OT victories over the top two seeds!</p>
<p id="b32DlE">But in the end, we decided our Champions and we have our teams for the tournament, thanks to the Pairwise. Now it’s time to see who’s going where on the road to Chicago, where the 2017 Frozen Four will be held. There are some rules to how this is done, but mostly, the NCAA tries to retain as best of a competitive balance as possible, while maximizing attendance at the regional sites. So let’s get to it!</p>
<h3 id="moHF4r">What To Know</h3>
<p id="KynHyd">16 teams participate in the NCAA Tournament. 6 teams are awarded auto-bids as their conference champion, while the other 10 slots are filled with at-large teams. Those 16 teams are sent to the four regional sites. This year, the regional sites are as followed, with their hosts in parentheses:</p>
<p id="v5DNWv">East Regional - Providence, RI (Brown University)<br>Northeast Regional - Manchester, NH (University of New Hampshire)<br>Midwest Regional - Cincinnati, OH (Miami University [hey, that’s our guys!])<br>West Regional - Fargo, ND (University of North Dakota)</p>
<p id="dK6TTX">Other things to keep in mind! If a host team makes the tournament, they are automatically placed in that regional. Additionally, teams cannot jump “seed bands”. You’ll see what that means later, but if you’re a 2-seed in a regional, you’re a 2-seed period. You cannot be dropped to a 3 or bumped up to a 1 to make a more interesting match-up. Lastly, and this is pretty self explanatory, 1-seeds play 4-seeds and 2-seeds play 3-seeds in the first round, and the regionals are laid out so that if the four 1-seeds advance to the Frozen Four, that same format is retained.</p>
<h3 id="KU8LUm">Team Selection</h3>
<p id="Po0VZm">OK, now time for the fun! Here are the final Pairwise rankings and the auto-bids. If you’re new to this, the <a href="http://www.uscho.com/faq/pairwise-rankings-explanation/">Pairwise is the tool</a> that mimics the NCAA Committee’s selection and seeding process. You can dispute it all you want, but it has yet to be wrong. </p>
<p id="g3YWsQ"><strong>Atlantic Hockey</strong>- Air Force<br><strong>ECAC </strong>- Harvard<br><strong>Hockey East</strong> - UMass-Lowell<br><strong>NCHC</strong> - Minnesota-Duluth<br><strong>WCHA </strong>- Michigan Tech<br><strong>Big Ten</strong> - Penn State</p>
<ol><li id="n6AUal"> Denver<br>2. Minnesota-Duluth<br>3. Harvard<br>4. Minnesota<br>5. Massachusetts-Lowell<br>6. Western Michigan<br>7. Boston University<br>8. Union<br>9. Penn State<br>10. North Dakota<br>11. Cornell<br>12. Air Force<br>13. Notre Dame<br>14. Providence<br>15. Ohio State<br>16. Boston College<br>27. Michigan Tech</li></ol>
<p id="LrzHqJ">Since we have to take 16 teams, and Michigan Tech falls outside of the Top 16 in the Pairwise, the last “at large” contender is eliminated. Sorry Boston College. Thanks for playing, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hmg_fJ6A4k">but better luck next year</a>! With that, here are the final “seedings” of our tournament teams.</p>
<ol><li id="3cOXq4"> Denver<br>2. Minnesota-Duluth<br>3. Harvard<br>4. Minnesota<br>5. Massachusetts-Lowell<br>6. Western Michigan<br>7. Boston University<br>8. Union<br>9. Penn State<br>10. North Dakota<br>11. Cornell<br>12. Air Force<br>13. Notre Dame<br>14. Providence<br>15. Ohio State<br>16. Michigan Tech</li></ol>
<h3 id="Ga0zyy">Seed The Teams</h3>
<p id="zen6KQ">Pretty easy and straightforward. Since the teams are in bands of four, we just go right down that list.</p>
<p id="uRPFon"><strong>1-seeds:</strong> Denver, Minnesota-Duluth, Harvard, Minnesota<br><strong>2-seeds:</strong> UMass-Lowell, Western Michigan, Boston University, Union<br><strong>3-seeds:</strong> Penn State, North Dakota, Cornell, Air Force<br><strong>4-seeds:</strong> Notre Dame, Providence, Ohio State, Michigan Tech</p>
<h3 id="winuoy">Place The One-Seeds</h3>
<p id="PPfOHS">Again, straightforward. We work from the #1 overall seed on down, going with best regional by distance until we’re out of slots.</p>
<p id="Ih4xTK">No. 1 Denver is placed in the West Regional in Fargo<br>No. 2. Minnesota-Duluth is placed in the Midwest Regional in Cincinnati<br>No. 3 Harvard is placed in the Northeast Regional in Manchester<br>No. 4 Minnesota is placed in the East Regional in Providence</p>
<p id="0S177i">Quick notes: Duluth kinda gets screwed, but Denver was easily the best team throughout the year and earned the Fargo Regional, for better or worse (since you’ll note that host North Dakota made the field). Still, Cincy isn’t bad. Harvard has a toss-up between Manchester and Providence, but we put them in Manchester since conference member New Hampshire is host there. Minnesota gets royally screwed by heading East, and it only gets worse later on.</p>
<h3 id="79V2Ti">Place Everyone Else Based On Seeding</h3>
<p id="4g8F8C">So this works like the NCAA hoops tournament, except the whole hockey tournament is just one regional for your “March Madness” bracket. 1 vs 16, 2 vs 15, 8 vs 9, etc. The only deviation from this is placing the hosts when we get to their seed bands, when we’ll do our best to keep that integrity intact.</p>
<p id="hU1bQF"><em>2-seed band</em></p>
<p id="QQEnkr">No. 5 UMass-Lowell is placed in the East Regional with No. 4 Minnesota<br>No. 6 Western Michigan is placed in the Northeast Regional with No. 3 Harvard<br>No. 7 Boston U is placed in the Midwest Regional with No. 2 Minnesota-Duluth<br>No. 8 Union is placed in the West Regional with No. 1 Denver</p>
<p id="Gee0NX"><em>3-seed band</em></p>
<p id="6ZylCh">No. 10 North Dakota is placed in the West Regional by virtue of being host with No. 8 Union<br>No. 9 Penn State is placed in the Midwest Regional with No. 7 Boston U<br>No. 11 Cornell is placed in the Northeast Regional with No. 6 Western Michigan<br>No. 12 Air Force is placed in the East Regional with No. 5 UMass-Lowell</p>
<p id="02cDxV"><em>4-seed band</em></p>
<p id="zWzD0U">No. 13 Notre Dame is placed in the East Regional with No. 4 Minnesota<br>No. 14 Providence is placed in the Northeast Regional with No. 3 Harvard<br>No. 15 Ohio State is placed in the Midwest Regional with No. 2 Minnesota-Duluth<br>No. 16 Michigan Tech is placed in the West Regional with No. 1 Denver</p>
<p id="Q51uWg">So here are the brackets as we have them now</p>
<p id="Hewssl"><strong>West Regional (Fargo)</strong><br>No. 1 Denver vs No. 16 Michigan Tech<br>No. 8 Union vs No. 10 North Dakota</p>
<p id="IQyyJO"><strong>East Regional (Providence)</strong><br>No. 4 Minnesota vs No. 13 Notre Dame <br>No. 5 UMass-Lowell vs No. 12 Air Force</p>
<p id="0SLBwZ"><strong>Midwest Regional (Cincinnati)</strong><br>No. 2 Minnesota-Duluth vs No. 15 Ohio State<br>No. 7 Boston U vs No. 9 Penn State</p>
<p id="NKeUAm"><strong>Northeast Regional (Manchester)</strong><br>No. 3 Harvard vs No. 14 Providence<br>No. 6 Western Michigan vs No. 11 Cornell</p>
<h3 id="uIJeVO">Avoid intraconference match-ups</h3>
<p id="DZMT2h">One thing I forgot to mention earlier: if possible, interaconference match-ups are to be avoided. This is rarely a serious issue nowadays, with the CCHA and WCHA of old broken up and the ECAC keeping pace with the Hockey East in terms of quality. Therefore, we just check the match-ups for any and move the seeds around if necessary.</p>
<p id="YgFObo">/checks brackets</p>
<p id="5XCRXB">Holy hell, we have none! Moving on to the final step!</p>
<h3 id="xEL2a2">Improve Bracket for Attendance</h3>
<p id="tVfaqf">This is the biggest, and most controversial step. The goal here is to keep bracket integrity as close as possible (i.e. don’t put the 1, 5, and 9 seeds in the same regional just to get slightly better attendance), while simultaneously moving teams around so that you get the most butts in seats. If you’ve ever watched a college hockey regional on TV, this is a <strong>big</strong> thing, because sometimes these arenas are full of empty seats.</p>
<p id="4s76VO">Let’s start by swapping Providence and Notre Dame out East. It does little to hurt bracket integrity, and we put Providence in its hometown to get the best draw. Now you see what I meant when I said Minnesota was getting royally screwed by getting that last 1-seed. However, I’m not putting Harvard against the Friars in Providence, because the gap between #3 and #4 is massive this year. Sorry, Gophers. </p>
<p id="J63dAm">Other than that, the 1 vs 4 pairings are pretty damn perfect. Duluth has to play Ohio State in the state of Ohio, but Denver earned the right to play the No. 16 seed, and keeping Ohio State matched-up against Duluth maintains maximum bracket integrity for that band. Moving Notre Dame to Cincy hurts everything, and I’m not doing that. Irish fans already play in the Hockey East, so they should have no issue traveling to New Hampshire if they desire.</p>
<p id="VlmwyS">Now we turn to the 2 vs 3 match-ups, and things get really hairy. Remember, we cannot move North Dakota from its spot, so the only 3-seeds that can move are Air Force, Penn State, and Cornell. As for the two-seeds? We have one Midwest team and three Eastern teams, so deciding who draws the short-straw and plays North Dakota in Fargo is pretty bittersweet. Sure you put the best attendance in the other three regionals (and with how rabid North Dakota fans are, that regional is pretty set for attendance regardless of the other three teams), but you pretty much screw over a better seeded team in the process.</p>
<p id="6YXMO3">I want the Midwest team in the Midwest Regional. Those Eastern teams are flying no matter what, so let’s try to get three drives if possible and let the Fargo massacre happen. We move Western Michigan to Cincinnati to play Penn State, and move Boston U to Manchester to play Cornell.</p>
<p id="C0vooK">As for which two East teams? That’s easy for me. Remember how I said Harvard was a toss-up between the East and Northeast? It’s because Boston is an hour’s drive to both regional. Boston U goes out with Harvard, and Lowell goes to Providence. I do this knowing that Lowell, MA is only a 40 minute drive to Manchester, but Providence is only a 70 minute drive (thanks, Google Maps), so the bracket integrity is maintained for potential Regional Final match-ups by forcing that extra half hour. RiverHawk fans can’t complain all that much. </p>
<p id="WLddjK">So here are the brackets as we have them.</p>
<p id="YiFh7E"><strong>West Regional (Fargo)</strong><br>No. 1 Denver vs No. 16 Michigan Tech<br>No. 8 Union vs No. 10 North Dakota</p>
<p id="40ZFzM"><strong>East Regional (Providence)</strong><br>No. 4 Minnesota vs No. 14 Providence <br>No. 5 UMass-Lowell vs No. 12 Air Force</p>
<p id="fjFpsH"><strong>Midwest Regional (Cincinnati)</strong><br>No. 2 Minnesota-Duluth vs No. 15 Ohio State<br>No. 6 Western Michigan vs No. 9 Penn State</p>
<p id="mEyjuW"><strong>Northeast Regional (Manchester)</strong><br>No. 3 Harvard vs No. 13 Notre Dame<br>No. 7 Boston U vs No. 11 Cornell</p>
<p id="zyxTHZ">I actually love this bracket. Am I punishing a 1-seed in Minnesota by having to play Providence in Providence? Probably. But if it gets attendance, it’s a sacrifice we have to make. Union getting North Dakota in Fargo stinks as well, but again, we’re dealing with the last team on the seed line. If sacrifices have to be made, they’re going to be made to those teams. </p>
<p id="1lSGga">You can see how well I did on Sunday at noon EDT when the 2017 NCAA Hockey Tournament is announced on ESPNU. </p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/2017/3/19/14971702/2017-hockey-bracketology-pairwise-western-michigan-broncos-notre-dame-ohio-stateBrandon Fitzsimons2017-03-18T00:18:27-04:002017-03-18T00:18:27-04:002017 NCAA Tournament: Flashes bow out to Bruins in 97-80 opener
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<img alt="NCAA Basketball: NCAA Tournament-First Round-Kent State and UCLA Bruins" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/dXT3EpLgcQM_w02wnhbb_Nq9KOc=/0x0:3983x2655/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53756313/usa_today_9951835.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Despite hanging with the high powered UCLA Bruins offense, the Kent State Golden Flashes were unable to keep up down the stretch.</p> <p id="JjXkcy">The Kent State Golden Flashes can say they made the Final 34, but after Friday night’s 97-80 loss to the UCLA Bruins, they cannot say they made the Elite Eight as they did 15 years ago.</p>
<p id="GlelHZ">The first half of the final tip-off in the first round saw the Flashes come out ice cold. A pair of 8-0 Bruin runs sandwiched a single Jimmy Hall lay-up, as UCLA jumped out to a 16-2 lead right off the bat. After Hall and Jaylin Walker were able to find their stroke to help claw the Flashes back to within single digits, the Bruins again went a run - this time a 10-2 margin - to extend their lead to a half-high 17 points. But Walker and Deon Edwin hit some shots down the stretch to close the gap down the stretch. </p>
<p id="dlFbKC">A crucial moment appeared to occur with about a minute to go, as UCLA’s lottery pick prospect Lonzo Ball came down awkwardly over Kevin Zabo on a lay-up attempt. Ball appeared in a considerable amount of pain in his hip/tailbone area, but would finish the half. In all, the late run pulled the Flashes to just an eight point deficit at 47-39 against the #3 seed in the South Regional.</p>
<p id="Lty5k1">The run continued in the 2nd half, as Kent State came out firing on all cylinders. A 9-2 run would cut the Bruin lead to just four points, as Jaylin Walker’s three-pointer made it a 54-50 with 16:41 to go in the game. With all the momentum, UCLA head coach Steve Alford called timeout to rally his troops.</p>
<p id="Srqncv">And that seemed to do the trick. From that point on, the Flashes never got as close the rest of the game. The Bruins would use an 8-2 run to re-extend the lead out to double-digits, and the two teams would trade blows for the next few minutes. But after a Zabo lay-up with 7:36 to go made it a 74-66 game, the Bruins would put the hammer down, going on a 20-4 run over the next 5 minutes to ice the game completely. The run would be part of a 12 minute stretch where UCLA did not miss a shot, ending late in the game after a lay-up clanked off the back of the iron before the final buzzer sounded.</p>
<p id="Xq0uqC">In his final game for the Flashes, Hall had a superb double-double, scoring 20 points and grabbing 15 rebounds before fouling out late. Walker led Kent State in scoring, putting up 23 points, but shot 9-for-23 from the floor and 5-for-13 from beyond the arc. Edwin added 18 and Zabo had 12. Jalin Avery and Danny Pippen were the only other Flashes to score at all with 5 and 2 points respectively.</p>
<p id="UzMS0q">For the Bruins, TJ Leaf paced the team inside all night, finishing with 23 points. Ball finished with 15 points, but was mostly quiet after a hot start. Thomas Welsh, Aaron Holiday, and Isaac Hamilton added 16, 15, and 14 points respectively, with Holiday adding 11 assists to complete a double-double.</p>
<p id="NwIxBT">Kent State ends the year with a 22-14 record. </p>
<p id="waCsOv"></p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/mac-basketball/2017/3/18/14964958/2017-ncaa-tournament-kent-state-golden-flashes-ucla-bruins-final-recapBrandon Fitzsimons2017-03-10T20:18:13-05:002017-03-10T20:18:13-05:00MAC Tournament 2017: Zips advance to title game in 74-70 win over Ball State
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<img alt="NCAA Basketball: Akron at Gonzaga" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/9x20sClT_vt7V2idt_fX5L7XgJo=/0x0:2239x1493/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53644323/usa_today_9748795.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>James Snook-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Akron never trailed as they advanced to their 9th MAC Tournament Championship in Keith Dambrot’s tenure</p> <p id="6VkCfI">Wire-to-wire wins are usually blow-outs, but in Cleveland, nothing is that easy. As famous Akronite LeBron James once said, “Nothing is given, everything is earned.” The Akron Zips found that out on Friday night, as they had to battle the Ball State Cardinals for the whole 40 minutes in a gritty 74-70 win.</p>
<p id="PbHCFI">The Zips came out on fire, opening the game on a 7-0 run. Kwan Cheatham would match a Tayler Persons three-pointer to make it 10-3, and it looked like Akron would be unstoppable. But the Cardinals did not go away. They would hit seven three-pointers - matching their total from yesterday’s first half against Western Michigan - as they kept pace with their local foes. However, riding their Big Dog in Isaiah Johnson, Akron carried a 39-30 lead into the break.</p>
<p id="RkkGG9">The second half saw both teams come out relatively cold from the floor, with the Zips particularly rough from the floor. The Cardinals weren’t much better, but by getting to the foul line, they were able to cut the gap all the way down to two points with 10:31 to go. A 7-1 run to that point would be broken by a Cheatham three pointer, and the Zips would rebuild their lead to double digits over the next three minutes.</p>
<p id="U0Xjie">For the next 5 minutes, the lead oscillated between four and eight points as the teams traded blows and buckets. Every time it appeared the Cardinals had a bit of momentum, the Zips would respond. After a Francis Kiapway three-pointer made it a one possession game with just over two minutes to go, it appeared we’d be set for a wild finish. But Akron used its ace in the hole immediately, dumping the ball down to the MAC Player of the Year in Johnson, whose “and one” would be the first of two daggers.</p>
<p id="Ot2gOD">A minute later, after the teams traded free throws, Tayler Persons’ three pointer once again made it a one possession game. But with just 38 seconds on the clock, the Cardinals elected to foul to give themselves more possessions. Jimond Ivey’s free throws would officially ice the game for good, and the Cardinals would miss three straight threes to close the door altogether.</p>
<p id="96OyWf">“We delivered about 4 knockout punches tonight,” Akron head coach Keith Dambrot said after the game. “We staggered (Ball State) and we just couldn’t put them out. It was a good ballgame. Not so much fun to coach in, but a good game for fans.”</p>
<p id="66A8AQ">While Johnson was the first half leader for the Zips, Antino Jackson really helped carry Akron to the victory in the second half, as both finished with 19 points and 6 rebounds on the night. Cheatham finished with 11 points, but after the aforementioned three pointer in the first half, he only had the 2nd half three before fouling out in a quiet night. Ivey nearly finished with a double-double, scoring 7 points and grabbing 8 rebounds. </p>
<p id="92e8vS">For the Cardinals, Tahjai Teague finished with a career-high 19 points in the losing effort, while also grabbing 6 rebounds. Kiapway added another 12 points, and Jeremie Tyler had a solid 11. Franko House, in possibly his final game in a Ball State uniform, finished a point shy of a double-double, scoring 9 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Persons, who was involved in a nasty collision on Thursday and did not return, had a solid 6 point, 5 rebound, 4 assist game, but he shot 2-for-7 and finished with 4 turnovers.</p>
<p id="9bkN7k">The Zips await the winner of the Ohio/Kent State semi-final in tomorrow night’s title game. Tip-off is 7:30 pm, and will be broadcast on ESPN2</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/mac-basketball/2017/3/10/14889110/mac-tournament-2017-akron-zips-ball-state-cardinals-final-recap-semi-finalBrandon Fitzsimons2017-03-10T00:10:32-05:002017-03-10T00:10:32-05:00MAC Tournament 2017: Kent State outlasts Buffalo in 68-65 foul fest
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<img alt="NCAA Basketball: Las Vegas Classic-Southern Methodist vs Kent State" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/EYJJQVN1VbRacly1028AyM5SEsY=/664x0:3500x1891/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53628295/usa_today_9014230.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Joshua Dahl-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Jimmy Hall had a great game, but the obscene number of foul calls is the story of the final quarterfinal game in Cleveland</p> <p id="6pP57I">The only upset of the quarterfinals on Thursday happened in the last game, and it saw the two-time defending MAC champs fall as Kent State knocked off Buffalo in a two-and-a-half hour long 68-65 slug fest. </p>
<p id="hs9mM0">The first half saw both teams go up and down the court, trading blows. But while they did that, both teams also piled up the fouls and turnovers, marring the otherwise solid showing. The two teams would end up combining for 23 fouls and 14 turnovers in the half, but three separate 5-0 or better runs would give the Golden Flashes a 39-32 lead at the half. </p>
<p id="eeFB26">And if you thought the first half was bad, woah nelly! The second half was worse.</p>
<p id="GTeKvL">Jimmy Hall would wake up, and he started playing like the All-MAC player he is, but his moments of brilliance were interrupted by constant trips to the line. Other solid contributors like Deon Edwin and Jaylin Walker for the Flashes and Blake Hamilton and Nick Perkins for the Bulls tried their hardest, but the constant foul trips ended their nights early. David Kadiri joined those four as the five players who fouled out of the game. </p>
<p id="u2oMWz">And while the Flashes got out to an 11 point lead, the Bulls did battle back. They were able to make it a one point game in the final minute, but Hall hit a pair of free throws with 12 seconds left to force Buffalo to take a game-tying three in the final seconds. CJ Massinburg’s desperation heave went wide, and Kent State advanced onto the semi-finals.</p>
<p id="BWeFGV">The two teams combined for 56 total fouls - 30 of which came in the 2nd half - and they shot a combined 75 free throws. In fact, the Golden Flashes had more attempts from the free throw line in the 2nd half than they did attempts from the floor in their normal offense. And it appeared neither team found their rhythm on the night. Be it the physical defense or the standing around for free throws, both teams shot 35.3% from the floor and combined for 25 turnovers. </p>
<p id="RYBmrO">“We were both very physical teams, we’ve been both physical teams all year. It was a tough game to officiate, but I thought (the officials) did a good job tonight,” Kent State head coach Rob Senderoff said afterwards. </p>
<p id="i6dcBy">“It’s hard to live with, especially with the group of seniors we have. For those three seniors to go out like that, it’s tough to handle,” Buffalo coach Nate Oats said in his press conference. </p>
<p id="wDRgrl">In the end, Hall finished with 24 points and 8 rebounds, with half of his points coming from the foul line. Edwin had a double-double, providing a boost in the first half when Hall struggled to get going. The guard finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Walker added 12 points before fouling out.</p>
<p id="fUpn8L">For the Bulls, Hamilton - the hero of last year’s MAC Championship game - finished with 17 points to lead Buffalo. Massinburg had a solid double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds, and played a large chunk of the game (37 minutes), but went 2-for-11 from the floor. As you can guess, his 11-for-13 mark from the line bolstered his scoring output. Perkins added 11 points in a losing effort.</p>
<p id="Wvc34M">The Golden Flashes must now turn around from a late, hard-fought finish to play the Ohio Bobcats in the 2nd semi-final on Friday night. Tip-off is estimated for 8 pm, but will occur 30 minutes after the Akron/Ball State semi-final that tips-off at 5:30 pm.</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/mac-basketball/2017/3/10/14877570/mac-tournament-2017-kent-state-golden-flashes-buffalo-bulls-final-recapBrandon Fitzsimons2017-03-09T17:15:13-05:002017-03-09T17:15:13-05:00MAC Tournament 2017: Cardinals hold off Broncos in 66-63 win
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3uHJdhNy3ImsgeWofNRk6k4JylU=/0x0:2736x1824/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53623327/lead.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Kenneth Bailey</figcaption>
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<p>Thomas Wilder carried the Broncos, but the superb inside play from Franko House and Trey Moses carried the Cardinals to victory</p> <p id="5BsQHk">For the first time since 2011, the Ball State Cardinals are playing in Cleveland on a Friday night in March. After downing the Western Michigan Broncos in a back-and-forth affair, the Cardinals must turn around and take on another local 1-seed in the form of the Akron Zips tomorrow evening.</p>
<p id="1lpirY">The Broncos came out on fire, jumping out to an early 10-2 lead. They would extend it out to 9 points later in the half, but the tide seemed to swing on a freak accident midway through the half. On a loose ball from Thomas Wilder, two Cardinal players - Jeremie Tyler and Tayler Persons - flew into each other. Tyler walked away with a leg injury (and would eventually return), but Persons would sustain a nasty head injury, and would leave the court bleeding profusely from his crown. He did not return.</p>
<p id="O0MzL4">However, that break seemed to cool the Broncos off. And it also sparked the Cardinal offense. Ball State would end up hitting seven three pointers as they jumped out to their own 9 point lead late in the half. WMU would eventually close the gap, but the Cardinals would carry a 38-33 lead into the break.</p>
<p id="fdnaii">And while both teams had their moments in the first half at being scorching hot on offense, the second half saw each team go frigid cold from the floor. In fact, half of the Cardinals’ 28 points in the half came from the free throw line, and that 7-for-17 three-point shooting mark in the first half turned into a dismal 1-for-9 mark in the 2nd. </p>
<p id="qFRGQb">For the Broncos, it was Thomas Wilder or bust, it seemed. The junior guard had a nice connection with Brandon Johnson to supplement his own scoring, but he got little help from other teammates, as the Broncos went from 50% shooting from three in the first half to just 25% in the 2nd, and a 36.4% mark from the field altogether. </p>
<p id="QUstqR">But the game came down to the final moments. After a Wilder three tied the game with 1:14 left, Franko House drew a foul on Johnson to go to the line. He would hit one of his two free throws, and the Broncos went to try and take the lead. But Wilder would miss two attempts at the lead, and Francis Kiapway hit another free throw to extend the lead further. Another Wilder miss in the final seconds resulted in a Tyler rebound and free throw to ice the game. </p>
<p id="sBhUIv">For the Cardinals, Trey Moses finished with a double-double, scoring 11 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. House added 14 points and 9 boards, and Kiapway led all Cardinals with 16 points, half of those coming from the free throw line. </p>
<p id="uYoypG">For the Broncos, Wilder led all scorers with 24 points. He went 4-for-4 from beyond the arc, but only went 4-for-18 inside it. Johnson was the only other Bronco to finish with a double-digit scoring output, finishing with 13 points and 8 rebounds. Tucker Haymond, in possibly his last game as a Bronco, went 3-for-11 (2-for-7 from three) to finish with 8 points and 3 rebounds. </p>
<p id="F9Awwq">As previously stated, the Cardinals will face off against the Zips on Friday night at 5:30 pm. </p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/mac-basketball/2017/3/9/14872088/mac-tournament-2017-ball-state-cardinals-western-michigan-broncos-final-recapBrandon Fitzsimons2017-03-09T14:14:01-05:002017-03-09T14:14:01-05:00MAC Tournament 2017: Zips sic Big Dog on Eagles in 79-62 win
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<img alt="NCAA Basketball: Akron at Creighton" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/MYuRJ3A-094vhC-By8CdlNwZyOg=/142x0:2250x1405/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53618999/usa_today_9743902.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Isaiah Johnson outdueled James Thompson IV in a big opening game in Cleveland</p> <p id="ZI4Uli">Sometimes you gotta let the Big Dog eat, and in their first game in Cleveland, the Akron Zips did as they rode their big man to a 79-62 win over the Eastern Michigan Eagles. </p>
<p id="8Zm2Ly">The first half was the James Thompson show. The sophomore big man came out on fire, scoring the Eagles’ first 11 points, while grabbing 7 rebounds before the first media timeout. He would finish the double-double before the “under-eight” timeout, as Eastern Michigan jumped out to the early lead. </p>
<p id="hKk1oL">However, the Zips would shake off the early rust to take the lead late. After focusing on shutting down Thompson, Akron forced multiple Eagle turnovers and turned them into gold. The three pointers started to fall, and the newly crowned MAC Player of the Year started to go to work down low. The in-out game between Isaiah Johnson and his guards feasted in a 15-2 run that saw the Zips take a 30-21 lead. Eastern Michigan would respond with a 6-0 run to close out the half, but the eight first half turnovers were likely to blame for their deficit at the break.</p>
<p id="l2djTG">The second half saw the Zips come out gunning. The three-point barrage continued, with spotty success. However, with Johnson down load, the offensive chances were aplenty with “Big Dog” offering up 2nd chances. When he would get the ball, he went to work, putting up bucket after bucket down low. On the other end, he continued to keep Thompson quiet, as the Eagle big man continued a long dry spell after that hot start.</p>
<p id="VOLfXx">The Eagles would chip away, and eventually get it down to a four point deficit, but a string of events with about 4:30 to go would put Eastern Michigan away for good. Following a pair of free throws by Johnson, Ray Lee would try a pass that would get read by Jimond Ivey. The sophomore guard easily turned it into a fast break lay-up. Immediately afterwards, in an attempt to catch the Zips off-guard, Tim Bond threw an errant pass right to Josh Williams, who drilled a three to all but nail home the final result. A couple more threes down the stretch by the Zips would be the finishing touches to the victory.</p>
<p id="jj4v3g">In the end, Johnson finished with 24 points (including 15 in the 2nd half), 10 rebounds, and three blocks. Noah Robotham added another 19 points by going 11-for-12 from the line and 2-for-3 from beyond the arc. Josh Williams added another 11 with a 3-for-6 mark from three-point land.</p>
<p id="qDgbPH">For the Eagles, Thompson’s early double-double only resulted in a final mark of 18 points and 16 rebounds. He fouled out with a 2nd technical resulting in his 5th foul with just seconds to go. He joined fellow teammate Lee (who had fouled out a few minutes earlier) as the main contributors. Lee finished with 17 points, but the two leading scorers also combined for 8 turnovers. Tim Bond and Ty Toney added 11 and 10 points respectively. </p>
<p id="q21tma">The Zips await the result of the Western Michigan/Ball State game to find out their next opponent. Game time is scheduled for 5:30 pm tomorrow night.</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/mac-basketball/2017/3/9/14870072/mac-tournament-2017-akron-zips-eastern-michigan-eagles-final-score-recapBrandon Fitzsimons2017-03-04T22:03:06-05:002017-03-04T22:03:06-05:00Miska stifles Broncos as Minnesota-Duluth beats Western Michigan 6-3
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<img alt="Lawson wide" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/42tnmfiCz1n7DyEiBHL79nXnvkk=/101x0:1030x619/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53539611/LawsonWide584.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>WMU Media File</figcaption>
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<p>On Senior Night, the Broncos could not come away with a huge sweep against one of the best teams in the country</p> <p id="jx6xOq">On a night when Western Michigan honored its first class of players to play exclusively in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC), it was the young goaltenders who were on display as Minnesota-Duluth showed its power in a 6-3 victory.</p>
<p id="CBsngB">Seven seniors, including three-year captain Sheldon Dries, were honored before the game. The group ran the gambit from the large enforcer Mike McKee, to solid contributors in Aaron Hadley and Michael Rebry, to long-time defensemen Chris Dienes and Taylor Fleming. The group, which came in before the 2013-14 season, was the first recruiting class in the post-CCHA era. They helped the Broncos advance to the first Frozen Faceoff of the conference, but had seen little success since. However, they helped lead a revival of the program, as the Broncos have contended in the national spotlight for a good portion of the season.</p>
<p id="UmDFVX">On this night though, season-long powerhouse Minnesota-Duluth came away with the victory behind superb goaltending from freshman Hunter Miska. A night after he was pulled in a blow-out loss, the netminder stopped 28 shots in a winning effort.</p>
<p id="a1HLBH">The game started with the Broncos controlling the play. However, a pair of penalties towards the end of the period put the Bulldogs on the power-play. First, Colt Conrad’s interference call allowed Duluth to pepper Bronco netminder Ben Blacker with shots. Eventually, Jared Thomas was able to lift a puck over Blacker’s sprawled out body to make it 1-0. Less than 3 minutes later, Dries was called for a questionable cross-checking call, and Adam Johnson almost immediately scored to make it 2-0 just before the end of the period. </p>
<p id="awyozl">However, before the intermission, Dan Molenaar’s holding call to prevent a great scoring chance nullified another power-play opportunity. It also gave the Broncos their own power-play chance early in the 2nd period after Luke Bafia’s elbowing penalty expired. Sophomore sniper Matheson Iacopelli was able to fire from the right circle to beat Miska and make it a 2-1 game.</p>
<p id="OT9wqe">Later in the period, Lawton Courtnall would be called for interference. The Bronco penalty kill went to work, and successfully defended against the insurance goal. As the penalty expired, Courtnall raced out of the box to help on a 2-on-1 chance. While the scoring threat was well defended, the Broncos crowded the net, and Courtnall put away an open rebound to tie the game near the mid-game mark. </p>
<p id="i8iett">From there, the Broncos looked to pounce, but Miska held firm. Shot after shot was turned away, and it appeared the two teams would be deadlocked headed to the third. But a late scoring threat by the Bulldogs saw the puck end up behind Blacker and just outside the post. After a short scrum to clear the puck, Johnson struck again to make it 3-2 heading into the final period.</p>
<p id="kj5gcp">In the 3rd, the Bulldogs quickly scored an insurance goal by Avery Peterson. 5 minutes later, Joey Anderson added a snipe past Blacker to make it 5-2. The goal ended the freshman goaltender’s night, as he stopped only 19 shots while allowing 5 goals. Senior Collin Olson - a transfer from former CCHA rival Ohio State - took over, and stopped all five shots he saw, but the Broncos could not close the gap. </p>
<p id="F5S9h3">They would get a great shot by Molino to beat Miska to make it 5-3, but an empty-netter by Alex Iafallo would put the Broncos away for good. </p>
<p id="lteyso">Western Michigan (20-9-5, 13-9-2-1) will host their first NCHC Playoff series after travelling to opponents the past three seasons. They last hosted post-season action when they faced a red-hot, 7-seeded Michigan team that would finish runner-up in the final CCHA Tournament. That was in 2013.</p>
<p id="DKjrlf">For Minnesota-Duluth (21-6-7, 15-5-4-3), they will be the two-seed and host the Miami RedHawks, who will have limped into post-season play. </p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/2017/3/4/14816870/western-michigan-broncos-minnesota-duluth-bulldogs-college-hockey-finalBrandon Fitzsimons2017-02-24T15:30:02-05:002017-02-24T15:30:02-05:00Can Western Michigan win the National Championship?
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<figcaption>(GS Photo/WMU Media File)</figcaption>
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<p>Just a year after finishing a dismal 8-25-3, Andy Murray and his Broncos are in the thick of the race for a top seed in the NCAA Tournament next month. Could his team claim the title in Chicago?</p> <p id="HenJcq">It’s been a while since we talked puck on here. </p>
<p id="5t7oEp">I know, I know. </p>
<p id="8MEssD">But hey, we’re just 4 weeks from the NCAA Tournament starting, and Miami is hosting a regional this year in Cincinnati! That’s exciting! What’s more exciting? The Frozen Four is in Chicago this year! THAT’S RIGHT IN OUR BACKYARD!</p>
<p id="yV2CEo">Well, it would be if either of our Ohio programs were worth a damn this year. </p>
<p id="qEzOWj">The RedHawks currently are 9-16-6, and while they’re still in the hunt to host a NCHC playoff series, they’re likely headed to face either Minnesota-Duluth or Denver, the consensus top two teams in the country.</p>
<p id="kJ9hQf">Head up north on I-75, and you find the Bowling Green Falcons. Their regular season ends this weekend against the Alabama-Huntsville Chargers, who are fighting for their WCHA lives. BG is in the playoffs right now, but are facing a must-win situation, as they tussle with former CCHA foe Ferris State for the last home host seed in the WCHA Tournament. </p>
<p id="rRwQy7">Either way, at 15-17-2, the Falcons’ only hope into the tournament is much like the RedHawks. TAKE IT AWAY, JAKE TAYLOR:</p>
<p id="ycfvJM">(WARNING: a bad word is ahead)</p>
<div id="9NMNY4"><div><div style="left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Xir_ynJWsH8?wmode=transparent&rel=0&autohide=1&showinfo=0&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" style="top: 0px; left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div></div></div>
<p id="TTOtr1">While that seems unlikely (again, the RedHawks would have to win 4 games against the gauntlet that is the NCHC, and the Falcons would have to knock off a Bemidji State team that owned the WCHA this season), there is one team that is comfortably looking at a NCAA Tournament bid. </p>
<p id="CvuLbB">Not only that, they are on the cusp of getting a 1-seed in the tournament.</p>
<p id="0eDRXZ">That team? <em>The Western Michigan Broncos.</em></p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="JrK4Mk">
<p id="jki0gu"><em> </em>Yes, <em>that</em> WMU team. The one that looked awful last year en route to an 8-25-3 record. This season, however? The Broncos are 18-8-4, a comfortable seven points ahead of St. Cloud State for the 3-seed in the NCHC tournament, and 5th in the Pairwise - the metric that determines seeding and at-large bids for the NCAA’s. </p>
<p id="hY6leN">It’s true that the Broncos aren’t winning with style, but the important part is that they are winning. This seems to the team’s MO under Murray. Win gritty games, don’t worry about the haters. They are 7-0-3 in non-conference play this season, including the 2nd Great Lakes Invitational title under the former NHL coach’s tenure. </p>
<p id="nsvpHL">So with that said, we ask: Can the Broncos win the NCAA Tournament?</p>
<p id="WgTTga">Well, let’s start with some bad facts. WMU is just 7-6-1 this season away from Lawson Arena, and holds a dismal 0-6 record all-time in five NCAA Tournament appearances. Additionally, they have a below average penalty kill (37th out of 60 teams), and are a team that draws a lot of penalties, placing 16th in the country in that statistic. </p>
<p id="2TXVNk">That’s no bueno. </p>
<p id="LUeNuB">Oh, and they still have to get past Minnesota-Duluth and Denver at some point most likely, with the Bulldogs holding an insane 11-1-3 record away from home. </p>
<p id="Pt8hdQ">On the flip-side, the Broncos have a one of the nation’s top offenses (10th in goals per game, 11th in power play efficiency,) and we have to remember that they haven’t been ranked this high this late in the season......ever! (Possible exception in 1986, when they were a 3-seed on a two regional, eight-team tournament). They have the size to contend with some of the best teams, and all you need is a hot streak in March to get to Chicago. Then, anything goes.</p>
<p id="eXXahH">So let’s dive into this thing. </p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="lZkpDq">
<p id="YHF9Hy"> I’m going to look at three tournaments for comparison: The 2009 NCAA tourney, the 2015 edition, and last year’s go around. Why these three? The latter two are the most recent, and the 2009 tournament saw Miami - MAC, CCHA, and now NCHC brother of WMU - advance to the National Title game before famously collapsing.</p>
<p id="YkZT7u">The 2009 tournament saw a plethora of upsets. Only one of the top seeds won its opening game, and they ended up being champs (Boston U). Additionally, the two-seeds at each regional went 1-4 (with Minnesota-Duluth the lone winner) and two four-seeds (Bemidji State and Miami) advanced to the Frozen Four. It was that wild.</p>
<p id="pQaznm">In more recent seasons, the tournament has seen fewer upsets. However, it’s still solid for a good few in the regionals, with 1-seeds going 4-4 the past two seasons in the first round. Recent patterns indicate 1-seeds that win early have advanced to the Championship game, with three of the four winners ending up there, and the exception (2015 North Dakota) losing to a member of that group. </p>
<p id="H5tzKi">If we look at 2-seeds, where the Broncos are likely to end up at should they hold ground, we see an impressive 7-1 record in the first round. However, that excitement starts to dwindle a bit, as 2-seeds are just 3-4 in the Regional Finals, and 0-3 in the Frozen Four. </p>
<p id="VK0s20">In fact, the last 2-seed from a regional to advance to the Championship Game was in 2012, when a Ferris State team that WMU absolutely dominated that season (11 pts won out of 12) lost to Boston College in Tampa. For the last two-seed champion, you have to go back to 2008, when Boston College - the two-seed in the Northeast Regional that year - won the title.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="ej7u7W">
<p id="W5kkx3">So there’s all that, but what about geography? If a team is closer to home, that should play into a team’s hand, right? </p>
<p id="MXTk0h">Well, yes and no. </p>
<p id="M6f6v3">In 2009, teams somewhat close to the host city went 2-4 in the Regionals, with hosts going 1-2 (New Hampshire lost its Regional Final to Boston U). In 2015, that figure was 5-1 (Boston U vs Yale thrown out as both were “close”). Regional Hosts that made the tournament both won their regionals (North Dakota and Providence). Last year, those figures were more like 3-3, with Quinnipiac being the only “host” to advance to the Frozen Four. </p>
<p id="f0W7rE">Why do I bring that up? Well, because the latest <a href="http://www.uscho.com/bracketology/2017/02/22/if-ncaa-tournament-started-today-whos-in-and-whos-out/">USCHO Bracketology</a> has WMU in the Cincinnati Regional. And while they are not the host, the drive for WMU fans would be similar to Penn State’s, and would easily beat out either of the one-seeds the site has listed (Denver or Minny-Duluth). </p>
<p id="GS4aNE">On top of that, of the 16 teams projected to make the tournament, the Bronco faithful have the shortest drive to the Frozen Four by far at two hours away. </p>
<p id="6YwhH2">Now, in terms of <em>if </em>the Broncos can advance to the Frozen Four, we have little reliable data to suggest a strong correlation between distance and winning. Last year’s edition was held in Tampa Bay, Florida. In 2015, it was in Boston, and the two East schools beat the two West schools in the two semi-final games. Here are some other results:</p>
<ul>
<li id="OS16iS">2014 (Philadelphia) - Union (NY) beat Boston College, Minnesota beat North Dakota, Union won the title</li>
<li id="t4rUlA">2013 (Pittsburgh) - No strong correlation exists. Quinnipiac (CT) played Yale (CT) for the title</li>
<li id="aRds0p">2012 (Tampa Bay) - Again, long distance for all</li>
<li id="bqNsvO">2011 (St. Paul, MN) - Colorado College beat Boston College, Michigan beat Nebraska-Omaha. No strength here either</li>
<li id="mhHqUp">2010 (Detroit) - Boston College beat Miami, Wisconsin beat RIT (New York), BC won. Negative correlation, if anything</li>
<li id="Fbz4gr">2009 (Washington DC) - Boston U beat Vermont, Miami beat Bemidji, no strength here as well</li>
</ul>
<p id="wbqI0I">So, yeah. 2015 is the best parallel that can be drawn for WMU hockey fans in terms of competing for a national title.</p>
<p id="BiTxKJ">In 2010, we had a negative effect, so we can’t draw a line. But, if we look at the teams and the destinations, no team had as short of a drive that WMU fans would have should the Broncos advance out of their regional. </p>
<p id="FkyQ5E">So can it be done? We’ll see. </p>
<p id="3DZPAn">History says no, but anything can (and has) happened come tournament time. While the East has won 7 of the last 9 NCAA Tournaments, the West currently holds the title (North Dakota). The shift in power appears to be heading back towards this side of the Appalachians, and that only bodes well for the team in Kalamazoo.</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/wmu-broncos/2017/2/24/14724942/western-michigan-broncos-2017-ncaa-tournament-mens-hockey-frozen-four-national-championshipBrandon Fitzsimons