Here is a link to the website for the 2024 MPSF Tournament:
https://mpsports.org/tournaments/?id=36
My predictions:
Cal has to win the MPSF Tournament to participate in the NCAA Tournament. I’ll fall out of my chair if they beat UCLA and the winner of the Stanford/USC game.
Here is a link to the website for the 2024 West Coast Conference Tournament:
https://wccsports.com/tournaments/?id=125
My predictions:
The winner of the West Coast Tournament receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. If Pacific wins as expected, it will be the only West Coast Team in the NCAA Tournament. If Pacific doesn’t win the West Coast Tournament, I predict it will receive an at-large invitation to the NCAA Tournament, unless USC or Cal wins the MPSF Tournament. If USC or Cal wins the MPSF Tournament, I predict UCLA and Stanford will receive the two at-large bids for the NCAA Tournament.
Here is a link to the website for the 2024 Big West Conference Tournament. I think this will be the most competitive conference tournament, with four teams in the running for the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
https://bigwest.org/tournaments/?id=118
My predictions:
LBSU. I think the winner of the likely semifinal game between LBSU and U.C. Irvine will win the Big West Conference Tournament. Even though LBSU has to beat UCSB to reach the semifinals, I predict LBSU will win the Tournament because they have the best goalie (Aaron Wilson) and the best center play with Spanish freshman Gabi Acosta and freshman Corbin Stanley. In 21 games, Acosta has scored 58 goals on 98 shots for a shooting percentage of 59.2, has drawn 30 exclusions, and has 23 steals. In 27 games, Stanley has scored 47 goals on just 64 goals for a shooting percentage of 73.4 and has drawn 31 exclusions.
UCSD. The likely semifinal game between UCSD and U.C. Davis could go either way but I give the edge to UCSD because Davis doesn’t appear to have as much talent as they have had in recent years. Second-year UCSD coach Matt Ustaszewski had done a good job developing and recruiting players. Assuming the new 24-man roster limits go into effect in 2025, Ustaszewski and UCSD are well-positioned to take advantage of the new rules.
Here is a link to a Naval Academy website providing information about the 2024 Mid-Atlantic Water Polo Conference Tournament:
My predictions:
Here is a link to the Collegiate Water Polo Association’s website showing the streaming schedule for the 2024 Northeast Water Polo Conference Tournament and a link to the CWPA’s website showing the tournament schedule.
https://collegiatewaterpolo.org/2024-northeast-water-polo-conference-schedule/
Here are my predictions:
Here is a link to the website for the 2024 Western Water Polo Association’s Championship Tournament:
Here are my predictions:
The winner of the 2024 WWPA Tournament will be the No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
I do like the conferences that have the losing bracket. Big West and WCC are the only ones that are one and done. I feel like if you want fans to travel you should give them two or three games to watch. It also gives the kids a chance to better their finish and an extra game or two.
As a player, having to jump in for a meaningless game is never ideal. I can promise you by the time the team has to play that 7th place game, they would rather get on the plane/bus and head back to school.
and the quality of that game is almost always terrible. players are not being smart about their physicality because the team can’t necessarily be held accountable when they don’t have any games left
As a fan/parent, totally get it. Going all the way to places like Stockton (WCC) to watch your kids is a hassel and you want more bang for your buck but I would’nt watch to my kid playing a game I know they don’t want to play in or knowing the outcome doesn’t matter. I’ve watched enough water polo, i’m ok with not watching the consolation games
yeah, you are probably right, no one wants to get injured playing a game that has no meaning. I did not think about that aspect.
Crazy to me that Adam Csapo didn’t make WCC first team. Total robbery. Whoever ranked them needs to rethink it.
11/22 scores:
Pepperdine 19, LMU 15
SJSU 16, Air Force 4
Cal Baptist 12, Santa Clara 11
LBSU 12, UCSB 9 (Caleb Francisco with 6 goals)
U.C. Davis 13, Cal State Fullerton 11
Stanford 26, Penn State Behrend 2
USC 31, Austin 2
UCLA 18, Washington & Jefferson 2
Cal 23, Augustana 8
Harvard 22, Connecticut College 7
Fordham 30, Mercyhurst 4
Does anyone have a schedule of todays games /matchups for each conference?
The links for each conference tournament are shown in the beginning of this thread.
Brown 11 Harvard 9. Scrappy, relentless defensive determination from Brown. Love it!
San Jose State over Pepperdine 14-10. That and the Brown win are a couple of mild upsets.
11/23 scores:
USC 18, Stanford 16 in overtime
UCLA 16, Cal 14. Cal has no chance to make the NCAA Tournament.
LBSU 15, U.C. Irvine 13
UCSD 13, Davis 8
SJSU 14, Pepperdine 10
Cal Baptist 10, Pacific 9
Brown 11, Harvard 9
Princeton 22, Iona 11
Fordham 19, Wagner 11
Navy 10, George Washington 9
Salem 19, Biola 18
Concordia 14, Gannon 9
Redlands 14, Chapman 13 in sudden-death overtime
LBSU 8 - UCI 6 at half
LBSU 12 - UCI 9 after 3
LBSU up 14-11 with 2:30 to play. 2 goals by Ethan Shipman to pull to 14-13 with a minute left.
Stewart scores on a nice shot for LBSU to increase the lead to 15-13 with 35 seconds left.
Some great Big West matchups but it appears there is no livestream until tomorrow. Anyone? Typically Davis has great ESPN+ announcing.
No livestream. It’s stupid.
Great shot block on a Padua shot with 12 seconds left. LBSU kills the clock to win 15-13.