March 25, 2008
NCAA Tournament
INCH Wish List Draft | Round One

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We often say that playoff hockey is the best time of the year. That said, even the greatest things in life have flaws. In the case of the NCAA Tournament, even with 16 teams participating, scores of fantastic players have played their last college games of the year – and perhaps their career. Second, no team is perfect – everybody has areas where they could improve.

Here at Inside College Hockey, we set out to solve both those problems. The result? Our own one-of-a-kind NCAA Tournament Wish List Draft. We took the tourney teams and split into 16 scouting staffs to select players from teams that didn’t make the field. The Wish List Draft will feature two rounds of picks, with the first pick of each round belonging to the 16th seed.

You can follow the picks as they are made – Round One is below and Round Two is scheduled for Wednesday.

Now, we know, these players won’t be taking the ice this weekend. But it's fun to see how each team could improve – and fun to picture some of our favorite players back on collegiate ice for at least one more weekend.

NCAA Team	Who They Picked
Air Force	Mike Zacharias, G, Minnesota State
The Reasoning: Andrew Volkening has played in big games before, but in an elimination-game setting, we'll take one of the nation's best shutdown goalies.
Niagara	Pete MacArthur, F, Boston University
The Reasoning: The best-player-available approach yeilds MacArthur, who will be a leader on the Purps' deep forward units and a lethal addition to an already impressive power play.
Princeton	Bret Tyler, D, Maine
The Reasoning: Other than their outstanding captain, Mike Moore, the Tigers are awfully inexperienced on the blueline. They’ll grab a senior in Tyler who has been to the tourney three times, can anchor a power-play unit and is well rested since Maine’s season ended what seems like six weeks ago.
Notre Dame	Derek Whitmore, F, Bowling Green
The Reasoning: Notre Dame needs goal scorers, especially with Erik Condra sidelined with an injury. Whitmore, who scored 27 of 'em this season and 70 for his career, fits the bill.
Wisconsin	Bryan Ewing, F, Boston University
The Reasoning: Ewing trades in one red and white uniform for another to try to provide some scoring for Bucky beyond the Kyle Turris line. It may also help Wisconsin (3-6-2 in its last 11 and losers of three in a row) to add a player from a team that was hot down the stretch.
Michigan State	Tyler Eckford, D, Alaska
The Reasoning: The Spartans are pretty solid up front and have a couple mobile defenders in Mike Ratchuk and Jeff Petry. Adding Eckford, who scored 31 points for the Nanooks and played his home games on the Olympic-sized ice of Carlson Center, would be a boost.
Minnesota	Ryan Cruthers, F, Robert Morris
The Reasoning: The Gophers only scored as many as five goals three times all season. Seem out of character? Consider that last year they did it 15 times. The search for offense, any offense, takes them to Pittsburgh and the top scorer on the board in Cruthers.
Clarkson	Nick Johnson, F, Dartmouth
The Reasoning: Clarkson lacked a skilled, physical presence up front this season after Shawn Weller opted for professional hockey. By taking Nick Johnson, they get a player they're familiar with from battles in ECAC Hockey, and a guy that can help their power play. Johnson had six PPGs, Clarkson's entire team has 24 and ranks 41st nationally in power play percentage.
St. Cloud State	Trevor Bruess, F, Minnesota State
The Reasoning: The Huskies have the top three point-getters in the WCHA, but it’s a big drop-off after that. Bruess, who led the Mavericks offensively as a sophomore, will help bridge that gap and give Lasch-Roe-Nodl some support.
Denver	Matt Taormina, D, Providence
The Reasoning: He's not the biggest guy at 5-11, 185 lbs., but he'd fill a need for a puck-moving defenseman and add some punch to team's anemic power play.
Boston College	Mike Kostka, D, Massachusetts
The Reasoning: The Eagles might have liked to see Taormina slip another spot, but they'll grab this Hockey East defenseman instead. Kostka can play well at both ends, has a good shot from the point and captained the Minutemen this year.
Colorado College	Matt Siddall, F, Northern Michigan
The Reasoning: It's hard to find a glaring weakness in the Tigers' lineup, but Siddall gives them another finisher (18 goals) and some nastiness (116 PIMs).
New Hampshire	Matt Gilroy, D, Boston University
The Reasoning: Dick Umile checked and re-checked his list before making the announcement, but sure enough, the talented Gilroy was still available. The Wildcats gladly scoop him up.
North Dakota	Tyler Burton, F, Colgate
The Reasoning: Colgate counts on him for a lot more offense, but Burton fits right into North Dakota's forward lines as a great two-way centerman that can also help them put the puck in the net. His face-off ability is underrated, making him a nice piece for late and close situations.
Miami	Owen Meyer, F, Army
The Reasoning: Enrico Blasi and his staff are shrewd evaluators of talent, and they may have found a diamond in the rough in Meyer. The leading scorer for Atlantic Hockey's regular-season champs, Meyer had 14 points in the season's last nine games.
Michigan	Alex Biega, D, Harvard
The Reasoning: If the Wolverines have a true need, it's depth on defense, with just seven healthy blueliners – one a walk-on. Can't ask for a better insurance policy than Biega, a third-team all-ECAC Hockey selection who scored 22 points for the Crimson.

Check back Wednesday for Round Two