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.
Want to get a sneak peek in the war rooms
as these picks were made? We gave the INCH Podcast exclusive
access for the first time. Listen
here (.mp3) or subscribe to the INCH Podcast on iTunes.
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.
| FIRST
ROUND |
| NCAA
Team |
Who
They Picked |
 Bemidji
State |
Brock Bradford, F, Boston College |
| The Reasoning:
Deemed the best player available and an experienced
goal scorer for a Beaver team that will need goals vs.
Notre Dame. |
 Ohio
State |
Jeff Lerg, G, Michigan State |
| The Reasoning:
A tournament-tested goaltender who has won
this thing before. |
 Air
Force |
Ryan Stoa, F, Minnesota |
| The Reasoning:
While there was some sentiment for a defenseman,
the Falcons turn to Stoa as the best player on the board. |
 Miami |
Zach Miskovic, D, St. Lawrence |
| The Reasoning:
The national leader in goals for a defenseman
with 16, Miskovic can activate the offense from the
blue line. |
 Vermont |
Jamie McBain, D, Wisconsin |
| The Reasoning:
Thrilled that the WCHA MVP dropped to fifth,
the Catamounts grab a defenseman who can do it all –
including help out their 46th-ranked penalty kill. |
 Princeton |
Shawn Fensel, D, St. Lawrence |
| The Reasoning: A
veteran, calming defenseman takes care of his own end
first and still can make a good first pass to key the
Tigers' transition. |
 Cornell |
Scott Campbell, F, UMass Lowell |
| The Reasoning:
With Blake Gallagher out injured, Cornell needs
a winger to work the wall on the power play and help
fill in on the second line. |
 New
Hampshire |
Jordan Schroeder, F, Minnesota |
| The Reasoning:
Too talented to resist, he reunites with world
junior teammate James van Riemsdyk. |
 North
Dakota |
David McIntyre, F, Colgate |
| The Reasoning:
A perfect fit for North Dakota's style, he
will score goals for the Sioux. |
 Northeastern |
Maury Edwards, D, UMass Lowell |
| The Reasoning:
The Huskies don't get many goals from the blue
line, and Edwards gives them a first-team All-Hockey
East puck mover. |
 Minnesota
Duluth |
Chad Rau, F, Colorado College |
| The Reasoning:
The Bulldogs add a dynamic forward who can
add offense behind the likes of MacGregor Sharp and
Justin Fontaine. |
 Yale |
Cade Fairchild, D, Minnesota |
| The Reasoning:
A puck-moving defenseman and power play quarterback
helps fill the void left when Thomas Dignard was lost
for the season with an injury. |
 Michigan |
Paul Crowder, F, Alaska Anchorage |
| The Reasoning: The
Wolverines add a do-it-all forward who scored 14 goals
this season. |
 Denver |
Ben Smith, F, Boston College |
| The Reasoning: Fills
a need at center and has a ring, so he's a good fit
despite a down season. |
 Notre
Dame |
Garrett Roe, F, St. Cloud State |
| The Reasoning:
It never hurts to add offense, and Roe is someone
who can generate it every time he hops over the boards. |
 Boston
University |
James Marcou, F, Massachusetts |
| The Reasoning:
On a team that doesn't need much help, the
addition of Marcou would add offensive depth for the
Terriers. |
| SECOND
ROUND |
| Bemidji
State |
David Marshall, F, Quinnipiac |
| The Reasoning:
The Beavers eyed the nation's leading scorer,
Bryan Leitch, but opted for more of a natural goal scorer
in his teammate. |
| Ohio
State |
Matt Generous, D, St. Lawrence |
| The Reasoning:
A remarkable third Saints defenseman taken
in the draft, Generous will be a steadying influence
for the Buckeyes. |
| Air
Force |
Eddie Del Grosso, D, Nebraska-Omaha |
| The Reasoning:
After going offensive in round one, the Falcons
turn to an elite puck-moving defenseman here. |
| Miami |
Ryan Lasch, F, St. Cloud State |
| The Reasoning:
An offensive sparkplug for a team that scored
only one or two goals in each of its last 11 losses. |
| Vermont |
Carl Sneep, D, Boston College |
| The Reasoning:
A big tough defenseman should offer further
assistance for the Catamount PK. |
| Princeton |
Nick Petrecki, D, Boston College |
| The Reasoning:
Adds abrasiveness and toughness to Princeton's defense
corps. The least-penalized team in the nation can deal
with his PIMs, if necessary. |
| Cornell |
Shea Guthrie, F, Clarkson |
| The Reasoning:
A dynamic forward who played his best hockey at the
end of his career and in the last two NCAA Tournaments
for Clarkson gives Cornell some punch up front. |
| New
Hampshire |
Erik Gustafsson, D, Northern Michigan |
| The Reasoning:
They probably needed D in round one, but the
Wildcats opted for Schroeder. Here they get a first-team
All-CCHA guy. |
| North
Dakota |
Garrett Raboin, D, St. Cloud State |
| The Reasoning:
A versatile defensemen who can play both ends
of the rink, moreso than the rest of the Sioux defense
that seems more at home in one end or the other. |
| Northeastern |
Cory Quirk, F, Massachusetts |
| The Reasoning:
The Huskies lost to UMass three times this
year and got a firsthand look at how Quirk could help
them up front and on the power play. |
| Minnesota
Duluth |
Ryan McDonagh, D, Wisconsin |
| The Reasoning:
Among the stable of talented Wisconsin defensemen,
McDonagh can do a bit of everything for the Bulldogs. |
| Yale |
Lane Caffaro, D, Union |
| The Reasoning:
It never hurts to add a first-team all-league
defenseman and Caffaro, a senior, brings experience
to the Yale blue line. |
| Michigan |
Chad Johnson, G, Alaska |
| The Reasoning: Bryan
Hogan's been very good for the most part, but chance
of a a goaltending issue can't be ignored for Michigan
in the NCAAs. Ocho Cinco addresses it in a big way. |
| Denver |
Tim Filangieri, D, Boston College |
| The Reasoning: The
Pioneers add defensive depth with another
ring-holder from Chestnut Hill. |
| Notre
Dame |
Matt Taormina, D, Providence |
| The Reasoning:
An underrated defenseman, Taormina wouldn't
be asked to do as much for the Fighting Irish. |
| Boston
University |
John Muse, G, Boston College |
| The Reasoning:
The war room's biggest debate may have been
saved for the last pick – but who better than
Muse to tell rival Kieran Millan how to win a national
title as a freshman goalie? |
Send This Page to a Friend | About
Us | Advertising
Info | Site Map | Privacy
Policy | © 2012, Inside College Hockey, Inc., All Rights Reserved