March 26, 2008
NCAA Tournament
INCH Wish List Draft | Round Two

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Tournament Brackets Tournament Info Last Year's INCH Wish List Draft Regional Capsules East Regional Midwest Regional Northeast Regional West Regional

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 took place yesterday and Round Two will take place 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	Bryan Marshall, F, Nebraska-Omaha
The Reasoning: Could Eric Ehn return from his broken ankle? That's still a mystery, but the high-scoring Marshall would add a spark. He also averaged a point per game in four meetings with Miami this season. First Round Pick: Mike Zacharias, G, Minnesota State
Niagara	Travis Ramsey, D, Maine
The Reasoning: The Purple Eagles, 15th among tournament teams in team defense, opt for a defensive defenseman to shore up the back line. At 6-4, 225, Ramsey becomes the biggest player in purple. First Round Pick: Pete MacArthur, F, Boston University
Princeton	Josh Meyers, D, Minnesota Duluth
The Reasoning: Princeton could bolster its defense, even after the addition of Tyler, and Meyers offers a physical presence accustomed to WCHA battles that the Tigers will see in Madison. He was also only three points off the Bulldog scoring lead; of course, no one on the planet was more than 17 points off the Bulldog scoring lead. First Round Pick: Bret Tyler, D, Maine
Notre Dame	Mick Lawrence, F, Nebraska-Omaha
The Reasoning: Have we mentioned that the Fighting Irish need scoring? That's why they grab Lawrence, who scored 21 goals for the Mavs this season, including 15 on the power play. First Round Pick: Derek Whitmore, F, Bowling Green
Wisconsin	Michael-Lee Teslak, G, Michigan Tech
The Reasoning: The Badgers look for goaltending insurance and love the idea of another Richter in net (Harvard's Kyle). In the end, however, Teslak wins out, with impressive numbers, a familiarity with Kohl Center and great numbers vs. Denver. He allowed just two goals to the Pioneers in a weekend split Feb. 29-March 1. First Round Pick: Bryan Ewing, F, Boston University
Michigan State	Simon Lambert, F, RIT
The Reasoning: The Spartans subscribe to the best player available philosophy here by grabbing Lambert, a Hobey Baker Award finalist who scored 51 points this season and 148 for his career. He could join Matt Schepke and Nick Sucharski on what would become a fairly potent third line. First Round Pick: Tyler Eckford, D, Alaska
Minnesota	Riley Nash, F, Cornell
The Reasoning: For a team that's used to seeing first-round draft picks leave the roster, this is a sweet reversal. Cornell's Riley Nash, a first-round pick of the Oilers last summer, has good size and great patience with the puck. He's capable of setting up a teammate or scoring on his own. First Round Pick: Ryan Cruthers, F, Robert Morris
Clarkson	Dan Ringwald, D, RIT
The Reasoning: Ringwald helps Clarkson in a number of areas. First off, he's among the best power-play conductors in the nation, with 25 of his 33 points coming on the PP. Next, he can move the puck out of the zone with great vision, agility, and skill, an element that Clarkson's current D-corps lacks. First Round Pick: Nick Johnson, F, Dartmouth
St. Cloud State	Mark Dekanich, G, Colgate
The Reasoning: Dekanich gives the Huskies insurance in net should sophomore Jase Weslosky falter. He's had success against Clarkson throughout his career, including a series win two weeks ago in the ECAC Hockey quarterfinals. First Round Pick: Trevor Bruess, F, Minnesota State
Denver	Jon Pelle, F, Harvard
The Reasoning: Pelle fills a number of roles for the Pioneers. He provides a veteran presence for a young team, adds some scoring punch to a lineup that has just four players with 10+ goals, and is a potent power-play weapon for a special teams unit that has struggled. First Round Pick: Matt Taormina, D, Providence
Boston College	Nathan Perkovich, F, Lake Superior State
The Reasoning: Our annual search for size for BC's forward lines takes us to Sault Ste. Marie, where the 6-foot-5, 200-pound Perkovich netted 17 goals this season. He's not Brian Boyle, but he can at least fit in some of the equipment Boyle left behind. First Round Pick: Mike Kostka, D, Massachusetts
Colorado College	Rob Bellamy, F, Maine
The Reasoning: At 6-1, 205 lbs., Bellamy is a load. With 61 PIMs in 33 games, he's, uhh, abrasive. What would you expect from a Flyers' draft pick? He'll give the Tigers some needed grit. First Round Pick: Matt Siddall, F, Northern Michigan
New Hampshire	Dean Strong, F, Vermont
The Reasoning: The Wildcats pluck a do-it-all forward from their rival in Strong. He was a first-liner and leading scorer for the Catamounts, but would play more of a supporting role for the Wildcats, probably centering the second line, killing penalties and winning key faceoffs. First Round Pick: Matt Gilroy, D, Boston University
North Dakota	Mark Olver, F, Northern Michigan
The Reasoning: It's hard to believe that the mighty Fighting Sioux have just four players who've reached double digits in goals this season. Hence Olver, a lithe 5-11, 160 lb. forward who scored 21 goals for the Wildcats as a rookie. First Round Pick: Tyler Burton, F, Colgate
Miami	Zach McKelvie, D, Army
The Reasoning: The first-round pick may have had some influence here, but the fact is that Miami can't go wrong with the best defenseman from Atlantic Hockey. The fact that his and Meyer's team went 2-0-0 against the first-round foe, Air Force, is an added bonus. First Round Pick: Owen Meyer, F, Army
Michigan	Kyle Richter, G, Harvard
The Reasoning: The school has dubbed itself the Harvard of the West. By selecting Biega and Richter, a pretty good insurance policy should Billy Sauer melt down, Michigan can offer evidence. First Round Pick: Alex Biega, D, Harvard

Take a look back at yesterday's first round.