First Crimson

The team that won the imaginary prize for first team into the Dance was Harvard. The Crimson were favored by 99 of us, while Fitch, L Leach, S Leach, and M Paston unwisely went with Yale. Hot on Harvard's heels was Eastern Kentucky, chosen only by J Donadio, Jr., after the Colonels whupped heavy favorite Belmont (selected by 85).

Three more conferences will be decided tomorrow. In the fragmented Big South, Winthrop (chosen only by M Pogach) will take a break from the Music Man to battle Coastal Carolina (liked by 27). In the Atlantic Sun, relative heavyweight Mercer (taken by 65) will square off with Florida Gulf Coast (36). And in the MVC, Wichita State (chosen by 99) will put its undefeated season on the line against Indiana State (chosen by Gorenstein, M Josephs, Parisi, and Steitz).

The Horizon League is also down to two finalists, but nobody in our contest thought enough to pick either one of them. Milwaukee (chosen by, as we said, nobody) beat Green Bay (chosen by almost everybody -- 89), and Wright State (also chosen by, you guessed it, nobody) slid by Cleveland State (chosen by 9). The title game will be held on Tuesday, March 11th, same day as the Northeast Conference championship -- between Robert Morris (taken by 87) and Mount Saint Mary's (taken by Templeton only) -- and the Patriot League championship -- between Boston U (selected by 77) and American (selected by 17).

Five more conferences (America East, Colonial, MAAC, Southern, and West Coast Conference) are down to their final four, with the biggest news being that commissioners' perennial favorite Quinnipiac is still alive and was chosen by seven (7) entrants.

In the standings, we have a 98-way tie for second place, with 5 points. On the strength of his pick of Eastern Kentucky, J Donadio, Jr. sits in first with 10 points, and Fitch, L Leach, S Leach, and M Paston inhabit the cellar with a combined total of zero (0) points.

Tune in tomorrow...