Zero

Seven more conference champions have been crowned the past couple days, and two of them our contestants actually predicted correctly, bringing the total of conference champions that a majority of us picked up to three out of 12 (25%).

Joining the Ivy League's Yale (chosen by 41) were Chattanooga (picked by 54 of us), which beat ETSU (taken by 12) in the Southern Conference, and South Dakota State (chosen by 47) which beat North Dakota State (liked by nobody) in the battle for Dakota Fanning, er, the Summit League.

The rest of the conference champions showed up on the minority report. In the hotly contested WCC, Gonzaga (32) beat St. Mary's (30). In the similarly bifurcated CAA, UNCW (29) bested Hofstra (30) in OT. Just 16 of us went with Iona, which beat favorite Monmouth (48) by 3 points. And only six entrants had the prescience to pick Fairleigh Dickinson (Fitch, M Josephs, M Peloso, Selig, R Simon, M Wanger) over the operatic Wagner (50). Basically everybody was fuddled by the Horizon League, where Green Bay (favored by nobody) beat Wright State (chosen by only Pogach).

We've posted standings, which may be found in the link in this sentence and also on the right hand side of this page. A grand total of two (2) of us have accurately predicted more than half of the 12 conferences that have been decided, as both T Cristinzio and M Peloso got 7 of 12. Despite a percentage (58.3%) that would earn a grade of F in most area high schools, T Cristinzio and M Peloso currently share first place in our contest, each with 35 points. Just behind the leaders is M Wanger with 33 points and 6 correct conference champions. Also with 6 conference champs are Crotty, Marshall, Selig, and R Simon, all with 30 points.

Three contestants got only one conference correct: B Peloso (husband of co-leader M Peloso), M Paston, and L Donadio, all of whom have 5 points. But the most amazing performance so far belongs to Jeff "The Butcher" Butscher, who is 0 for 12 so far. Giving him zero (0) points.

It's not just that Butscher has failed to guess a single conference champion. No, it's the manner of his defeat. He didn't go out on a limb for the Florida A&Ms or Central Connecticuts of the world. Of the 12 conference champions so far, Butscher chose either our contestants' consensus favorite (Wichita State (chosen by 65); Valparaiso (62); North Florida (59); Belmont (56); Wagner (50); Monmouth (48); and Hofstra (30)) or our second favorite (St. Mary's (30); Princeton (26); High Point (22); IPFW (15); and ETSU (12)). He just somehow managed to lose every one. In fully half of the conferences decided so far, Butscher could have won points from a team in the conference final. But every single one lost.

Tomorrow, the Patriot League will hold its final game, and Butscher is among the nine entrants who took finalist Lehigh. And in a few days, he has Stony Brook playing in the America East championship game. After hearing those facts, however, we've learned the smart money has shifted to Holy Cross and Vermont. We'd feel sorry for him if it wasn't so funny.