The Marshall Plan

Marshall (picked only by L Schlegel) won the Conference USA championship on Saturday by 1 point over Western Kentucky (picked by 6: Gallagher; M Josephs; Mash Leach; P Ripley; Serri; Templeton).

That's one of 26 conference championships awarded so far this season, and a majority of our contestants picked the winner in exactly half of them:

Bucknell (57); Loyola-Chicago (56); New Mexico State (54); Gonzaga (46); South Dakota State (46); Villanova (45); Buffalo (43); Montana (42); Arizona (41); Kansas (39); College of Charleston (38); Virginia (34); and UNC-Greensboro (33).

Two other conference champions were picked by a plurality of us: Murray State (30); and Stephen F. Austin (28).

The other eleven apparently required a ouija board: Wright State (12); Lipscomb (11); Texas Southern (11); Radford (7: Biebel 2, Biebel 3, Blane, Leo Leach, Mash Leach, Templeton, M Wanger); Iona (7: George B, Baumgarten, D'Zuro, D Kedson, Mash Leach, K Sullivan; Michigan (2: Leo Leach, Steinhardt); Marshall (L Schlegel only); Maryland-Baltimore-County (L Leach only -- yes, another Leo Leach special); Long Island U (zero); San Diego State (none); and North Carolina Central U (the big oh).

The amazing Leo Leach got three of the ouija conferences correct. A Kreskinian feat, or it would be if he'd gotten more than six other conferences right. He currently sits tied for 45th place.

In 1st place is Reid, with 16 correct conference champions and 86 points. Breathing down Reid's neck is Harlan (16 ccc and 83 points) and D Josephs (15 ccc and 81 points). Tied for 4th are Blane, R Schlegel, M Wanger, and B Whiteside, all with 15 correct conference champions and 78 points. In dead last is Fitch with 6 ccc and 45 points, barely preceded by Templeton (8; 46). Full standings may be found at the link on the right-hand side of the page, or here.

The last six conferences coming soon:

Big West (started at midnight): UC-Irvine (24) vs. Cal-St-Fullerton (1: Gallagher);
AAC: Cincinnati (30) vs. Houston (1: Steinhardt);
Atlantic 10: Rhode Island (52) vs. Davidson (1: Leo Leach AGAIN!);
Ivy: Penn (49) vs. Harvard (12);
SEC: Tennessee (22) vs. Kentucky (7: Baumgarten, Fitch, M Josephs, D Kedson, Ed Leach, P Leach, Serri);
Sun Belt: Georgia State (7: Fitch, Howard, Mash Leach, Samantha Leach, P Ripley, Serri, Templeton) vs. Texas-Arlington (3: Goren, M Josephs, Leo Leach (OMG!));

Then of course, after the above six championships are complete, the selection of the field. We'll try to post both before and after that momentous event.

See you then...