There's a power outage in Commissionerville. Which is why we haven't posted in a few days.
We're now squatting somewhere we can hijack some internet, so we plan to have a post up later today.
In the meantime, you may feast on some early standings (and the way you know they're early is that Mash Leach is winning).
Talk soon.
Tuesday, March 6, 2018
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
The game is afoot...
Well, the game isn't really a foot, now is it? But the entry deadline has passed and we have 61 entries (no idea how many of those are paying entries yet).
A few conference tournaments have started, but nobody who anybody picked has lost yet. So not much to report.
But stay tuned. Maybe the game will turn into a hand or an elbow or some other body part. You never know.
A few conference tournaments have started, but nobody who anybody picked has lost yet. So not much to report.
But stay tuned. Maybe the game will turn into a hand or an elbow or some other body part. You never know.
Thursday, February 22, 2018
Important Safety Tip
When filling out the entry form, here's an important tip that may (or may not) keep you from being ridiculed on the blog:
Once you choose your conference champions and at-large teams, and press the "Done" button for both, the bottom section is automatically populated with the teams you've chosen, allowing you to choose your Elite Eight, Final Four, Champion, and Wildcard. So far, so good.
If, however, you make a change to one of the top sections (for example, if you decide to pick Maryland-Baltimore County as an at-large team instead of North Carolina), the bottom section is re-populated. BUT the check boxes aren't cleared. So, if you make the change to the top sections AFTER you've filled out your bottom section, the box you originally checked, e.g., to signify Duke as national champion might now be checked for Houston.
How can you fix this? Three ways: Either (a) don't make changes to the top sections after you've filled in the bottom section; (b) if you want to make changes to the top sections, uncheck all boxes in the bottom section before you do then fill in the bottom again; or (c) after you make the late changes, double-check the bottom section to make sure you says what you want it to say (and if it doesn't, fix it).
If you fail to do any of the above before you click the "My Entry is Complete" button, you still have an option: on or before the due date, go to the View Entry page, and either view or print-and-view your selections to make sure your entry is what you meant it to be. If it isn't, email the commissioners, explain the problem, and ask them to change your entry manually.
Or you can just accept the ridicule for selecting Houston as your champion.
Happy pool-picking.
Once you choose your conference champions and at-large teams, and press the "Done" button for both, the bottom section is automatically populated with the teams you've chosen, allowing you to choose your Elite Eight, Final Four, Champion, and Wildcard. So far, so good.
If, however, you make a change to one of the top sections (for example, if you decide to pick Maryland-Baltimore County as an at-large team instead of North Carolina), the bottom section is re-populated. BUT the check boxes aren't cleared. So, if you make the change to the top sections AFTER you've filled out your bottom section, the box you originally checked, e.g., to signify Duke as national champion might now be checked for Houston.
How can you fix this? Three ways: Either (a) don't make changes to the top sections after you've filled in the bottom section; (b) if you want to make changes to the top sections, uncheck all boxes in the bottom section before you do then fill in the bottom again; or (c) after you make the late changes, double-check the bottom section to make sure you says what you want it to say (and if it doesn't, fix it).
If you fail to do any of the above before you click the "My Entry is Complete" button, you still have an option: on or before the due date, go to the View Entry page, and either view or print-and-view your selections to make sure your entry is what you meant it to be. If it isn't, email the commissioners, explain the problem, and ask them to change your entry manually.
Or you can just accept the ridicule for selecting Houston as your champion.
Happy pool-picking.
Thursday, February 15, 2018
It's Showtime
Think back, a mere year ago. The Trump presidency had just begun. Villanova was still the defending national champion.
Yeah, I know, it feels like that was 29 years ago. But what was actually 29 years ago was the very first Pre-NCAA Contest, in 1990. This year, then, will be the 29th annual Contest, and I just know you want a piece of that.
So here's your chance. The game is afoot. Just start clicking links below, and you'll be well on your way.
RULES
ENTRY FORM
See you soon!
Yeah, I know, it feels like that was 29 years ago. But what was actually 29 years ago was the very first Pre-NCAA Contest, in 1990. This year, then, will be the 29th annual Contest, and I just know you want a piece of that.
So here's your chance. The game is afoot. Just start clicking links below, and you'll be well on your way.
RULES
ENTRY FORM
See you soon!
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
Thyme wounds all Heels
Kind of a fizzle of an ending to a Tournament filled with fireworks. But somebody had to win, and this year it's the University of North Carolina.
Much more importantly, here are the winners of our contest:
First place: Naumgarten (339)
Second place: Sciarabba (320)
Third place: S Adams (317)
We believe it's the first time somebody who was unable to spell his own name has won the contest. At the bottom of the standings, Booth (175) stayed out of last place, finishing three points ahead of Myers (172).
Combining those above (well, not Booth or Myers) with R Wanger, who won the prize for being in first place immediately after selection of the field, and we have our winners. Congratulations, all.
See you next year.
Much more importantly, here are the winners of our contest:
First place: Naumgarten (339)
Second place: Sciarabba (320)
Third place: S Adams (317)
We believe it's the first time somebody who was unable to spell his own name has won the contest. At the bottom of the standings, Booth (175) stayed out of last place, finishing three points ahead of Myers (172).
Combining those above (well, not Booth or Myers) with R Wanger, who won the prize for being in first place immediately after selection of the field, and we have our winners. Congratulations, all.
See you next year.
Monday, April 3, 2017
A rasher of Rivals
The parent/child relationship is a complicated one, fraught with debates over who knows best. Over the course of life, the winner of those debates tends to slide from one side to the other, much to the chagrin of whichever side is on the losing end.
This year, we had eleven instances of framing the debate in quantitative terms, and parents took eight (73%): Coach Doc (291) over S Adams (277); D Josephs (265) over M Josephs (242); R Schlegel (272) over L Schlegel (262); P Leach (269) over both Sam Leach (245) and Mad Leach (245); R Wanger (301) over both M Wanger (255) and K Ripley (289); and C Whiteside (262) over J Whiteside (204) (although C Whiteside also lost to daughter B Whiteside (280)). The only parents who didn't taste victory this season were longtime entrants J McAtee (229) and E Leach (259), who despite both playing in every Pre-NCAA contest (or almost every contest -- we didn't actually go back and re-check every season), still couldn't beat out sons M McAtee (260), and P Leach (269), respectively. We'd also note that depending on tonight's result, either S Adams (UNC) or K Ripley (Gonzaga) will come out ahead of her Dad.
In a year where possibly all three winners could be female, it's not surprising that it's the Year of the Sister. Gonzaga or not, K Ripley (289) bested brother M Wanger (255). And B Whiteside (280), despite claiming to have "completed this pool in 5 minutes on Sunday because I wanted to go outside and play," trounced her brother J Whiteside (204), as well as her father. B Whiteside went further in her claims, going on to say that despite spending just a few minutes on her selections, she'd "still do better than most of the contestants," and she did, currently standing in a tie for 15th place. J Whiteside noted that while he might lose this round, he's still seven minutes older and six inches taller. In our only instance of two sisters competing against each other, the competition between Sam Leach (245) and Madison Leach (245) naturally ended in a tie.
Also not surprising is the dominance wives displayed over husbands this year: Da Dye (292) over Do Dye (265); K Sullivan (259) over D'Zuro (251); and the ubiquitous K Ripley (289) over P Ripley (224). The only husband who can apparently claim the pants is B Peloso (288), who trounced his Duke-loving wife M Peloso (213), just one year after losing to his spouse by 50+ points.
B Peloso's fierce rivalry with Sullivan inspired D'Zuro's impassioned plea that, "Even though Democrats and Republicans cannot get along, I fervently hope that Kate Sullivan and Bobby Peloso may achieve pool peace in our lifetime." Well, we hope D'Zuro lives a little longer, because we suspect the trash talk will only escalate after either B Peloso completes his 288 to 259 thrashing of his arch-rival (if UNC wins) or Sullivan ekes out a comeback for the ages (299 to 288, if Gonzaga wins).
Celebrating the 15th anniversary of his own rivalry with Millan, Karlsruher guaranteed victory over the misspelled Italian city. What's more, he backed it up, 259 to 239. Millan (239), in turn, noted that mutual friends T Joseph (254) and Brenner (250) "better step it up this year," and they did, both finishing ahead of him (though neither of them bested Karlsruher (259)). In another group of supposed buddies, Sciarabba (280) easily dispatched Gorenstein (237) and Serri (201).
M Wanger (255) invited two amigos from the Dominican Republic, Tharp (230) and Avila (215), then had the bad form to beat them both. Among readers of DBR, Biebel (248, 227, and 212) finished both ahead of and behind D Kedson (244) and Rubinson (226). Among multiple-entry contestants who have trouble spelling their own names, Naumgarten (299) beat out Baumgarten (287).
Among minor children, B Whiteside (280) took the competition over L Schlegel (262), Mad Leach (245), Sam Leach (245), and J Whiteside (204). Among pets, L Leach (269) put down Surprise Leach (222), though neither beast could best their owner (P Leach (269)).
Of course, we saved the most bitter rivalry until last. C Whiteside (262) may have been unable to beat out his 14-year old daughter, but he had absolutely no problem this year with Booth (175). C Whiteside also slipped past workplace rival Butscher (260). For her part, Booth set her sights on another rival, Mantz, who foiled her efforts neatly by neglecting to enter the contest.
This year, we had eleven instances of framing the debate in quantitative terms, and parents took eight (73%): Coach Doc (291) over S Adams (277); D Josephs (265) over M Josephs (242); R Schlegel (272) over L Schlegel (262); P Leach (269) over both Sam Leach (245) and Mad Leach (245); R Wanger (301) over both M Wanger (255) and K Ripley (289); and C Whiteside (262) over J Whiteside (204) (although C Whiteside also lost to daughter B Whiteside (280)). The only parents who didn't taste victory this season were longtime entrants J McAtee (229) and E Leach (259), who despite both playing in every Pre-NCAA contest (or almost every contest -- we didn't actually go back and re-check every season), still couldn't beat out sons M McAtee (260), and P Leach (269), respectively. We'd also note that depending on tonight's result, either S Adams (UNC) or K Ripley (Gonzaga) will come out ahead of her Dad.
In a year where possibly all three winners could be female, it's not surprising that it's the Year of the Sister. Gonzaga or not, K Ripley (289) bested brother M Wanger (255). And B Whiteside (280), despite claiming to have "completed this pool in 5 minutes on Sunday because I wanted to go outside and play," trounced her brother J Whiteside (204), as well as her father. B Whiteside went further in her claims, going on to say that despite spending just a few minutes on her selections, she'd "still do better than most of the contestants," and she did, currently standing in a tie for 15th place. J Whiteside noted that while he might lose this round, he's still seven minutes older and six inches taller. In our only instance of two sisters competing against each other, the competition between Sam Leach (245) and Madison Leach (245) naturally ended in a tie.
Also not surprising is the dominance wives displayed over husbands this year: Da Dye (292) over Do Dye (265); K Sullivan (259) over D'Zuro (251); and the ubiquitous K Ripley (289) over P Ripley (224). The only husband who can apparently claim the pants is B Peloso (288), who trounced his Duke-loving wife M Peloso (213), just one year after losing to his spouse by 50+ points.
B Peloso's fierce rivalry with Sullivan inspired D'Zuro's impassioned plea that, "Even though Democrats and Republicans cannot get along, I fervently hope that Kate Sullivan and Bobby Peloso may achieve pool peace in our lifetime." Well, we hope D'Zuro lives a little longer, because we suspect the trash talk will only escalate after either B Peloso completes his 288 to 259 thrashing of his arch-rival (if UNC wins) or Sullivan ekes out a comeback for the ages (299 to 288, if Gonzaga wins).
Celebrating the 15th anniversary of his own rivalry with Millan, Karlsruher guaranteed victory over the misspelled Italian city. What's more, he backed it up, 259 to 239. Millan (239), in turn, noted that mutual friends T Joseph (254) and Brenner (250) "better step it up this year," and they did, both finishing ahead of him (though neither of them bested Karlsruher (259)). In another group of supposed buddies, Sciarabba (280) easily dispatched Gorenstein (237) and Serri (201).
M Wanger (255) invited two amigos from the Dominican Republic, Tharp (230) and Avila (215), then had the bad form to beat them both. Among readers of DBR, Biebel (248, 227, and 212) finished both ahead of and behind D Kedson (244) and Rubinson (226). Among multiple-entry contestants who have trouble spelling their own names, Naumgarten (299) beat out Baumgarten (287).
Among minor children, B Whiteside (280) took the competition over L Schlegel (262), Mad Leach (245), Sam Leach (245), and J Whiteside (204). Among pets, L Leach (269) put down Surprise Leach (222), though neither beast could best their owner (P Leach (269)).
Of course, we saved the most bitter rivalry until last. C Whiteside (262) may have been unable to beat out his 14-year old daughter, but he had absolutely no problem this year with Booth (175). C Whiteside also slipped past workplace rival Butscher (260). For her part, Booth set her sights on another rival, Mantz, who foiled her efforts neatly by neglecting to enter the contest.
Saturday, April 1, 2017
Tag Team topography
Back in the day, the Nova Gang was the original Tag Team in this contest, consistently competitive for the Tag Team title as well as having the most team members by far. We haven't heard from them for a long time but, perhaps emboldened by their namesake's national championship last season, the Gang is back.
Sort of. the Original Nova Gang's average score of 214.67 is so bad, it's more than 30 points behind the Leach Gang (244.78), and almost 17 points worse than the second-worst Tag Team (the Duke-centric DBR, which, like their favorite team, fizzled out with just a 231.40 average).
The once-proud team of Whiteside and his Enemies (236.20) also finished behind the Leaches, as did those associated with Urban Engineering (236.0), and the group who at one time lived in 12A (239.33).
But if you've gotten the idea that the Leach Gang had a particularly good year, we need to set the record straight. The Leaches weren't anywhere near the top of the Tag Team tussle. No, the competition for top Team was extremely competitive, with three Teams within a point of each other. And the winner is... the inexplicably named Anchor Down (253.0), who beat the D'Zurans (252.75) by a quarter of a point, and the Ripley Believe it or Nots (252.33) by two-thirds of a point.
Among favorite colleges (with at least two entrants rooting for them), we have an odd trend: The teams with the highest averages didn't come close to making the NCAA Tournament. Uninvited GW (293.0) and Temple (272.75) led the way, followed by Division III Ursinus (267.0) and left-out Syracuse (251.75). Duke (236.57) and Villanova (244.0) did about as well as you'd expect after their early Tourney exits. Penn State fans (240.33) got the double-whammy of both failing to make the Dance and doing poorly in the contest.
We had a contingent this year who played from the Dominican Republic (233.33), but perhaps something got lost in translation, because the only region they beat was the Midwest (229.0). Both Pittsburgh suburbs (269.33) and New York suburbs (263.75) whupped Philadelphia suburbs (252.78), though within the city limits, Philadelphia (260.83) handled New York (239.25). Those West of the Rockies (261.60) showed those South of the Mason-Dixon Line (246.80) where it's at. Among states from which multiple contestants hail, Pennsylvania (254.51) won bragging rights over New York (248.50), California (246.00), and Illinois (229.00).
In today's world it may be tough to have faith in humanity, but know at least that humans (252.45) are more deserving than lawyers (252.29). Dogs (245.50) are just getting scraps this year.
In a development that should surprise absolutely nobody, Females (257.0) came out on top of males (252.13). Once again confirming one of our favoriate old adages, children (247.20) should be seen but not seen gambling.
This year's best pool-pickin' name is Bob (269.50), who won that distinction in a healthy competition over John/Jon (265.50), David (261.67), Marc (257.00), and Mike (257.50). Less healthy were Jeff (248.50), Rick (245.50), and Kevin (243.00). If you're calling yourself Matt (235.50) or George (233.00), you don't know Jack (231.50).
Those in the computer field (268.0) and practicing attorneys (265.33) apparently both know how to rig things, albeit in different ways. Those in accounting and finance (256.27) barely beat corporate executives (256.00). Retired people (253.25) perhaps retired for a reason, while students (249.17) can maybe teach teachers (225.25) a thing or two. If you're involved in the media (245.00), in sales (235.33), or in engineering (221.25), keep your day job.
What does it say when self-professed afterlife mediums (261.00) know a lot more than the deceased (200.00) from whom they purportedly get their information? Probably less than the fact that the average contestant (252.25) significantly outscored the average commissioner (243.00).
Sort of. the Original Nova Gang's average score of 214.67 is so bad, it's more than 30 points behind the Leach Gang (244.78), and almost 17 points worse than the second-worst Tag Team (the Duke-centric DBR, which, like their favorite team, fizzled out with just a 231.40 average).
The once-proud team of Whiteside and his Enemies (236.20) also finished behind the Leaches, as did those associated with Urban Engineering (236.0), and the group who at one time lived in 12A (239.33).
But if you've gotten the idea that the Leach Gang had a particularly good year, we need to set the record straight. The Leaches weren't anywhere near the top of the Tag Team tussle. No, the competition for top Team was extremely competitive, with three Teams within a point of each other. And the winner is... the inexplicably named Anchor Down (253.0), who beat the D'Zurans (252.75) by a quarter of a point, and the Ripley Believe it or Nots (252.33) by two-thirds of a point.
Among favorite colleges (with at least two entrants rooting for them), we have an odd trend: The teams with the highest averages didn't come close to making the NCAA Tournament. Uninvited GW (293.0) and Temple (272.75) led the way, followed by Division III Ursinus (267.0) and left-out Syracuse (251.75). Duke (236.57) and Villanova (244.0) did about as well as you'd expect after their early Tourney exits. Penn State fans (240.33) got the double-whammy of both failing to make the Dance and doing poorly in the contest.
We had a contingent this year who played from the Dominican Republic (233.33), but perhaps something got lost in translation, because the only region they beat was the Midwest (229.0). Both Pittsburgh suburbs (269.33) and New York suburbs (263.75) whupped Philadelphia suburbs (252.78), though within the city limits, Philadelphia (260.83) handled New York (239.25). Those West of the Rockies (261.60) showed those South of the Mason-Dixon Line (246.80) where it's at. Among states from which multiple contestants hail, Pennsylvania (254.51) won bragging rights over New York (248.50), California (246.00), and Illinois (229.00).
In today's world it may be tough to have faith in humanity, but know at least that humans (252.45) are more deserving than lawyers (252.29). Dogs (245.50) are just getting scraps this year.
In a development that should surprise absolutely nobody, Females (257.0) came out on top of males (252.13). Once again confirming one of our favoriate old adages, children (247.20) should be seen but not seen gambling.
This year's best pool-pickin' name is Bob (269.50), who won that distinction in a healthy competition over John/Jon (265.50), David (261.67), Marc (257.00), and Mike (257.50). Less healthy were Jeff (248.50), Rick (245.50), and Kevin (243.00). If you're calling yourself Matt (235.50) or George (233.00), you don't know Jack (231.50).
Those in the computer field (268.0) and practicing attorneys (265.33) apparently both know how to rig things, albeit in different ways. Those in accounting and finance (256.27) barely beat corporate executives (256.00). Retired people (253.25) perhaps retired for a reason, while students (249.17) can maybe teach teachers (225.25) a thing or two. If you're involved in the media (245.00), in sales (235.33), or in engineering (221.25), keep your day job.
What does it say when self-professed afterlife mediums (261.00) know a lot more than the deceased (200.00) from whom they purportedly get their information? Probably less than the fact that the average contestant (252.25) significantly outscored the average commissioner (243.00).
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
Chicks dig Zags
We know that one of four teams will be the 2017 NCAA Champion. So we have four scenarios to discuss:
Scenario 1: "Winnah, winnah, Duck dinnah"
If Oregon wins it all, here's who our winners will be:
(1) R Schlegel (312)
(2)(tie) L Leach (309)
(2)(tie) P Leach (309)
Out of the money: R Wanger (301)
Scenario 2: "If a team wins the national championship, and nobody picked them, does it still make a sound?"
If South Carolina takes the title, as predicted by nobody in our contest, here's who our winners will be:
(1) R Wanger (301)
(2) Naumgarten (299)
(3) J Donadio (297)
Out of the money: Da Dye (292); Harlan (292)
Scenario 3: "If the shoe fits"
Evidence suggests that Naumgarten is actually long-time entrant Baumgarten, who apparently (unintentionally) misspelled his own name. Fitting, if the national champion turns out to be a school that committed the worst academic fraud in the history of the NCAA, and still hasn't been punished. So if UNC steals the championship, here's who our winners will be:
(1) Naumgarten (339)
(2) Sciarabba (320)
(3) S Adams (317)
Out of the money: Feinblatt (303)
Scenario 4: "Chicks dig Zags"
If Gonzaga gets two more wins, our top three positions will all be held by female contestants. Perhaps not surprising, but certainly a historic first in a contest that hasn't seen such an event in 28 years. Those three dominant pool-pickers will be:
(1) Harlan (332)
(2) Burch (330)
(3) K Ripley (329)
Out of the money (and male): Marshall (320)
NOTE that we haven't checked to make sure that all the winners listed above actually paid for the contest. To the extent that someone didn't pay, they will certainly be allowed bragging rights, but all prizewinners will come from among the ranks of the paid-in-full.
Scenario 1: "Winnah, winnah, Duck dinnah"
If Oregon wins it all, here's who our winners will be:
(1) R Schlegel (312)
(2)(tie) L Leach (309)
(2)(tie) P Leach (309)
Out of the money: R Wanger (301)
Scenario 2: "If a team wins the national championship, and nobody picked them, does it still make a sound?"
If South Carolina takes the title, as predicted by nobody in our contest, here's who our winners will be:
(1) R Wanger (301)
(2) Naumgarten (299)
(3) J Donadio (297)
Out of the money: Da Dye (292); Harlan (292)
Scenario 3: "If the shoe fits"
Evidence suggests that Naumgarten is actually long-time entrant Baumgarten, who apparently (unintentionally) misspelled his own name. Fitting, if the national champion turns out to be a school that committed the worst academic fraud in the history of the NCAA, and still hasn't been punished. So if UNC steals the championship, here's who our winners will be:
(1) Naumgarten (339)
(2) Sciarabba (320)
(3) S Adams (317)
Out of the money: Feinblatt (303)
Scenario 4: "Chicks dig Zags"
If Gonzaga gets two more wins, our top three positions will all be held by female contestants. Perhaps not surprising, but certainly a historic first in a contest that hasn't seen such an event in 28 years. Those three dominant pool-pickers will be:
(1) Harlan (332)
(2) Burch (330)
(3) K Ripley (329)
Out of the money (and male): Marshall (320)
NOTE that we haven't checked to make sure that all the winners listed above actually paid for the contest. To the extent that someone didn't pay, they will certainly be allowed bragging rights, but all prizewinners will come from among the ranks of the paid-in-full.
Six, Three, and other levels of competence
The Elite Eight contained three #1 seeds, a #2 seed, and a #3 seed. The Final Four contains two #1s and a #3. The number of our contestants who got better than five Elite Eight teams correctly can be counted on one finger: B Peloso got 6 of 8. But don't worry, twice as many of us guessed better than half the Final Four: Naumgarten and Baum, both with 3 of 4.
There were 19 contestants who got five of Eight, 28 who got four of Eight, and 20 who got just three of Eight. Five excellent entrants managed just two (2) correct Elite Eight teams: Avila, R Simon, Bud Acchione, Beibel 3, and Booth. Two contestants accurately selected exactly one (1) of the Eight: Serri and Myers.
For the Final Four, despite two #1s in the mix, 59% of us correctly picked less than half the participating teams. We had 29 pool-pickers who got exactly half (2), while 35 contestants came up with one (1) of the Four, and nine (9) entrants didn't get any (0) right at all: Biebel 3, Booth, Myers, P Ripley, M Pogach, J Whiteside, Su Leach, M Peloso, and Serri.
Moving forward, while 24 of us (32%) lost their national champion in the first weekend, only 23 of us (30.7%) have a national champion that's still playing. Nine took UNC, nine took Gonzaga, and five (Brindisi, Karlsruher, L Leach, P Leach, R Schlegel) liked Oregon. Poor little South Carolina had the confidence of nobody in our contest, though thinking about it, that probably makes the Gamecocks feel pretty good about their chances.
There were 19 contestants who got five of Eight, 28 who got four of Eight, and 20 who got just three of Eight. Five excellent entrants managed just two (2) correct Elite Eight teams: Avila, R Simon, Bud Acchione, Beibel 3, and Booth. Two contestants accurately selected exactly one (1) of the Eight: Serri and Myers.
For the Final Four, despite two #1s in the mix, 59% of us correctly picked less than half the participating teams. We had 29 pool-pickers who got exactly half (2), while 35 contestants came up with one (1) of the Four, and nine (9) entrants didn't get any (0) right at all: Biebel 3, Booth, Myers, P Ripley, M Pogach, J Whiteside, Su Leach, M Peloso, and Serri.
Moving forward, while 24 of us (32%) lost their national champion in the first weekend, only 23 of us (30.7%) have a national champion that's still playing. Nine took UNC, nine took Gonzaga, and five (Brindisi, Karlsruher, L Leach, P Leach, R Schlegel) liked Oregon. Poor little South Carolina had the confidence of nobody in our contest, though thinking about it, that probably makes the Gamecocks feel pretty good about their chances.
Sunday, March 26, 2017
Cocks and Heels
The South Carolina Gamecocks (picked by nobody in our contest) made it three teams that hadn't been to the Final Four in the past 75 years. The fourth team (UNC Tar Heels, picked by 46), after beating Kentucky on a last-second shot, got there for the second straight season.
On the strength of Luke Maye's heroics, R Wanger jumped back into the lead, with 301 points. Right behind are Naumgarten (299), J Donadio (297), Dale Dye (292), and Harlan (292). Booth (175) will finish the contest three (3) points ahead of Myers (172). Full standings may be found here and by using the link on the right-hand side of the page.
We'll have posts this week on who might win the contest, Final Four and Elite Eight performance, and of course, Tag Teams and Rivals. Stay tuned.
On the strength of Luke Maye's heroics, R Wanger jumped back into the lead, with 301 points. Right behind are Naumgarten (299), J Donadio (297), Dale Dye (292), and Harlan (292). Booth (175) will finish the contest three (3) points ahead of Myers (172). Full standings may be found here and by using the link on the right-hand side of the page.
We'll have posts this week on who might win the contest, Final Four and Elite Eight performance, and of course, Tag Teams and Rivals. Stay tuned.
Saturday, March 25, 2017
1939
The last time Oregon made the Final Four, World War II hadn't started yet. And yet, 27 of us correctly picked the Ducks into the Final Four. The last time Gonzaga made the Final Four was never, but that didn't stop 26 of us from picking the triumphant Zags. Our favorite Final Four pick, Kansas (54 votes), didn't make it, however, making this the 22nd year out of 28 that our top pick for champion (16 of us called Kansas our champ) failed to make it to the summit.
Our new leader, K Ripley tops the charts with 289 points, one point ahead of B Peloso (288) and seven points ahead of her father, R Wanger (281). Breathing down R Wanger's neck for third place are Marshall (280) and Naumgarten (279). Full standings may be found here or by clicking the Standings link on the right-hand side of the page.
Two more teams punching their tickets tomorrow.
Our new leader, K Ripley tops the charts with 289 points, one point ahead of B Peloso (288) and seven points ahead of her father, R Wanger (281). Breathing down R Wanger's neck for third place are Marshall (280) and Naumgarten (279). Full standings may be found here or by clicking the Standings link on the right-hand side of the page.
Two more teams punching their tickets tomorrow.
Friday, March 24, 2017
Buzzah Beatah
After Florida's miracle shot at the buzzer in OT, we have three SEC teams in the Elite Eight. Raise your hand if you predicted that. OK, put your hand down, nobody in our contest predicted that. Only six entrants picked as many as two: J Broder, Coach Doc, Harlan, Mash Leach, B Peloso, R Wanger. Other than Kentucky (chosen by 36) and Florida (taken by 11), no SEC team sniffed as much as a wildcard selection.
Of our top eight selections for Elite Eight, four actually made it: Kansas (70), UNC (64), Gonzaga (53) and Oregon (50). South Carolina and Xavier had a combined one (1) vote (Rubinson, who went with Xavier).
Our new leader is B Peloso, with 268 points, followed by R Wanger (261) and Marshall (260). Within striking distance are S Adams and J Donadio, both with 257, while Da Dye, Harlan, R Schlegel, Coach Doc, Burch, and K Ripley are also within a Final Four pick of the top. Booth (175) remains three points ahead of Myers (172) in the struggle to stay out of the cellar.
Full standings may be seen by employing the Standings link on the right-hand side of the page.
Of our top eight selections for Elite Eight, four actually made it: Kansas (70), UNC (64), Gonzaga (53) and Oregon (50). South Carolina and Xavier had a combined one (1) vote (Rubinson, who went with Xavier).
Our new leader is B Peloso, with 268 points, followed by R Wanger (261) and Marshall (260). Within striking distance are S Adams and J Donadio, both with 257, while Da Dye, Harlan, R Schlegel, Coach Doc, Burch, and K Ripley are also within a Final Four pick of the top. Booth (175) remains three points ahead of Myers (172) in the struggle to stay out of the cellar.
Full standings may be seen by employing the Standings link on the right-hand side of the page.
Thursday, March 23, 2017
X-Men
A good night of basketball, with three of the four games going down to the last possession. Lots of big news, too, as Arizona tumbles but Oregon and Gonzaga survive, Rubinson looks like a genius for picking 11th-seeded Xavier into the Elite Eight, Booth climbs out of last place (now tied with Bud Acchione with 175 points, 3 points ahead of Myers), and with Michigan falling by a single point, Pogach loses his dream of getting five Final Four teams.
In the most meaningless standings of the year, Marshall has leapt into the lead with 240 points, just ahead of B Peloso (238), S Adams (237), J Donadio (237), Do Dye (235), and D Josephs (235).
More fun tomorrow.
In the most meaningless standings of the year, Marshall has leapt into the lead with 240 points, just ahead of B Peloso (238), S Adams (237), J Donadio (237), Do Dye (235), and D Josephs (235).
More fun tomorrow.
Eight, Four, and other integers
With 75 contestants and eight Elite Eight picks apiece, there were 600 Elite Eight selections made in this year's contest. A whopping 179 of those selections (29.8%) didn't make it through the tournament's first weekend. Three of our top ten choices have already bitten the proverbial dust (Villanova, chosen as Elite by 67 entrants, Louisville, taken by 49, and Duke, picked by 27).
Booth was among several who had the bad karma to choose all three of the fallen giants (Nova, Ville, and Duke) in her Elite Eight, but she also inspired awe by going with Creighton, Wichita State, and Wisconsin as three of the last eight teams standing. At least Wisconsin is still breathing. Rubinson should perhaps be commended for being the only entrant to favor 11th seeded, and still alive, Xavier into the Elite Eight. Myers and Packman win the prize for choosing a team (California) into the Elite Eight that lost to Cal-State-Bakersfield in the first round of the NIT.
Full list of Elite Eight choices (by team) is as follows:
Kansas (70)
Villanova (67)
North Carolina (64)
Gonzaga (53)
Oregon (50)
Louisville(49)
UCLA (43)
Arizona (37)
Kentucky (36)
Duke (27)
Baylor (20)
West Virginia (16)
Florida (11)
Florida State (10)
Wisconsin (9)
Butler (8)
Virginia (8)
SMU (4: L Leach, Mad Leach, M Rybaltowski, Serri)
Cincinnati (3: J McAtee, Quint, Templeton)
Purdue (3: M Josephs, Mad Leach, J Whiteside)
Wichita State (2: Booth, L Schlegel)
California (2: Myers, Packman)
Creighton (Booth)
Michigan State (Bud Acchione)
Xavier (Rubinson)
Northwestern (R Simon)
Notre Dame (Serri)
Oklahoma State (Warner)
St. Mary's (J McAtee)
Maryland (Avila)
Ten contestants still have seven Elite Eight teams still playing: Marshall, Bill Acchione, P Ripley, Doug Dye, Blane, Brenner, B Whiteside, J Broder, standings leader R Wanger and M Pogach (who has six alive Elite Eight teams plus Michigan as his wildcard). 35 entrants have six active Elite Eight teams, and 24 have five. At the bottom of the continuum, four entrants have just four possible Elite Eight contenders: M Rybaltowski, Bud Acchione, R Simon, Templeton; and Serri joints Booth with only three.
Of the 300 Final Four selections made in our contest, 77 proved worthless (25.7%), with the vast majority of those assigned to Villanova (42), Louisville (18), and Duke (11). Gutsy picks that are working out so far include Baylor (Sam Leach, Su Leach, Myers, M Peloso, M Pogach), West Virginia (Beibel 2, Biebel 3, Marshall, Rubinson), Wisconsin (Booth, Myers), Florida (Mash Leach, B Peloso), and Butler (Feinblatt, P Ripley).
Full list of Elite Four choices (by team) is as follows:
Kansas (54)
North Carolina (46)
Villanova (42)
Oregon (27)
Gonzaga (26)
UCLA (25)
Louisville(18)
Arizona (17)
Kentucky (13)
Duke (11)
Baylor (5: Sam Leach, Su Leach, Myers, M Peloso, M Pogach)
West Virginia (4: Beibel 2, Biebel 3, Marshall, Rubinson)
Florida (2: Mash Leach, B Peloso)
Florida State (2: Sam Leach, Sciarabba)
Wisconsin (2: Booth, Myers)
Butler (2: Feinblatt, P Ripley)
Virginia (2: R Simon, R Wanger)
Wichita State (Booth)
Cincinnati (Quint)
After being great at choosing conference champions and lousy at guessing at-large selections, Avila is making pool-picking great again by having all four of his Final Four selections still in play. Joining him were 11 other entrants with all four of their Final Four selections in the running: P Ripley, Brenner, T Cristinzio, M Josephs, C Whiteside, M Pogach, L Leach, Feinblatt, Packman, M McAtee, Grossman). In what might (or might not, we didn't really check) be a pool first, M Pogach has five possible Final Four teams, including his wildcard choice of Michigan.
Two-thirds of our contestants (50, to the division-averse) still have three Final Four teams left, while twelve hapless entrants have just two. Booth, who had the bad luck to pick Villanova, Louisville, and Duke as Final Four participants, is clinging to the hope that 8-seed Wisconsin will bring her enough glory to climb out of last place.
Booth was among several who had the bad karma to choose all three of the fallen giants (Nova, Ville, and Duke) in her Elite Eight, but she also inspired awe by going with Creighton, Wichita State, and Wisconsin as three of the last eight teams standing. At least Wisconsin is still breathing. Rubinson should perhaps be commended for being the only entrant to favor 11th seeded, and still alive, Xavier into the Elite Eight. Myers and Packman win the prize for choosing a team (California) into the Elite Eight that lost to Cal-State-Bakersfield in the first round of the NIT.
Full list of Elite Eight choices (by team) is as follows:
Kansas (70)
Villanova (67)
North Carolina (64)
Gonzaga (53)
Oregon (50)
Louisville(49)
UCLA (43)
Arizona (37)
Kentucky (36)
Duke (27)
Baylor (20)
West Virginia (16)
Florida (11)
Florida State (10)
Wisconsin (9)
Butler (8)
Virginia (8)
SMU (4: L Leach, Mad Leach, M Rybaltowski, Serri)
Cincinnati (3: J McAtee, Quint, Templeton)
Purdue (3: M Josephs, Mad Leach, J Whiteside)
Wichita State (2: Booth, L Schlegel)
California (2: Myers, Packman)
Creighton (Booth)
Michigan State (Bud Acchione)
Xavier (Rubinson)
Northwestern (R Simon)
Notre Dame (Serri)
Oklahoma State (Warner)
St. Mary's (J McAtee)
Maryland (Avila)
Ten contestants still have seven Elite Eight teams still playing: Marshall, Bill Acchione, P Ripley, Doug Dye, Blane, Brenner, B Whiteside, J Broder, standings leader R Wanger and M Pogach (who has six alive Elite Eight teams plus Michigan as his wildcard). 35 entrants have six active Elite Eight teams, and 24 have five. At the bottom of the continuum, four entrants have just four possible Elite Eight contenders: M Rybaltowski, Bud Acchione, R Simon, Templeton; and Serri joints Booth with only three.
Of the 300 Final Four selections made in our contest, 77 proved worthless (25.7%), with the vast majority of those assigned to Villanova (42), Louisville (18), and Duke (11). Gutsy picks that are working out so far include Baylor (Sam Leach, Su Leach, Myers, M Peloso, M Pogach), West Virginia (Beibel 2, Biebel 3, Marshall, Rubinson), Wisconsin (Booth, Myers), Florida (Mash Leach, B Peloso), and Butler (Feinblatt, P Ripley).
Full list of Elite Four choices (by team) is as follows:
Kansas (54)
North Carolina (46)
Villanova (42)
Oregon (27)
Gonzaga (26)
UCLA (25)
Louisville(18)
Arizona (17)
Kentucky (13)
Duke (11)
Baylor (5: Sam Leach, Su Leach, Myers, M Peloso, M Pogach)
West Virginia (4: Beibel 2, Biebel 3, Marshall, Rubinson)
Florida (2: Mash Leach, B Peloso)
Florida State (2: Sam Leach, Sciarabba)
Wisconsin (2: Booth, Myers)
Butler (2: Feinblatt, P Ripley)
Virginia (2: R Simon, R Wanger)
Wichita State (Booth)
Cincinnati (Quint)
After being great at choosing conference champions and lousy at guessing at-large selections, Avila is making pool-picking great again by having all four of his Final Four selections still in play. Joining him were 11 other entrants with all four of their Final Four selections in the running: P Ripley, Brenner, T Cristinzio, M Josephs, C Whiteside, M Pogach, L Leach, Feinblatt, Packman, M McAtee, Grossman). In what might (or might not, we didn't really check) be a pool first, M Pogach has five possible Final Four teams, including his wildcard choice of Michigan.
Two-thirds of our contestants (50, to the division-averse) still have three Final Four teams left, while twelve hapless entrants have just two. Booth, who had the bad luck to pick Villanova, Louisville, and Duke as Final Four participants, is clinging to the hope that 8-seed Wisconsin will bring her enough glory to climb out of last place.
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
Champeeeeens
We've had 27 Pre-NCAA contests before this season, and in all 27 of them there was a team that got the most votes from our contestants for national champion (although one year there was a tie at the top). Of those 27 selections, a grand total of six (6) actually became national champion (in the year where two teams tied, which was last year, one of our two favorites lost in the first round to a #15 seed and the other lost in the Elite Eight, but we're only counting them as one muffed prediction). That's a 22% success rate for the math-challenged among us.
So for those of you who want to increase your odds of winning in Vegas, we suggest betting against Kansas, our top vote-getter for champion in this year's contest. Though with a mere 16 votes, we didn't have as much misplaced confidence as we usually do; no idea if that makes it better or worse for the Jayhawks.
Twenty-four of us (32%) lost their champion in the tournament's first weekend, including the 12 who voted for Villanova, the 6 who liked Louisville (Baumgarten 2, Fitch, D Josephs, Su Leach, Steinhardt, J Whiteside), and the 5 who dared with Duke (Bud Acchione, Biebel 3, D Kedson, Rubinson, Tester). Plus R Simon, who picked Virginia.
The full list of selected champions is as follows:
Kansas: 16
Villanova: 12
UCLA: 9
UNC: 9
Gonzaga: 9
Louisville: 6 (Baumgarten 2, Fitch, D Josephs, Su Leach, Steinhardt, J Whiteside)
Oregon: 5
Duke: 5 (Bud Acchione, Biebel 3, D Kedson, Rubinson, Tester)
Wisconsin: Booth
Virginia: R Simon
Kentucky: M Pogach
Baylor: M Peloso
Kansas plays Purdue on Thursday night, in a potential upset special.
So for those of you who want to increase your odds of winning in Vegas, we suggest betting against Kansas, our top vote-getter for champion in this year's contest. Though with a mere 16 votes, we didn't have as much misplaced confidence as we usually do; no idea if that makes it better or worse for the Jayhawks.
Twenty-four of us (32%) lost their champion in the tournament's first weekend, including the 12 who voted for Villanova, the 6 who liked Louisville (Baumgarten 2, Fitch, D Josephs, Su Leach, Steinhardt, J Whiteside), and the 5 who dared with Duke (Bud Acchione, Biebel 3, D Kedson, Rubinson, Tester). Plus R Simon, who picked Virginia.
The full list of selected champions is as follows:
Kansas: 16
Villanova: 12
UCLA: 9
UNC: 9
Gonzaga: 9
Louisville: 6 (Baumgarten 2, Fitch, D Josephs, Su Leach, Steinhardt, J Whiteside)
Oregon: 5
Duke: 5 (Bud Acchione, Biebel 3, D Kedson, Rubinson, Tester)
Wisconsin: Booth
Virginia: R Simon
Kentucky: M Pogach
Baylor: M Peloso
Kansas plays Purdue on Thursday night, in a potential upset special.
Monday, March 20, 2017
Mild Cards
Back in the day, a pool contestant just got wildcard points if their team made the Sweet 16, and then only if they walked to school, eight miles straight uphill in the snow. Well, if those rules were in force today, the only entrant we'd be talking about would be M Pogach, who has Michigan, 6 wildcard points, and the promise of much, much more.
Tharp took South Carolina as his wildcard, which looks really good until you realize that the Gamecocks were ranked #19 in the AP poll accompanying the entry form, and are thus an illegal, immoral, anti-establishment, and downright unacceptable pick.
Beyond that, 51 contestants got a single wildcard point, for picking Notre Dame (23), Wichita State (10), Iowa State (10), Michigan State (5), and Northwestern (3). Fifteen entrants had teams in the tournament but got no points, for picking Minnesota (4), Dayton (4), Oklahoma State (3), VCU (2), Miami (Fla), or Florida Gulf Coast (1 each). Seven astute pool-pickers went with wildcards that didn't make the tournament, including the five who picked Syracuse (Bud Acchione, Biebel 3, Sam Leach, Millan, R Simon) and the two who picked Illinois State (M Peloso, J Whiteside).
But only M Pogach has the chance of getting any more wildcard points. Seriously, if the Wolverines keep going, M Pogach might get out of 70th place...
Tharp took South Carolina as his wildcard, which looks really good until you realize that the Gamecocks were ranked #19 in the AP poll accompanying the entry form, and are thus an illegal, immoral, anti-establishment, and downright unacceptable pick.
Beyond that, 51 contestants got a single wildcard point, for picking Notre Dame (23), Wichita State (10), Iowa State (10), Michigan State (5), and Northwestern (3). Fifteen entrants had teams in the tournament but got no points, for picking Minnesota (4), Dayton (4), Oklahoma State (3), VCU (2), Miami (Fla), or Florida Gulf Coast (1 each). Seven astute pool-pickers went with wildcards that didn't make the tournament, including the five who picked Syracuse (Bud Acchione, Biebel 3, Sam Leach, Millan, R Simon) and the two who picked Illinois State (M Peloso, J Whiteside).
But only M Pogach has the chance of getting any more wildcard points. Seriously, if the Wolverines keep going, M Pogach might get out of 70th place...
Avila At Large
We had an undisputed leader in picking conference champions, Avila, who got 20 right (out of 32, a whopping 62.5% success rate that would shame a D student). Only five entrants were within one correct choice of Avila (T Joseph, S Adams, Burch, J Donadio, and Marshall, all with 19), while 12 had 18 right and 9 had 17 right. Nobody else guessed more than half the conferences accurately.
At the other end of the spectrum, Booth got just 7 right (an impressive 21.9%), while Rubinson got 9, M Pogach got 10, and Mash Leach managed 11.
So Avila really had his stuff together, right? Think again. When it came to at-large selections, our conference champion savant chose all of the following: Iowa, Iona (got points for that one but wouldn't have if the Gaels hadn't won their conference), Northern Iowa, Charleston, Ball State, Boise State, Louisiana Tech, Green Bay, South Dakota, Cal-St-Bakersfield, UNC-Asheville, Furman, Sam Houston State, Valparaiso, and Weber State.
All we can say about that is, "Wow."
With only one wild card still alive (Michigan, more on that tonight), R Wanger (211 points) maintains the slimmest of margins over Burch (210), Marshall (210), and B Peloso (208). Full standings may be seen using the "Standings" link on the right-hand side of the page.
At the other end of the spectrum, Booth got just 7 right (an impressive 21.9%), while Rubinson got 9, M Pogach got 10, and Mash Leach managed 11.
So Avila really had his stuff together, right? Think again. When it came to at-large selections, our conference champion savant chose all of the following: Iowa, Iona (got points for that one but wouldn't have if the Gaels hadn't won their conference), Northern Iowa, Charleston, Ball State, Boise State, Louisiana Tech, Green Bay, South Dakota, Cal-St-Bakersfield, UNC-Asheville, Furman, Sam Houston State, Valparaiso, and Weber State.
All we can say about that is, "Wow."
With only one wild card still alive (Michigan, more on that tonight), R Wanger (211 points) maintains the slimmest of margins over Burch (210), Marshall (210), and B Peloso (208). Full standings may be seen using the "Standings" link on the right-hand side of the page.
Saturday, March 18, 2017
No, no, Nova
What do 12 contestants, 42 contestants, and 67 contestants (all but Feinblatt, M Josephs, M Leach, M Pogach, P Ripley, Tester, R Wanger, and J Whiteside) have in common? They all chose Villanova (for champion, Final Four, Elite Eight, in that order), and they're all probably not so happy right now.
The defending champs are the first big fish to get hooked this tournament, despite (some might say, "because of") being our collective second-favorite champion (behind Kansas (16)), our third-favorite Final Four contender (behind Kansas (54) and UNC (46)) and our second-favorite Elite Eight hopeful (behind Kansas (70)). Ah, well, they'll always have Paris, er, Houston.
Ironically, those who benefit most from this upset are the two people at the very bottom of our standings: Booth, who took time out from being in last place to pick Wisconsin as her champion (as well as in her Final Four and Elite Eight) and Myers, who picked the Badgers into the Final Four (as well as Elite Eight). Myers picked Villanova as champion, though, so we guess that might put a damper on things for him. A total of nine entrants have Wisconsin in the Elite Eight (Bud Acchione, Avila, Booth, Naumgarten, L Schlegel, Tharp, Warner, B Whiteside).
Still six games to play today. More later.
The defending champs are the first big fish to get hooked this tournament, despite (some might say, "because of") being our collective second-favorite champion (behind Kansas (16)), our third-favorite Final Four contender (behind Kansas (54) and UNC (46)) and our second-favorite Elite Eight hopeful (behind Kansas (70)). Ah, well, they'll always have Paris, er, Houston.
Ironically, those who benefit most from this upset are the two people at the very bottom of our standings: Booth, who took time out from being in last place to pick Wisconsin as her champion (as well as in her Final Four and Elite Eight) and Myers, who picked the Badgers into the Final Four (as well as Elite Eight). Myers picked Villanova as champion, though, so we guess that might put a damper on things for him. A total of nine entrants have Wisconsin in the Elite Eight (Bud Acchione, Avila, Booth, Naumgarten, L Schlegel, Tharp, Warner, B Whiteside).
Still six games to play today. More later.
Sunday, March 12, 2017
Outstanding in their field of 68
The teams are entered and the points are tallied, and the leader after selection of the field, and winner of our $100 prize, is...
...R Wanger, with 210 points, a mere point ahead of Burch (209) and Marshall (209).
Also within an at-large selection of the leader is B Peloso (207), and just behind him are S Adams (206) and J Donadio (206). Bringing up the rear is Booth (155), comfortably behind Myers (161) and M Pogach (164). Full standings may be found here, or by using the standings link on the right-hand side of the page.
During the week, we'll break things down in more detail.
...R Wanger, with 210 points, a mere point ahead of Burch (209) and Marshall (209).
Also within an at-large selection of the leader is B Peloso (207), and just behind him are S Adams (206) and J Donadio (206). Bringing up the rear is Booth (155), comfortably behind Myers (161) and M Pogach (164). Full standings may be found here, or by using the standings link on the right-hand side of the page.
During the week, we'll break things down in more detail.
More news about ancient Greece
Well, news about Troy, anyway, which won the Sun Belt championship over Texas State in a game where neither team received a single vote from our contestants.
Doing the Trojans one better, Kent State won the MAC backed by exactly one contestant (Samantha Leach), after beating Akron (favored by 59). The aptly-named Surprise Leach was one of six entrants (Baum, T Cristinzio, Da Dye, M Josephs, Su Leach, Rybaltowski) who picked Rhode Island to win the 14-team Atlantic 10, which is noteworthy because the Rams did just that, taking out VCU (chosen by 27). And, surprise, surprise, Surprise Leach was also one of two contestants (along with Reider) to accurately predict Big 12 champion Iowa State (which beat West Virginia, chosen by Biebel 2, Booth, Karlsruher, Samantha Leach, Quint). And you might not believe it, but those two savvy picks brought Surprise Leach all the way up to a tie for 58th place.
More winners picked by fewer than half of our contestants: Duke (7: Karlsruher, D Kedson, P Leach, Millan, M Peloso, Tester, J Whiteside), which overcame Notre Dame (Steinhardt only) in the ACC; Arizona (15), which beat Oregon (34) in the Pac 12; Cal-Davis (22), which vanquished the Purple Anteaters of Cal-Irvine (43) in the Big West; North Dakota (24), which conquered Weber State (27) in the Big Sky; and New Orleans (29), which bested TAMU-CC in the Southland.
Rounding things out, Music Man character Winthrop (41) upended Campbell (0) in the Big South; New Mexico State (45) defeated CS-Bakersfield (30) in the WAC; Nevada (52) won against Colorado State (9: Biebel 2, M Josephs, M Kleiman, P Leach, Surprise Leach, P Ripley, Rybaltowski, L Schlegel) in the Mountain West; Kentucky (57) clobbered Arkansas (Templeton) in the SEC; defending champion Villanova (65) put away Creighton (Baumgarten 2, J McAtee) in the Big East; Texas Southern (65) disposed of Alcorn State (7: Baum, Booth, Grossman, M Kleiman, Millan, P Ripley, Rubinson) in the SWAC; North Carolina Central (66) made swift work of Norfolk State (8: Bud Acchione, Booth, Feinblatt, E Leach, L Leach, M Pogach, P Ripley, Warner) in the MEAC; Middle Tennessee State (67) outlasted Marshall (0) in Conference USA; Princeton (68) educated Yale (2: Grossman, Tester), after edging Penn (Quint only) in overtime Friday night in the first-ever Ivy League tournament; and finally Vermont (74) did away with Albany (0) in America East.
The only two undecided conferences are the Big 10 (Michigan (Grossman, Quint) vs. Wisconsin (20)) and the AAC (SMU (39) vs. Cincinnati (34)).
And just two hours until the full field is selected, seeded, and sent to regions. See you then
Doing the Trojans one better, Kent State won the MAC backed by exactly one contestant (Samantha Leach), after beating Akron (favored by 59). The aptly-named Surprise Leach was one of six entrants (Baum, T Cristinzio, Da Dye, M Josephs, Su Leach, Rybaltowski) who picked Rhode Island to win the 14-team Atlantic 10, which is noteworthy because the Rams did just that, taking out VCU (chosen by 27). And, surprise, surprise, Surprise Leach was also one of two contestants (along with Reider) to accurately predict Big 12 champion Iowa State (which beat West Virginia, chosen by Biebel 2, Booth, Karlsruher, Samantha Leach, Quint). And you might not believe it, but those two savvy picks brought Surprise Leach all the way up to a tie for 58th place.
More winners picked by fewer than half of our contestants: Duke (7: Karlsruher, D Kedson, P Leach, Millan, M Peloso, Tester, J Whiteside), which overcame Notre Dame (Steinhardt only) in the ACC; Arizona (15), which beat Oregon (34) in the Pac 12; Cal-Davis (22), which vanquished the Purple Anteaters of Cal-Irvine (43) in the Big West; North Dakota (24), which conquered Weber State (27) in the Big Sky; and New Orleans (29), which bested TAMU-CC in the Southland.
Rounding things out, Music Man character Winthrop (41) upended Campbell (0) in the Big South; New Mexico State (45) defeated CS-Bakersfield (30) in the WAC; Nevada (52) won against Colorado State (9: Biebel 2, M Josephs, M Kleiman, P Leach, Surprise Leach, P Ripley, Rybaltowski, L Schlegel) in the Mountain West; Kentucky (57) clobbered Arkansas (Templeton) in the SEC; defending champion Villanova (65) put away Creighton (Baumgarten 2, J McAtee) in the Big East; Texas Southern (65) disposed of Alcorn State (7: Baum, Booth, Grossman, M Kleiman, Millan, P Ripley, Rubinson) in the SWAC; North Carolina Central (66) made swift work of Norfolk State (8: Bud Acchione, Booth, Feinblatt, E Leach, L Leach, M Pogach, P Ripley, Warner) in the MEAC; Middle Tennessee State (67) outlasted Marshall (0) in Conference USA; Princeton (68) educated Yale (2: Grossman, Tester), after edging Penn (Quint only) in overtime Friday night in the first-ever Ivy League tournament; and finally Vermont (74) did away with Albany (0) in America East.
The only two undecided conferences are the Big 10 (Michigan (Grossman, Quint) vs. Wisconsin (20)) and the AAC (SMU (39) vs. Cincinnati (34)).
And just two hours until the full field is selected, seeded, and sent to regions. See you then
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)