And farther down we go!
 

I am t-2nd, and you're t-34. But with some of my PM picks today, I'll be dropping down.

Won't be an NIT if the field goes to 96 teams. Wish they had a .500 rule, though. Unless you win the conf tournament, you don't get in with a sub .500 conf record. Or maybe even one over .500.

Go Badgers. Never a doubt. :D

I'm still sitting with all of my Sweet 16 picks, although this is my worst first round ever.

Wofford?!? Are you kidding me? Illinois took care of them by 14 earlier in the season. And, after all, WI is such a better team because they also beat IL...er,...well,...1 out of 3 this season...

Never mind. :D

I'm perfect in the East, and I'll just leave it at that.

Too bad you live in the west.

We're all perfect somewhere else. :D

I know you're kidding if you are even hinting that 2-6 in their last 8, RPI 74 Illinois deserved a spot over Wisconsin.

Now, Cornell.

Hmm, IL in over WI? Nah, maybe only partially kidding. (I noticed you didn't go back 9 games; that would've been the game at the Kohl Center...;) ) Remember, in those last 9 games IL played Ohio St. 3 times, Wisconsin 3 times, and Purdue. That makes 7 of their last 9 games against opponents ranked in the Top 15. I don't know if you can find any other team in the country with that type of schedule. The game that hurt them was the loss to MN at home at the end of Feb.; I think that's what put MN in over IL. IL was simply inconsistent over the course of the season, and they deserved to be where they are.

Now, don't be taking Cornell lightly, after all, they are a bunch of smart guys. :D

Probably not just x's & o's on the chalkboard.

Missing In Action ???
 

Originally Posted by BillyMac
For some reason I couldn't find UCONN on my NCAA bracket sheet?

Quote:
Originally Posted by grunewar
They're there, right next to the NC Tar Heels!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Andy
I think my Arizona Wildcats are in that same region.

There must be a fifth region in the NCAA tournament that they're keeping a secret? This may be the first year that there is a Final Five ©.

Doesn't the NCAA have a rule where if you win the tournament you get a five-year exemption. Wait? That's golf. Nevermind.

Baby Still Needs A New Pair Of Shoes ...
 

I had Temple going to the Sweet Sixteen. It's a good thing that I officiate better than I pick NCAA winners.

Worked Special Olympics Unified Games today. I have this warm feeling inside. Maybe I have a temperature? Maybe I've got the H2N1 Swine Flu? Don't get too close to your monitor. You may catch it.

I would've taken Illinois over Minnesota.

Is this just your opinion or is there somewhere we can go to verify this? :D

geez what a boring day compared to yesterday. too many ads and the games aren't fun. Hardly watched at all.

Has a coach gotten a Tech yet? I saw a double T Marq-Wash game that was kind of standard but any big blow-up yet? Nice of the refs passing on T's to the Robert Morris team after questionable calls.

Or So I've Been Told ...
 

I've been told by evaluators that, for some strange reason, I do my best officiating when I wear my black jersey with the white stripes. For some odd reason, I don't seem to officiate as well when I wear my white jersey with the black stripes.

rowdy finish to the NMSU-MSU game. If there wasn't that fuss over the Kentucky-MSU no lane violation call then I don't think the ref makes that lane violation call on NMSU. My gosh there must have been a torrent of broken tvs and screaming in NMSU territory. What also bothered me was the last out of bounds. Why didn't the refs go to the monitor? It really looked like there should have been more than .3 seconds.

Just heard:

"Jon Diebler! He is lethal!"

I didn't see the UK-MSU game that you refer to, so I can't comment on that, but the call tonight had to be made. It wasn't like it was a timing play during the release, the player stepped in. Like an OOB call there is no looking the other way here. How would you explain to Izzo that. He would have a legitimate beef, the NMSU coach can only complain (legitimately) to his own player.

Good grief. There really hasn't been a whole lot of publicity about that KU no-call, so I doubt they were pressured by public opinion. Do you really believe the crap you write?

I know ESPN showed that play numerous times and I think many refs heard about it. So yeah absolutely I think it might have played a role in why the ref called that violation. The KU-Missi St. game was at the end when the obvious violation wasn't called. I do think the ref was thinking of that play when he called it a violation here.
Yes, by the book but that doesn't mean you have to call it and at the very least see if the other team was trying to rebound which they were not.
I thought NMSU was shooting a ton of bad shots at the end so they shouldn't just blame the refs.
More video at ncaa.com where you can see the game replayed. last minute. Watch the last shot. I stopped the video when the whistle sounds and there is .7 seconds. Why didn't the refs go to the video there? .3 vs .7 The good news at least it wasn't Bobby Knight his son or that Seton Hall coach because they would've have thrown every chair in the arena.
Yahoo link but the NCAA video is better because it shows the player who closest to the ref. Watch his foot. I think he pointed at the wrong guy. Again, I think it was the wrong time to call that violation but if you disagree with me fine. No problem with that at all. But combined that with the ending I just thought NMSU didn't get a fair shake there.

Video: Controversial lane violation helps Michigan State avoid upset - The Dagger - NCAAB Blog - Yahoo! Sports
"It's an incident reminiscent of the foot fault which led to Serena Williams' infamous outburst at the 2009 U.S. Open.Tough the calls themselves may have been technically by the book, they shouldn't be called given the circumstances. There's too much on the line to blow a whistle for a trivial, questionable, irregular violation like stepping into the lane a split-second too early."

off topic but-actually in that case the official made the incorrect call. Serena should have been kicked out of the tourney but still one of the worst Open tennis calls ever. Also, was that NMSU player hit in the nuts or something? That seemed straight out of a Pourtaguese soccer player handbook with him rolling on the floor for that long. Kind of weird after a while. Speaking of weird people need to talk to players about not getting so many tattoos. Neck tattoos for the NMSU player and leg ones for a Louisville player.

Wow, 7 people in the group did worse than me! Nationally, over 37% of the entries did worse than me.

I went 21-11. 9-7 on Thursday, 12-4 yesterday.

Of the 11 losses, I picked an OT game (Texas) and a 2OT game (Florida) wrong. UNLV lost by 3, Vandy lost by 1 on a last second shot, Notre Dame lost by 1, and Marquette lost by 2.

I think I'm losing though mainly due to the stinkers I picked. Georgetown got hammered (that couldn't really be seen), Minnesota (what was I thinking?) got stomped by a clearly better team, Missouri had little trouble with Clemson, and I'm still not sure why I picked Louisville over Cal.

But hey, I still have all of my Sweet 16 teams left, so the whole thing starts fresh today. I do have Tennessee and Wisconsin winning another game, though. :D

I'm #2 I'm #2 I'm #2....wait, that doesn't sound right.

After the first round, the number one person only lost the Fla/BYU game. Wow. He'd give Carnac the Magnificent a run for his money......

May you fall asleep under a camel with post nasal drip.
 

A: Superbowl.
Q: What would you find in Superman's bathroom?

http://thm-a02.yimg.com/nimage/37e0c58d7e4076ca

:d

Baby Still Needs A New Pair Of Shoes ...
 

Picked Villanova to go to the Final Eight. My Big East picks are looking more, and more, like a Big Mistake. Well, at least my Butler pick got me into the top 1.5 million nationally.

I'm number 1.5 million. I'm number 1.5 million. I'm number 1.5 million.

And Kansas is about to go. There goes my pick to win it all in the second round.

You and 50% of the country.....

I'm dead-Who else is?

I say again, you, me and 50% of the country.

I am in another pool that does not have Kansas winning..... I rarely go with the #1 seed, but did in our pool.

count me in that group, plus I had New Mexico in the Final Four. I'm shooting for last now.

With Villanova going down too, I think there are a good many in your shoes......

Based on the entries submitted for ESPN's Bracket Challenge its 66.4% of brackets submitted! K-State & BYU getting underway.

I'm nuked in the whole Villanova bracket. And I had Kansas winning it all. My PPR may be in the triple digits by now. :o


Yep, just checked...I'm in 3rd place but I have the lowest PPR in the 31.

I had them and Georgetown in the Elite Eight.
Now, if BYU beats Kansas State and Duke loses tomorrow, I'll be heading for 2012.

Truth Be Told.....
 

I have a Final Four of NI vs BYU and Cornell vs St Mary's.

Ok, so I just made that bracket up! I still got it!

We're not FOR Kansas anymore, Toto.....

The sound you hear is that of my bracket imploding as two of my Final Four (KU and 'Nova) go down........

+1

Wait 'Til Next Year ...
 

Thanks to Kansas, Baby won't be getting a new pair of shoes this year.

Well, there are two things to do now. Root for underdogs and have somebody beat Duke.

Monster comeback underway.

I've jumped up to #5 in our group by being perfect this morning.

My $ pick was Cornell to reach the Sweet 16.

people don't like Duke? When did that start........:rolleyes:

About the time people started blaming the refs for their teams' losses.

I've been in the ABD (Anyone But Duke) Camp for many yrs. I see a lot of ACC ball, and I always think, like many others, they're just not that good. Records indicate:

# 10 Final Fours (most since 1984–85) as well as five in a row from 1988 to 1992
# 18 Sweet Sixteens (most since 1984–85) and nine straight from 1998–2006
# 26 NCAA tournament berths
# 71 NCAA tournament wins (most ever)
# 11 No. 1 seeds

Maybe next yr I'll pickem to win more than one game, maybe...... ;)

Cal looked horrible today. Their coach after getting a warning just seemed to give up. They looked really good vs Louisville and so did that Chinese guy but today he hardly gets off the bench. I was just annoyed because the Purdue game and the Pitt-Xavier were near the end and CBS was sticking with a blowout game.
Duke usually lets their fans down before the final 4 but they got really nice team this year. A Kentucky-Duke game would be interesting.

Baby Has To Wait 'Til Next Year ...
 

Sounds good to me.

A Kentucky win over Duke, followed by a Kentucky win over Syracuse, wouldn't give me new shoes for Baby, but it would go a long way for me being able to hold my head up high at the lab, and not having to put up with a lot of grief from you knuckleheads.

If I didn't think Calipari was worse than kreswhewooski, I'd agree. There's only one team left in the tournament that would make me root for Duke.

I think it is very significant that Duke won a game over a competent opponent fairly comfortably, while going 3 for 17 from 3 point range. Zoubek was very good, and those Plumlee brothers are good men to have around.

Northern Iowa? :D

I am already looking forward to filling out next years bracket:confused:

I'm in 4th place but have ZERO chance of winning. I can't even pass the person who is 10 points in front of me. Big East (G-Town/Nova/'Ville) and a lack of faith in Duke killed me.

The Duke thing really burns me because the only early season prediction I made was that Duke had the talent to be an Elite Eight team and then I turnaround and pick them to lose in the 2nd round. :(

I know you're north of them, but are you a Cubs fan?

LOL, nah, I like the Panthers. Had quite a few friends who went to UNI. I told my wife as we were watching that one that I'd like them to win even though it would just destroy my bracket. There's only one game a year when I root against them.

And that would not be dook, I take it.

Computer Error ...
 

Wait a minute? I just realized it. I wanted to pick Kansas State, instead of Kansas, in the final against Kentucky. Somehow the word, "State", got left off my bracket when I logged in. Maybe some type of computer error? How hard could it be to have somebody at ESPN just add the word, "State", to all my Kansas picks? Maybe I'll take a drive down the street to Bristol and see if they'll change my brackets?

Sure you can...one quarter of my bracket is toast. But I still have a shot at 3 of the FF, and both in the Champ. game...hey, maybe I could pass the guy in front of me?!!?

You and I are basically in the same boat. If one of our respective teams happens to win it all, one of us should be golden. If not, we've still got our health.

I'm a big Cornell fan.

(Where is Cornell?)

1/2 of my bracket is toast and you and I have the same picks essentially in the brackets that I am still alive.

My PPR sucks.

In "gorgeous" Ithaca, NY. You probably know that. :)

Also becoming known as Suicide U, for reasons seemingly independent of the men's basketball team's success.

Also, Andy Bernard's alma mater.

Basketball Hotbed ...
 

No I am a Brewer fan, almost as painful as being a Cub fan but we are not really supposed to win. I am surrounded by Cub fans and most of them are pretty nice people:p

Even though they support the most pathetic team in the history of sport.

Can you tell I grew up on the South Side of the Windy City? :cool:

go cards :d

Which apparently also puts you on the south side of the intellegence line... ;)

So, just curious as to what measure you use to quantify "most pathetic team in sports"? Is it total World Championships? Well, then the White Sox are just barely ahead at 3-2. And that certainly puts the Cubs ahead of other teams, such as the Padres, Mariners, Rangers, Brewers, Angels, etc., who have none. How would you say the Cubs are worse than say, the Pittsburgh Pirates, who set the record last season for the most consecutive losing seasons, for any major professional sport? Btw, they broke the record set by the (no, not the Cubs) but the Phillies.

Yep, it's been a long time since the Cubs won their last championship, and I'm sure it was a painful childhood memory for you to witness their victory parade. But please refrain from using such obviously unintellegent comments, as it reflects badly on all former Chicago-area residents. Besides, you don't want to wake up some morning to find a goat's head on the pillow next to you... :cool: :p

Ahem.....OT
 

Isn't it,

A) A little early for this discussion, and more importantly

b) The wrong thread to be having this discussions? A certain someone has not initiated our annual baseball thread yet!

Shame, shame, shame.......

PS - Go Nats! Go O's! :D

Yea, you're right. I'm sorry.

And, shut up. :D

Never too early for that. :rolleyes:

Where is the justice?
 

With 12 teams remaining we have: Pearl, Krzyzewski, Martin, Huggins, and Calipari remaining......... Hmmmmm?! :rolleyes:

Where's the justice? Well, 11 of them will be LOSERS! ;)

What exactly is wrong with Bruce Pearl?

Are you asking what's wrong with him, as if it were difficult to describe, or what grunewar thinks is wrong with him, as if it were difficult to believe?

It doesn't happen very often, but I am a Purdue fan tonight.

I had about given up. I thought my bracket was dead. I thought Kentucky was unbeatable. Kentucky seemed like the team of older kids from down the street who used to come in and beat the hell out of you and your friends.

But not tonight.

Now, it's pretty simple.

Big if, I know, but if Duke can win it all, I win.

If West Virginia wins, High Life wins.

Beyond that, don't know.

Me Too ...
 

More than most seasons, this tourney has been up for grabs. The conventional wisdom has never been more wrong. Just ask Kansas, Kentucky, Syracuse...and maybe Duke?

I won 21 in the first round. I had 10 of 16 in the second round. Then got 5 of 8 of the Elite Eight right. So far I have 1 Final Four team (I picked West Virginia). Just a horrible freaking year, right?

I'm in 6th place here. More importantly, I'm solidly in the money for the only pool where I paid actual money. If Duke doesn't win the National Championship, I'll probably stay close to there, unless a lot of people picked West Virginia.

Weird, weird year. 3 number 1 seeds out and there's a 5 in the Final Four and today either a 5 or a 6 will get in. I could see Baylor knocking off Duke, too, which would put a 3 in.

What tournament challenge? :D

By ESPN.com Staff

Here are some key Tournament Challenge stats on the Final Four.

1. Out of 4.78 million brackets on ESPN.com, 200 successfully picked the correct Final Four.

2. 304,924 brackets (6.4%) picked Duke to win it all.
224,417 brackets (4.7%) picked West Virginia to win it all.
28,379 brackets (0.59%) picked Michigan State to win it all.
4,568 brackets (0.1%) picked Butler to win it all.

3. 10,212 brackets picked a Duke/MSU championship game.
6,951 brackets picked a WVU/MSU championship game.
1,430 brackets picked a Duke/Butler championship game.
1,664 brackets picked a WVU/Butler championship game.

Here's another stat. In our happy little group, nobody got 3 out of the 4.

I really dislike the scoring system which ESPN uses.

It over weights the picks at the end imo.

I would propose the following method of scoring. Each correct pick is worth their seed # in points multiplied by the round # of the tournament game.

So picking a #1 seed to win in the first round would be worth: 1 x 1 = 1 point.

However, selecting a #5 seed such as Butler or Michigan State this year to win their regional final and advance to the Final Four would be worth: 5 x 4 = 20 points.

The St. Mary's upset of Villanova would have been worth the same amount: 10 x 2 = 20 points, but Cornell over Wisconsin would have netted the selector 24 points.

In considering if this system awards about the right amount of points think about how likely it is for a #1, #2, or #3 seed to win the title versus how likely it is that a #10 seed makes it to the Sweet 16 or a #7 seed reaches the Elite 8. What do think would be the more difficult prediction to make correctly and thus should be worth more points?

Perhaps people could go through their brackets and post their score under the Nevada System. :D
Mine would be:
1st round: 97
2nd round: 58
3rd round: 18
4th round and beyond: zero
Total: 173

Which is why I'm 4th. Still astounded, BTW.

I mean, look at this without any context:

21/32 first round
10/16 second round
5/8 Elite Eight
2/4 Final Four

Frankly, that's horrible. And I'm at the 98.4 percentile on ESPN. Amazing.

My best result now is Duke beating W.Va. and then losing in the final to either Butler or Michigan State. I'm guessing that would probably leave me right about where I sit now.

Good Pickin Rich!
 

You're one of the few giving our boy "Carnac" a run for his money.

My point is that I haven't done much of anything. I picked West Virginia to go to the Final Four. Only "upset" pick, really. Oh, I picked Baylor to go to the Elite Eight.

So nobody picked 3 of the 4? No surprise, I guess, since few outside of Michigan would've picked Michigan State and even fewer picked Butler.

My wife's bracket is right behind mine, BTW. She is one first round pick (equivalent) behind mine. She knows nothing about basketball. She thought she was picking Ohio State when she picked Ohio to beat Georgetown.

I've got 3 out of 4.
Duke, MSU, WV. (Vandy was my 4th, thought they had a cushy bracket)

But couldn't get bracket loaded in on time this year.:o
22 of 32 R1
8 of 16 R2
5 of 8 R3
3 of 4 R4
Have MSU beating Duke.

Coach, that's the equivalent of telling the referee, "I officiate in [some other state]," before the game. :p

LAS VEGAS -- Duke is the favorite among the Final Four to win the NCAA title, while Michigan State is a longshot despite its trip to the finals last year, oddsmakers in Las Vegas said Monday.
Las Vegas Sports Consultants made Duke a 7-5 favorite to win the title and a 2.5-point favorite to beat West Virginia in the semifinals on Saturday night, oddsmaker Kenny White said.
"They've probably had the easiest run," White said of the Blue Devils (33-5), who beat Arkansas-Pine Bluff, California and Purdue before beating Baylor 78-71 on Sunday to reach the Final Four.
White said either Duke or West Virginia would likely be favored over Butler or Michigan State in the finals.
The Las Vegas-based firm that recommends betting lines to 90 percent of sports books in Nevada said Butler had a 5-2 chance of winning the title and put West Virginia's chances at 2-1 and Michigan State's at 17-5.
The firm said Butler is favored by 1.5 points in its game against Michigan State.
Michigan State (28-8) has reached the Final Four six of the past 12 years, but was expected to be an underdog with the Bulldogs playing near their home court in Indianapolis. Butler is listed as the host school for the Final Four.
"[The Spartans] were there last year -- that's quite an advantage -- but they are matched up on the road basically playing in Indianapolis," White said. "They'll be the underdog in both games."
The Las Vegas Hilton, which listed Duke as a 6-5 favorite and Michigan State as an 11-2 underdog, saw bettors flocking to Butler at 7-2 odds to win the title, said Chris Graham, race and sports coordinator.
"Butler's definitely the Cinderella," Graham said.
White said that despite the odds, the Final Four teams were not very far apart, with the widest spread for the finals expected at 4.5 or 5 points if Duke plays Michigan State.
"Anything could happen here, believe me," White said.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

May a diseased yak squat in your hot tub.
 

A: "Follow the yellow brick road."
Q: What are good directions to a urologist's office?

:)

One of two coaches in the country who could make me root for Krewshewooskey; so Go Duke!

Somebody has fallen deeply in love with the blue font.

You're welcome.

:D

Ah, that wasn't sarcasm; it was blue in support of Duke. :)

ya ya, whatever ;)

Some of us are in Good (or Bad) Company!
 

"I could be the dumbest guy in America. I have no one in the final four....."

Tony Kornheiser, PTI, 3/30/2010

Finally, I'm tied for something! I'm tied for "Dumbest Guy in America"! Whoo hoo!

However, I will continue to strive to be the best.

Finally?

There's a two-word phrase that fits here. Actually, a couple of them come to mind. :p

Are you calling a "technical foul" to avoid "over time"?

Not likely.

Wow, I left the country for a week and moved up in the bracket. I am no longer #2!!! I just wish they would declare the winners now, just in case SOMEONE had Kansas as the National Champ!!!