2006 HWCI NCAA Pool Update

The Final Four @ Indianapolis
#11-East (Washington DC)	#3-Midwest (Minneapolis MN)		#4-South (Atlanta GA)	#2-West (Oakland CA)

Saturday, April 1, 2006
Issue # 15.5.1 "No April Fools Joke"
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CERRITOS, CA (smt) - The last time Florida made the Final Four was in 2000, coincidentally, the last time the FF was hosted by Indianapolis.  The Gators will be looking to do more than make the championship game when they lost to Michigan St.  The iron men (all five starters averaging more than 30 minutes & 10 pts a game) of George Mason will try to continue their magical run and become the first #11 seed to make the championship game.  To do so, the Patriots will have to beat their fourth power conference team (in contrast to UCLA, which will only be facing their 2nd) and will not have the "home" court advantage they had in Washington, DC. 

Two very good defenses will battle each other in the later game.  LSU, with their very close-knit team of local players, has blocked their way into the Final Four stifling JJ Redick and his Duke Blue Devils, the #1 team in the tournament.  The UCLA Bruins, with its gritty defense, have dominated in all but one game (vs. Gonzaga) but their tendency to miss free throws have kept teams in the game. 

The Bruins find themselves the highest seeded team left but all four teams have beaten the #1 seed in their region, the first time that has happened (in 1980, the only other time no #1 seeds made the FF, Purdue did not beat the #1 team in its region on its way to the FF).  GMU, which didn't even win their conference (Colonial Athletic Association, or as the coach called it, the Connecticut Assassins Association) tournament, are 4-3 overall in the tournament, with all 4 wins coming this year.  UCLA, on the other hand, is 89-32 overall and has won 11 titles.

In the pool, three people (LORENZO MATA, GATORS NEVER DIE, FAT BASTARD) have a chance to win it all.  Six others are hoping to land in the money.    Three could still win the Bonus Prize (as long as LSU and Florida don't both win).  For the rest of us?  Well, let's hope for some good games and root for your friends to win (or lose, if you're that type of person).

Complete Pool Possibilities Analysis

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Let's go Bruins! How do I sneak out of the Galaxy game to watch the end of this game?...
Scott