LOGAN AIRPORT, MA/DELTA FLT # 1703 (smt)- So this was the day I was in meetings all day in Boston (on St. Patty's day, no less) and that's when the tournament decided to get exciting. Well, my friend Bill and I did manage to share one set of headphones (one ear bud each from my laptop) during the IEEE meeting when #1S-Ohio St. came back to tie the game and send it into OT. A quiet but hearty "yes" was expressed which certainly startled the other IEEE GOLD members on the committee.  But not watching seemed to help as I (BAKER'S FABONE (14th-Tied, 71 pts) did go 7-1 for the day. So from what I know....

Top seeds Ohio St. (OT; outscored #9S-Xavier 19-9 without Greg Oden, who fouled out), #2E-Georgetown (OT), #3W-Pitt, and #2W-UCLA (no FGs in the last 5:25) all managed to survive scares keeping the favorites 6-2 for the day. Disaster all around was prevented by some poor free throw shooting and clutch baskets. However, #4MW-Maryland and #3E-Washington St. weren't so lucky as #5MW-Butler and #6E-Vandy (2 OT) managed to do enough to squeeze out the upset win. #3S-Texas A&M (despite a "home" game for #6S-Louisville) and #1E-North Carolina won with scores that didn't show how close the games were until late. 6 of the 8 games were decided by 9 pts or less (compared to 9 of 32 in the first round) but still no games have been decided by a single point yet.

One of the most frustrating things about college basketball is the poor free throw shooting. I usually try to weight my picks to teams who shoot from the charity stripe well (although this year I had no time to look at this), especially in the later rounds when I think the games will be closer. Xavier had the game won and could have sealed it with a single free throw by Jason Cage (I'm glad cause I have Ohio St. going to the Final Four but I digress...), both Louisville and Texas A&M missed both free throws on consecutive plays in the final minute, and Washington St. missed the go-ahead free throw in regulation.

DC944 and MARINOMAC both went 8-0 (obviously tying a record done just 4 times previously). DC944 leads with 82 pts while MARINOMAC went from a tie for 33rd to a tie for 6th. Eighteen went 7-1 including BABY SPENCER who went from a tie for 92nd to a tie for 66th. On the flip side, three went a disastrous 3-5 but YANKEEAGLE (57th-T 64) had a bad day losing two Final Four teams (joining CHUMBALLS2 (71st-T, 62) as the only other entry with just 2 of 4 FF teams left) despite going 6-2 for the day. Just 13 pegged Butler as a Sweet 16 team and 30 picked Vandy. Every entry so far has their champion intact and 86 have all their Final Four teams and 62 have all their Elite 8 teams still alive.