2008 HWCI NCAA Pool Update|
The 14th HWCI NCAA Tournament Pool |
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2008 HWCI NCAA Pool Update |
Monday, March 17, 2008 Issue # 1.0.1 "UCLA Back to a # 1 Seed" [Home | Blog | Updates ]
CERRITOS, CA (smt)- Local team UCLA claimed a #1 seed (West) for the first time since 1995, the first year our HWCI NCAA Pool existed (a good omen?). However, UNC is the top #1 seed (East) with other conference tourney champions Memphis (South) and Kansas (Midwest) taking the second and fourth #1 seeds, respectively... and all four #1 seeds are in the correct local region, for once. As a statement how bad the Big 10 has been, regular season and conference tourney champion Wisconsin only got a #3 seed (Midwest). The Baltimore/Washington DC metro area got five teams (UMBC, Coppin St., American, George Mason, & Georgetown) while the Greater Philadelphia (Temple, Villanova, & St. Joeseph's) and Los Angeles Metro area got three (UCLA, USC, & Cal St. Fullerton) each. Six teams are from California (+ Stanford, St. Mary's, & San Diego) and five are from Tennessee (Austin Peay, Belmont, Memphis, Tennessee, & Vanderbilt). The Big East led the way with eight teams while the Pac 10, Big 12, and SEC all got six. Even the Sun Belt conference got two teams. Also, both finalists from last season, Florida (2-time champ) & Ohio St., failed to qualify, which will stop Ohio St.'s streak of choking in football & basketball championship games at three.
The best story this weekend was Georgia, who won 3 games in 2 days (while crybaby NBA players have a rule where they can't play 3 games in 3 days) to win the SEC tourney and knocking off a bubble team (maybe Virginia Tech or Arizona St.) out of the NCAA field. Their 14th seed has to be one of the lowest for a power conference in recent memory and could be a sleeper to pull off the early upset. Coppin St. won the MEAC title and enters the tourney with a record 20 losses... but they've already played 36 games (did they play 2 games in one day like Georgia did?)! Meanwhile, Cornell only played 27 games (of course, the Ivy League has no tourney). The battle of the freshmen get an early start with Michael Beasley's Kansas St. taking on O.J. Mayo's USC Trojans.
Three teams have made the HWCI NCAA Pool every year and two of them, Arizona (14 as the most losses ever for an at-large team and a below .500 conference record) & Kentucky, were on the bubble but made the field of 65 (the third is Kansas). Kentucky is 13-0 in first round games (during our pool era) for those counting but have never been lower than an 8 seed before (they're 11th in the South). Nine teams are making their debut during our pool era with Drake possibly being the fan favorite (sorry, Gonzaga).
You can mail your entry fee (email me for snail mail) or give your $10 (per entry) to someone who will give the money to David or Scott. We are accepting PayPal (check or PayPal funds only) to "[email protected]" or credit card PayPal payments to "[email protected]" (but the entry fee is $10.61 (61 cents in PayPal fees... damn them!).
Van P. won our biggest prize to date, $450, thanks to having a perfect Elite 8 & Final 4. Last year we had 98 entries and hope to top 100 this year, which could trigger a 5th place prize. I am experimenting with a blog to communicate in-game updates and such but we also still have the Discussion Forum. Please feel free to post comments on the blog and express your ego on the Forum.
WHAT: 14th Annual HWCI NCAA Tournament Pool
DEADLINE: 9:00 a.m. PDT on Thursday, March 20, 2008
ENTRY FEE: $10.00 per entry (max 3 entries per person)
PREV CHAMPS: 2007- VAN&SAM, $450 (98 entries)
2006- GATORS NEVER CHOKE, $415 (85)
2005- FLIP FIGHTERS, $400 (82)
2004- FABIO, $370 (79)
2003- BIG LUTHER, $280 (63)
2002- THE FABON8ER, $400 (80)
2001- TEAM SAMURAI, $280 (59)
2000- MORALES' MOUNDS, $180 (36)
1999- SHARY BOBBINS, $180 (36)
1998- ANNA COME LATELY, $150 (28)
1997- MAX, $125 (22)
1996- JAYBIAN, $110 (19)
1995- BIX PIX, $70 (12)
RULES: Check http://www.HWCI.com/ncaa/2008/rules.html for more info
ARCHIVE: Check http://www.HWCI.com/ncaa/2008/history.html
FORUM: Click on "Discussion Board" at http://www.HWCI.com/ncaa
BLOG: I'm trying a blog for the first time. Click on "Blog" at http://www.HWCI.com/ncaa
NOTES: All fee money goes back into prizes
At least four winners (top prize about 40-50%)
Set points are awarded per game (2/3/4/6/8/12 for the 6 rounds) (no upset weighting)
Two went 16-0 on the first 1st Round day in 2003
Only 8 people (six in 2007) have picked all 4 Final Four teams
Just 109 of 699 entries have picked the correct champion
Points possible: 196
Most points ever: 166 by VAN&SAM in 2007
Least points ever: 49 by GOBAY, HENDO in 2002
Enter online now! You can also fax your entry to me at (720) 368-0816 or email us for a snail mail address (postmarked by Thursday AM). Make arrangements (such as PayPal) to send in your $10 entry fee(s) by March 20th. Complete rules and daily pool information can be found on the official site: http://www.HWCI.com/ncaa.
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Will Baby Spencer bring me luck?...