AUSTIN, TX/CERRITOS, CA (smt)- The lucky fans in Tampa who went to all four games saw four major upsets (we're not talking about a #9 beating an 8) as the early doubleheader featured two overtime games with #12W-Western Kentucky and #13W-San Diego pulling off last second heroics (with W.Ky's a bona-fide actual buzzer-beater; just the second in five years (from my count)).  The evening doubleheader saw #13MW-Siena and #12MW-Villanova (rallying from 18 pts down in the 1st half) repeat what happened in the morning session (the first time four upsets happened at the same site).  Elsewhere, #10MW-Davidson (led by Stephen Curry's 40 pts) just about officially put the torch out on #7MW-Gonzaga's mystique and #9E-Arkansas upended #8E-Indiana pushing the total to six upsets for the day.  Whereas #7S-Miami, #7E-Butler (silencing the local favorite, #10E-South Alabama), #2MW-Georgetown, #2S-Texas, #1E-UNC (113 pts), #3E-Louisville, and #1S-Memphis (though not the routs like the other #1 seeds) all won easily, a couple of two seeds (E-Tennessee and MW-Georgetown) needed late surges to put the game out of reach.  #8S-Miss. St. rallied from 13 points down in the 2nd half to advance to the second round.

While Miss. St. missed 12 3-pointers in a row (to start the game), Oregon topped that by missing 18 in a row in the second half, in one of the biggest chokes thus far, as Oregon had just lost confidence and desire.  Their coach was stoic and did nothing as the Ducks self-destructed.  Whereas Villanova's coach Jay Wright was animated and almost cost them the game by getting technical foul with 2:58 remaining and a hard-fought 4-point lead; luckily it worked out in the end even though #5MW-Clemson did end up tying the game at 66.  I mentioned the Gonzaga mystique is officially dead, kind of like finding out Santa Claus doesn't exist (at least as a fat jolly old fellow; though I may have to play him this Christmas and could fit that description by day's end).  I was hoping Drake would be the next giant killer (despite the high # 5 seed), because Drake, like the Zags, is just a cool name and both teams are nicknamed "Bulldogs".  I can't believe I was on a plane and missed this game.  Maybe this'll be a classic like the Arizona-Gonzaga multiple overtime game a few years back.

In our 14th Annual HWCI NCAA Pool, we now unofficially have 101 entries as we found the proud (well, DR. FUN is tied for 65th) owners of MR F and DR. FUN.  Thursday's standings have been updated with these two picks.  We hope to get the final count done by the weekend.  The upsets shook up the standings, leaving WOKIM all alone in first with 54 pts.  Twenty-five others are within four points.  WOKIM was the only one to go 13-3 today while SUZNANA (85th-Tied, 40 pts) went  7-9, tying a record low for Friday.  The random picks QUICKPICK MCGRAW is still in last with 30 pts and went 9-7 for the day which is the same as how Thursday co-leaders POOLRAIDER, FLIP FIGHTERS, EECHICK, B-EASY, and KRISPY SECONDS (all tied for 12th with 48 pts) did.

WOKIM picked Sienna, W.Ky., and Villanova and missed out in picking San Diego, his hometown.  Overall, just 3 picked San Diego (CROW2BUGS (44th-T, 44), XK2XBOILX (27th-T, 46), and BIGRED (12th-T, 48)).  Only 15 picked Sienna while 17 each picked W.Ky. and Villanova.  Only 7 entries have lost one team in the Final Four (and none have lost either finalist).  Interestingly, since both #12 and #13 seeds happened in the same part of the bracket, it's almost a wash, as most did not have the #4 or #5 seed making the Elite 8 anyway.

Notes / Zeichen:  64 still have their Elite 8 intact... 38 have both UCLA and UNC in the final; UCLA wins 25 times... if we hold at 101 entries, we will add a 5th place top prize... even though I picked Indiana, I was rooting for Arkansas if only to continue to see Stephen Hill as he's in the early leader for best hair of the tournament; they have lumberjacks in Arkansas?... could the blue NCAA logo be any bigger in Raleigh?  I mean, it looks like there isn't any room to move the 3-pt line further back (as they will do next year)... to see how everyone did, you can view the Worksheet I use to come up with these dumb stats... FLYING ELVI (65th-T, 42) did not go through with his promise that if Cal St. Fullerton ever made it to the NCAA tournament he'd pick them to win it all; he didn't even pick them to beat Wisconsin... Update: we have a record 12 people who submitted two entries; only 5 people out of 54 have won something in the past when submitting two entries, a partly 9.3%; only 1 of those 5 winners were because of the 2nd entry (Scott T in 1999)...