CERRITOS, CA (smt)- The early games featured #1W-UConn holding off a determined #5W-Purdue team, 72-60, and #1E-Pitt playing an ugly game with #4E-Xavier but still prevailing 60-55 thanks to two late Musketeer turnovers.  Xavier went on a 7-0 run to erase a 5-point deficit with 1:52 left and had a chance to make it 9 in a row but turned the ball over.  Pitt then hit a 3-pointer to take a lead they held. 

In the evening games, #3E-Villanova built a double-digit lead in the second half and never let #2E-Duke make a big run at them, winning 77-54.  You know you're in trouble when Mizzou's Marcus Denmon hits a three-quarter shot at the halftime buzzer.  #3W-Missouri scored at will and by the time they imploded (going 6 minutes without a field goal), they hit their free throws in reaching triple figures, a 102-91 win over we-shoulda-been-number-one #2W-Memphis. 

The battle of Tigers saw the Mizzou version build a 24-point lead 5 minutes into the second half at 64-40 but then the Memphis version went on an 11-0 run and eventually cut it to 6 (89-83) with 2:15 left.  Missouri then hit 9 of their last 10 free throws while Memphis only hit one 3-pointer during the run (1-for-10).  Memphis didn't help their cause by picking up a dumb and costly bench technical with 8:11 left (Mizzou made both free throws).

The two #2 seeds falling were the first of the top 12 seeded teams to fall in 28 tries.  The Big East won all 3 games (2 more tomorrow) to pick up wins #12, 13, and 14.  The Big 12 picked up their 10th win and is the only conference left that still has a chance to be the winningest conference.

Pitt's win left Buckeye Mike (Tied-3rd, 106 pts) all alone in first but by the end of the day, two new entries rose to the top.  The Rat Pack rose from 6th to the top (108) sharing the lead with Bama G 2.  The Rat Pack and Rainman (101), who rose from a tie for 41st to a tie for 10th, were the only entries to go 4-0.  This is the third straight round that someone has been perfect on the first day of the round, a first.  Three managed to go 0-4 (how do you not pick UConn and Pitt).  14 lost Memphis as their champ.  The minor upsets were picked by 21 (Mizzou) and 43 ('Nova) entries which helped eliminate 44 today, leaving just 72.

The Rat Pack and SilverSurfer (T-3rd, 106) both lead with about a 16-17% chance of winning first but The Rat Pack is the only one with a greater than 50% chance (53.6%) of winning money.  SilverSurfer (37.2%), Bizarro Larzby (T-3rd, 106) (32.0%), Baba (7th, 103) (29.2%), and Getlucky2 (T-8th, 102) (28.2%) all have good chances as well to win money.  Forty-seven (47) still have a chance to win the $495 1st Place prize.  The top six each have a different champion picked.  More chaos tomorrow!

    Tids & Bits:  Remember this from the update # 6: Scott T (moi), aka, Ides of Fabone (T-58th, 83), is barely still in it, which makes it the 15th straight year he hasn't been eliminated after the 2nd round (though in 3 of the past 4 years, he was eliminated midway through the 3rd round)?  Well, he (T-63rd, 91) was eliminated again in the middle of the 3rd round; his other entry, the experimental Pre-Selection Picks (T-105th, 80) was also eliminated today proving that hindsight is always better than foresight... Rod Thunder (88) had one of the biggest falls, going from a tie for 48th and chance for 1st to a tie for 80th and eliminated while Bearly Playing (97) went 3-1 and jumped from a tie for 41st to a tie for 27th, but her not picking Missouri eliminated her... on the flip side, Big Luther (81) went a poor 1-3 and dropped from a tie for 87th to a tie for 101st, but his pick of UConn kept him alive with a chance for 1st... UConn eliminated 3 entries, Pitt eliminated C$ (T-105th, 80), Mizz eliminated 17, and 'Nova eliminated 13... 86 still can win the Bonus...