CERRITOS, CA (smt) - Friday was as bland as Thursday was exciting.  Thirteen top seeds advanced with just one game decided by 3 points or less.  #2E-West Virginia, #3W-Pitt, #5S-Texas A&M, #1S-Duke, #1W-Syracuse, and #2MW-Ohio St. rolled to easy victories. Respect?  #4S-Purdue was a popular upset pick, playing without Robbie Hummel, nearly blew a late 15-point lead to advance to the 2nd Round for the 12th straight time.  Respect?  The Pac-10 was called a one-bid lead but they are 2-0 thanks to #8S-Cal's torrid start (12-0 & 22-4) but they also nearly blew a late 14-point lead.  #8W-Xavier, #10E-Missouri, #8W-Gonzaga, and #4MW-Marylad pulled away late.  Trendy upset pick #12E-Cornell ensured a #12 beats yet #5 again in a tournament making it 12 in the past 6 years.  Wins were also picked up by #4E-Wisconsin, who needed some poor free throw shooting by their opponents, #10MW-Georgia Tech who couldn't hit a FG in the last 8 minutes but hit their free throws (24/25 for the game), and #5MW-Michigan St. who needed a ticky-tack lane violation call.

#12S-Utah St. highlighted (or lowlighted) the sorry state of free throw shooting in the tournament, missing all four attempts.  What was with #9S-Louisville coach Rick Pitino picking up a Technical Foul with 2:43 left?  Did he give up on the team, who had made a valiant effort to get back into the game.  The Big East redeemed itself slightly going 3-1 to end up 4-4.  The Big 12 went 5-2 while mid-major WCC went 2-0.  Below is Purdue's history in our pool, getting 11 of 12 wins during our pool era.  The light green cells indicate how they did (W1 is won 1 game).

Year	Sd	Region	Team	W6	W5	W4	W3	W2	W1	W0
1995	3	MW	PURDUE	0	0	1	0	9	1	1
1996	1	W	PURDUE	0	0	0	12	6	1	0
1997	8	SE	PURDUE	0	0	0	0	0	9	13
1998	2	MW	PURDUE	0	0	1	6	15	6	0
1999	10	E	PURDUE	0	0	0	1	0	15	20
2000	6	W	PURDUE	0	0	0	1	11	19	5
2003	9	S	PURDUE	0	0	0	2	3	18	40
2007	9	MW	PURDUE	0	0	0	0	0	33	65
2008	6	W	PURDUE	0	0	0	3	17	61	20
2009	5	W	PURDUE	1	1	2	3	38	60	9

Five entries went 15-1 tying a record for the day (just 13 entries have done so before this year) including SilverSurfer (54 pts) who is now tied for first with Suznana.  On the flip side, Bix Pix only got 8 games correct but it is Sisyphus is the one who is all alone in last with 34 pts.  Sixty-six (the majority) actually picked Missouri and 58 picked Georgia Tech.  Cornell was the most popular 12 seed as 35 picked them.  For a #4 seed, just 72 picked Purdue.  Random (38th-T, 46) is the only person who has all 16 Sweet Sixteen teams left in play.  Three only have 10 teams left.  In terms of potential, You're My Baby Blue and Hummeless can get as many as 181 points while Droppin' Dimes can only get a max of 131 despite being tied for 18th (48) - he is the only one who lost two Final Four teams.  It wasn't a bad day though as only Marty the Greek (38th-T) lost a Final Four team (Temple).

You can now view the unofficial list of people in our pool and you can find out who SilverSurfer or Suznana are.  Please explain your nickname or discuss which nicknames you like, don't like, or don't understand in our discussion forum.

   Tids & Bits - We are still waiting for one confirmation so when the official list comes out Sunday, we'll either be at 117 or 118 entries... 3 picked Wofford including the forever tied together LuckyNumberSlevin and RunsWithCrackers who are actually an engaged couple who consulted each other and entered their brackets at different times and didn't know they picked the exact 63 teams until my last update - they must really be meant for each other... HenryZinn ws the only one to pick UCSB... the Big 10 (4-1) and ACC (4-2) also won 4 games each... Cal's win was more solid in that they suspended a starting guard and had to travel cross country to Florida... two teams had long distance buzzer beaters - at the end of the 1st half, one by Houston and one by Cal... you hate to see a game decided on a lane violation call but New Mexico St. struggled with free throws that could've prevented that call from being the deciding factor (was watching that at Red Robin with my brother Shake N' Bake and our families)...