2011 HWCI NCAA Pool Update|
The 17th HWCI NCAA Tournament Pool |
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2011 HWCI NCAA Pool Update |
Sunday, March 13, 2011 Issue # 1.0.1 "HWCI Union Dues Now Due" [ Home | Blog | Facebook | Updates ]
CERRITOS, CA (smt)- #1E-Ohio St. is the #1 overall seed for the expanded 68-team tournament but only #1 overall seed (since it was first identified in 2004) has won the title. The Buckeyes are one of 7 Big 10 teams in the tournament but the Big East managed to get every team with a .500 in conference play in, that is 11 of its 16 members. The "weak" Pac-10, who some thought at the beginning of the season could only get one team in, got four, including locals #7SE-UCLA and USC (who will play in one of the First Four games, battling VCU for the #12SW seed). Even the Atlantic 10 and Colonial Athletic Association got three teams each (including VCU) while Conference USA somehow snuck in UAB as an at-large. But the power conferences still got 30 of the 37 at-large selections. #1SW-Kansas (who is the only team to be in all 17 of our pools), #1SE-Pitt, and #1W-Duke got the other #1 seeds. Geography has always been a challenge for the NCAA, so they have renamed the Midwest Region "Southwest" (San Antonio) and the South Region "Southeast" (New Orleans) for this year only.
If the HWCI NCAA Pool was unionized, we'd take all your $10 and then distribute it evenly at the end of the tournament, ensuring everyone gets $10 no matter how good or bad he/she picked. But luckily, no collective bargaining here. The top winner last year got $500. Despite the expansion to 68 teams, our bracket and pool remains the same. Still $10. Deadline is still 9 a.m. PDT Thursday. Same point system. What will change? The #11SW team will be called "VCU_USC", the #12E team will be called "UAB_CLEM", the #16E team will be called "UTSA_ALST", and the #16SE team will be called "UNCA_UALR". Pick as usual. If the winner of VCU-USC changes your mind, for example, then you can either update your bracket or email your change (easier to email one or two changes than resubmit a bracket). So you can pick as early as NOW or wait until the last minute. The only minor change, one no one cares about until the last weekend, is the "Winningest Conference" Bonus. What prints out when you submit your bracket may change depending if Clemson (ACC) or USC (Pac10) wins its First Four game. But considering the Big East has 11 teams, it's likely the Winningest Conference will be the Big East anyway, but this is just a heads up.
Please join our Facebook HWCI NCAA Pool Group. Here you can join the group and meet your competitors, make new friends, set up NCAA watching gatherings, and post stuff to the wall (pictures, witty comments, etc.).
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 "hwci<at>hotmail.com" or credit card PayPal payments to "smt0222<at>yahoo.com" (but the entry fee is $10.61 (61 cents in PayPal fees... damn them!)).
, Kim B. won first place in her 9th year, taking home a record $500, thanks to her Duke love. Last year we received a record 117 entries from a record 93 people. WHAT: 17th Annual HWCI NCAA Tournament Pool DEADLINE: 9:00 a.m. PDT on Thursday, March 17 ENTRY FEE: $10.00 per entry (max 3 entries per person) PREV CHAMPS: 2010- BLUE DEVIL BLUES, $500 (117 entries) 2009- BIZARRO LARZBY, $495 (114 entries) 2008- BELUCKY2, $440 (101) 2007- VAN&SAM, $450 (98) 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/wordpress/?page_id=43 for more info ARCHIVE: Check http://www.HWCI.com/ncaa/2011/history.html FORUM: Post at http://www.hwci.com/forum/phpbb3/viewforum.php?f=10 BLOG: Comment at http://www.HWCI.com/wordpress NOTES: All fee money goes back into prizes At least four winners (top prize about 40-50%) (if >=100 entries, 5 winners) 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, One did in 2009 Only 21 people (1 in 2009, 12 in 2008, 6 in 2007, 2 in 2001) have picked all 4 Final Four teams Just 157 of 1,031 entries (15.2%) 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 18th. Complete rules and daily pool information can be found on the official site: http://www.HWCI.com/ncaa. Tids & Bits - When in the bracket form page, if there's a red X or if the java applet fails to load, click here to download and install the Sun Java Runtime Environment... the Big 12 and the SEC got five teams in while the ACC got 4; the Mountain West got 3 teams... 13 at-large teams have at least 11 losses with five (Marquette, Michigan St, Penn St, Tenn, USC) having at least 14 (only 5 have had that many in the previous 26 years)... while some lament Colorado or Virginia Tech being left out, I was pulling for Harvard to snap a 64-year tournament drought after losing on a buzzer-beater in the Ivy League playoff... my son's ala mater (well, he goes there for preschool) Long Beach St. won the Big West by four full games but lost in the final... the at-large bids increased to 37 (from 34) with the last four being VCU, USC, UAB, and Clemson... Duke got its 12 #1 seed, the 10th time in our pool; Duke has never reached the Regional Final in our pool when not a #1 seed (five times)... Kansas is a #1 seed for the 10th time, the 8th time in our pool... last year, Duke rode the #1 seed to the title while Kansas rode the #1 seed to a flameout in the 2nd round... #15W-Northern Colorado is making its first-ever tourney appearance while Arkansas-Little Rock will try to enter the proper 64 for the first time in our pool... nice to see #14SW-St. Peter's back - they haven't been in the tourney since our first pool in 1995... with 11 teams, we could have a Big East pairing in the 2nd round, er, I mean 3rd round which was the 2nd round last year, with #3-UConn and #6-Cincy both in the West...
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