2011
HWCI NCAA Pool Update|
The 17th HWCI NCAA Tournament Pool |
|
2011
HWCI NCAA Pool Update |
Saturday, March 26, 2011 Issue # 10.5.1 "Butler in the Final Four Again" [ Home | Blog | Facebook | Updates ]
CARSON, CA/CERRITOS, CA (smt)- #8SE-Butler's coach Brad Stevens said after the game that he "clearly got out-coached" by #2SE-Florida's Billy Donovan but unless you want to blame the players, the shots at the end of regulation (long 3-pt attempt at the buzzer despite 30 seconds to work with) and OT (2 long 3-pt attempts, the first only down by 1 point) boggle the mind. The Bulldogs thrilling 74-71 overtime win sends them to the Final Four for the second straight year, an amazing feat as a non-major but also as a #8 seed.
In a seesaw battle that saw #3W-UConn lead by 9, then have #5W-Arizona score 14 of the next 16 points, then the Huskies come back and score 10 straight points, only to see the Wildcats score the last 8 of 11 points, Arizona came up 2 points short (though they had 2 good looks for the game-winning 3). UConn's two titles have come from leaving the West Region and they have now made the Final Four 4 of the past 5 times they were placed in the West Region.
UConn's win prevented Craig (1st, 106) from winning the pool today but it did guarantee The Mighty Mobelfakta (2nd-Tied, 99) a chance for money in all 32 possible outcomes (he could lose a tiebreaker and finish out of the money in two scenarios). So 21 are vying for the remaining 4 money spots. There is a 5-way logjam for 2nd (3 are stuck at 99) and a 4-way logjam for 7th. No one picked Butler but 22 had UConn. The other two who have a chance to win the pool are Krispy Kremer (20th-T, 92) and Pack Rat (he'd have to win a tiebreaker) who moved from 99th-T to 73rd-T (80).
As for the Bonus, the Big East will win the Winningest Conference with either 11, 12, or 13 wins. This means if UConn loses Saturday, Real Sporting FC (52nd-T, 84) will win the Bonus -- unless he finishes in the money (UNC winning it all). In that case, Bonus2 will take effect. If UConn loses in the Final, then BamaG 2 (69th-T, 81), Cally 2 Stiff (103rd-T, 74), or Cally 2 Tough (52nd-T) (Matt C will have 2 chances!) could win the Bonus. If UConn wins it all, then For Narnia (118th-T, 69) or Buzzer Beaters (14th-T, 95) will win the Bonus.
Tids & Bits - While ten started out the day with 3 Final Four teams alive, only The Mighty Mobelfakta still has it intact... congrats to Bellarmine who won the Division II title who beat my fav BYU-Hawai'i by three (on my DVR it had the last minutes of this game)... UNC is has won its last 10 Sweet Sixteen matches and in those have gone on to win 8 of 9 Elite 8 games... at least 23 will go 0-for-the-Final-Four... Arizona's loss means the Pac 10 era is over as the Pac 12 will emerge next season... UConn eliminated me :-(...
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My wife buying sweets at
Rossmore Pastries prevented me
from listening to the end of the Butler game...