2014 HWCI NCAA Pool Update

Sunday, March 23, 2014
Issue # 5.2.2 "Pac 12 Rules Day While Huge Winning Streaks Snapped"
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SHOCKERS PERFECT SEASON OVER
Hawkeye now up by 6 and has 70% chance to win money

CERRITOS, CA (smt)- Two long winning streaks were snapped while the Pac 12 sent 3 teams to the Sweet 16. The conspiracy of getting rid of a strong mid-major (#1MW-Wichita St) worked on the first try as #8MW-Kentucky survived a potential buzzer beater to send the Missouri Valley champions home with their first loss (35-1). #4S-UCLA snapped Stephen F Austin's 29-game win streak and was 1 of 3 Pac 12 teams to qualify joining #10S-Stanford (who upset #2S-Kansas - so it's moot when Joel Embid will return) and #1W-Arizona. #1E-Virigina, #11MW-Tennessee (the First Four winner), and #6W-Baylor all won easily.

One of the oddest endings as a great back-and-forth battle between #3E-Iowa St and #6E-UNC saw the Cyclones score the go-ahead with 1.6 seconds left and then UNC inbounding the ball and calling a timeout at midcourt. Problem was, the clock started late on the inbounds so while there was hope there would be 0.3 seconds or so left (the clock stopped late going to zero), after a lengthy review (are there too many reviews?) it was ultimately determined there could've been 0.3 left but because it started 0.3 late, the game was over.

Four entries (Badzy (46th-Tied, 77 pts), BigBlue (55th-T, 76), DanDog (22nd-T, 79)) went 6-2 today despite just four top seeds winning. One of those was Nwspring 1 who moved from a tie for 15th to sole possession of 2nd, six points behind Hawkeye (92) (both went 12-4 for the round). Luke I am Your Father (85) and Bigtenfan2 (84) are 3rd and 4th. For the first time ever someone went 0-8 for the 2nd half of the Round of 32 as AirDingus (also a low 4-12 in the round) went from a tie for 114th to a 3-way tie for last (58 with Iglesias and Princess Kahlo).

Just 28 picked Baylor, 26 picked Kentucky, 7 Tennessee, and 2 Stanford (Badzy and Coach K's Recruiters (65th-T, 75)). Eight picked Wichita St (25 had them in the Final Four) and Kansas (23 in the Final Four).

The goal is to finish in the top 6 as these are the money spots. After two rounds, 34 entries were eliminated from winning money. Only 60 have a chance to be the 2014 HWCI NCAA Pool Champion, a highly coveted title which you can never lose, like Academy Award winner even if you're now washed out. As expected, Hawkeye has the best chance for 1st (28.4%) and winning money (69.6%). Five have better than a 1 in 5 shot at money (Bigtenfan2, LuckyNumberSlevin (10th-T, 81), Kingalinga (24th-T, 78), Wooden-Soldier (5th-T, 83), and Here We Go Picks (10th-T)). But if you're one of the 34 eliminated, there's still hope as you are now eligible to win the $40 Bonus Prize, which works the same in past years and will be detailed later this week.

We are now on Twitter (@HWCI_Pools). Please follow! As I did for our HWCI Euro Soccer Pool when it debuted, I will post using #hwcincaa mini-updates during the day so you can follow without being on Twitter (and if you are, please use #hwcincaa). Please join our Facebook HWCI NCAA Pool Group or post comments on our blog.

Tids & Bits - The 4th Annual HWCI NCAA First Four for Charity benefiting The Friends of Renee was won by Guilio B who was the only person to go 4-0 and a write-up will be in a future update... including the First Four, there have been 6 OT games thus far... GoGoGodzilla (65th-T) was perfect yesterday but lost the first four games today ... 13 lost Creighton in the Final Four with Dr Fun (100th-T, 71) losing them as champion... average of 9.1 wins for the round...

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Days seem longer spreading 8 games over 11 hours...
Scott