- The Final Four @ Indianapolis (Lucas Oil Stadium) -
(38-0) #1-Midwest (Cleveland, OH)	(35-3) #1-West (Los Angeles, CA)		(27-11) #7-East (Syracuse, NY)	(33-4) #1-South (Houston, TX)

Sunday, March 29, 2015 (Posted April 2) (Rev A)
Issue # 11.4.2 "Zags Fall Short Again"
[ Home | Blog  | Twitter | Facebook | Updates ]

CERRITOS/ALHAMBRA, CA (smt)- For the 2nd straight day, a team in the last minute played like they were in a one possession game but they weren't. Yesterday, Arizona, down by 5 (not 1 or 2) played tough defense but ran down the clock and ended with a Wisconsin 3-point basket.  Today, #4E-Louisville in the last minute of overtime ran a Harlem Globetrotter type play by running around handing the ball off to each player at the top of the arch, needlessly running down the clock, and ended with a horrible turnover.  The Cards were down by 4 (not 1 or 2 or even 3) so playing down the clock was bizarre.  Of course, all this could've been prevented had Louisville hit one free throw at the end of regulation.  So #7E-Michigan St advances to the Final Four with the 76-70 overtime win and is Tom Izzo's 7th Final Four.  The Spartans will play #1S-Duke as Coach K makes his 12th Final Four with a easy 66-52 win over #2S-Gonzaga. 

Big Luther (2nd, 135 pts), Chaka (3rd, 129), Pac Attack (27th-Tied, 117), and Poolraider (4th-T, 128) went 2-0 but Poolraider was the only one to go 4-0 in the round (only the 22nd to do so and first to do since Bizarro Larzby in 2009).  Will I Ever Win This's impressive 13-game win streak ended with the Zags loss but still leads by two points (137).  Eleven (11) actually picked 7th-seed Michigan St while 77 chose Duke.  Michigan St's win eliminated 5 from winning the pool (8 had Louisville).

Chaka and Poolraider can only rise to 2nd or 3rd which leaves only 3 with a chance to win our pool including a potential for only our second two-time champion, as Big Luther (2003 champ) is one of the 3 (25% chance). BobbyCee'sRacer'sEdge (6th-T, 126) is the last of the 3 with a chance to win the pool (25%).  A total of 20 entries are still alive to finish in the top 6 and none have guaranteed themselves money.  In looking at the Final Four possibilities, a Duke over Kentucky final would produce a tiebreaker for 6th between 3 people (always tough).  Only if Michigan St. and Kentucky win Saturday would we know who our pool champ will be (Will I Ever Win This).

In the race for the Bonus, for those of us eliminated, the ACC will be the winningest conference with either 15, 16, or 17 wins.  There are 45 eliminated entries that could win the Bonus (meaning 65 of 161 entries still have a dog in the fight). 

We are now on Twitter (@HWCI_Pools).  Please follow!  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 ACC and Big 10 are now 15-5 and 11-5, respectively... 120 entries have reached 100 points... Flying Ace (64t-T, 110) is the lowest ranked entry that still has a chance for money (6th)... the 1.85 win average in the Elite 8 was the highest since 2008 (record 2.52) and 5th highest overall (thanks to 3 #1 seeds making the Final Four).... Gamblerstein (140th-T, 93), Gavin (154th, 88), Newbie (155th-T, 86), and Stine2 (11th-T, 100) are the 371st-374th entries to go 0-for-the-Final-Four...

--------
iPad Air and Slingbox make a great pair...
Scott