Friday, March 25, 2016 
Issue # 9.3.2 "Chalk 2!"
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CERRITOS, CA (smt)- The same story as yesterday.  The top seeds builds a big lead, the lower seeds fights back, then the top seed goes on a run and wins in a landslide.  #1MW-Virginia and #1E-UNC won easily meaning all four #1 seeds are in the Elite 8 for the first time since 2009.   Their #2 counterparts did not make the Sweet 16 setting up interesting 7v6 and 10v11 matchups. Both games featured epic collapses, which seems to be a trend at this tournament.  #7E-Wisconsin hit a three to go up 61-58 with 26 seconds left but #6E-Notre Dame's Demetris Jackson had a couple of steals as the Irish scored the last 8 points for a 61-56 win.  #11MW-Gonzaga had a 57-48 lead with 6:20 left but couldn't hit a field goal the rest of the way while committing five turnovers and allowing 6 offensive rebounds to give #10MW-Syracuse a 63-60 win.  So all eight better seeded teams won in the Sweet 16.

In the pool, The Resistance could only get two wins and got them both to hold onto his 2-point lead (110 pts) over Buccos 1 and Bigtenfan (who had a chance to lead if Wisconsin didn't choke and now can't finish higher than 2nd).  Five went 3-1 though while 13 went 0-4.  JJ2 went from a tie for 13th to 5th (104).  Hendo is tied for 14th (98) but can't win money.  Six of the top 10 (including The Resistance) have Michigan St. as their champion so there is a lot of opportunity for movement.  Billy Holye's Socks is still last with 66 pts.  21 can still win the pool while 64 can win money. Matt4776 (4th, 105) has the best chance to win the pool (18.8%) with Zarinc (6th-Tied, 102), Buccos 1, and Buckeye23 (31st-T, 95) each with a better than 1-in-10 shot.  The Resistance has the best chance at money (56.3%) with Buccos 1 and Matt4776  also better than 1-in-2.  35 went 6-2 for the round while QueenB (146th-T, 69) and Quinnsanity (134th, 77) went 1-7.

For the Bonus, the ACC swept the right side of bracket today.  The ACC has 16 wins but because all four teams are from the ACC (MW/E), it guarantees them at least 19 wins and if the ACC team wins the Final, 20.  This means that if an ACC teams loses in the final, Ito (106th-T, 84) could win the Bonus and if the ACC teams win the championship, Bob's Ball Hogs (13th, 99) could win the Bonus.  "Could" because both are still alive to win money and if they do, then no one wins the Bonus1 and then it reverts to the Bonus2, which is the total points in final.  But we'll know more after Sunday's games what the possibility of that happening.

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.  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.). 

   Tids & Bits - 117 picked Virginia, 9 picked Notre Dame, 99 picked UNC, and Belucky2 (38th-T, 94) was the only one to pick Syracuse... a lot of fouls as UNC shot 33 times (26 made) and Indiana shot 26 times (made 23)... Virginia, who shot 56.1%, is in the Elite 8 for the first time since 1995, our first pool... 10 still have their Final Four intact while One and Won (146th-T, 69) is the 375th entry to go 0-for-the-Final-Four... The Resistance is 27-1 on the first day of each round and 16-12 on the second day...   

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Enjoying my last hours in first place... sigh...
Scott