2017 NCAA Champions
#1-South (Memphis, TN)	University of North Carolina Tar Heels (33-7) 6th Title: '57, '82, '93, '05, '09, '17
2017 Winningest Conference
	The Southeastern Conference (11-5) 4th Time: '06, '07, '14, '17 & The Atlantic Coast Conference (11-8) 6th Time: '04, '05, '10, '15, '16, '17

Monday, April 3, 2017 
Issue # 14.6.1 "Ugly Redemption"
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CERRITOS APT, CA (smt)- #1S-North Carolina shot 35.6%, only made 4 of 27 from long range (14.8%), and missed 11 free throws (57.7%) yet were able to hold off #1W-Gonzaga, 71-66, in a foul-marred game (22 fouls on each team).  With two injured ankles, Joel Berry made four threes (the rest of the team was 0 for 14) and scored 22 points (second straight final with 20+ points) to lead UNC to redemption after last year's final loss to Villanova.  It was an ugly contest with UNC shooting 30% in the 1st half and Gonzaga shooting 28% in the second half and the refs plagued the game with fouls, a ticky tack flagrant 1 at a key point in the game, and missing an out-of-bounds hand by a UNC player in a tie-up that was possession UNC with under a minute left.  Despite the poor shooting all-around the teams did manage to combine to score 136 points which is more than the other mid-major finals involving Butler (120 and 94 points in back-to-back finals).

UNC's win gave Dboyz17 the 2017 HWCI NCAA Pool title and record $690 win (out of a record $1,780 pot), finishing with 148 points followed by MarchMindlessness (143), Alternative Picks (142), Agnes Scheweizhofer (135), and Flying Elvi (133).  The 136 total points gave ChasCroix1 the tiebreaker over The Juggernaut to win 6th.  Bigtenfan was in position to win the Bonus but a late foul put that in jeopardy; luckily UNC made just one of two free throws and he finished off by one point and was still the best finisher (32nd) among the 12 entries who were one off.

 

Place	Amount	Winner	Nickname	Pts (Place)	Yrs in Pool (#Ent)	# Times Won (Total $)
1st	$690	Greg Z	Dboyz17	148 (1st)	4 (5)	1st win
2nd	$355	Eric F	MarchMindlessness	143 (2nd)	7 (9)	2 ($450; 5th '14 )
3rd	$240	Nelson P	Alternative Picks	142 (3rd)	11 (14)	1st win
4th	$180	Andy F	Agnes Schweitzhofer	135 (4th)	20 (20)	2 ($212.50; 6th(Tied) '12)
5th	$130	Brian S	Flying Elvi	133 (5th)	21 (21)	2 ($190; 2nd '97)
6th	$ 85	Chuck D	ChasCroix1	132 (6th)	9 (16)	1st win
7th	$ 60	Alex K	The Juggernaut	132 (7th)	2 (2)	1st win
Bonus	$ 40	Benjamin D	Bigtenfan	116 (32nd)	6 (11)	2 ($330; 2nd '14)

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 - 30 chose UNC as their champion...  16.9% of entries got the correct champ (better than the 23-year average of 14% and highest since '13 (24.4%))... this is the 19th straight year at least one person picked the correct champion (last one to slip by: Kentucky '98)... both the SEC and the ACC ended with 11 wins... UNC is 4th team to win title after losing in Final the previous year ('82 UNC, '91 Duke, '98 Kentucky)...  Zags shot just 8/29 (27.6%) in 2nd half... Gonzaga is 4th straight team to lose in finals debut... since '85, 1-loss teams are 0-4 in finals (Memphis '08, Illinois '05, Duke '99)... UNC had just 4 turnovers... Zags missed 8 of 11 layups and dunks... first time Gonzaga was outshot this season (34% to 36% for UNC)... 

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Watching the game on NCAA app on my iPad while driving (shhh....)...
Scott