Author Archives: Scott

4th Annual HWCI NCAA First Four for Charity Contest

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For the 4th straight year, we’ll be using the First Four games as a little friendly competition for charity.  For every entry (1 per person but it’s free so invite your significant other or friends and family), I’ll personally donate $2 to a charity.  This year, we’ll be helping a fellow participant (Eric F) raise money to cover his friend’s enormous medical costs due to the effects of chronic Lyme disease, which if you don’t know you have it, is hard to detect and treat early.  The Friends of Renee committee (mission statement below) helps bring awareness of Lyme disease, which is the fastest growing infectious disease in the United States.  I remember going on a hike in Sequoia National Park and my wife’s sister was warning us about ticks.  I thought it’s just a bug bite, but she pointed out they carry diseases such as Lyme disease and I never thought of hiking in forests the same way again.

Last year, $103 was donated (odd number due to additional donations by generous people) to MathCounts.  In 2012, $83  was donated to the American Cancer Society.  In 2011, $100 was donated to the American Red Cross for the tsunami and earthquake relief.  It’s easy to enter.  Just comment to this post or send an email to scott(at)hwci.com with the 4 First Four winners and the winning margin.  Example:  Albany wins by 4 points, Texas Southern by 15 pts, Xavier by 1 pt, and Iowa by 8 pts.  Simple.  Here are the First Four matchups (deadline 3:40 pm PDT Tuesday):

#16S Albany vs Mt. St. Mary's
#16MW Cal Poly SLO vs Texas Southern
#12MW NC State vs Xavier
#11MW Iowa vs Tennessee
 Continue reading »

Local Representation

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SDGST CPOLYUCLASouthern California will have 3 teams in the tourney, though none will be the University of Southern California, who despite the hot coach with the hot wife, finished last in the Pac 12.  But their rival, UCLA, will be in the tourney after beating #4 Arizona for the conference championship.  The Pac 12 won’t get any respect though, so don’t expect UCLA to be ranked too high.

And in the biggest surprise of the conference championships, Cal Poly San Luis Obsipo (SLO) began the tourney 10-19 and proceeded to rout #2 Santa Barbara,  upset #1 UC Irvine (my wife’s alma mater who was also trying to make the NCAA tourney for the 1st time ever), and outlast Cal State Northridge in the Big West final.  Their first-ever appearance in the NCAA tourney, they are a shoo in for the First Four, so they probably won’t make the proper 64.

Finally, despite losing in the Mountain West final, San Diego St. will be in the tourney.  So three local teams aren’t bad.  But I am not picking Cal Poly SLO if they somehow did make it the proper 64!

Five Will Try

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CSTCAR MERCERThis is our 20th year and we have had 256 teams make the tournament (the proper 64) during that time.  So far, Coastal Carolina and Mercer will add to that total, meaning every year we had at least one new team in the tourney.  In 2011, if it weren’t for Northern Colorado, we would’ve been blanked.  There were quite a few teams trying to make our pool for the first time at the start of last week but several, including #1 seeds (such as UC Irvine… poor Anteaters) have failed.  Today (Saturday), five teams (Stony Brook, Cal Poly SLO, LA Tech, Toledo, and NC Central) are hoping to win their conference championship and earn a bid into the tourney.  Pretty exciting.  Stony Brook and LA Tech start at 8:30 am PDT.  Local (relatively) team Cal Poly SLO, a #7 seed who beat the Anteaters, will play at 7:30 pm PDT.  Also, previously ranked SMU will likely make the field for the first time since 1993 adding to our total.

Issue # 15.6.1 “I’m Luke Hancock, I’m Here to Rescue You”

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Congrats to Louisville, a deserving champion (even though I didn’t pick them). Also, congrats to the 7 winners in our pool.

Prize Winner Nickname Money Won Yrs in Pool (# Ent) # Times Won (Total $)
1st Steve N The Rat Pack $530 8 (9) 1 ($530)
2nd Blakeley H #3 Bwakewey Cubed $275 4 (10) 2 (Bns ’11 $315)
3rd Kevin T Shake N’ Bake $185 8 (8) 2 (Bns ’09 $225)
4th Byron W Flying Ace $130 14 (14) 1 ($130)
5th Paul T Poolraider $90 9 (12) 2 (2nd ’05 $285)
6th Van P Lastminute $65 11 (11) 3 (1st ’07, Bns ’10, $555)
Bonus Greg J BamaG $40 8 (14) 1 ($40)

Read today’s update below (or original here):

2013 NCAA Champions
[U. of Louisville Cardinals]
#1-Midwest
(Indianapolis, IN)		 The University of Louisville Cardinals
(35-5)
2013 Winningest Conference
[ Big 10 Conference ] The Big 10 Conference
(14-7)		 
Monday, April 8, 2013 
Issue # 15.6.1 "I'm Luke Hancock, I'm Here to Rescue You"
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6TH MAN HANCOCK RALLIES CARDS
Lastminute, Flying Ace, and BamaG join the winner’s circle
CERRITOS, CA (smt)- For the second straight game, the Cards fell behind by 12 points.  For the second straight game, a run of 3’s quickly cut down the lead.  And for the second straight game, Luke Hancock came off the bench to score 20+ points to lead the #1MW-Louisville Cardinals to a 82-76 victory over the #4S-Michigan Wolverines.  This was the Cards 3rd national title and Rick Pitino (recent Hall of Famer and soon to be tatoo’d) became the first coach to win titles for two teams.  In one of the most well-played finals in recent memory Continue reading »

Live Pool Blog: Louisville v Michigan

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My wife and Rick Pitino jumped when they shot off the streamers!

LOU wins 82-76 (158 pts)!  BamaG wins the Bonus, Flying Ace 4th, Poolraider 5th, and Lastminute 6th.  Cliff Paul can curse the Wolverine poise. Pitino is 1st to win championships with 2 different teams.  LOU was supposed to be a force last year as well but late injuries before the tourney doomed their chances.

LOU 82-76 2 sec:  Good thing the tiebreaker is already decided otherwise these last few free throws could’ve changed things.

LOU 78-74 29.8:  Is there a 4-point shot I don’t know about?  Why is Michigan taking their time to foul?

LOU 78-74 1:20: Why is LOU panicking?  They had complete control. 152 pts thus far.  Unless MI makes a comeback, BamaG will win the Bonus, Flying Ace 4th, Poolraider 5th, and Lastminute 6th.

LOU 76-66 3:20: Hancock again!  MI may have the most 3’s from 25+ feet, but Hancock just drills 3 after 3.

LOU 71-64 4:54: Not looking good for Cliff Paul.  BamaG can taste the Bonus.

LOU 67-64 5:22: Both teams just had FGC-like alley oops.  What a good game so far.

LOU 65-61 7:00: Both teams shooting 54%, what a difference from when Butler was in the Finals.

LOU 58-56 10:00: Projecting to 152 pts now.

LOU 54-49 12:20: More ticky tack fouls against LOU.  And why can you throw the ball in the back court from the front court?

MI 46-43 15:57:  Projecting to 142 pts. Lastminute still would be out of the money if MI wins.  Krispy Kremer wins Bonus if LOU wins, husband-wife-dad of Belucky2, SpAva and The Fabone XIX would share Bonus ($13.33 each) if MI wins.

MI 46-42: After an early LOU 3 to put them up by 2, MI is back up by 4.  Frantic pace so far.

MI 38-37 halftime:  Another ticky-tack foul vs Louisville and the Wolverines barely lead at the half.  If it’s like the Super Bowl, it may be an hour before the 2nd half starts… more importantly, the 75 points projects into 150 total points which if LOU wins, gives Poolraider 4th, Flying Ace 5th, and Lastminute 6th and BamaG the Bonus.  If Michigan wins, Lastminute would be eliminated and Pride of Troy would win the Bonus.

LOU 37-36:  Why do you desert and leave Hancock open?  4 straight 3’s.  And a FGC-like dunk and the Cards have erased a 12-pt lead to lead by 1!

MI 36-32: 3 consecutive 3’s by Hancock and the game is close again.  Much earlier than their game vs Wichita St.

Seriously, it’s been over six minutes and the score hasn’t changed.  Not because of play, but because of awfully long commercials (one long break, a short play, and timeout again!)… no wonder network TV is going down the drain.

MI 33-21 3:51 1st: Once again, Louisville is off to a very slow start as Michigan is not only making shots but grabbing rebounds on shots they’ve missed.  But we know all too well not to count the Cardinals out.

Start:  I’ll be keeping tabs on the total points in final for the Bonus tiebreaker and 4th/5th tiebreakers.

Issue # 14.5.2 “Leaving Our Teenage Years Behind Us” – History of the Pool

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Has it really been 19 years?  Unlike most pools, we keep a very detailed history.  Today’s update chronicles that history and also as a bonus, at the end is the list of the all-time records.  Good luck to those 3 vying for the final 2 spots and the 25 vying for the Bonus.

There will be the Final update wrap-up tomorrow and the a final pool wrap-up later in the week.  I’ll also be donating $96 ($40 by me and $56 by others) to MathWorks, which unfortunately, despite being a sponsor, my company does not match (they only do educational institutions).

If you have a lot of time, read on (or read original):

The Final @ Atlanta (Georgia Dome)
[U. of Louisville Cardinals]
(34-5)
#1-Midwest
(Indianapolis, IN)		 vs. [U. of Michigan Wolverines]
(31-7)
#4-South
(Arlington, TX)		 
Sunday, April 7, 2013 
Issue # 14.5.2 "Leaving Our Teenage Years Behind Us" [ All-Time Records ]
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THE RAT PACK JOINS WINNER CIRCLE AS OUR CHAMP
Our pool topped 130 for the 2nd straight year
CERRITOS, CA (smt)-  The #1 overall seed was the only survivor of the top 12 teams in the tournament in the Final Four and needed every ounce of their toughness to sneak into the Final.  #1MW-Louisville is using inspiration of fallen comrade Kevin Wade but will it be enough Continue reading »

Issue # 13.5.2 “Put Me In Coach, I’m Ready to Play, Today” ♫♫

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Almost had a “Shocker” there, didn’t we?  Bada-boom!  Well, 4 of the 6 top spots have been claimed, 3 are going for the remaining 2.  Also, 25 entries are still alive for the Bonus, so be watching the game and counting the points.  So do you want the favorite or the underdog to win?

Today’s update (or read original):

Saturday, April 6, 2013 

Issue # 13.5.2 "Put Me In Coach, I'm Ready to Play, Today" ♫♫
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L’VILLE & MICHIGAN UTILIZE BENCH TO WIN
 The Rat Pack wins the 2013 HWCI NCAA Pool
CERRITOS, CA (smt)- #1MW-Louisville and #4S-Michigan both had to rely on their bench to rescue their starter’s poor shooting in reaching Monday’s Final.  #9W-Wichita St stymied the Cards and then jumped to a 12-point lead with about 13 minutes left but Continue reading »

We have a champion! Steve N!

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Steve N (The Rat Pack) needed 2 things to happen:  Louisville to win and Michigan to win.  And he got both to become our 18th different HWCI NCAA Pool Champion and win the $530 prize.  This is the first time he has won money in 8 years (9 total entries).  Blakeley H (Bwakewey Cubed) will win 2nd or 3rd, his 2nd win in 4 years (Bonus in ’11) (10 entries).  Kevin T (Shake N’ Bake) will win 3rd or 4th, his 2nd win in 8 years (Bonus in ’09).  Paul T (Poolraider)  joins the winners as he will win either 4th, 5th, or 6th since his tiebreaker is in the middle of the 3 tied.  This is his 2nd win in 9 years (2nd in ’05) (12 entries).  Only 2 of these 3 will join the winners list:  Kevin J (Cliff Paul), Van P (Lastminute), and Byron W (Flying Ace).

As for the $40 Bonus, 26 entries are alive (only 25 can win since Van P would finish 4th and be ineligible in her winning scenario).

Here are the final scenarios for the top money & Bonus: Continue reading »

Issue # 12.4.3 “Crazy Tourney, SportsNation Style”

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Two more games today.  Although 10 are alive for the 6 money spots, an additional 50 40 are alive for the Bonus.  So good luck to the 60 50 entries (out of 131) with a chance to win money.  Can Louisville be upset?  We’ll see…

Here’s today’s update (or read original)…

The Final Four @ Atlanta (Georgia Dome)
[U. of Louisville Cardinals]
(33-5)
#1-Midwest
(Indianapolis, IN)		 [Wichita St. U. Shockers]
(30-8)
#9-West
(Los Angeles, CA)		 [U. of Michigan Wolverines]
(30-7)
#4-South
(Arlington, TX)		 [Syracuse U. Orange]
(30-9)
#4-East
(Washington, DC)		 
[ SportsNation, Weekdays 1 pm PT ESPN2 ]
Friday, April 5, 2013 **HAPPY BIRTHDAY BELUCKY2 **
Issue # 12.4.3 "Crazy Tourney, SportsNation Style"
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SEEMS LIKE AN EASY PATH FOR LOUISVILLE
Can The Rat Pack secure 1st Saturday?
CERRITOS, CA (smt)- Despite just one #1 seed in the Final Four and a #9 seed, all four teams have won at least 30 games this season.  With darling Gonzaga losing in the 3rd round, Continue reading »

Issue # 11.4.2 “Michigan Dominates Early, Louisville Dominates Late”

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Just one #1 seed joining 2 #4’s and a #9.  What a wacky tournament.  Disaster everywhere but for some reason, 3 can still win the pool (thank you Syracuse & Michigan lovers) making it still competitive in the final weekend.  Of course, with just 10 entries alive, 3 have guaranteed spots.  Which ones?  Read on (or read original)…

Sunday, March 31, 2013 ** HAPPY EASTER!!! **
Issue # 11.4.2 "Michigan Dominates Early, Louisville Dominates Late"
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WOLVERINES EAT GATORS FOR LUNCH; LAST #1 ADVANCES
The Rat Pack alone in 1st and 1 of 3 guaranteed money
HOME OF IN IT TO NGUYEN IT‘S MOM IN ALHAMBRA, CA / CERRITOS, CA (smt)- Before you could seemingly blink, #4S-Michigan built a 41-17 lead and when #3S-Florida was trying a comeback, Continue reading »

Issue # 10.4.1 “Zoned Out”

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Well, Sunday brings an exciting installment of drama, back-and-forth lead changes, and questionable decisions.  Of course, I’m talking about the 9-time Emmy Awarding winning The Amazing Race now in the middle of its 22nd season on CBS.  27 of you care about the games though and will the last #1 seed advance?  Read Saturday’s update below or view the original.

[Still the best reality show on TV with tons of Emmys - Watch Season 22 Sundays 8/7 ET/CT]

Saturday, March 30, 2013 
Issue # 10.4.1 "Zoned Out"
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‘CUSE USE ZONE TO STYMIE MARQ; NO MIRACLE 3-POINTER THIS TIME FOR OHIO ST
ChasCroix and The Rat Pack hold serve but Chi-Town Mikey’s Going Up
THE HOME DEPOT CENTER, CARSON, CA / CERRITOS, CA (smt)- #4E-Syracuse used a killer zone defense to handcuff #3E-Marquette, 55-39, and advance to the Final Four pit stop for the 4th time Continue reading »

Issue # 9.3.2 “Incredible Comeback and Midwest Showdown”

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If you notice on the right side now, you can now easily click the links for the latest Bonus Possibilities and the Worksheet, a green/red view of who got what picks right.  As always, if you longed to see yourself near the top of the heap in the past, Scott’s Updates is the Archive page for all information.  And if you’re wondering what Kansas was doing in the latter part of the game (probably what Memphis was doing in the ’08 championship game vs Kansas), call on Mystery Incorporated led by Scooby Doo (seriously, this is the best Doo yet with biting humor and an overall Lost-type mystery that plays out bit by bit in all 52 eps)!

Read below or view original update.

[The best reincarnation of Scooby Doo; airing final eps weekdays 5/4 ET/CT on Cartoon Network]

Friday, March 29, 2013 
Issue # 9.3.2 "Incredible Comeback and Midwest Showdown"
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GO FOR THE WIN – NOT! LEGENDARLY COACHES IN MW
ChasCroix and The Rat Pack nearly in the money
CERRITOS, CA (smt)- So you blew a 14-point lead with 6:50 left and an unfortunate free throw miss allowed you to blow a 5-point lead with 21 seconds left.  But you’ve dominated the paint (finishing with 60) yet in a tie game take your time to take a 3-pointer?  Then in overtime, Continue reading »

Issue # 8.3.1 “No Hoosier-Hurricane Matchup” + Young London!

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Wow, what a bracket busting day.. .and it wasn’t even close.  Luckily 85 entries can still win money and 35 can still win 1st, so not all is lost.  My The Fabone XIX is out, done in by Colin Cowherd who said Indiana and Miami were the two best teams he’d seen.  Sigh… but for a positive message, Poolraider (Paul T), who helps promote unknown bands, has touted Young London (also his nickname for his 2nd entry) as an up-and-comer, and after listening to their YouTube video, it’s very catchy; and I hope this is a compliment, but I can imagine hearing it performed on Glee… So please take a listen and Like them!

Read on or read original…

[Scott's Pool Updates]

[Young London - an electro pop band (Matt and Sarah)] Call My Name (Tonight) – Young London

Thursday, March 28, 2013 
Issue # 8.3.1 "No Hoosier-Hurricane Matchup"
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BADLY PREPARED, MIAMI & INDIANA FALL
DenverDunks1, with no finalist alive, remains in 1st
CERRITOS, CA (smt)- A week is a long time and the three top favorites playing today were just not sharp.  #2E-Miami, #2W-Ohio St, and #1E-Indiana all trailed by double-digits in the first half.  But in the end, Continue reading »