Category Archives: HWNCAA Pool 23

Issue # 2.1.1 “One Bad Pass”

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Thursday, March 16, 2023 

INEXPLICABLE PASS GIVES FURMAN HIGHLIGHT REEL PLAY
A record 194 entries from a record 126 people with 19 teams picked to win it all

HOME, CA (smt) – At least 4S-Virginia can say they are a champion because other than their 2019 title, they have stunk up the pools.  For the second straight time (they missed the tourney last year) they lost to a #13 seed and of course, they remain the only team to lose to a #16 seed (2018).  This time, leading by 2 and with the ball with less than 10 seconds left, a bad hail mary pass (Virginia had a time out!) was easily intercepted by #13S-Furman who quickly nailed a 3-pointer with 2.4 seconds left to win 68-67.  But that wasn’t the biggest shocker as #15S-Princeton (no stranger to shock wins, just ask UCLA) scored the last 9 points to stun #2S-Arizona 59-55.  The Pac 12 champions may be out but the regular season champ #2W-UCLA routed #15-UNC Asheville by 33. 

#5S-San Diego St, #7S-Missouri, #4E-Tennessee, and #1MW-Houston struggled with close wins while #1W-Kansas (though it was tied 33-33), #1S-Alabama, #5E-Duke, #2MW-Texas won by at least 20 points.  #8S-Maryland survived a last second three, #8W-Arkansas never let #9W-Illionois get within 5 in the second half, #9MW-Auburn never let #8MW-Iowa get within 4 in the second half, and #7W-Northwestern never let #10W-Boise St (who are now 0-9 in the tourney) get within 4 in the last 5 minutes.  #10MW-Penn St routed #7MW-Texas A&M as the fourth lower seeded team to win today.

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Admin Picks

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This is our 28th pool and considering February typically has just 28 days and that is my birth month, I am February Fabone (feel free to nitpick my picks).

My 2nd and last entry is in tribute to my Dad, Belucky2, and I even have Kansas winning it all since that is what he picked when he won the pool in 2008.

We set a record with 79 entries on Wednesday (was 76 in 2022) and ended the day with 156 entries, also a record (145 in 2017).

Currently, we have 160 entries so we are still 18 off the record of 178 set in 2017. Good luck to all!

Edit (8:32 AM PDT): And here is Dave’s bracket: The Mighty Mobelfakta (same nickname all 28 years!)

Indiana is not Oral Roberts!

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There was a bug where if you clicked INDIANA (vs Kent St) that ORAL ROBERTS (30-4) would show up. Rest assured, INDIANA was still your pick (the confirmation page would show INDIANA) but thanks for pushing through anyway. We now have 34 entries (which is shy of our first day record of 35 last year) and you can always view your bracket here (or the Your Picks button above).

Issue # 1.0.1 “Top to Bottom”

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American Lung Association - When you can’t breathe, nothing else matters

Sunday, March 12, 2023  **HELP support the American Lung Association (deadline Tue 4:00 pm PDT **)

# 1 PRESEASON BOTTOMS OUT, ALABAMA ON TOP
Our 28th pool will test UCLA loyalists again

OFF STREET CAFE, CERRITOS, CA (smt) – 2W-UCLA was this close to a #1 seed but lost to #2S-Arizona in the Pac 12 final and is on a collision course once again with 3W-Gonzaga (would be 4th tourney meeting since ’06).  Can UCLA do it?  Defending champ 1W-Kansas, who lost to 2MW-Texas in Big 12 final, fell to the #3 overall seeding, missing out on the Midwest, as SEC champ #1S-Alabama was the #1 overall seed with #1MW-Houston (who also lost in the final) second.  #1E-Purdue rounded out the top seeds.  Who we won’t see is #1 preseason pick UNC, who failed to qualify and then turned down the #1 seed in the NIT (as one of the First Four out) because they are too big for the NIT (plus, the NIT won’t be playing its final in NYC for the first time, not counting the pandemic 2021 reduced tourney in Dallas) and too much pressure to beat Youngstown St.  I feel bad for the players.

After 42 years of Coach K, 5E-Duke won the ACC tournament with Jon Scheyer to start the new era and after feeling “snubbed” last year, #7MW-Texas A&M is back in.  And a team with twenty (20!) losses, #16bE-Texas Southern, won the SWAC tournament after entering it 11-20 and will play in their fourth straight First Four game where they are 3-0 (’18, ’21, ’22). 

The SEC and Big Ten (boy, can’t wait until UCLA and #10E-USC switch to the Big Ten) got 8 teams in with the Big 12 seven.  The ACC and Big East each got 5 and the Pac-12 and MWC got 4 each.  31 of 36 at-large bids went to the power conferences (with MWC getting 3 of the 5).

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13th HWCI NCAA First Four for Charity (Due 4 pm PDT Tuesday)

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While you decide who will win the tourney, for the 13th year I’m doing the HWCI NCAA First Four for Charity, where I will donate $2 per entry to a charity (and if we get more than 25 responses, I’ll chip in an additional $25), this year to the American Lung Association, the leading organization working to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease through education, advocacy and research. Over the past six years, it has risen from a 3-star to 4-star charity which is why I probably didn’t consider them way back then. I considered the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation but that has dropped from a 4-star to 3-star rating.

My hero, my Dad, passed away late February after battling for a while with interstitial lung disease. He was a heavy smoker and quit cold turkey a long, long time ago, but the after effects caught up to him. I am hoping the ALA will continue education (especially younger folks) and research into more effective oxygen therapy for the home. He lived to a good age of 82 so I’ll kick start the giving with $82 off the bat. Plus, my company will match so every dollar will be doubled.

Last year, a record $1,406.12 was raised by us (that’s you!) to go to International Rescue Committee. In 12 years, we have raised $3,137.20 for 12 different organizations.

This First Four for Charity is free and you just have to submit (you can comment on this post to enter, email, post to Facebook, tweet @HWCI_Pools) who the four First Four winners will be and by what point margin. The First Four games:

  • SE Missouri St vs Texas A&M Corpus Christi
  • Pittsburgh vs Mississippi St
  • Fairleigh Dickinson (FDU) vs Texas Southern
  • Nevada vs Arizona St

For example: TAM-CC by 2 points, Mississippi St by 3 points, FDU by 9 points, and Arizona St by 4 points. Get your entry by 4 pm PDT Tuesday.  As a bonus, in the end, if we top our record of 178 entries this year, I’ll donate an additional $25.  Also, invite your friends and people can enter (since it’s free) this charity contest but not our main pool.

My picks: TAM-CC by 2, MS-St by 3, FDU by 9, and AZ-St by 4.

Exciting Saturday

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Wow. Just watched play-by-play as Utah Valley blew a 17-point lead in the last 6:42 left (missing at one point 4 straight free throws and getting 0 FGs in that span) to miss their chance to make the WAC final and a chance for their first berth. Up by 3, they lost fouling on a 3-point that was made with 4 seconds left as Southern Utah completed the 4-point play. Overall, they had a 23-point second half lead. There’s a reason why these young teams can’t win the big one.

But since we started the pool in 1995, we have six teams playing in a conference final Saturday that could join our pool (though Marist’s 13-19 record will definitely relegate them to the First Four if they win), two of them hoping to be first-time entrants. Could any of these join Kennesaw St and Furman in our pool for the first time?

  • 8 am PST America East – UMass Lowell will try to make their first appearance but are 5.5 point underdogs to Vermont
  • 10 am MEA – Howard will try to make their first tourney since 1992 and have a better conference record than Norfolk St but are still 2 point underdogs
  • 12:30 pm Atlantic 10 – Fordham will also try to make their first tourney since 1992 and although they have identical 12-6 conference record with Dayton, they are 6.5 point underdogs
  • 2:30 pm SWAC – Grambling (15-3 in conference) will try to make their first tourney since 1978 and against 13-20 Texas Southern, they are a 6.5 point favorite
  • 4:30 pm MAC- Toledo will try to make their first tourney since 1980 and are actually slight 1-point favorite over Kent State
  • 4:30 pm MAAC – Marist will try for their first tourney since 1987 but against MAAC regulars season champ Iona (26-7), there isn’t even a line on ESPN

New Teams in Our Pool

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Well, Kennesaw State made the tourney for the first time and Furman made it for the first time since 1980. Considering both were regular season champs as well and their conferences (Atlantic Sun, Southern) typically don’t play in the First Four, it’s pretty safe that at least 2 teams will join our pool since we started in 1995. And we should’ve seen Merrimack, who won the NEC tournament, but they are not eligible until next year (5-year transition to Division I) (Fairleigh Dickinson got the bid). There are still quite a few teams still playing and might join this group of 2 when Sunday concludes.

Our 28th HWCI NCAA Pool begins Sunday night (Web entry by Monday morning).