I just made a $122 donation to the Dr. Susan Love Foundation (Breast Cancer Research) as part of our 5th HWCI First Four for Charity process. Thanks to the generosity of our pool champ Darryn B (Big Luther), Bob S (Shibai44), Yoh W (The Rebounding Dead), Jeff2 H (Pac Attack), and Charles D (Sisyphu86), $75 more dollars were added to my $47. I appreciate it very much!
Monthly Archives: April 2015
Issue # 14.6.1 “Undefensable”
![[Scott's Pool Updates]](https://www.hwci.com/ncaa/2015/images/hw-banner.jpg)
| 2015 NCAA Champions | |
 (34-4) #1-South (Houston, TX) |
Duke University Blue Devils (35-4) 5th Title: ’91, ’92, ’01, ’10, ’15 |
| 2015 Winningest Conference | |
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The Atlantic Coast Conference (17-5) 4th Time: ’04, ’05, ’10, ’15 |
Monday, April 6, 2015
Big Luther becomes second 2-time Pool Champion
EL SEGUNDO/CERRITOS, CA (smt)- Maybe the one-and-done team people should’ve been worried about was #1S-Duke, not #1MW-Kentucky. The Blue Devils’ freshmen scored 60 of 68 points in their come-from-behind-aided-by-a-few-calls-here-and-there 68-63 win over #1W-Wisconsin. With the Badgers up by 9 at 48-39 and Duke sitting out Justise Winslow and Jahil Okafor due to foul trouble, 6′-4″ guard Grayson Allen turned up the heat scoring Duke’s next 8 points and he and fellow frosh Tyus Jones (game high 23) took command with a 27-10 run. Wisconsin’s Sam Dekker picked the wrong time to have an off-game missing all six of his 3-pointers. While the Badgers benefited on a shot clock violation no-call that wasn’t reviewable in their win over Kentucky, they were on the wrong end of a stepping out-of-bounds no-call that wasn’t reviewable late in the game. Add in a tipped ball out-of-bounds that somehow refs never got to see during their review, the disparity in foul calls in the 2nd half, and the fact my 3-year daughter kept chanting “blue, blue, blue” instead of “red, red, red” like I told her to do, the Duke conspiracy theories are all atwitter. But Duke’s tenacious defense never let Frank Kaminsky feel comfortable in the 2nd half and when Wisconsin needed quick baskets in the last minute, it took 10+ seconds to get a play off as Duke didn’t let them penetrate the key for a quick shot. As long as I don’t have to hear “The Duke Univeristy” or “Dukkies”, I’ll be content.
As for the pool, Duke was picked by 8 people and 5 of the 8 ended up in the money. Darryn B (Big Luther) becomes our second 2-time pool champion and Continue reading
Wisconsin v Duke
Final: Duke wins 5th title, 68-63. The 131 points means Nwspring and Patton split the $40 Bonus. For Patton, small consolation after losing 4th with Wisconsin’s loss. Big Luther is our 2nd two-time champion. PRIDE OF TROY takes 2nd and Dance Time Boyz takes 3rd. Wuk3 wins tiebreaker to take 4th over Will I Ever Win This (5th). Flying Ace wins 6th.
2nd <2′: Sorry, kids are home. Duke (let conspiracy theories commence!) roars to 8 point lead 66-58.
2nd 6:41: We’re tied! 54 all.
2nd 10′: Duke’s battled back without their Okafor, down 51-50. The 101 points projects to 134. No change in Bonus.
2nd: 11:43: Wis 51-45. Duke’s Grayson Allen single-handedly keeping Duke in the game with his aggressiveness despite his size.
2nd 13:17: Badgers largest lead 48-39. Duke in foul trouble but lots of time left.
2nd 15′: Badgers 44-39. The 83 points projects to 133. Never Winning (Wis) or Dropping Dimes/Krispy Seconds (tie) (Duke) in good shape.
2nd 18′: Wisconsin jumps to 38-33 lead. Just got home from work and watching on phone since kids took iPad. Badgers missing free throws? Decker airballs?
Halftime: 31-31. First tie in title game since ’88. The 62 points projects to 124 and that would give RN the Bonus if Wisconsin wins and TURNOVER PRONE if Duke wins.
Issue # 13.5.2 “Punch Drunk Love, We’re 21!”
| – The Final @ Indianapolis (Lucas Oil Stadium) – | ||
 (36-3) #1-West (Los Angeles, CA) |
vs. |  (34-4) #1-South (Houston, TX) |
Sunday, April 5, 2015 *** HAPPY EASTER ***
Big Luther vs BobbyCee’sRacer’sEdge for our 21st title
CERRITOS, CA (smt)- #1W-Wisconsin got sent to the West Region and knocked off the best teams possible in #16-Coastal Carolina, #8-Oregon, #4-North Carolina, #2-Arizona, and the top seed of all #1MW-Kentucky. Riding an 11-game winning streak, their last four wins have all been by 7 points in close battles until Sam Dekker and Frank Kaminsky close out the game. The Badgers repeated their ousting of Pac-12 foes Oregon and Arizona in identical rounds as last year and avenged last year’s loss to Kentucky in the same round as last year.
#1S-Duke won 4 of its 5 games (#16-Robert Morris, #8-San Diego St, #2-Gonzaga, #7E-Michigan St) by 14 or more points, and in the 6-point win vs #5-Utah, they had a 15-point lead midway through the 2nd half. The Blue Devils’, led by Jahlil Okafor, last Final Four appearance was in 2010 when they also rolled through the South Regional in Houston and two of their 4 title wins have been in Indy.
So we were denied a perfect season by Kentucky (38-1) and possibly another #7 seed title winner in Michigan St, but we will get to see whether Wisconsin will win their first title since 1941 or if Duke will win their 5th title (3rd in the HWCI era). Duke beat Wisconsin in December and the past three re-matches have all gone to the winner of the regular season matchup. The game is a pick ’em with the over/under at 141 for those concerned with the total points in final tiebreaker.
We may have our 20th different champion (BobbyCee’sRacer’sEdge) in 21 years if Wisconsin wins but Big Luther (14 years, 1st ’03) (the only one guaranteed money) will try to become only our 2nd two-time HWCI NCAA Pool champion (if Duke wins). For the second straight year, we don’t know our pool champion. Will I Ever Win This, who had a 28 in 32 chance to win money got shut out of the finals but can still win 4th if Duke wins. We had a record 37 people enter more than one entry but only 3 of those have a chance for money (and all with their 2nd or 3rd pick). The other 8 only entered once (not that I’m discouraging multiple entries as it increases our pot!). Of the 11, only Big Luther, The Bracket Awakens (21 years, 3rd ’98, 2nd ’99, 3rd ’00, 1st ’02, Bonus ’03), PRIDE OF TROY (12 years, 4th ’05, 4th ’06), and Flying Ace (15 years, 4th ’13) have won money before. The Bracket Awakens, Patton (4 years, tearing up bracket at end of Sweet 16 each year), Spermicidal State (9 years, never being alive past Elite 8), and Buccos 2 (7 years, 14 of 15 entries dead by end of Elite 8) can win money if Wisconsin wins and PRIDE OF TROY, Dance Time Boyz (1st year, only female with a chance, great nickname, but what is it?), Wuk3 (1st year, his other 2 entries eliminated after Round of 32), and Flying Ace can win money if Duke wins. As for the Bonus, 22 have a chance and will be counting each point the teams score. We have given away 99 prizes in the past 20 years and will give out 7 more this year (possibly more if the tiebreaker for the Bonus ends in a tie). Since 2002, there have only been six people to win money on their first try and we could have 2 if Duke wins.
A little history (all with the same accurate reporting as the Rolling Stone!)....
In 1995, the first year of the pool, just 12 people entered in a modest effort put forth by HW-UCLA and their close friends. Names like BAD ASS and LIVER BOY graced the pool. Of course, their interest was heightened because UCLA was favored to win it all. Indeed, 10 of 12 picked UCLA while 2 picked Kentucky. This pool featured the infamous LOSER WHO DIDN’T PICK UCLA (Dennis K) who set an all-time record (still stands today) with a 14-2 2nd Round to go from tied for 9th to tied for 1st before going 0-7 in the final 3 rounds to finish dead last (12th) with 98 points. TINA’S BOY (Mark C) became the first person to be eliminated when the 2nd round ended. He was, however, one of only 3 people (all in 1995) to correctly pick the two teams in the final and the champion prior to 1999. BIX PIX (Fernando B, 1st, 148) and MR. NELSON (Nelson B, 2nd, 146) were the other two and claimed the top two spots, winning $70 and $30, respectively. THE MIGHTY MOBELFAKTA (Dave F, 3rd, 141) claimed third prize worth $20. All but one finished with 110 points or more, the highest scoring pool ever (130.6 avg). Continue reading
Issue # 12.5.1 “Revenge is Sweet”
| – The Final @ Indianapolis (Lucas Oil Stadium) – | ||
 (36-3) #1-West (Los Angeles, CA) |
vs. | (34-4) #1-South (Houston, TX) |
Saturday, April 4, 2015 *** HAPPY BIRTHDAY BELUCKY2 ***
BADGERS WIN REMATCH TO END WILDCATS’ PERFECTION; DUKE ADVANCES
FULLERTON/SANTA ANA, CA (smt)- #1S-Duke quickly trailed #7E-Michigan St 14-8 before going on a dominating 36-11 run to easily give Coach K his 9th finals appearance with a 81-61 win. In a rematch of the 2014 Final Four, #1W-Wisconsin saw #1MW-Kentucky string an 8-0 run to go down 60-56 with 6:37 left but the Badgers answered back with their own 8-0 run to go up 64-60 with 1:06 left. With perfection slipping away, the Wildcats had an offensive foul, missed a free throw, and shot a 3-point airball as the Badgers advance to the title game for the first time since 1941 with a 71-64 win. Offensive rebounding, key 3’s, and a gift call on a basket after the shot clock ran to zero helped Wisconsin snap Kentucky’s 38-game winning streak. While not as young as last year, Kentucky fielded two Freshman, two Sophomores, and a Junior and again ran into a more mature team in Wisconsin (two Seniors, two Juniors, and a Sophomore) like they did last year in UConn in the title game. Although I needed Wisconsin to win to have any chance at the pot (The Bracket Awakens), I would have loved Kentucky to go 40-0 as history is cool.
The Bracket Awakens (6th, 131 pts), Buccos 2 (16th-Tied, 126), Flying Ace (23rd-T, 124), and Baba’s Bad Boys (23rd-T) all got both teams correct (only 83 have done so before) and all but the latter still have a chance to win money. But it’s Big Luther who Continue reading
Issue # 11.4.2 “Zags Fall Short Again”
| – 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) |
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Sunday, March 29, 2015 (Posted April 2)
COACH K AND IZZO IN FINAL FOUR AGAIN
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 Continue reading