Seven teams are in with Jacksonville St making their first-ever tournament appearance after winning the Ohio Valley Conference tournament.  Today, two other teams can make their first tournament (Omaha (Summit) and Northern Kentucky (Horizon)) and St. Francis (PA) can make their first tourney since 1991 (NEC).  And with an above .500 Big 10 record, Northwestern is poised to make their first tournament ever (last from a major conference) leaving just four original-160 teams still looking for their first (Army, St. Francis (NY), The Citidel, and William & Mary).  Since our pool started in 1995, we have at least one team make their first appearance in our pool era.  Last year we had the long-awaited Yale team finally win the Ivy League title after several tries breaking a 54-year drought, second-longest (Dartmouth has been waiting the longest – since ’59), and major Oregon St. make the tourney (last 1990).

We will once again be doing our pool, our 23rd year with hopefully a red-hot UCLA team to follow.  Same rules, same format.  Look for changes in the site towards the end of the week.  Tell your friends now, and study up!