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ALHAMBRA/LA MIRADA, CA (smt)- #1E-Villanova was uncharacteristically bad, hitting just 33% of their shots and making just 4 threes on 4 of 24 (16.7%) shooting but still won their fourth straight double-digit game in the tournament, downing #3E-Texas Tech, 71-59.  The Wildcats kept themselves in the game by collecting 20 offensive rebounds (of their season-high 51 rebounds) as Texas Tech played just as poorly shooting 33% as well and missing layup after layup and could not build the momentum needed for an extended run.  At one point in the telecast, CBS put up a graphic that the Red Raiders had missed 15 of 21 layups (with 6:35 to go), a crazy stat that showed the Villanova was very beatable with a competent team.  The slow claw saw Texas Tech within five (52-47) and the ball with 6:01 left but, you guessed it, Texas Tech missed a layup (blocked) and it was soon 7 points.  Villanova hit their last 12 free throws in icing the game.

In the Midwest, a typical blue blood matchup turned into a classic heavyweight fight with #1MW-Kansas getting the game-tying three to send the game into overtime where Malik Newman scored all 13 points in knocking out #2MW-Duke, 85-81.  No team had more than a 7 point lead and there were 11 ties and 18 lead changes, most of them in the second half.  After Duke hit a 3 to go ahead 64-62 with 5:55 left, there were six more lead changes and then the final tie at the end of regulation.  In the first 3:09 of overtime there were five lead changes and two ties.  Incredible game.  Only blemish was a poor block call on Duke’s Wednel Carter Jr who was set for what seemed like seconds but was still called for his fifth foul with 2:57 left with Duke up by 1.  Duke star Grayson Allen nearly ended the game on a buzzer beater but his bank shot rolled in and out and he ended his career with no field goals in the last 33 minutes.  Kansas finally won an Elite 8 game after losing the past two year’s Elite 8 games.

In the pool, 29 went 2-0 including Philly Eagles Again who jumps into the lead with 109 pts.  SacKings4Ever and Larzby remain tied for 2nd (107) while Slamam51-3 moved into 4th (105).  Five went 3-1 for the round with only Walkure Ga Tomaranai (31st-Tied, 92) not having a chance at money.  Kona Coast Sliders 1 rose to 10th (T, 98) and STORMY Fever-Catch It moved into a tie for 22nd (95).  26 went 0-2 and 18 went 0-for-the-Final-Four.  iWillLose got Villanova but still in last with 54 points.  He could finish 152nd if Villanova over Kansas.

Bob G has locked up at least a tie for first in 7 of 8 Final Four scenarios.  His Philly Eagles Again wins outright if Villanova beats Kansas (4 scenarios) or Michigan beats Kansas in the title game (1 scenario) and his Bob’s Best Bets (10th-T) is in a 3-way tie for first if Kansas wins the title (2 scenarios).  He would finish 2nd (Philly Eagles Again) if Villanova beats Loyola-Chicago in the final.  He will also try to become the first person to get more than one entry in the money and could do that if Loyola-Chicago beats Kansas in the final (though Bob’s Best Bets could lose tiebreaker and finish 7th, out of the money) or if Kansas beats Michigan in the final (tiebreaker for 1st and 4th).

Three others can win the pool though, with AlmostBaseballSeason (5th-T, 102) winning if Loyola-Chicago beats Kansas for the title.  And in the aforementioned 3-way tie, it would be with Bwakewey 3 (10th-T) and Kona Coast Sliders 1 (10th-T).  In any case, we will have our 22nd different winner in 24 pools.  For those not winning the pool, SacKings4Ever, Larzby, and Slamjam51-3 could win money in 5 of 8 scenarios.  10 others (a total of 18 alive) can win money was well.  Father-son duo of Larzby and MMMtheBOSS (38th-T, 91) can cover 6 of the 8 scenarios.

For the $40 Bonus, the Big 12 will be the winningest conference with either 12, 13, or 14 wins thanks to Kansas (and all 9 ACC teams are now out).  There are only five entries that have this winning possibility.  If Kansas loses to Villanova, then Philly Eagles Again and SamerTiime both have the Big 12 with 12 wins.  But since Philly Eagles Again will win 1st, 2nd, or 3rd, SamerTime (132nd-T, 75) would win the Bonus.  If Kansas loses in the title game, then the Big 12 will have 13 wins and $lumDawg (80th-T, 84) and MistressNine (28th-T, 93) would share the Bonus since both had the Big 12 with 13 wins and both have the same total point in final tiebreaker of 141 pts.  If Kansas wins the title, then Bwakewey 3 is the only person to have the Big 12 with 14 wins – however, he will win 1st, 2nd, or 3rd, which means no one will have the Big 12 with 14 wins.  Thus, we go to Bonus2: the total points in final.  We will have the entries who could win that only if Kansas advances to the title game.

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   Tids & Bits – In the proper 64, the SEC finished 8-8, the Big East is 7-5, the Big 12 is 12-6 , the ACC finished 11-9, the Big Ten is 8-3, the Missouri Valley is 4-0, and the Mountain West and WCC each finished 2-1 and 2-2, respectively… in the Bonus1, the Big 12 will get 12-14 wins (Kansas) and the ACC was eliminated… thus, 49 were eliminated and 5 can still win the Bonus1… Villanova’s 33.3% shooting was their lowest since 2015… Villanova makes their first Final Four since their championship run in ’16… Kansas makes their 15th Final Four and first since ’12… some (not all which probably added to the confusion) of the Omaha arena’s end lines were wood floor on either side of the line and more than a few were accidentally misjudging and stepping out of bounds in the Kansas-Duke match… Philly Eagles Again can get a max of 137 pts while Balls Dropped and Paint Crew (154th-T, 60) can only get a max of 60 pts… Larzby and SacKings4Ever are tied for 2nd but can’t win the pool… M Star is tied for 5th but can’t win money… Bob’s Best Bets, Kona Coast Sliders 1 and Bwakewey 3 are tied for 10th but can still win the pool… We Fam! is tied for 50th (89) but can still win money (4th)… only 8 entries have 100+ points… 124 picked Villanova while 35 picked Kansas (more picked two seeded Duke (52))… the round 4 average of 1.24 wins was the highest since ’15 (1.85)…

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The following takes place between 9 am Sunday and 9 am Monday.  Events occur in real time.

Had some Duke grads in the audience but still no help for the Dukies … 
Scott