Tag Archives: NIT

Issue # 11.4.3 “Who Can Stop UConn?” (F4 Preview & FF for Charity) (4/4)

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Lymphoma Research Foundation
2024 NCAA FINAL FOUR @ Phoenix, Arizona
2nd Final Four (’17)

Hosted by Arizona St. U. (Pac 12 Conf) (2nd Final Four)
 – The Floor
First SemifinalSecond Semifinal
#11-South
(Seed #45, NET #63, AP #29)

Dallas, Texas (6th Regional)

Hosted by Big 12 Conference
#1-Midwest
(Seed #3, NET #3, AP #3)

Detroit, Michigan (5th Regional)
 – 
Hosted by U. of Detroit Mercy and Oakland U.
#4-West
(Seed #16, NET #9, AP #19)

Los Angeles, California (10th Regional)

Hosted by Pepperdine U.
#1-East
(Seed #1, NET #2, AP #1)

Boston, Massachusets (4th Regional)

Hosted by Boston College
 
 
 
 
North Carolina State University Wolfpack (26-14)Purdue University Boilermakers (33-4)University of Alabama Crimson Tide (25-11)University of Connecticut Huskies (35-3)
Atlantic Coast Conf – Tourney Champs
Raleigh, North Carolina
4th Final Four (’50, ’74, ’83)
def #6 Texas Tech 80-67
def #14 Oakland 79-73 (OT)
def #8 Marquette 67-58
def #4 Duke 76-64		Big Ten Conf – Regular Season Champs
West Lafayette, Indiana
3rd Final Four (’69, ’80)
 def #16 Grambling State 78-50
def #8 Utah State 106-67
def #5 Gonzaga 80-68
def #2 Tennessee 72-66		Southeastern Conf – 5th Place
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
1st Final Four
def #13 Charleston 109-96
def #12 Grand Canyon 72-61
def #5 North Carolina 89-87
def #6 Clemson 89-82		Big East Conf – Reg Season & Tourney Champs
Storrs, Connecticut
7th Final Four (’99, ’04, ’09, ’11, ’14, ’23)
def #16 Stetson 91-52
def #9 Northwestern 75-58
def #5 San Diego State 82-52
def #3 Illinois 77-52

Thursday, April 4, 2024  ***HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD… RIP***  
UCONN AND PURDUE ROLLING OPPONENTS; NC STATE ON A ROLL
At least $477 will be donated to Lymphoma Research Foundation; over $5,168 donated over 14 years

LA MIRADA, CA (smt) – After last year where the top 12 teams (all #1/2/3 seeds) were eliminated before the Final Four, we do have two #1 seeds for the first time since 2021.  The one thing that remains the same is #1W-UConn, who are trying to become the first back-to-back champions since Florida did it in 2007.  #1MW-Purdue will try to do what Virginia did in 2019 and that is lose to a #16 seed the year before and then win the title.  #11S-NC State will try to continue their amazing run, winning 5 games-in-5 days to claim the auto bid for the ACC and then winning the first four games of the tourney including surviving an overtime game vs #14S-Oakland (of Massachusetts, not California).  #4W-Alabama is making its first Final Four and while they have not played a better seed yet, they have eliminated two straight ACC teams.

The first round saw 11 upsets including three #11 seeds, two #12 seeds, and #13E-Yale (who knocked off #4E-Auburn) and #14S-Oakland (who knocked off #3S-Kentucky).  The second round saw just two worse seeds (#6W-Clemson over #3W-Baylor and #5MW-Gonzaga over #4MW-Kansas) win which led to the Sweet 16 netting all the #1 and #2 seeds for the just the fifth time (but saw just 3 of the 8 make the Elite 8).  UConn has built a 30-point lead in all four games and has beaten ten straight tourney opponents by 13 points or more.  Purdue’s only trouble was in their last game against #2MW-Tennessee but with Zach Edey scoring 14 straight points for Purdue, ending up winning by six. 

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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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Uncontested

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ESPN will display “Uncontested” for games won by forfeit, giving us a possible sign of things to come in the tournament if teams can’t field five (yes, just 5) healthy players. Kansas, Virginia, and NC A&T had to withdraw from their conference tournaments due to positive test(s) just as Duke did earlier. The opponent advances (no word on if both teams have to withdraw) to the next round as usual. The First Four starts Thursday (rather than Tuesday) to allow for any positive test to work through its cycle (minimum 7 days of negative testing) which may allow Kansas, et al to field full strength teams by the time they play Friday or Saturday. NC A&T comes from the MEAC (one-bid league typically in the First Four) so despite being ranked #1 in the tournament, they won’t get an at-large bid like Kansas and Virginia. Even worse, with the NIT going from 32 to 16 teams for this year, there is no guarantee NC A&T will get an at-large invite to the tournament (normally they would’ve as regular season champ if they didn’t win the tourney).

So, write letters to your champion pick to stay safe, follow protocols, and be smart to avoid any chance of a positive test. Because if #1 Gonzaga tests positive next week, the #16 seed will get to play a #11/#12 seed alternate team in their first round game.

Update #2: Let’s do the Math (that) Counts

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Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Issue # 2.0.2 "Let's Do the Math (That) Counts"
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NIT OFF TO A CRAZY START WHILE NC A&T-LIBERTY PROVIDES DRAMA
 Our 3rd First Four for Charity will support MathCounts; Entry deadline is 9 a.m. PDT Thursday
LEXINGTON PARK, MD (smt)- It’s happened, a team has knocked off the overall #1 seed in the first round… except Continue reading »

And we wait…

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A few more days until the Final Four starts so hopefully everyone has gotten a good break from games. Don’t forget, 44-48 entries now have a chance to win the $40 bonus, so all hope is not lost. In the meantime, congrats to UNC for making the NIT final, which means they actually cared to play. And sorry for Oregon St. for not defending their CBI title.

It’s Over?

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I take one trip to the emergency doctor for my son and the Play-In game is already over? 🙂 BTW, my 23-month old son is okay though he may have a scar. I actually thought since I had to leave early from work (as did my wife) that I would be able to catch the game but all that was on was NIT stuff. Did they play this early so those in Newfoundland can watch it at a decent hour? Well, no one else cares.

Well, I’ve gotten the bracket to work with Firefox and IE 7 but others haven’t been so lucky. One of these days we’ll transition to a better java applet but it works for most people.

Also, make your payment arrangements. We’re behind last year’s pace and are projecting around 80 entries so make sure to tell your friends to enter!