Here is the spreadsheet that I use to monitor all of the brackets in both pools as well as to keep the standings. Please feel free to go through it and see if I have made any mistakes.
I also need help with two player's names in the main pool. There is a bracket with only the name John (not John Falco) and there are many John's who have played in this pool in the past. So mystery John, please help me out with your last name so that I can update the spreadsheet.
There is also a McKenzie that I thought was McKenzie Weissinger, but I heard that it was not. You're doing really well McKenzie, so please send me your last name as well!
Sorry for the delay everyone, but we should be fully operational from here on out!
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Day Four Standings
It's Luke McLoughlin's world, we just live in it. Luke has taken on the role of Kentucky in the main pool, making the rest of the competition look inferior by comparison. Luke has now opened up a 14-point advantage with a score of 67 points. There is a tie for second between Aiden Schweitzer and Will Peerenboom at 53 points, with Scott Brown in fourth with 52 points and McKenzie (working on finding out her last name) in fifth with 51 points.
In the gambler's pool, Scott Brown has opened up a bit of a cushion, leading by 5 with 59 points. Dave Henderson is still in second with 54 points. Joe Falco Jr. holds third with 53 points. Nick Moreno is in fourth with 51 points and Joe Falco has the fifth spot with 48 points.
In the gambler's pool, Scott Brown has opened up a bit of a cushion, leading by 5 with 59 points. Dave Henderson is still in second with 54 points. Joe Falco Jr. holds third with 53 points. Nick Moreno is in fourth with 51 points and Joe Falco has the fifth spot with 48 points.
Never Piss Off A Shocker
Coming into Sunday, the ACC was a perfect 9-0 in the tournament, with three teams already having moved on to the Sweet 16. The top two teams from the conference, Virginia and Duke, would get things started on day 4. Virginia would play a red-hot Michigan State team. The Spartans played spoiler last year, knocking out the #1 seeded Cavs in the Sweet 16. This time around, they would meet a round earlier, but the results would be the same. The Cavs rely on their suffocating defense, but without any offense, your team won't be advancing. Virginia managed only 18 points in the first half as the Spartans led by five at the break. In the second half, Michigan State would maintain a 6-8 point cushion as the Cavs never made a serious run at reclaiming the lead. The ACC suffers their first loss as Coach Tom Izzo has brought the Spartans back to the Sweet 16. Would Duke suffer the same fate? Not a chance. San Diego State would have been an underdog fully healthy, but with a bout of the flu hitting the team, there was almost no chance they were knocking off the #1 seeded Blue Devils. Duke broke up the game early, leading by 18 and only had to withstand mild pressure as the Aztecs got within 7 in the second half before the Blue Devils scored 11 in a row to lead by 18 again. In the end, it was Duke by 19 as they headed to Houston to take on Utah in the Sweet 16.
Next up was the marquee game of the day. Wichita State is the Rodney Dangerfield of the state of Kansas. Despite a Final Four appearance two years ago, and a 35-1 season last year that ended in a two-point loss to eventual national runner-up Kentucky, the Shockers get no respect. For years, they have tried to schedule games with their higher-profile in-state rival, the Kansas Jayhawks, only to be told to get lost. But when the bracket came out, it seemed like destiny that these two would meet in the second round. Wichita State's motto is "play angry" and you better believe they were royally pissed off when they took the court to play the Jayhawks. Early on, it was Kansas who took an 8-point first half lead, as Kansas guard Frank Mason III was the guy playing with the most emotion on the court. But the Shockers are an experienced bunch who didn't panic. Over the next 10 minutes of the game, Wichita State would go on a 25-6 run, completely shifting the game in their favor. The Jayhawks were stunned. And there would be no comeback, as it seemed every time Kansas put together a couple of baskets, the Shockers would come down the floor and hit another back-breaking three. Kansas would not get closer to 8 the rest of the way. There is almost no chance this game helped Wichita State get a future regular season matchup with Kansas, but they moved one step closer to a national championship with a 78-65 victory. They'll take on Notre Dame in the Sweet 16.
Dayton was trying to become the second #11 seed to make it to the second weekend as they took on the #3 seed Oklahoma. While Dayton got shafted with their seed, having to play in the First Four, they actually were very fortunate in where they got to play their games. The First Four is held in Dayton, so they started with a home game. Then the first and second round games were held in Columbus, so they didn't need to leave the state. Not many teams get three home games to start the tourney, but the Flyers did, and they looked like they were going to take advantage of it. With 12 minutes to play, they held a 7-point lead over the Sooners. But Dayton may have then won the award for coldest shooting performance to date in the tournament, as they would go the next 11 minutes without a basket. Oklahoma wasn't shooting the lights out themselves, but they made enough baskets during that 11 minute Flyer dry spell to pull away and end Dayton's dreams of a second consecutive Sweet 16. The Sooners move on with a six-point victory and will now face Michigan St. in the Sweet 16. While Oklahoma advanced, Iowa was getting a taste of their own medicine. On Friday night, the Hawkeyes whooped Davidson by 31 in their first round game. In the second round, they got to experience how unpleasant that feeling can be. Gonzaga came out hot and never gave Iowa a chance in this one. By halftime, the lead was 17, with the margin hovering around 20 for most of the second half. The final margin would be 19 as the Zags moved on to face UCLA in the Sweet 16.
Wisconsin has been regarded as the team that may be the most serious threat to Kentucky's run at an undefeated season, but they didn't do a lot to impress during this first weekend. In round one, they didn't hammer their 16th-seeded opponent like the other #1 seeds in the tournament did. And there were times during their game with Oregon where it looked like they would be scheduling a tee time with the Villanova Wildcats. Even though they trailed throughout, the Ducks were lingering around the entire game. And when Oregon finally tied things up with less than 6 minutes to go, it was officially gut-check time for the Badgers. Over the next few possessions, Wisconsin kept their poise and made some key buckets. From there, solid free throw shooting brought home the victory for the Badgers, as their 7-point victory earned them a date with North Carolina in the Sweet 16.
The final two games were #4 vs #5 affairs. In the first game, #4 Maryland took on #5 West Virginia. This one was back and forth during the first 30 minutes of play, but then the Mountaineers made the one decisive run in the game, an 8-0 run that gave them a 9-point advantage. The Terrapins would not make it a single possession game the rest of the way, as West Virginia won the right to be the next team to try and end Kentucky's march through the bracket. The last game was between #4 Louisville and #5 Northern Iowa. These teams could not have looked any different in round 1, as the Cardinals played poorly and barely escaped against UC Irvine, while Northern Iowa imposed their will on Wyoming and never broke a sweat. So Northern Iowa manhandled Louisville, right? Wrong. The Cardinals looked good early, taking a 9-point lead to the locker room. In the second half, the Panthers would get no closer than 6. Northern Iowa had an amazing season, but it would end in the second round, as Louisville set up an all-ACC battle against the Pack in the Sweet 16 next Friday night.
Next up was the marquee game of the day. Wichita State is the Rodney Dangerfield of the state of Kansas. Despite a Final Four appearance two years ago, and a 35-1 season last year that ended in a two-point loss to eventual national runner-up Kentucky, the Shockers get no respect. For years, they have tried to schedule games with their higher-profile in-state rival, the Kansas Jayhawks, only to be told to get lost. But when the bracket came out, it seemed like destiny that these two would meet in the second round. Wichita State's motto is "play angry" and you better believe they were royally pissed off when they took the court to play the Jayhawks. Early on, it was Kansas who took an 8-point first half lead, as Kansas guard Frank Mason III was the guy playing with the most emotion on the court. But the Shockers are an experienced bunch who didn't panic. Over the next 10 minutes of the game, Wichita State would go on a 25-6 run, completely shifting the game in their favor. The Jayhawks were stunned. And there would be no comeback, as it seemed every time Kansas put together a couple of baskets, the Shockers would come down the floor and hit another back-breaking three. Kansas would not get closer to 8 the rest of the way. There is almost no chance this game helped Wichita State get a future regular season matchup with Kansas, but they moved one step closer to a national championship with a 78-65 victory. They'll take on Notre Dame in the Sweet 16.
Dayton was trying to become the second #11 seed to make it to the second weekend as they took on the #3 seed Oklahoma. While Dayton got shafted with their seed, having to play in the First Four, they actually were very fortunate in where they got to play their games. The First Four is held in Dayton, so they started with a home game. Then the first and second round games were held in Columbus, so they didn't need to leave the state. Not many teams get three home games to start the tourney, but the Flyers did, and they looked like they were going to take advantage of it. With 12 minutes to play, they held a 7-point lead over the Sooners. But Dayton may have then won the award for coldest shooting performance to date in the tournament, as they would go the next 11 minutes without a basket. Oklahoma wasn't shooting the lights out themselves, but they made enough baskets during that 11 minute Flyer dry spell to pull away and end Dayton's dreams of a second consecutive Sweet 16. The Sooners move on with a six-point victory and will now face Michigan St. in the Sweet 16. While Oklahoma advanced, Iowa was getting a taste of their own medicine. On Friday night, the Hawkeyes whooped Davidson by 31 in their first round game. In the second round, they got to experience how unpleasant that feeling can be. Gonzaga came out hot and never gave Iowa a chance in this one. By halftime, the lead was 17, with the margin hovering around 20 for most of the second half. The final margin would be 19 as the Zags moved on to face UCLA in the Sweet 16.
Wisconsin has been regarded as the team that may be the most serious threat to Kentucky's run at an undefeated season, but they didn't do a lot to impress during this first weekend. In round one, they didn't hammer their 16th-seeded opponent like the other #1 seeds in the tournament did. And there were times during their game with Oregon where it looked like they would be scheduling a tee time with the Villanova Wildcats. Even though they trailed throughout, the Ducks were lingering around the entire game. And when Oregon finally tied things up with less than 6 minutes to go, it was officially gut-check time for the Badgers. Over the next few possessions, Wisconsin kept their poise and made some key buckets. From there, solid free throw shooting brought home the victory for the Badgers, as their 7-point victory earned them a date with North Carolina in the Sweet 16.
The final two games were #4 vs #5 affairs. In the first game, #4 Maryland took on #5 West Virginia. This one was back and forth during the first 30 minutes of play, but then the Mountaineers made the one decisive run in the game, an 8-0 run that gave them a 9-point advantage. The Terrapins would not make it a single possession game the rest of the way, as West Virginia won the right to be the next team to try and end Kentucky's march through the bracket. The last game was between #4 Louisville and #5 Northern Iowa. These teams could not have looked any different in round 1, as the Cardinals played poorly and barely escaped against UC Irvine, while Northern Iowa imposed their will on Wyoming and never broke a sweat. So Northern Iowa manhandled Louisville, right? Wrong. The Cardinals looked good early, taking a 9-point lead to the locker room. In the second half, the Panthers would get no closer than 6. Northern Iowa had an amazing season, but it would end in the second round, as Louisville set up an all-ACC battle against the Pack in the Sweet 16 next Friday night.
Monday, March 23, 2015
Day Three Standings
Not only did Luke McLoughlin have the two #14 seeds that won in the first round, he also picked NC State to beat Villanova. He is having quite the first appearance in the main pool, extending his lead to eight with a score of 51 points after three days. In second is another newcomer, Will Peerenboom, with 43 points. Scott Brown is in third with 42 points. Will's dad, another Scott, holds fourth with 39 points, while Ray Tillotson rounds out the top five with 38 points.
In the gambler's pool, Scott Brown clings to the lead with 41 points, while Dave Henderson lurks right behind him with 40 points. Nick Moreno is another point back in third with 39 points. Joe Falco Jr. holds fourth at 37 points, while Eric Leduc, Mark Grimes, and myself are tied for 5th with 36 points.
The Unthinkable Finally Happens
While the first round is good for producing awesome stories, round two is usually where we say goodbye to those teams that will be featured in the first 30 seconds of One Shining Moment. Every now and then we'll see a team go on a truly magical run, like the Skis from Florida Gulf Coast did a few years ago. But it is awfully hard for a smaller school to ride that roller coaster of emotions from pouring their heart and soul into a 40 minute game, celebrating an improbably win, and then coming back 48 hours later to do it again.
That is why teams like UAB and Georgia State were big underdogs to make it to the Sweet 16. Both teams had shown they had the talent to play with the top teams in the tournament, but could they bring that same energy? For the Blazers, the answer was a pretty definitive no. They kicked off the Saturday action taking on a UCLA squad who was really playing with house money at this point. The Bruins fired away throughout the entire game and there wasn't much UAB could do to stop them. 92 points later, UCLA became the first team to punch their Sweet 16 ticket with a 17-point victory. Georgia State was a little more valiant in defeat. They took on a Xavier team who, like Michigan State, seems to be peaking at the right time of the year. The Panthers stayed within reach of the Musketeers for most of this game. Every time Xavier seemed to be pulling away, Georgia State would climb back into it. Their deficit was only four at the half. The second half played out the same way as Xavier would build the lead up to 10-11 points and the Panthers would cut it back down to 4-5. Georgia State would not be able to pull closer than that. With an eight-point victory, Xavier had knocked out the second of the two Cinderellas who got this year's tournament off to such a thrilling start.
Also in early action were two of the favorites for this year's tournament. Kentucky is out to make history, looking to become the first team ever to win a national championship with a record of 40-0. Standing in their way was Cincinnati, a very physical team that would challenge the Wildcats toughness. This would not be a game with a lot of pretty offense in it, particularly in the second half. Kentucky's front court is ridiculously long, and while the game was still relatively close in the second half, the Wildcats made a statement that Cincinnati had no chance of winning this game. Possession after possession, the Bearcats would drive to the hoop, and again and again, a big man wearing blue would swat the ball away. If it wasn't for some solid defense down on the other end, Cincinnati would have been blown out. As it was, they would end up falling by 13 to Kentucky in a game that did not seem even that close. The other early game featured Arizona, one of those #2 seeds who you could have easily made a case for as a #1 seed (nope, not you Kansas). They were facing an Ohio State team who showed a lot of heart in round one knocking out VCU. Early on, it was the Buckeyes dictating the game, jumping out to a 6-point edge, while Arizona struggled to make shots. But as the first half wound down, you could sense that the Wildcats were beginning to figure things out. After taking a 1-point lead into the locker room, the second half was all Arizona. There wasn't a big run. Instead, the Wildcats methodically put away their Big Ten counterparts. Arizona would move on for a date with Xavier in the Sweet 16.
With 4 teams already making plans for next weekend, it was time for the Pack to take on #2 overall seed and top seed in the East, Villanova. While LSU was a bad matchup for the Pack, Villanova was actually a good one for them, so there was mild optimism that they could hang with the Wildcats. (Seriously, does everyone have to be the Wildcats? Is there something incredibly intimidating about Wildcats? I think I'd be more frightened if my opponent was called the Rabid Dogs.) Villanova was led by their outstanding guards who were deadly from behind the three-point line. But NC State had talented guards as well and would force Nova to take contested threes if they were going to shoot from long range. Instead of trying to develop an inside game, Nova fired away from outside, connecting on little. Meanwhile, the Pack had decent balance in the first half. Holding a 1-point lead, the Pack got a huge defensive play from first-round savior Beejay Anya that led to a jump ball and NC State possession with less than 4 seconds left. That was just enough time to drive down the floor and hit a three at the buzzer, giving the Pack a 4-point halftime lead. Could this really be happening?!?! The second half was even better. NC State was controlling the paint with offensive rebounds and better shots than what the Wildcats were settling for. The one area of concern was foul trouble for point guard Cat Barber. He picked up his 3rd foul with almost 15 minutes left, and the Pack are not the same team when is not on the floor. Coach Mark Gottfried rolled the dice with him though and Barber managed to not pick up a foul the rest of the game. However, in typical NC State fashion, nothing could be easy. Eventually Villanova started hitting from outside, frantically chipping away in the closing minutes. Then with a 2-point lead, the Pack decided that it was better to throw the ball out of bounds rather than run out the clock. Typical. Nova got a clean look at an open three to take the lead, but it would not go down. From there, NC State made their free throws (who knew?) and knocked out the first #1 seed in the tournament with a 71-68 victory. It was the best NC State game I have watched that did not involve Jim Valvano.
There were still three games left, but I was on cloud nine, so I can only relay bits and pieces of them. Utah was down early to Georgetown, but came storming back, eventually leaving the Hoyas in the dust as they advanced with a 75-64 victory. North Carolina and Arkansas had a back and forth affair, but it was the Tar Heels who once again proved resilient in the final minutes, as they dispatched the Razorbacks with an 87-78 win. Finally, Butler and Notre Dame played a very entertaining game that would see both teams make big second half runs, before cold shooting and dumb mistakes (including a double-dribble by Notre Dame with 2 seconds left and a Notre Dame cheerleader catching an ensuing blocked shot to put tenths of a second back on the clock, giving Butler a third chance to win the game) would lead the game to overtime. And the Irish love them some overtime. Already with 3 overtime wins on the year, Notre Dame would never trail in the extra period. Butler had a game-ending dunk, but it was too little, too late as the ACC remained perfect in the tournament with Notre Dame's 3-point victory.
That is why teams like UAB and Georgia State were big underdogs to make it to the Sweet 16. Both teams had shown they had the talent to play with the top teams in the tournament, but could they bring that same energy? For the Blazers, the answer was a pretty definitive no. They kicked off the Saturday action taking on a UCLA squad who was really playing with house money at this point. The Bruins fired away throughout the entire game and there wasn't much UAB could do to stop them. 92 points later, UCLA became the first team to punch their Sweet 16 ticket with a 17-point victory. Georgia State was a little more valiant in defeat. They took on a Xavier team who, like Michigan State, seems to be peaking at the right time of the year. The Panthers stayed within reach of the Musketeers for most of this game. Every time Xavier seemed to be pulling away, Georgia State would climb back into it. Their deficit was only four at the half. The second half played out the same way as Xavier would build the lead up to 10-11 points and the Panthers would cut it back down to 4-5. Georgia State would not be able to pull closer than that. With an eight-point victory, Xavier had knocked out the second of the two Cinderellas who got this year's tournament off to such a thrilling start.
Also in early action were two of the favorites for this year's tournament. Kentucky is out to make history, looking to become the first team ever to win a national championship with a record of 40-0. Standing in their way was Cincinnati, a very physical team that would challenge the Wildcats toughness. This would not be a game with a lot of pretty offense in it, particularly in the second half. Kentucky's front court is ridiculously long, and while the game was still relatively close in the second half, the Wildcats made a statement that Cincinnati had no chance of winning this game. Possession after possession, the Bearcats would drive to the hoop, and again and again, a big man wearing blue would swat the ball away. If it wasn't for some solid defense down on the other end, Cincinnati would have been blown out. As it was, they would end up falling by 13 to Kentucky in a game that did not seem even that close. The other early game featured Arizona, one of those #2 seeds who you could have easily made a case for as a #1 seed (nope, not you Kansas). They were facing an Ohio State team who showed a lot of heart in round one knocking out VCU. Early on, it was the Buckeyes dictating the game, jumping out to a 6-point edge, while Arizona struggled to make shots. But as the first half wound down, you could sense that the Wildcats were beginning to figure things out. After taking a 1-point lead into the locker room, the second half was all Arizona. There wasn't a big run. Instead, the Wildcats methodically put away their Big Ten counterparts. Arizona would move on for a date with Xavier in the Sweet 16.
With 4 teams already making plans for next weekend, it was time for the Pack to take on #2 overall seed and top seed in the East, Villanova. While LSU was a bad matchup for the Pack, Villanova was actually a good one for them, so there was mild optimism that they could hang with the Wildcats. (Seriously, does everyone have to be the Wildcats? Is there something incredibly intimidating about Wildcats? I think I'd be more frightened if my opponent was called the Rabid Dogs.) Villanova was led by their outstanding guards who were deadly from behind the three-point line. But NC State had talented guards as well and would force Nova to take contested threes if they were going to shoot from long range. Instead of trying to develop an inside game, Nova fired away from outside, connecting on little. Meanwhile, the Pack had decent balance in the first half. Holding a 1-point lead, the Pack got a huge defensive play from first-round savior Beejay Anya that led to a jump ball and NC State possession with less than 4 seconds left. That was just enough time to drive down the floor and hit a three at the buzzer, giving the Pack a 4-point halftime lead. Could this really be happening?!?! The second half was even better. NC State was controlling the paint with offensive rebounds and better shots than what the Wildcats were settling for. The one area of concern was foul trouble for point guard Cat Barber. He picked up his 3rd foul with almost 15 minutes left, and the Pack are not the same team when is not on the floor. Coach Mark Gottfried rolled the dice with him though and Barber managed to not pick up a foul the rest of the game. However, in typical NC State fashion, nothing could be easy. Eventually Villanova started hitting from outside, frantically chipping away in the closing minutes. Then with a 2-point lead, the Pack decided that it was better to throw the ball out of bounds rather than run out the clock. Typical. Nova got a clean look at an open three to take the lead, but it would not go down. From there, NC State made their free throws (who knew?) and knocked out the first #1 seed in the tournament with a 71-68 victory. It was the best NC State game I have watched that did not involve Jim Valvano.
There were still three games left, but I was on cloud nine, so I can only relay bits and pieces of them. Utah was down early to Georgetown, but came storming back, eventually leaving the Hoyas in the dust as they advanced with a 75-64 victory. North Carolina and Arkansas had a back and forth affair, but it was the Tar Heels who once again proved resilient in the final minutes, as they dispatched the Razorbacks with an 87-78 win. Finally, Butler and Notre Dame played a very entertaining game that would see both teams make big second half runs, before cold shooting and dumb mistakes (including a double-dribble by Notre Dame with 2 seconds left and a Notre Dame cheerleader catching an ensuing blocked shot to put tenths of a second back on the clock, giving Butler a third chance to win the game) would lead the game to overtime. And the Irish love them some overtime. Already with 3 overtime wins on the year, Notre Dame would never trail in the extra period. Butler had a game-ending dunk, but it was too little, too late as the ACC remained perfect in the tournament with Notre Dame's 3-point victory.
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Day Two Standings
No change at the top in either the main pool or the gambler's pool after day two. Luke still holds a solid lead with 38 points, followed by young McKenzie Weissinger at 33 points, with Ray Tillotson and Scott Brown tied for third at 32 points. There is a tie for fifth place between Big Chris Seney and little Will Peerenboom at 31 points.
In the gambler's pool, Scott Brown still leads the field with 33 points, but the standings are much more compact. Joe Falco Jr is in second with 31 points, while Washington State's pride and joy, Dave Henderson, sits in third with 30 points. Nick Moreno and John Falco are tied for fourth with 29 points.
The Day Two Hangover
A few years ago, the tournament started with a crazy day 1 filled with upsets and buzzer beaters, only to be followed by a day 2 where everything returned to normal. There were no Cinderellas and very few games would have gotten your pulse racing. This year's tournament has fallen into the same day 2 malaise. To be fair, if you're a higher seed playing on Day 2 and you watch all the big guys either get eliminated or have to sweat things out until the final buzzer, you probably develop an appreciation of how quickly your tournament life can end. As a result, you're not as likely to look past your opponent, a school you've never heard of before.
In the opening set of games, there simply was no letdown. Kansas took on New Mexico State, jumped out to a double-digit halftime lead and never looked back. Michigan State came in as a very scary #7 seed after starting the season slowly but gaining momentum as March neared, taking Wisconsin to overtime in the Big Ten championship game before falling. Even though Georgia is a major school from the SEC, they played like the favorites they clearly were in this game, building the same 13-point halftime lead that Kansas had in their game. Georgia would make a bit of a run early in the second half, closing the lead down to 2, but the Spartans would build that lead back up again in short time, winning comfortably. Northern Iowa is a mid-major, but they spent most of the year near the top 10, as they, along with Wichita State, proved how dangerous the Missouri Valley Conference truly is. They drew a Wyoming team that got into the tournament with their upset win in the Mountain West Conference tournament. The Panthers wasted no time in proving they are one of the elite teams in this year's March Madness, also staking themselves to a double-digit halftime lead before winning by 17. The only game that held any interest early on was another #5 vs #12 battle between West Virginia and Buffalo, although the Mountaineers continued the trend of favorite holding double-digit halftime leads. The Bulls chipped away at that lead, finally tying the game with two minutes left to play. But after tying the game, Buffalo would not score again, with West Virginia sealing the deal by hitting a three with less than 30 seconds left and going on to a six-point win.
The next set of games was certainly more exciting, but still no upsets. If you thought Michigan State was a scary #7 seed, let me introduce you to #7 seed Wichita State. Like Northern Iowa, they spent considerable time in the top 10 this year, yet a whopping 24 teams were seeded ahead of them on the bracket. And a loss to Indiana would have ratcheted up the idea that they were overrated all season. The Hoosiers played the Shockers tough, holding a slim 3 point lead at the half. Wichita State was awful from behind the arc (2 for 13), but their experienced team found a way to comeback in the second half. Unable to hit from long range, the Shockers got to the charity stripe often, knocking down 29 out of 34 free throws, including some clutch ones at the end of the game as the Hoosiers were forced to foul. Wichita State would move on with a 5-point win. Meanwhile, Virginia, who as recently as 2 weeks ago was the #2 team in the country, was struggling against #15 seed Belmont. This wasn't one of those upset specials where the big underdog hangs around all game long and has a shot at the end to win it. The Cavaliers went up by 14 in the second half, but the Bruins took their best punch, got off the canvas, and started wailing away on Virginia. The loose Belmont squad closed to within a bucket with under 5 minutes to go. That run may have been all they had left though, as Virginia would score the next 9 points and win by a final score of 79-67.
The last two games of the afternoon were tight #4 vs #13 affairs. Louisville looked like a national championship contender earlier in the year, but as the season wore on, their offense sputtered. That trend continued in their game against UC Irvine. To be fair to the Cardinals, they had to stay out of the lane almost the entire game as the Anteaters featured the biggest guy in the tournament: 7 foot 6 inches of Mamadou Ndiaye. It's not like Louisville has a small lineup, but they looked puny in comparison to the gigantic Ndiaye. Forced to develop a perimeter game, the Cardinals misfired frequently. That kept an inferior UC Irvine team close. How close? They needed two free throws with 9 seconds left to break a tie. The Anteaters didn't even get a final shot off, turning the ball over in the final seconds. It was an ugly game, but Louisville prevailed. The final matchup of the afternoon pitted Maryland versus Valparaiso. Valpo is known for one of the most memorable upsets in NCAA history as Bryce Drew's three at the buzzer sent Ole Miss packing in the 1998 tournament. Drew is now the coach of the Crusaders. The game started as a series of runs. Maryland shot out to a 11-4 lead, Valpo responded with a 17-4 run, and the Terrapins came back with 10 straight of their own. Maryland held a 4-point halftime lead, but the game would be a 1-point affair until the Terrapins got a 3-point play to reclaim their 4-point advantage with less than two minutes left. Valpo would get within three and have the ball for a final possession, but like UC Irvine, never got a shot off, turning the ball over instead. Maryland moved on to play West Virginia in the next round.
I have to admit that I didn't get to see any of the night session games for day 2, but it sounds like I didn't miss a whole lot. Oregon beat Oklahoma St. in the closest of the games, with the #8 seed taking down the #9 seed by 6 points. The only other game with a final margin of victory less than 10 points was Oklahoma taking out the Great Danes of Albany by a score of 69-60. The rest of the games? Duke by 29, Iowa beating a Davidson team that didn't show up by 31, Wisconsin by 14, San Diego State by 12, Gonzaga by 10, and Dayton finally ending the string of favorites winning with a 13 point stomping of Providence.
Day two was a bit of a bore, but day three would bring back the Cinderellas from day one to see if they can advance to next weekend's Sweet 16. With UCLA playing UAB in a #11 vs #14 matchup, we'd have at least one double-digit seed playing in week two. Could anyone else join them? The day three recap is next after a post on the day two standings.
In the opening set of games, there simply was no letdown. Kansas took on New Mexico State, jumped out to a double-digit halftime lead and never looked back. Michigan State came in as a very scary #7 seed after starting the season slowly but gaining momentum as March neared, taking Wisconsin to overtime in the Big Ten championship game before falling. Even though Georgia is a major school from the SEC, they played like the favorites they clearly were in this game, building the same 13-point halftime lead that Kansas had in their game. Georgia would make a bit of a run early in the second half, closing the lead down to 2, but the Spartans would build that lead back up again in short time, winning comfortably. Northern Iowa is a mid-major, but they spent most of the year near the top 10, as they, along with Wichita State, proved how dangerous the Missouri Valley Conference truly is. They drew a Wyoming team that got into the tournament with their upset win in the Mountain West Conference tournament. The Panthers wasted no time in proving they are one of the elite teams in this year's March Madness, also staking themselves to a double-digit halftime lead before winning by 17. The only game that held any interest early on was another #5 vs #12 battle between West Virginia and Buffalo, although the Mountaineers continued the trend of favorite holding double-digit halftime leads. The Bulls chipped away at that lead, finally tying the game with two minutes left to play. But after tying the game, Buffalo would not score again, with West Virginia sealing the deal by hitting a three with less than 30 seconds left and going on to a six-point win.
The next set of games was certainly more exciting, but still no upsets. If you thought Michigan State was a scary #7 seed, let me introduce you to #7 seed Wichita State. Like Northern Iowa, they spent considerable time in the top 10 this year, yet a whopping 24 teams were seeded ahead of them on the bracket. And a loss to Indiana would have ratcheted up the idea that they were overrated all season. The Hoosiers played the Shockers tough, holding a slim 3 point lead at the half. Wichita State was awful from behind the arc (2 for 13), but their experienced team found a way to comeback in the second half. Unable to hit from long range, the Shockers got to the charity stripe often, knocking down 29 out of 34 free throws, including some clutch ones at the end of the game as the Hoosiers were forced to foul. Wichita State would move on with a 5-point win. Meanwhile, Virginia, who as recently as 2 weeks ago was the #2 team in the country, was struggling against #15 seed Belmont. This wasn't one of those upset specials where the big underdog hangs around all game long and has a shot at the end to win it. The Cavaliers went up by 14 in the second half, but the Bruins took their best punch, got off the canvas, and started wailing away on Virginia. The loose Belmont squad closed to within a bucket with under 5 minutes to go. That run may have been all they had left though, as Virginia would score the next 9 points and win by a final score of 79-67.
The last two games of the afternoon were tight #4 vs #13 affairs. Louisville looked like a national championship contender earlier in the year, but as the season wore on, their offense sputtered. That trend continued in their game against UC Irvine. To be fair to the Cardinals, they had to stay out of the lane almost the entire game as the Anteaters featured the biggest guy in the tournament: 7 foot 6 inches of Mamadou Ndiaye. It's not like Louisville has a small lineup, but they looked puny in comparison to the gigantic Ndiaye. Forced to develop a perimeter game, the Cardinals misfired frequently. That kept an inferior UC Irvine team close. How close? They needed two free throws with 9 seconds left to break a tie. The Anteaters didn't even get a final shot off, turning the ball over in the final seconds. It was an ugly game, but Louisville prevailed. The final matchup of the afternoon pitted Maryland versus Valparaiso. Valpo is known for one of the most memorable upsets in NCAA history as Bryce Drew's three at the buzzer sent Ole Miss packing in the 1998 tournament. Drew is now the coach of the Crusaders. The game started as a series of runs. Maryland shot out to a 11-4 lead, Valpo responded with a 17-4 run, and the Terrapins came back with 10 straight of their own. Maryland held a 4-point halftime lead, but the game would be a 1-point affair until the Terrapins got a 3-point play to reclaim their 4-point advantage with less than two minutes left. Valpo would get within three and have the ball for a final possession, but like UC Irvine, never got a shot off, turning the ball over instead. Maryland moved on to play West Virginia in the next round.
I have to admit that I didn't get to see any of the night session games for day 2, but it sounds like I didn't miss a whole lot. Oregon beat Oklahoma St. in the closest of the games, with the #8 seed taking down the #9 seed by 6 points. The only other game with a final margin of victory less than 10 points was Oklahoma taking out the Great Danes of Albany by a score of 69-60. The rest of the games? Duke by 29, Iowa beating a Davidson team that didn't show up by 31, Wisconsin by 14, San Diego State by 12, Gonzaga by 10, and Dayton finally ending the string of favorites winning with a 13 point stomping of Providence.
Day two was a bit of a bore, but day three would bring back the Cinderellas from day one to see if they can advance to next weekend's Sweet 16. With UCLA playing UAB in a #11 vs #14 matchup, we'd have at least one double-digit seed playing in week two. Could anyone else join them? The day three recap is next after a post on the day two standings.
Day 1 Leaders for Main Pool
Here were the leaders for the main pool at the end of day 1. Luke McLoughlin chose both UAB and Georgia State, catapulting him to the top with 24 points. In second place was Scott Brown with 20 points. Ray Tillotson held the third spot with 19 points. Four entries were tied for fourth with 17 points.
More Day 1 Action! (Isn't it Day 4?)
Attempting to run this pool in a timely fashion has gotten tougher and tougher each year. And the worst part is that I keep coming up with ideas that I believe will make this pool even better. Will this blog help me run this pool more efficiently, especially when I'm in Vegas next week? Absolutely. Have I gotten the hang of going from picks entered online to picks entered in my spreadsheet? No. That part still takes a ton of time. And with a busy Friday and a travel day yesterday, it took until today to complete the bracket transfers.
The good news? It's finally done! So I will soon be providing you with a link where you can track the up-to-date standings in the two pools. But first I need to catch up on all the action that has taken place so far. When I last left off, we were through the afternoon games on Day 1. The first afternoon was filled with upsets and close finishes. The first evening would not disappoint either. Each of the two sessions would feature two nail biters.
The early evening session would start off with the first appearance of a #1 seed in the tournament. The Villanova Wildcats were given the #2 overall seed and would be opening up against Lafayette. This would not be one of the nail biters. Nova came out and put up 49 points in the first half while opening up a 23-point lead. They nearly matched that production in the second half, as Lafayette could not contain the Wildcats offense at all. Villanova picked up their 33rd win of the year in a 41-point blowout. The next two games would finish regulation simultaneously, which was a shame because it would have been nice to see both live. In the game that looked like it would finish first, Cincinnati and Purdue were playing for the right to get stomped on by Kentucky in the next round. This was a wild game where both teams were sprinting up and down the court and firing up all sorts of crazy shots. The result was a tight game for most of the second half. The Boilermakers looked like they had solved the Bearcats as time wound down, grabbing a 7-point lead with 48 seconds left. But if there is one certainty in March Madness, it is that no single-digit lead is ever safe. Cincinnati hit a quick three, got a steal, made a layup, and it was back to a 2-point lead in the blink of an eye. The margin was still two when the Bearcats tried to prolong their season:
http://www.sportsgrid.com/ncaa-basketball/well-this-is-one-most-dramatic-buzzer-beating-lay-ups-youll-ever-see/
The friendly roll would give us our second OT game of the tournament. The two teams traded baskets early in the extra session, but then everyone went cold. Cincinnati led by 3 until the Boilermakers closed the gap to 1 with 9 seconds left. The Bearcats would miss the front end of a 1-and-1 giving Purdue a chance for the win, but the Boilermakers could not convert. Cincinnati advanced with a 66-65 victory.
While Cincinnati was racing down the court to send their game into overtime, Harvard was trying to pull off a major upset for the second straight year. It didn't look very good for the Crimson early on, as North Carolina opened up a 14 point lead in the first half. That lead was still 11 at the intermission, but the second half would be a whole new story. After the Tar Heels extended their lead to 16, Harvard clamped down on the defensive end, holding North Carolina to 8 points over the next 12 minutes. That brought the lead down to 1. After a Tar Heels three-pointer seemed to set things right for North Carolina, the Crimson surge continued, as a 4-point play gave Harvard a two-point lead with 1:17 left. North Carolina stuck with their game plan and took back the lead with 23 seconds left. Harvard fell in love with the three-pointer late, and after getting one last chance when the Tar Heels missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 11 seconds left, the Crimson could not hit a game-winning three at the buzzer. North Carolina survived with a 67-65 victory.
In the last game of the early session, popular upset pick Stephen F. Austin had a dismal first half against Utah. One of the top 10 scoring teams in the nation, the Lumberjacks could only muster 19 points in the first half. Utah held them at bay for most of the second half. The Lumberjacks did close to within 2 late, but the Utes knocked down their free throws, ending any chance for the upset. Utah moved on with a 57-50 victory.
In the final set of games, Kentucky continued their dominance, moving to 35-0, overwhelming Hampton by 23 points. Georgetown pulled away from Eastern Washington early in the second half and won by 10 in a game that wasn't really as close as the score would indicate. Arkansas was facing Wofford in a #5 vs #12 matchup that has become the go-to source for upsets when people fill out their brackets. These teams were very evenly matched, as neither team could pull away from the other with the lead changing back and forth frequently. The game was tied with two minutes to go, but like Harvard, Wofford fell in love with the three-pointer late. Arkansas was up three in the final seconds, but the Terriers got two very clean looks at a tying basket. Neither would fall though, and the Razorbacks moved on for a date with North Carolina on Saturday.
That left one game and that game involved the Pack. I admittedly hadn't watched LSU play this year, but all the pundits said they were a bad matchup for the Pack, so I was not thrilled to watch the parade of dunks that were thrown down during a first half in which NC State seemed to have no energy at all. The halftime deficit was 14 and things did not look good. A first round exit seemed in order once again. What I did not know about LSU, though, was that they were essentially the SEC version of the Pack, blowing all sorts of leads during the year. With 9 minutes left, the margin was still 14. That's when the Pack started showing signs of life. Or more accurately, that's when the Tigers showed signs of choking. There were turnovers. And forced shots. And missed free throws. It was all reminiscent of...how NC State lost their first round game last year. As a fan who almost never feels optimistic about my team's chances, the sense of deja vu surrounding this collapse made me sit a little taller in my seat. We could win this game. LSU kept going to the line and missing. NC State had 4 or 5 chances to tie the game, but couldn't convert. Come on!! This was ours to win all of a sudden. A Beejay Anya tip in trimmed the lead to one with 44 seconds left. After getting a stop at the other end, the Pack had a chance to win. With 13 seconds to go, NC State ran...what the heck is this play?? After bumping into one another, the ball ended up in Anya's hands again. The big man didn't hesitate and this happened:
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/eye-on-college-basketball/25115043/watch-beejay-anyas-game-winner-after-lsu-goes-cold-when-it-counts
After years and years of watching heartbreaking choke jobs by the Pack, they were finally on the right side of things. Anya's winning shot with 0.1 seconds remaining meant I had at least two more days to root for the Pack this season.
The good news? It's finally done! So I will soon be providing you with a link where you can track the up-to-date standings in the two pools. But first I need to catch up on all the action that has taken place so far. When I last left off, we were through the afternoon games on Day 1. The first afternoon was filled with upsets and close finishes. The first evening would not disappoint either. Each of the two sessions would feature two nail biters.
The early evening session would start off with the first appearance of a #1 seed in the tournament. The Villanova Wildcats were given the #2 overall seed and would be opening up against Lafayette. This would not be one of the nail biters. Nova came out and put up 49 points in the first half while opening up a 23-point lead. They nearly matched that production in the second half, as Lafayette could not contain the Wildcats offense at all. Villanova picked up their 33rd win of the year in a 41-point blowout. The next two games would finish regulation simultaneously, which was a shame because it would have been nice to see both live. In the game that looked like it would finish first, Cincinnati and Purdue were playing for the right to get stomped on by Kentucky in the next round. This was a wild game where both teams were sprinting up and down the court and firing up all sorts of crazy shots. The result was a tight game for most of the second half. The Boilermakers looked like they had solved the Bearcats as time wound down, grabbing a 7-point lead with 48 seconds left. But if there is one certainty in March Madness, it is that no single-digit lead is ever safe. Cincinnati hit a quick three, got a steal, made a layup, and it was back to a 2-point lead in the blink of an eye. The margin was still two when the Bearcats tried to prolong their season:
http://www.sportsgrid.com/ncaa-basketball/well-this-is-one-most-dramatic-buzzer-beating-lay-ups-youll-ever-see/
The friendly roll would give us our second OT game of the tournament. The two teams traded baskets early in the extra session, but then everyone went cold. Cincinnati led by 3 until the Boilermakers closed the gap to 1 with 9 seconds left. The Bearcats would miss the front end of a 1-and-1 giving Purdue a chance for the win, but the Boilermakers could not convert. Cincinnati advanced with a 66-65 victory.
While Cincinnati was racing down the court to send their game into overtime, Harvard was trying to pull off a major upset for the second straight year. It didn't look very good for the Crimson early on, as North Carolina opened up a 14 point lead in the first half. That lead was still 11 at the intermission, but the second half would be a whole new story. After the Tar Heels extended their lead to 16, Harvard clamped down on the defensive end, holding North Carolina to 8 points over the next 12 minutes. That brought the lead down to 1. After a Tar Heels three-pointer seemed to set things right for North Carolina, the Crimson surge continued, as a 4-point play gave Harvard a two-point lead with 1:17 left. North Carolina stuck with their game plan and took back the lead with 23 seconds left. Harvard fell in love with the three-pointer late, and after getting one last chance when the Tar Heels missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 11 seconds left, the Crimson could not hit a game-winning three at the buzzer. North Carolina survived with a 67-65 victory.
In the last game of the early session, popular upset pick Stephen F. Austin had a dismal first half against Utah. One of the top 10 scoring teams in the nation, the Lumberjacks could only muster 19 points in the first half. Utah held them at bay for most of the second half. The Lumberjacks did close to within 2 late, but the Utes knocked down their free throws, ending any chance for the upset. Utah moved on with a 57-50 victory.
In the final set of games, Kentucky continued their dominance, moving to 35-0, overwhelming Hampton by 23 points. Georgetown pulled away from Eastern Washington early in the second half and won by 10 in a game that wasn't really as close as the score would indicate. Arkansas was facing Wofford in a #5 vs #12 matchup that has become the go-to source for upsets when people fill out their brackets. These teams were very evenly matched, as neither team could pull away from the other with the lead changing back and forth frequently. The game was tied with two minutes to go, but like Harvard, Wofford fell in love with the three-pointer late. Arkansas was up three in the final seconds, but the Terriers got two very clean looks at a tying basket. Neither would fall though, and the Razorbacks moved on for a date with North Carolina on Saturday.
That left one game and that game involved the Pack. I admittedly hadn't watched LSU play this year, but all the pundits said they were a bad matchup for the Pack, so I was not thrilled to watch the parade of dunks that were thrown down during a first half in which NC State seemed to have no energy at all. The halftime deficit was 14 and things did not look good. A first round exit seemed in order once again. What I did not know about LSU, though, was that they were essentially the SEC version of the Pack, blowing all sorts of leads during the year. With 9 minutes left, the margin was still 14. That's when the Pack started showing signs of life. Or more accurately, that's when the Tigers showed signs of choking. There were turnovers. And forced shots. And missed free throws. It was all reminiscent of...how NC State lost their first round game last year. As a fan who almost never feels optimistic about my team's chances, the sense of deja vu surrounding this collapse made me sit a little taller in my seat. We could win this game. LSU kept going to the line and missing. NC State had 4 or 5 chances to tie the game, but couldn't convert. Come on!! This was ours to win all of a sudden. A Beejay Anya tip in trimmed the lead to one with 44 seconds left. After getting a stop at the other end, the Pack had a chance to win. With 13 seconds to go, NC State ran...what the heck is this play?? After bumping into one another, the ball ended up in Anya's hands again. The big man didn't hesitate and this happened:
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/eye-on-college-basketball/25115043/watch-beejay-anyas-game-winner-after-lsu-goes-cold-when-it-counts
After years and years of watching heartbreaking choke jobs by the Pack, they were finally on the right side of things. Anya's winning shot with 0.1 seconds remaining meant I had at least two more days to root for the Pack this season.
Friday, March 20, 2015
When An Airball Becomes Goaltending
When I left off yesterday afternoon, we had seen two #3 seeds have to battle down to the final seconds for their tournament lives. Notre Dame survived, but Iowa State did not. Baylor was in the middle of their game with Georgia State at the time and it looked like they also had a struggle on their hands. But late in the second half, the Bears went on a 10-0 run that seemed to put the game away. With less than 3 minutes left, Baylor held a 12 point lead and it seemed as though a #3 seed was finally going to be able to relax during the last minute of play. Perhaps Baylor relaxed too much. Georgia State simply would not quit. Down 10 with 1:40 to play, the Panthers used their pressure D to score 7 points in 16 seconds, quickly turning this into a one-possession game yet again. Baylor began using the clock, but two empty possessions followed before Georgia State cut it to two. Baylor was fouled and could have put Georgia State in a big hole with two free throws, but missed the front end of a one-and-one, giving the Panthers one last shot. Scrambling to get a shot in the waning seconds, RJ Hunter did his best Peter Hooley impression, tossing up a prayer from the top of the key that went in with 2.7 seconds left to win it. Do you want to see the best celebration of the 2015 NCAA tournament? Here it is. Coach Ron Hunter (RJ's dad) tore his achilles during the celebration of the Panthers' Sun Belt tournament victory last week. He had to coach from a stool the entire game. Well, he was on the stool ALMOST the entire game:
In the final game from the early portion of the afternoon, #2 seed Arizona did what the #3 seeds could not. They simply destroyed Texas Southern by a final score of 93-72.
Could the next set of games possibly be as good as the first set? Not quite, but there was one overtime game and another that ended in controversy. First, let's cover the ho-hum affairs. Butler and Texas was a pretty close game throughout, but when the Longhorns had a chance to tie the game late, they missed from the free throw line. The Bulldogs took advantage of that opportunity to come down the floor and hit a 3, extending the lead to 5. Texas could get no closer the rest of the way, and with 3 games down, the Big 12 had already lost 3 participants. In another #6 vs #11 matchup, Xavier romped over a Mississippi team that may have spent all their energy during a wild second half rally from 17 points down in their First Four game against BYU on Tuesday night.
Two very evenly matched teams met in a #7 vs #10 game with VCU taking on Ohio State, a game that would require more than 40 minutes to determine a victor. VCU held a slim one-point lead at the half, but the Buckeyes tied it up at 66 with just over a minute remaining. Both teams had good looks at a potential winning basket, but neither could convert. There wasn't a lot of scoring in overtime, but a 3-pointer by Ohio St.'s Keita Bates-Diop would prove pivotal. Down 3, the Rams missed a jumper that could have sent the game into double overtime. Ohio State clinched it at the free throw line and moved on to face Arizona.
The final game of the late afternoon set would provide one of the more controversial NCAA tournament finishes in quite a while. UCLA had already stirred up a lot of controversy just by being included in the bracket. They scored only 7 points in the first half of a 39-point loss to Kentucky. They lost by 32 to Utah, by 22 to North Carolina, and by 18 to Oregon. If you covered up the UCLA name, you would have thought you were looking at the at-large resume of a low major. Somehow the committee included them in the field with some margin, as they didn't have to play in the First Four earlier in the week. They were taking on SMU, winners of the AAC. This game had some drastic swings late. With the score 44-34 in favor of UCLA, the Mustangs went on a 19-0 run to go up 9. They were still up 7 with less than 90 seconds left, when the Bruins' Bryce Alford knocked down his 8th three-pointer of the day to bring UCLA within 4. A silly SMU foul with under 30 seconds left brought the Bruins within 2. Then the Mustangs threw the ball away, setting up this:
I mean, was the Sport Science dude not available? In order for a goaltending call to be made, the ball has to have the possibility of going in the hoop. There was no way that ball was going in the hoop unless a huge gust of wind swept through the arena right as the SMU player touched it. This was yet another "the rule says..." misinterpretation that has become all too common in sports. Here's an article that contains a screenshot of the play and an explanation of how badly the refs botches this:
http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/03/ucla-smu-was-it-goaltending-rule-goaltend-ncaa-tournament-2015
But "the rule says" if it is going to hit the rim...just stop. It has to hit the rim AND have a chance of going in. Don't read me part of the rule, tell me it applies, and then tell me technically anything could have happened. That ball probably wasn't hitting the rim and it certainly wasn't going in, therefore it is not goaltending. (Misinterpretation of sports rules is quickly getting up there on my list of pet peeves, right under abuse of statistics without context)
Despite the call, SMU had two shots to win it at the other end, but both jumpers fell short. With the UAB upset, UCLA will now be favored to get to the Sweet 16. Quite a turn of events for them.
In the final game from the early portion of the afternoon, #2 seed Arizona did what the #3 seeds could not. They simply destroyed Texas Southern by a final score of 93-72.
Could the next set of games possibly be as good as the first set? Not quite, but there was one overtime game and another that ended in controversy. First, let's cover the ho-hum affairs. Butler and Texas was a pretty close game throughout, but when the Longhorns had a chance to tie the game late, they missed from the free throw line. The Bulldogs took advantage of that opportunity to come down the floor and hit a 3, extending the lead to 5. Texas could get no closer the rest of the way, and with 3 games down, the Big 12 had already lost 3 participants. In another #6 vs #11 matchup, Xavier romped over a Mississippi team that may have spent all their energy during a wild second half rally from 17 points down in their First Four game against BYU on Tuesday night.
Two very evenly matched teams met in a #7 vs #10 game with VCU taking on Ohio State, a game that would require more than 40 minutes to determine a victor. VCU held a slim one-point lead at the half, but the Buckeyes tied it up at 66 with just over a minute remaining. Both teams had good looks at a potential winning basket, but neither could convert. There wasn't a lot of scoring in overtime, but a 3-pointer by Ohio St.'s Keita Bates-Diop would prove pivotal. Down 3, the Rams missed a jumper that could have sent the game into double overtime. Ohio State clinched it at the free throw line and moved on to face Arizona.
The final game of the late afternoon set would provide one of the more controversial NCAA tournament finishes in quite a while. UCLA had already stirred up a lot of controversy just by being included in the bracket. They scored only 7 points in the first half of a 39-point loss to Kentucky. They lost by 32 to Utah, by 22 to North Carolina, and by 18 to Oregon. If you covered up the UCLA name, you would have thought you were looking at the at-large resume of a low major. Somehow the committee included them in the field with some margin, as they didn't have to play in the First Four earlier in the week. They were taking on SMU, winners of the AAC. This game had some drastic swings late. With the score 44-34 in favor of UCLA, the Mustangs went on a 19-0 run to go up 9. They were still up 7 with less than 90 seconds left, when the Bruins' Bryce Alford knocked down his 8th three-pointer of the day to bring UCLA within 4. A silly SMU foul with under 30 seconds left brought the Bruins within 2. Then the Mustangs threw the ball away, setting up this:
I mean, was the Sport Science dude not available? In order for a goaltending call to be made, the ball has to have the possibility of going in the hoop. There was no way that ball was going in the hoop unless a huge gust of wind swept through the arena right as the SMU player touched it. This was yet another "the rule says..." misinterpretation that has become all too common in sports. Here's an article that contains a screenshot of the play and an explanation of how badly the refs botches this:
http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/03/ucla-smu-was-it-goaltending-rule-goaltend-ncaa-tournament-2015
But "the rule says" if it is going to hit the rim...just stop. It has to hit the rim AND have a chance of going in. Don't read me part of the rule, tell me it applies, and then tell me technically anything could have happened. That ball probably wasn't hitting the rim and it certainly wasn't going in, therefore it is not goaltending. (Misinterpretation of sports rules is quickly getting up there on my list of pet peeves, right under abuse of statistics without context)
Despite the call, SMU had two shots to win it at the other end, but both jumpers fell short. With the UAB upset, UCLA will now be favored to get to the Sweet 16. Quite a turn of events for them.
Where Are The Updates, Slacker?
Those brackets do take a ton of time to fill into the spreadsheet, especially when you have great turnout as we did once again this year. The "Main Pool" consists of 40 entries, while the "Gambler Pool" consists of 22 entries. As always, a heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined.
In an attempt to try and get you some results, I loaded the Gambler Pool brackets first. I am still in the process of loading the Main Pool brackets.
Where do things stand? Well at the end of Day One, Scott Brown leads the Gambler Pool with 18 points, followed closely by Eric Leduc at 17 points, and a couple of Daves (Nichols and Henderson) tied for 3rd with 16 points.
An update on Day One's action coming soon! And once all of the brackets for the Main Pool have been loaded, I will provide a link to the spreadsheet so that you can see the standings whenever you like.
In an attempt to try and get you some results, I loaded the Gambler Pool brackets first. I am still in the process of loading the Main Pool brackets.
Where do things stand? Well at the end of Day One, Scott Brown leads the Gambler Pool with 18 points, followed closely by Eric Leduc at 17 points, and a couple of Daves (Nichols and Henderson) tied for 3rd with 16 points.
An update on Day One's action coming soon! And once all of the brackets for the Main Pool have been loaded, I will provide a link to the spreadsheet so that you can see the standings whenever you like.
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Threes Are Wild
#3 seeds are playing in each of the first three games of the day. Notre Dame looked like they were beginning to pull away from a pesky Northeastern squad late in the second half, extending a 4 point halftime lead to 11. But down the stretch, Northeastern had Notre Dame frazzled, as the Irish couldn't score or hold on to the ball. With the lead down to two and 30 seconds remaining, the Huskies seemed desperate to go for the win with a 3, not even attempting to swing the ball low to their big men who had played so well throughout the game. The result was a turnover with 2 seconds remaining and the Irish iced it on the free throw line for a 4-point victory.
Iowa State was another #3 seed in trouble as UAB definitely came to play. In fact, UAB led by 3 at the half. The lead swung several times throughout the second half before Iowa State went on a run to grab a four point lead. Back came UAB though as they cut it two before missing on a bunch of 3-point attempts. One had to fall eventually though as a great out-of-bounds play gave the Blazers a 1-point edge. That would only last for 12 seconds as the Cyclones grabbed the lead back. 15 seconds later, it was the #3 seed trailing once again as UAB hit a jumper from the top of the key. After a blocked shot at the other end, the Blazers converted two free throws to lead by 3. The Cyclones got a great look at a tie, but the ball bounced out and a tip in with less than a second remaining left the Big 12 tourney champions a point short. Start ripping up those brackets as Iowa State is done!
(Congrats to the 6 people who chose UAB!)
Baylor is the third #3 seed to tip-off this afternoon and they only lead by (you guessed it) 3 at the half.
Iowa State was another #3 seed in trouble as UAB definitely came to play. In fact, UAB led by 3 at the half. The lead swung several times throughout the second half before Iowa State went on a run to grab a four point lead. Back came UAB though as they cut it two before missing on a bunch of 3-point attempts. One had to fall eventually though as a great out-of-bounds play gave the Blazers a 1-point edge. That would only last for 12 seconds as the Cyclones grabbed the lead back. 15 seconds later, it was the #3 seed trailing once again as UAB hit a jumper from the top of the key. After a blocked shot at the other end, the Blazers converted two free throws to lead by 3. The Cyclones got a great look at a tie, but the ball bounced out and a tip in with less than a second remaining left the Big 12 tourney champions a point short. Start ripping up those brackets as Iowa State is done!
(Congrats to the 6 people who chose UAB!)
Baylor is the third #3 seed to tip-off this afternoon and they only lead by (you guessed it) 3 at the half.
Bracket Background
It's almost like the good people associated with Blogger knew that people would be running their totally-not-for-gambling-purposes March Madness pools this way. How thoughtful of them!
I'm a little closer to getting things set up the way I want, but for now I thought it would be good to throw an introductory note out there to get things started. The spreadsheet for both pools will be up later today. When you click on it, you should be able to view everyone's picks, results so far, and updated standings, along with the maximum amount of points each participant can still get based on their bracket. If you see something wrong with your bracket (I have been known to mess up), please do not hesitate to let me know.
First tip-off is in 20 minutes. Good luck to everyone!
I'm a little closer to getting things set up the way I want, but for now I thought it would be good to throw an introductory note out there to get things started. The spreadsheet for both pools will be up later today. When you click on it, you should be able to view everyone's picks, results so far, and updated standings, along with the maximum amount of points each participant can still get based on their bracket. If you see something wrong with your bracket (I have been known to mess up), please do not hesitate to let me know.
First tip-off is in 20 minutes. Good luck to everyone!
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