And this year, when you make a bracket on Yahoo!, you're automatically entered to win prizes.
[edit: Duh again. The group number is 31575, and the password is [whispers]Hatrack[/whisper].
[ March 04, 2007, 05:22 PM: Message edited by: Frisco ]
Posted by Carrie (Member # 394) on :
What's the group ID number?
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
31575
Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
I'm in.
Posted by GaalDornick (Member # 8880) on :
Me too.
Posted by Carrie (Member # 394) on :
I'm going to lose again. I seem to be really good at sucking something awful at these brackets. Posted by Frisco (Member # 3765) on :
I need someone to keep me out of the basement this year, and since Wisconsin and Marquette are doing so well, it probably won't be Jeni. Posted by Jeni (Member # 1454) on :
It would take a lot more than Wisconsin and Marquette doing poorly to keep you out of the basement anyway. Posted by SoaPiNuReYe (Member # 9144) on :
BTW George Mason sucks this year so whatever you do don't pick them.
Posted by Frisco (Member # 3765) on :
George Mason is a win away from getting the CAA automatic berth. I'd say they're playing good basketball at the right time of the year.
Still think they'll be out in the first round even if they do win tomorrow. And if they do, I think Old Dominion can say goodbye to any hope of an at-large spot in the tourney.
And Jeni, all it takes to keep me out of the basement is for UNC to play well*.
*(see: 2005 Hatrack March Madness [1st place]) (see also: 2006 Hatrack March Madness [9th of 12, UNC upset by none other than George Mason in second round]
Posted by dantesparadigm (Member # 8756) on :
I used to do a bracket every year as a traditional family thing with my father. I have very little interest in basketball, but I'll throw in for old time's sake.
Posted by Frisco (Member # 3765) on :
*bump*
Tomorrow!
Posted by brojack17 (Member # 9189) on :
I'm in. Thanks for setting this up. Now that I work from home and not an office, I miss out on these things.
Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
It's a fair bet this year to bet against Big East teams early and often.
Just sayin'.
Our conference got hammered in the offseason by graduation and the NBA draft. 11 of the top 40 draftees were from the Big East, and every team lost at least two of their top three scorers.
Posted by Frisco (Member # 3765) on :
But of those 11, 8 were from teams who aren't even in the tournament this year. Your point makes little sense.
On the other hand, Georgetown and Louisville are two of the hottest teams in the country and the Big East sports 5 ranked teams (even though the middle of the pack and bottom are relatively weak).
The Big East also went 8-7 against the ACC this year...no small feat, seeing as the ACC has 7 out of its 12 teams in the tourney (and three more who were only a win away).
Posted by Frisco (Member # 3765) on :
Wow, I just got through a "gut instinct" run of the first round, and I could only think of 10 "locks".
I have a feeling I'm going to outthink myself right out of contention. Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
I don't really know much about basketball so I just picked based on names I like.
Posted by Frisco (Member # 3765) on :
I do that at horse races, and it's surprisingly profitable.
Posted by Sopwith, again (Member # 9457) on :
I'm in.
Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
quote:But of those 11, 8 were from teams who aren't even in the tournament this year.
My point, Frisco, was exactly that. The Big East got hit hard this year by personnel depletions, and was a weaker conference overall. Teams that were dominant last year were not nearly as good this year, bringing the level of competition in the whole conference down.
UConn isn't even a conference factor this year and might not even go to the NIT.
Villanova, which was a 1 seed last year, dropped to a 9 seed and 9th in the conference this year.
Rutgers, who had 19 wins last year, struggled to even get 10 this year.
The conference was depleted heavily at the end of last year, and doesn't have the talent base that it had going into last year's tourney. It played against weaker in-conference competition all year, and isn't exactly its former self.
While there are 5 teams ranked in the Top 25, they aren't exactly powerhouses (at least in my mind... certainly not compared to last year).
As high as G'Town is ranked, who has it beaten out of conference? Against other tourney teams, it's 2-3 (beating a slow-starting Vandy and Oral Roberts, and losing to ODU, Oregon, and Duke).
Pitt has beaten one ranked opponent all year (G'town), and also had a pretty weak nonconference slate.
Louisville managed to go 2-4 against ranked opponents this year, beating only Pitt and Marquette (splitting games with both). And they also had a very weak nonconference schedule.
Notre Dame probably has the most impressive wins, but also has some pretty ugly losses. I mean, they let Nova score 102 points on them in regulation, and are 4-6 on the road (with two of those wins coming against BE bottom feeders Rutgers and Cinci).
I'm not sure where you're seeing an 8-7 record vs. the ACC, though. Do you have a link to that? From my count, the BE was actually 9-4 against the ACC this year... with 6 of those wins coming against those teams that aren't going to the dance.
Now, I'm a big BE fan, but this was a rebuilding year for the conference after losing a massive group of talented players last year.
Posted by The Pixiest (Member # 1863) on :
I'm not the least bit confident in my picks this year... I doubt I'll repeat as champ. I miss living in a place where college basketball is everything in the winter.
Posted by BandoCommando (Member # 7746) on :
Oregon all the way!!!
Or,...well...I hope so, anyway.
Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
I heard a guy from ESPN say that last year, out of all the entries on ESPN online for tournament picks, only four people picked George Mason for the final four. Two were George Mason grads, and one thought he was picking George Washington.
So, sometimes just going with your alma mater on a lark pays off. Posted by GaalDornick (Member # 8880) on :
I have a question about the scoring. If you pick the right team that wins a round but they beat a team that you didn't pick for them to play against, would you still get the points? For example, I pick Team A to beat Team B in the finals. Team A wins the finals, but against Team C. Would I still get the 32 points?
Posted by Frisco (Member # 3765) on :
Yep.
And FC, the teams who didn't get hit hard with defections to the NBA are now the ones with upperclassmen-laden rosters. It's cyclical. I think the BE will do okay. Marquette's going to have a tough first round with their starting guard out with a sprained ankle, but Pitt, Georgetown, ND, 'Nova, and Georgetown are, I think, all going to win at least a game.
And the BE's games against the ACC were:
UNC over Rutgers VT over Seton Hall WV over NC State Louisville over Miami South Florida over Wake Forest Cincinnati over NC State FSU over Providence Georgia Tech over UConn Maryland over St. John's Notre Dame over Maryland Marquette over Duke Duke over Georgetown Duke over St. John's Providence over Boston College Pitt over FSU
Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
I didn't see the games played after the start of conference play - and somehow I neglected Seton Hall entirely. Looks like you missed a matchup of DePaul over Wake, too. So, it looks like the BE went 9-7 overall against the ACC - with the only BE win over one of the top 4 teams in the ACC being ND over MD.
I do think that the BE will win a fair amount of their first round matchups, but I don't see any of them going very deep into the tourney. I'm not expecting any in the Final Four certainly, and probably not in the Elite Eight either (aside from perhaps G'town if they get lucky).
There is a huge amount of young talent in the conference though. While it is cyclical to a certain extent, this year was a particularly deep dip - mainly because we lost a lot of juniors and even sophomores last year.
I can't wait to watch though - I'll be rooting for the BE teams, though I'll likely be thinking them underdogs more often than not. Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
Woah - what happened to George Mason?
Posted by Frisco (Member # 3765) on :
Three of the BE's wins are over ACC tourney teams, though, compared to one of the ACC's.
And I still disagree about the talent pool in the Big East. Out of 16 teams and over 250 roster spots, the BE lost 6 underclassmen to the draft. Two of them were from perennial non-contenders Rutgers and South Florida.
Cincinnati, 'Nova and UConn had the others.
So five of the six tourney teams are flush with upperclassman leadership. Jeff Green, Aaron Gray, and Russell Carter are a few of the best players in the college game right now, and all are capable of leading their teams to deep runs.
I think you're trying to sabotage peoples' brackets with all this BE negativity. If any conference is down, it's the SEC this year. And I see more of the ACC bowing out early than the Big East.
Posted by The Pixiest (Member # 1863) on :
I'm really worried about the SEC. Yes, I picked em all over the place, but they were totally homer picks. Expect me to come in last.
Posted by TheTick (Member # 2883) on :
quote:Originally posted by katharina: Woah - what happened to George Mason?
A .500 conference record probably stopped them from making the NCAA or NIT tournament. ODU (my bro's alma mater) and VCU made it from the CAA.
Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
Maybe I just have overall NCAA negativity this year. Many of the games I've seen (mostly BE games) have been sloppy.
You're right, though, in that there are 16 teams and over 250 roster spots in the BE, but between graduation and the draft it seems like so many of the best of them left.
Last season, there were twelve players who scored 16.0 or more points per game, this year there are six. Of the top 20 scorers from last year, only 2 names still show up in the top 30 from this year.
Last season, seven players shot better than .400 from behind the arc, this year there are three. There were 10 players who hit 2.5 or more 3's per game, and this year there are 5.
Still, the FG% went up slightly from last year, average team scoring remained relatively constant, and defensive numbers remained relatively constant. Maybe it's better that there are fewer superstars, if it means better team play? Or maybe the averages are constant... but against teams that aren't as good.
I don't know. It just feels to me that the Big East has a bunch of solid, but not outstanding teams. I can't look at any of them and honestly say to myself that they are one of the best eight teams in the country.
Still, though, I'd love to see G'town or Pitt win it. Just as long as it isn't Notre Dame... Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
Well, my picks are in. It's a halfhearted effort, honestly I'm not into it this year as most years. Still, March Madness is the best college sports thing going.
I manage a pool for my mother's workplace, and I'm thinking of letting my six year olds into the mix by letting them pick teams. (We do it for fun, not money, and bragging rights, of course.) I'd love to see how they do, just picking names at random.
Edit: Well, Abigail, my six year old picked her brackets just now. (she's home because she had some detal work done this morning.) She actually did pretty well, considering I refrained mightily from coaching her, I really did.
Her final four is: Winthrop, Kansas, Boston College, and Ohio State. She picked Boston College to win it all. When I asked her why she liked Boston College she said that college players were probably better because they were bigger and older. Then I told her every player in this was in college and she said "Oh."
[ March 14, 2007, 02:36 PM: Message edited by: Belle ]
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
I'm in. Working on my bracket now.
GO KANSAS!
FG
Posted by Tstorm (Member # 1871) on :
I'm in, but I haven't entered my picks yet...gotta do that tonight. Posted by Frisco (Member # 3765) on :
I guess no tie for me and Farmgirl this year. Posted by Verloren (Member # 9771) on :
I'm in, even though I have no idea how most of these teams play, and actually don't care - but since I "had" to fill out a bracket for work, I figured I'd join in the fun here too
-V
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
quote:Her final four is: Winthrop, Kansas, Boston College, and Ohio State. She picked Boston College to win it all.
Well, I have Boston College getting knocked out RIGHT NOW as they face Texas Tech. Because I've seen Texas Tech play (but know nothing about the Boston College team.
But isn't that mascot for Wake Forest (show on the floor of the court this game is being played on) a funny looking mascot? Who came up with that, I wonder?
FG
Posted by Tresopax (Member # 1063) on :
The Demon Deacon is indeed a strange mascot....
In the meanwhile... it appears Stanford forgot to show up for the first half of their game.
Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
Seems like. Ah well, I picked Louisville to be upset... but I picked Texas A&M to win in the next round anyway, so I don't think it will matter if the 'Ville wins.
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
Luckily, I didn't pick them!
We have a 47" HD TV hooked up here at work. I love working in IT! *grin*
FG
Posted by Frisco (Member # 3765) on :
I have L'ville in my Final Four.
That quarter of the bracket will be my undoing, I think...I have a #9 and a #6 in my Elite Eight.
Posted by Tstorm (Member # 1871) on :
I picked Tech over BC, but I figured either one was likely to lose to Georgetown.
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
Well, crap. Start my bracket with a loss. That makes me sad.
Posted by Tresopax (Member # 1063) on :
Yup, that Stanford upset is looking a little bit unlikely to happen...
Oh well, the good news is that I can start my chant now!
A - C - C! A - C - C! A - C - C! Posted by Tstorm (Member # 1871) on :
Big 12! Big 12! Big 12!
I started with a loss, but it's now evened out with the Maryland win.
(Oh, and we've also got a TV here, but because of my eyesight and the size of the screen, the audio is all that matters. )
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
Yeah, at least I had Tech getting beat out the next round by Georgetown, just as you do, Tstorm. So this shouldn't hurt me too terribly bad.
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
Yep, I started out with a loss as well.
Maybe I shouldn't have put all the Texas teams to go as far as possible.
Posted by Tresopax (Member # 1063) on :
Hmmmm... where are all the upsets?
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
2-3
Gyah...
Posted by The Pixiest (Member # 1863) on :
I picked a lot of upsets.. this is going to be a long tourney....
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
brojack17 (whoever you are) -- I think your picks and mine are very similar - and we have the same champ picked. Will be interesting it how it pans out in comparison.
FG
Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
Well, kat, I've got Texas winning the whole thing. Then again, I'm 4-3 at the moment - I picked two 5-12 upsets and a 6-11 upset that didn't happen.
I'm still in it, though, so long as none of those winners move on to the third round. Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
I have six wins so far. But Yahoo is sure taking it's time updating the standings. Oh well.
FG
Posted by Paul Goldner (Member # 1910) on :
Hrm. I'm 7-0 about to be 8-0.
picking upsets just to pick an upset never seems to pan out. The only upset I have on my board for today is VCU over duke. (Ok, so, technically I have michigan staet over marquette, but frankly, 9 over 8 isn't an upset).
I have indiana over zaga, and that one worries me. But I'm in good shape.
I have florida, UCLA, Texas, and ohio state in the final four.
Posted by Frisco (Member # 3765) on :
I know...I saw my bracket after I finished, and I realized that I didn't have one seed over 10 coming out of the first round....so I just HAD to stick one in. We'll find out tomorrow if Albany can keep my bracket perfect.
Of course, I have quite a few upsets in later rounds.
But for now, 8-0, and if the scoring margins more or less hold, 12-0 in an hour.
Tonight brings a few interesting matchups, though. I'm pretty confident that Indiana is overrated and that Xavier is underseeded, but there's so much parity this year, anything can happen.
Posted by Carrie (Member # 394) on :
Well, I've officially lost - already.
Curse you, Duke!
Posted by Paul Goldner (Member # 1910) on :
*pats self on head*
Posted by Frisco (Member # 3765) on :
As a Tarheel fan who picked Duke to win tonight...that was a bittersweet game.
Much more sweet than bitter, but a mixture nonetheless. Posted by Paul Goldner (Member # 1910) on :
And that was also the best basketball game I've seen in years.
Posted by brojack17 (Member # 9189) on :
quote:Originally posted by Farmgirl: brojack17 (whoever you are) -- I think your picks and mine are very similar - and we have the same champ picked. Will be interesting it how it pans out in comparison.
FG
Jack Lyons (nice to meet you)
Great minds think alike
Edit: Only 815 more posts then I can formally introduce myself.
[ March 15, 2007, 11:39 PM: Message edited by: brojack17 ]
Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
Well, I only picked Duke to win two games, knowing it's a down year for them, but I didn't expect them to lose to VCU! Good job, to the VCU team....but that bites.
Posted by GaalDornick (Member # 8880) on :
Paul, are you in the Hatrack league?
I'm so pissed about Old Dominion. That was as close to a last minute change as it gets. I changed my pick from Butler to Old Dominion with like a half an hour before they were locked. Darn. Otherwise, I'm happy so far.
Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
I just foudn out my picks are incomplete. somehow I missed one first round game. So, my score is all messed up. I don't know how I did that. Drat!
Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
Well, my bracket is useless. The upsets I picked didn't happen, which means the upsets I didn't pick will most certainly happen.
I had Duke beating Pitt (though I almost changed that last night), so that wasn't so good. Even so, though, almost all of my second round winners are still intact.
Posted by Frisco (Member # 3765) on :
Looks like you missed a second round game, Belle. Still, it'll only cost you two points.
Posted by Frisco (Member # 3765) on :
*wipes forehead*
Xavier squeaked by.
Now they need to play a little better on Saturday, though BYU shot well and played hard.
Gonzaga's loss was disappointing, but at least it only cost me one point.
Posted by Tstorm (Member # 1871) on :
Marquette and Texas Tech only cost me one game each.
Darned Gonzaga cost me two points. And darned George Wash. also cost me two. Don't know why I picked that one, honestly. Tired, maybe?
I'm somewhat bolstered by my correct pick of VCU over Duke. Unfortunately, this could well be my only correct pick of an upset.
Posted by Frisco (Member # 3765) on :
Gonzaga and GW must've cost you three, if you had them winning another one. Point values double each round.
Xavier almost cost me 7.
Posted by Paul Goldner (Member # 1910) on :
In not in the hatrack league.
Darnit, I didn't have a perfect day stupid BYU losing to xavier! I knew I should have listened to Colbert on that one.
15-1 on day one is pretty good though.
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
I think Duke is going to be the death of me. I had them picked to go all the way to Elite Eight.
But then, I hadn't been following that team at all this year. I just knew historically Coach K has great teams. Posted by Tstorm (Member # 1871) on :
Ah, yes. Two games = 3 points. I was thinking in terms of games and not points.
Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
Well, I'm not doing as badly as I thought I'd be. 12-4 on the day, with no loss messing up a future game (I *did* change my bracket to put Pitt over Duke, it seems... whew... thought I'd changed that back)
I'm still in this... just have to root for A&M over Louisville, MD over Butler, Pitt over VCU, and Vandy over Washington St. Posted by Jeni (Member # 1454) on :
Marquette costed me 15 points. Anyone else lose one of their final four in the first day?
Posted by Tresopax (Member # 1063) on :
Only two hours until the most important game of the day!
Wahoo-wah! Wahoo-wah!
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
I lost my CHAMPION in the first day. Duke, you have betrayed me!
Also, it turns out Central Connecticut is not the Conn I had heard of, and Eastern Kentucky is not the Kentucky I had heard of. I am losing miserably.
Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
Actually, Central Connecticut is a lot better than UConn was this year - which is kind of bizarre. UConn didn't make the NCAA tourney, nor did it make the NIT tourney. Then again, after you lose every starter to the draft and graduation, it takes a toll.
A similar fate befell Duke, though they lost slightly less talent and acquitted themselves slightly better throughout most of the season.
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
Duke just lost to VCU. They are dead to me.
Posted by Tresopax (Member # 1063) on :
quote:Also, it turns out Central Connecticut is not the Conn I had heard of, and Eastern Kentucky is not the Kentucky I had heard of. I am losing miserably.
Yes.... always pay attention to those directionals! Posted by Verloren (Member # 9771) on :
I may be at the bottom of the league right now, but of the 5 I got wrong, I only had 2 going an additional round before losing, so I should catch up to all the rest of you soon (assuming today goes as I hope)
-V
Posted by Tresopax (Member # 1063) on :
Go HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOS!!!
Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
So Notre Dame is learning that it's kind of hard to win if you start 1-14 from three point range and 1-5 from the line.
Sure glad I gave them the benefit of at least one win in the tourney.
I'm also kind of wondering when Wisconsin is going to realize that the game has started.
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
What the heck is Winthrop trying to do to my bracket!!!!!
Posted by steven (Member # 8099) on :
kat, Duke blew the whole last 1/3 of the season. what were you thinking? Granted, Krykryzewski (or however you spell it) is assistant God in college basketball. But still. They got embarrassed a couple of times this season.
Posted by Tresopax (Member # 1063) on :
I'd just like to point out Wisconsin is currently shooting 13%. I wonder if they can get down into the single digits....
Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
I'm wondering if they can get their score into the double digits... which do you think will happen first?
Posted by Tstorm (Member # 1871) on :
Farmgirl,
Winthrop is trying to make up for what Wisconsin cannot do for me.
If Wisconsin loses now, that'll guarantee a last-place finish for my bracket.
Posted by Jeni (Member # 1454) on :
My poor bracket. My poor state!
Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
Well, there's double digits... only took them 16:06.
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
This is beyond sad. That's the last time I fill out a bracket based on how at home the school name would be in a blues song.
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
quote:Originally posted by Tresopax: Go HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOS!!!
"Likely upset pick" indeed. *smirks at the silly pundits who sold the cavs short*
If Reynolds is truly back in form, good things await.
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
Tstorm-- yeah, but I had picked both Notre Dame AND Wisconsin! I lose all the way around.
Posted by Tstorm (Member # 1871) on :
There's still some hope for Wisconsin. Only down by 11 points now.
*hopes*
Posted by Carrie (Member # 394) on :
It's only 7 now!
Posted by Tstorm (Member # 1871) on :
Tie game!
Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
As an aside, was anyone playing defense in the Tennesse game? Anyone at all? Posted by Carrie (Member # 394) on :
Evidently not. 121 points?!?! Wow.
And Bucky in the lead - for now...
Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
I mean, you score 86 points, I'd say there's a fair chance you win the game... unless, of course, you let your opponent score 121.
207 points in regulation... that's gotta be a tourney record.
Posted by Carrie (Member # 394) on :
Thank you, Wisconsin, for not failing my bracket. Posted by Frisco (Member # 3765) on :
Damn you, Wisconsin!
And I love the scenario generator on Yahoo!
If the lower seeds win every remaining game, I will win!
If the higher seeds win them all, I'm in 17th. A more likely scenario.
If UNC and UCLA go to the championship game and UCLA wins, I could lose every other Sweet 16 and Elite 8 game in the whole bracket and still tie for first.
In 99% of situations, UNC could win the championship and I would lose. Badly. And I'd feel like a real moron for not supporting my team.
Man, this thing's a real timesink.
Posted by Paul Goldner (Member # 1910) on :
31-1 in the first round. I wish I had put serious money on this thing Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
Big scares for OSU and A&M, but those pieces of my Sweet 16 are still intact. :whew:
Now, if only Vandy and G'town can turn it around in the second halves of their games...
Edit: And my condolences on the South region of your bracket, Frisco.
Posted by Frisco (Member # 3765) on :
Oh, the humanity!
Both my big upsets had leads in the final minute, and both managed to bungle free throws and turn the ball over!
*waits patiently for next year*
Posted by Carrie (Member # 394) on :
It's alright - I just lost one of my final two.
Ah, well. That's what I get for loving Cinderellas too much.
*sits next to Frisco, offers a beverage*
Posted by GaalDornick (Member # 8880) on :
The Vanderbilt win ruined the right side of my bracket. I was perfect on the right side until that game . Posted by Carrie (Member # 394) on :
Why does Wisconsin always do this to me?
Posted by GaalDornick (Member # 8880) on :
Wow. Didn't see that one coming.
Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
I had Wisconsin losing to Oregon next round anyway, so it wasn't as big of a loss as it could have been.
6 of my Elite Eight are already intact, and 2 are at risk tonight(Kansas and Texas). As long as Texas keeps winning, I'll be in good shape. Once they lose, I'm screwed.
[ March 18, 2007, 07:20 PM: Message edited by: FlyingCow ]
Posted by Carrie (Member # 394) on :
I did, too, come to think of it.
I just wanted my boys to win for once! They get me all excited - I don't even like basketball - and I start paying attention, just in time for them to dump it.
Every. Gosh. Darned. Year.
Posted by Tstorm (Member # 1871) on :
So much for Wisconsin going all the way.
So much for my first place attempt.
Now I've got to try for second. Go Texas!
Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
So, Texas looks like it's on the way out. I might as well burn my bracket.
While there is a chance that I can still win (if somehow I get all my other picks, and USC wins the title), I somehow doubt it's going to happen.
To be optimistic, I'm ranked 2nd in the hatrack group at the moment. Posted by GaalDornick (Member # 8880) on :
Texas noooooooo!!! Crap, this is going to ruin my bracket.
Edit: I'm tied with you for 2nd FC and it looks like the Texas game hurt you even more. Nice. Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
Like I said, might as well burn my bracket.
There are a couple of scenarios where I can still win, but they are very unlikely. They involve either USC or Texas A&M winning it all.
Texas (as a team) just couldn't hang with USC it seems. Durant and Abrams played great - it's just the rest of the team decided not to show up. Durant/Abrams scored 50 points, grabbed 13 boards, and shot 50% from the field (40% from 3)... the rest of the team scored 18 points, grabbed 17 boards, and shot 24% from the field (9% from 3).
Sigh.
Posted by Frisco (Member # 3765) on :
I suppose I'm still technically in it, since paper tiger Wisconsin went down, ruining various brackets, and I picked the Rebels to run all over them.
Of course, the other paper tiger, OSU, needs to go down for me to have a shot, and UCLA has to reach the championship game.
Posted by Tstorm (Member # 1871) on :
At least OSU is a paper tiger that makes free throws.
I'm pretty much out, now, since Texas lost. Any teams you want me to root for? I can surely get them to lose by doing so. Posted by Frisco (Member # 3765) on :
Well, I've pored over the scenario generator, and the only way I can win is if
A: UCLA wins the National Championship
and
B: 3 out of the following 5 teams win their Sweet 16 game (Butler, UNC, Georgetown, Texas A&M, Tennessee)
and
C: Either Memphis or Texas A&M reaches the Final Four, or UNC reaches the championship game.
Well, that's not the ONLY way, but it is, sadly, the most likely. So, if you could root really hard for Kansas, USC, and OSU for me, that would be great.
Posted by Tstorm (Member # 1871) on :
Roger...will do on KU. Posted by GaalDornick (Member # 8880) on :
I'm pretty sure that if Kansas wins the finals and Memphis makes it to at least the final four, there's no way I can lose regardless of the other results. Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
Well, I still have six of my Elite Eight still in the dance, and so far all the ones I have picked to go to Final Four are still playing.
So maybe there's hope yet...
FG
(edit: and I would never have guessed UNLV to go so far -- but you can't help but like those guys if you watch them play.....)
[ March 19, 2007, 09:23 AM: Message edited by: Farmgirl ]
Posted by brojack17 (Member # 9189) on :
It looks like someone bled all over my bracket. Too much red.
Posted by BandoCommando (Member # 7746) on :
Yay for Oregon!!! Woohoo!!!
(I didn't do a bracket, I just want my guys to win it all.)
BTW, anyone have Oregon taking it all? It's a REALLY long shot, I know, but hey, miracles can happen.
Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
In brighter news (for me, anyway), Rutgers' women plastered East Carolina 77-34 in the first round last night. Hopefully we'll come out firing against Michigan St. tomorrow night, too. Granted, we're a 4 seed playing on the home floor of the 5 seed (I don't see the logic, either), but if we win, we get the privilege of playing 1-seed Duke at UNC Greensboro's campus.
I don't think there's any such thing as neutral courts in women's basketball.
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
Go KANSAS!
Woot!
FG
Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
Well, my bracket's even more toasted. The right hand side is essentially a total loss. So much for Texas A&M beaing Memphis...
Would have been kind of cool if Tennessee beat OSU, though. I've got friends who are Tennessee fans who I'm sure are nursing heavy hangovers today.
In women's tourney news, Rutgers' women get to face off again against Duke on Saturday. We lost 85-45 at the start of the year to drop to a 2-3 record. We've ended the year on a 19 of 21 run, though, having beaten five straight Top 25 teams, and are night-and-day better than our 5-5 start. Our players are healthy and playing their best basketball of the year, having already beaten top seeded UConn on their home court in the Big East Tournament.
Best case scenario, I think, is that we win 65-61 or so. Worst case scenario, I think, is that we lose 65-55 or so. It's just a matter of whether our defense (giving up an average of 55 ppg, and holding 12 teams under 50 and 6 under 40) can hold Duke's best-in-the-country offense in check. :fingers crossed:
Posted by Frisco (Member # 3765) on :
quote:At least OSU is a paper tiger that makes free throws.
Good call.
Watching Tennessee and A&M shoot 47% and 50%, respectively, from the free throw line in 1-point losses was really painful.
Posted by Carrie (Member # 394) on :
quote:Originally posted by Farmgirl: (edit: and I would never have guessed UNLV to go so far -- but you can't help but like those guys if you watch them play.....)
You absolutely can - if they beat your team. Posted by BandoCommando (Member # 7746) on :
quote:Originally posted by Carrie:
quote:Originally posted by Farmgirl: (edit: and I would never have guessed UNLV to go so far -- but you can't help but like those guys if you watch them play.....)
You absolutely can - if they beat your team.
Here's hoping they won't beat mine! Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
Well, all of the six I still had in, of my Elite Eight picks, have made it thus far. So my bracket could still survive in good standing...
..but I was sure worried about North Carolina there for awhile. And I feel asleep before seeing their amazing comeback.
FG
Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
W00T!!! Rutgers women beat Duke by 1!!!!!!
Posted by GaalDornick (Member # 8880) on :
Well, I think Ohio State just finished off my bracket. My money bracket and the Hatrack one.
Posted by Tstorm (Member # 1871) on :
Frisco, I finished off KU by rooting for them over UCLA. I hope you're happy.
I don't honestly think there's a team left in this that I give two shakes about. 'Twas fun, though, seeing it all unfold. Posted by BandoCommando (Member # 7746) on :
Oregon didn't win against Florida. Not that I really thought they would win, but it would have been sweet.
Posted by brojack17 (Member # 9189) on :
I'm out.
Posted by GaalDornick (Member # 8880) on :
Same thing happens to me every time I do these. I usually do great in the early rounds, in my money bracket I was 2nd when the Sweet 16 started and here I was around 3rd place for most of the time, and then when it comes down to the big games that are worth alot of points, my picks always die out. Last time I'm every picking Kansas to win it all. They always look hot at the start of the tournament and then choke.
Posted by Frisco (Member # 3765) on :
Choke? You mean like how my Tarheels missed 22 of their final 24 shots against G-Town?
Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
UNC should never have let them back in the game. Though it will be interesting to see Hibbert v. Oden in the Final Four.
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
Well, heck.
I'm definately out.
Posted by katharina (Member # 827) on :
I've been our for ages. I had every one in the Elite Eight wrong except for Georgetown, which I only chose because that's Matt's school.
Posted by Verloren (Member # 9771) on :
I'm amazed that my I-have-no-idea-who-these-teams-are bracket is doing so well. I'd say it's beginner's luck, but I've done horribly in previous years. I guess my math teacher was right - it's as hard to get them all right as to get them all wrong (not that I'm 100%, but you know what I mean). BTW, my math teacher in high school (I had the same one all 4 years :whoa:) said he would give an A+ to anyone who got every single question wrong on a test. I don't think anyone ever took him up on the offer
-V
Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
That wouldn't be so hard with some teachers - the danger is in teachers who like to give partial credit.
And everyone except for TStorm, cross your fingers for Rutgers tonight. Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
W00T! Rutgers women are in the Final Four! *And* we don't have to play UConn again!
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
I'm not last anymore!
Posted by Frisco (Member # 3765) on :
quote:I'm amazed that my I-have-no-idea-who-these-teams-are bracket is doing so well.
With the later rounds weighted so heavily and the 2 pre-tourney favorites in the championship game, combined with the unusually low number of upsets, I wouldn't be surprised if every office pool in the country was won by people who don't know much about college hoops.
Unfortunately, I think Florida's going to win, so Megan will be victorious with her by-the-numbers bracket.
Posted by Paul Goldner (Member # 1910) on :
Hrm. I had 31/32 right, was screwed in the sweet sixteen, had 7/8 right in the elite eight, 3/4 in the final four, and 2/2 in the finals.
I did pretty good this year Too bad I didn't bet on it.
Posted by The Pixiest (Member # 1863) on :
This year was easy if you picked all the favorites.
Posted by Ecthalion (Member # 8825) on :
Its the power of Noah's hair, trust me, no one knows what magical secrets he keeps in there.
Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
I think it will be good if Florida wins, and I think I'll be rooting for them.
I mean, Florida is a solid team that shares the ball and gets everyone involved. They have star players who opted *not* to jump to the NBA, and instead stayed in school another year.
OSU, on the other hand, is the product of the new NBA rule. If not for Greg Oden's presence this year, they would not be in the Championship, and Oden's surely going to jump ship as soon as possible for the NBA.
And, as an aside, Rutgers women are in the championship game against Tennessee! We've been in the tournament 8 out of the last 9 years, and four of those years we lost to Tennessee. Hopefully this will be the year we finally beat them!
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
As someone who has been following Greg Oden since he was a high school sophomore who lost to my high school (it was a very big deal, we knocked off two number one teams that season, but it was the last game he lost in high school) I really think he might have done at least a year in college without the rule. I'm not positive, but I think his mother would have encouraged it. I also think Mike Connely has been quite a help to OSU. And I hope they both go pro and make lots of money before they get hurt.
Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
So, how long as he looked like he was 45? He's going to be the only rookie in the NBA to make LeBron James look young.
Seriously, though, I'm not a big fan of players coming out early. As much as I'm all for the NBA's rule to no longer draft kids out of high school, I think it should be extended even further. The NFL requires two years out of high school, for instance.
The vast number of players jumping ship really sends a message, though, that money is all that matters, and an education is an afterthought, if anything.
I can't knock the players, though. Quincy Douby gave up one extra year at Rutgers to go in the first round in a weak draft year. By jumping early, he probably made over a million dollars more than he would have if he'd stayed for his senior year.
He made a good decision for himself and his family, but it really seems like we're incentivizing the decision to drop out of college. Seems strange to me.
So far, women's basketball hasn't suffered from this problem, though there is already talk of superstars like Candace Parker leaving early for the WNBA.
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
I once heard Jerred Jefferies explain in person why he quit IU after 2 (3?) years. He was raised by a single mom, on a trailer, in rural bloomington. If he'd gone on in college who is to say he wouldn't get hurt. If he finished at IU what would he do? Coach middle or high school basketball and teach gym? Making 30 to 50 thousand a year? But can't you always get a college degree? Why not play for a few years, then go back to college? This is what I always tell my friends who are in areas that they need to be physical but not having a degree doesn't matter too much.
Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
Used to be, someone with athletic ability but a poor economic background would use their skill to get a scholarship so that they could attend college. It was a way to get the education they never could afford on their own.
If Jerred Jefferies had no basketball ability, what would he have given to go to college, get a degree, and come out making upwards of $50k? You talk about that like it's a bad thing, like someone coming from a trailer in rural bloomington with a single mom to a high school basketball coach making $50k is something to be looked down at.
Now, with the "money sports" - it's not enough to get a degree. That's not worthwhile. The goal is no longer to use your athletic ability to get an education. The goal has become to use your athletic ability to get rich quick.
Our priorities need adjusting.
Athletics should be the means of getting an education. Educational facilities shouldn't be the means to make money with athletics.
It's still the way it should be in sports like swimming, track and field, crew, etc. Sports that aren't multimillion dollar industries. Basketball and football have been corrupted, though, with many collegiate sports programs becoming "pro factories" (cough, cough, OSU football, cough) that have no academic rigor whatsoever.
Like I said, though, I can't blame the player who has the opportunity to jump early and make the big money. Especially those that came from economically destitute families.
The players are trying to look out for what's best for them. It's the system that's faulty.
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
I'm not going to argue, but 50k is certainly on the high end of that range, after 20 years, not a given for getting hired.
When I first saw Greg Oden he was probably still 15 and looked at least thirty and was already seven feet tall. Our high school was supposed to be getting a boy from Peurto Rico that was about the same height and of similar skill, but he sold his photograph and lost ISHAA eligibility.
Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
Actually, having been a teacher, $50k is not exactly the high end of that range. A 20 year gym teacher with a coaching stipend is probably making closer to $65k or more, on average.
While it certainly doesn't have the allure or paycheck of a professional athlete, it's not exactly below the poverty line. For kid coming from a family/environment that makes college impossible, even that is well out of reach without help. A kid who's great at track might run his way to a scholarship and a ticket to that job, and be far better off for it.
A scholarship shouldn't be a ticket to fame and fortune, with temporary lodging on a college campus. It should be a ticket to a college education, and if that later leads to fame and fortune, all the better.
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
It is in our school system. Which is what I was quoting. There are three teachers currently making over $50k, two are music and one is athletics. The two music teachers both travel and have been in the school system over 20 years.
Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
Wow. What state are you in, breyerchic?
I know NJ is not standard at all (one of the higher paying states), but I had a friend start his first year at $46k after two assistant coaching stipends. The 20-year teachers are in the $80k range (not to mention having pensions that guarantee benefits and a large percentage of their highest salary for life). In my third year, I was making almost $45k.
I know some areas are on the lower end of the spectrum, but it was my understanding that the cost of living in those areas was also considerably lower.
Either way, the salary and benefits sure beat pumping gas or flipping burgers.
Posted by The Pixiest (Member # 1863) on :
I've picked the national champion two years in a row. yay me.
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
Funny you should ask . She, like me, is from Bloomington, IN.
The highest paid teacher in the entire school district (as of a year or two ago) was just over $62k. The average salary is about $46k, so I wouldn't be surprised if another one or two teachers have broken $50k, but the salary structure makes it so there are never many over $50k.
Bloomington has an abundant supply of highly qualified teachers due to IU, and the cost of living is pretty low. New Jersey, by contrast, has an obscenely high cost of living (I have relatives there); I have no idea if there're any particularly prolific education schools in the area.
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
OSU really wore Oden down last night. He was so very tired by the end, he just couldn't keep it up. That's why the team needed more depth - others than could help him out more, if they were to beat Florida.
But since I didn't pick EITHER of these teams, it was kinda enjoyable to be able to just kick back and watch the game without having a strong opinion toward one team or the other.
Posted by FlyingCow (Member # 2150) on :
NJ has a pretty abundant supply of teachers, too, from Rutgers, William Paterson, and Montclair State. Still never enough to meet demand, but that's pretty common everywhere.
Getting back to the subject at hand, though, football and basketball are anomolous in my mind as ncaa sports, as they don't fall as neatly into the "get a scholarship to get an education" mold. Because of the megadollars involved in those sports, you have the "get a scholarship to get a draft position" mold - for good or for ill.
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Many of the games I've seen (mostly BE games) have been sloppy. ![[ROFL]](graemlins/rofl.gif)
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I don't know how I did that. Drat!
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