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In light of the University of Vermont running a clean sheet in its conference, running its winning streak to 18 (2nd-longest active ATM), going 26-5, and sniffing an at-large bid even if something happens in the America East tournament, it's time to start the annual brackets craziness. Here's the URL for the league, and invites have been sent to all who were in last year. Depending on how cranky Yahoo is this time around, I may have to send invites if you want in. If Yahoo won't let you in, PM me and you'll get an invite.

https://tournament.fantasysports.yahoo. ... group/8090

My wife and I will join, we got invites. Thanks.

Just a reminder folks, Selection Sunday is tomorrow and the play-in games are Wednesday (I think).

Wulp, since the selection committee has consistently given Duke the easiest path to the final four over the past 2 decades, I'm picking them to be a #2 seed in Gonzaga's bracket (#3 if Notre Dame beats them tonight), since the Zags will be the weakest #1 seed. No way they'd dare have their darlings get their hands dirty against Kansas or Villanova unless it's in Phoenix.

Top seeds- Villanova (overall #1 without a doubt), Kansas, Gonzaga, and the Oregon / Arizona winner.

Last year's championship game still sends chills up my spine. Best ending since NC State - Houston.

kvndoom wrote:

Last year's championship game still sends chills up my spine. Best ending since NC State - Houston.

I'm partial to 2008 (I was attending KU at the time, so it was realllll fun).

I'm in

Don't forget to actually fill out the bracket. I'm ready, though.

I'm in......bracket ready

derFunkenstein wrote:

Don't forget to actually fill out the bracket. I'm ready, though.

I, uh, thought I was ready but I guess I forgot to submit my bracket. It's empty somehow.

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After day 1:
Possible (out of 192) / Actual (out of 16 so far)
190 / 14 JustAnEngineer
190 / 14 Matt
188 / 14 Hannah
188 / 14 Benjamin
188 / 12 Captain Ned
186 / 12 Dr. Science
184 / 12 Peter
180 / 10 conchpapa
179 / 11 Ian
0 / 0 Bob

DancinJack wrote:

kvndoom wrote:

Last year's championship game still sends chills up my spine. Best ending since NC State - Houston.

I'm partial to 2008 (I was attending KU at the time, so it was realllll fun).

That was a great one too! John Calipari's arrogant "we're so good we don't have to make free throws" was the sports equivalent of "read my lips, no new taxes." Missed free throw, 3 at the buzzer, overtime, loss. D'oh!

Committee shocked me with the seeding. I was surprised that we could see a possible Villanova / Duke elite 8 matchup.

After the first round:
Possible (out of 192) / Actual (out of 32 so far)
187 / 27 JustAnEngineer
185 / 27 Hannah
185 / 27 Benjamin
185 / 25 Matt
184 / 24 Captain Ned
181 / 25 Peter
181 / 23 Dr. Science
173 / 23 Ian
171 / 21 conchpapa
0 / 0 Bob

DerFunk:

Please come to BBQ this year, both for the roasting on the brackets and so that I can finally associate a face with a name long known.

It's my wife's birthday weekend. She's already got it planned out. Although roasting over brackets would be very well-earned.

It's on the list of things I really want to do. I already know that 2017 is out for the Funk family, though.

After day three:
Possible (out of 192) / Actual (out of 48 so far)
171 / 31 Peter
167 / 35 Benjamin
161 / 33 Hannah
157 / 29 conchpapa
135 / 29 Ian
119 / 35 Matt
119 / 35 JustAnEngineer
116 / 32 Captain Ned
111 / 27 Dr. Science
0 / 0 Bob

After round two:
Possible (out of 192) / Actual (out of 64 so far):
163 / 47 Benjamin
155 / 43 Peter
151 / 43 Hannah
149 / 37 conchpapa
121 / 37 Ian
111 / 47 JustAnEngineer
108 / 44 Captain Ned
107 / 47 Matt
99 / 39 Dr. Science
0 / 0 Bob

Round 1 Upsets:
12 Middle Tennessee beat 5 Minnesota
11 Xavier beat 6 Maryland
11 Rhode Island beat 6 Creighton
11 Southern California beat 6 Southern Methodist
10 Wichita State beat 7 Dayton

Round 2 Upsets:
11 Xavier beat 3 Florida State
8 Wisconsin beat 1 Villanova
7 South Carolina beat 2 Duke
7 Michigan beat 2 Louisville

Conference representatives in the Sweet Sixteen:
Big Twelve: 1 Kansas, 3 Baylor, 4 West Virginia
Pacific Athletic Twelve: 2 Arizona, 3 Oregon, 3 California-Los Angeles
Southeastern: 2 Kentucky, 4 Florida, 7 South Carolina
Big Ten: 4 Purdue, 7 Michigan, 8 Wisconsin
Big East: 4 Butler, 11 Xavier
West Coast: 1 Gonzaga
Atlantic Coast: 1 North Carolina

Dook is out! All is good and well in the universe.

It was downright sickening this morning to read ESPN and CBS Sports and see all the excuses they made for the loss. 2 weeks ago it was "Duke is peaking at the right time! They're the best team out there! Favorites to win it all! Should have been a 1 seed!" This morning suddenly the tune changed: "They should have been playing in Greensboro! They've had a flawed season! Troubled with inconsistency!" W...T...F...

Does anyone really wonder why they're the most hated team out there?

The ACC was extremely overrated this year. "Best conference in basketball" my @55. The SEC exposed the fraud this past weekend. UNC got lucky to escape Arkansas, and I don't think they will beat Butler. I live in Virginia and I'm a lifelong UVA fan, and I was still happy to see them get eviscerated by Florida. Tony Bennett needs to go.

Villanova choked again. Big surprise. In fact, the only reason they made the final four last year was because they were bracketed with Kansas, the other perennial choker. Someone has to lose, right?

My Final Four based on who's left is Kansas, UCLA/Kentucky winner, Baylor, and Arizona. If Kansas can actually make it to the Final Four, I think they will win it.

kvndoom wrote:

The SEC exposed the fraud this past weekend.

I just really laughed when I re-read this and saw the double entendre.

Disappointed that despite the furious comeback, my Cyclones couldn't seal the deal against Purdue. I expect Kansas to solve that problem, if they show up to play.

This has been an exciting tourney so far!

What a night. 3 of 4 games decided by 1 possession. I'm still picking Kansas to take it all as long as they don't Rock, Choke, Jayhawk on Saturday.

I don't see any of the 4 games tonight being blowouts either. Fun times ahead!

After day five:
Possible (out of 192) / Actual (out of 80 so far):
151 / 55 Peter
147 / 51 Hannah
145 / 45 conchpapa
127 / 51 Benjamin
109 / 41 Ian
99 / 59 JustAnEngineer
96 / 56 Captain Ned
95 / 55 Matt
95 / 47 Dr. Science
0 / 0 Bob

Kansas rocked Purdue hard. They appear to be peaking at the right time. They've had some lousy games earlier in the year, but are showing their #1 ranking as of late.

And as a Cyclone, you're welcome Kansas for showing how to beat Purdue. Wish we could have figured it out in the first half, rather than part way into the second. Such is tournament life...

Buub wrote:

Kansas rocked Purdue hard. They appear to be peaking at the right time. They've had some lousy games earlier in the year, but are showing their #1 ranking as of late.

And as a Cyclone, you're welcome Kansas for showing how to beat Purdue. Wish we could have figured it out in the first half, rather than part way into the second. Such is tournament life...

lol showing how to beat Purdue?

DancinJack wrote:

Buub wrote:

Kansas rocked Purdue hard. They appear to be peaking at the right time. They've had some lousy games earlier in the year, but are showing their #1 ranking as of late.

And as a Cyclone, you're welcome Kansas for showing how to beat Purdue. Wish we could have figured it out in the first half, rather than part way into the second. Such is tournament life...

lol showing how to beat Purdue?

Yes, they finally figured out, too late in the second half, you just need to drive the ball down the middle, with someone big and strong, to create basket opportunities and spread out the physical defense, and then aggressively challenge their big men in the center. ISU was largely a finesse team, and that simply didn't work against Purdue's physicality for the first 60% of the game. Handing the ball to someone big and physical like Deonte Burton, have him drive down the middle, and swat at Swanigan and company any time they get the ball near the basket, nearly had them win the game after being 19 points down.

It was too little too late, as I said, but it almost won the game for them.

After the third round:
Possible (out of 192) / Actual (out of 96 so far):
151 / 63 Peter
141 / 53 conchpapa
123 / 59 Benjamin
109 / 45 Ian
99 / 67 JustAnEngineer
92 / 60 Captain Ned
91 / 59 Matt
91 / 51 Dr. Science
59 / 51 Hannah
0 / 0 Bob


Round three upsets:
11 Xavier beat 2 Arizona
7 South Carolina clobbered 3 Baylor

Conference representatives in the Elite Eight:
Southeastern: 2 Kentucky, 4 Florida, 7 South Carolina
West Coast: 1 Gonzaga
Big Twelve: 1 Kansas
Atlantic Coast: 1 North Carolina
Pacific Athletic Twelve: 3 Oregon
Big East: 11 Xavier

OMFG I had to work so I slept and missed the best game of the tourney. I just now watched the replay of the Wisconsin overtime-forcing shot and the Florida game winner. Amazing.

How 'bout them Gamecocks? They are playing awesome basketball, and split their regular season against Florida, so that one's a toss-up. Can't wait to see it!

kvndoom wrote:

I'm still picking Kansas to take it all as long as they don't Rock, Choke, Jayhawk on Saturday.

And Rock, Choke, Jayhawk it is. How can a program be so consistently good year after year, get top recruits, play top teams all season and win, but repeatedly underperform in the tournament?

Congrats to Gonzaga! I'd be happy to see them win it all, or even Oregon... or South Carolina. I'm gonna root for underdogs here on out.

After four rounds:
Possible (out of 192) / Actual (out of 128 so far):
123 / 75 Benjamin - Cornholing Madness - picked Gonzaga to win it all
117 / 69 conchpapa - lex-ington - picked Gonzaga to win it all
87 / 71 Peter - Peter's Perfect Bracket - picked Gonzaga to go to the finals
84 / 68 Captain Ned - Captain's Double Dribbles - picked North Carolina to go to the finals
83 / 67 Matt - My Unbelievable Bracket - picked North Carolina to go to the finals
67 / 67 JustAnEngineer - None and done
67 / 67 Dr. Science - Brick Layers
59 / 59 Hannah - Hannah's Ho-Hum Bracket
45 / 45 Ian - 1st weekend elimination
0 / 0 Bob - Bob's Okay Bracket

Round four upsets:
7 South Carolina beat 4 Florida
3 Oregon beat 1 Kansas

Final Four matchups:
7 South Carolina vs. 1 Gonzaga
3 Oregon vs. 1 North Carolina

If North Carolina beats Oregon and South Carolina beats Gonzaga, then Captain Ned will win.
If Gonzaga beats South Carolina or Oregon beats North Carolina, then Benjamin will win.

JustAnEngineer wrote:

If North Carolina beats Oregon and South Carolina beats Gonzaga, then Captain Ned will win.
If Gonzaga beats South Carolina or Oregon beats North Carolina, then Benjamin will win.

Talk about backing into a win, sheesh.