March Madness Update 2

March 22, 2023

March Madness rolls on to the Sweet Sixteen

Tournament Action to date

South Region:

Princeton, #15 continued to roll over the favorites, first dispatching Arizona and then Missouri 78-63.

Creighton, highly tauted and underrated defeated Baylor the #3 seed in the region rather handily 85-76 in round 2.

San Diego State  dispatched #16 Furman 

Alabama beat Maryland rather easily.  One of two #1 seeds left

West Region:

Arkansas dispatched #1 seed Kansas in a dismal late performance for the Jayhawks.

Gonzaga downed TCU in a tight one.

UCLA took out yet another Big Ten team, Northwestern.

UConn continues to impress defeating St. Mary’s

East Region:

Florida Atlantic remains as a Cinderella with Princeton outing FDU.  As you recall, Fairleigh Dickinson the 16th seed defeated highly touted Purdue in round one, thanks in part to the Dayton pep band cheering them on.  (They don’t have a band!  One player commented that he never had heard their fight song played.  Sad to see them go.

Tennessee did what most won’t admit but are happy inside, beat DUKE.  

Kansas State now holds the stated housing another blue blood, KENTUCKY.  Sorry Cal.  Not a lot of support left these days. 

Michigan State as always, gets to the Sweet Sixteen despite no love in the regular season.  Big Ten’s las hope, dispatching two quality teams in USC and Marquette, a #2 seed.

Midwest Region:

Houston, Miami, Xavier, and Texas are in.

Auburn, Pittsburgh, Penn State, and Indiana are out.  

Of note, Miami women also defeated #1 Indiana women.  

Bad times for the Hoosiers.

Sweet 16 Action begins Thursday.

Marquee games include Gonzaga vs. UCLA, UConn vs. Arkansas, 

and Kansas St vs. Michigan St.

Field cut to 8 on Friday, then Elite Eight over the weekend.

Pool Update

We have 490 unofficial entries. Tournament committee as alway reserves the right to eliminate nefarious, duplicate, or UNPAID entries.  Get that last one?  You know who you are.  Please forward entry fees, LATE fees via extra charity donations at once.  Venmo or check.  See the rules.  Time to move on it.  Thank you to the vast majority of you paid in full and then some!.

Special thanks to the big donors.  We know who you are as well.  Most appreciated.

Summary of Championship winner picks :

Alabama 19%

Houston 15%

Kansas 12% (0ut)

Purdue 10% (0ut)

Arizona 9% (0ut)

Leaders of the tournament after Round 2

 1)    Bill Bauer.  Congratulations on trying for last place.  Your picks to date put you in lights.  Not what you expected.  But kudos to you.

2)     Chris Cleary. #5 of #6.  Thanks for the support.  Looking good with a solid chance to pull victory.

3)     Debbie McDaniel.  Rides the Musketeers to the end.

4)     Plano Hoosier.  Indiana man in the Lone Star State. Our webmaster in lights.  

5)    Zach Hamby.  Greatest orthopedic surgeon.  I heard it on a recorded message.

6)     Jonah Coleman.  Defending champ.  The head that wears the crown.

7)    Paul Kainrath.  Got your name in lights but nothing left in the tank.

8)    Mike Brown.  The blue wizard.  Got some chances.

9)    Danny Winn.  Shoots in the dark.  

10)    Travis Farhar.  Perennial contributor.  Best of luck this year.  Tied with     

    Jameson Shipman.

    

And there you have it. Leaderboard heading into Thursday action.  Likely to change by the end of the weekend.  Best of luck to all of you.