Biscuit Zdrowak, of Orlando, Florida seems to be doing just fine after getting over the UCF loss to Duke, as he was one of a few brackets to go 4-0 yesterday. With that stellar 16 point day, Biscuit dramatically rises to 100th place. The highest placed entrant with all four games correct yesterday was Max Marion #2, of Delray Beach, Florida. With his 16 points, Max Marion - and yes we have multiple brackets from Max Macon and Max Marion, jumps up to 11th place. Max MARION is our "Pick of the Day".
On the opposite side of the spectrum is Scott Bieterman of West Palm Beach, Florida. Scott, who is an alumnus of Purdue University, was the highest ranking bracket to receive 0 points yesterday. That is right folks, Scott picked Tennessee over his alma mater. Now I do appreciate people who do not blindly select their own school to win even when they do not have a realistic, or even a possible, chance of winning - I am looking at you 2019 Florida fans - but Scott lost out on some important points and plummeted to 32nd place. For that he is awarded the "Worst Pick of the Day".
Now, plenty of others also received 0 points yesterday, and for those that fall into that category please note, this means that you will not receive any points after Saturday's games, either.
Three champions were defeated yesterday (we could have lost 4 maximum), so a bunch of brackets took a hit. You can celebrate by seeing your champion unbolded from our list below. Our champions - with the 8 remaining champions in bold - are: Duke, Florida, Florida State, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina, Purdue, Syracuse, Tennessee, Villanova, Virginia.
We have five potential champions playing tonight, culminating in a battle of picked champions in Kansas City, Missouri as #2 seed Kentucky - with or without P.J. Washington we do not know - plays #3 seed Houston. The precursor to that game in Kansas City is top seeded North Carolina playing red-hot Auburn. North Carolina might be without heralded freshman Nassir Little, who might be the most athletic player on the Tar Heels team. He participated in the shootaround today, but even if he plays he is likely to be slowed by a flu-like illness, In the Washington, D.C. regional the #3 seed LSU Tigers play the Big 10 Champion and #2 seed Michigan State Spartans, with the closing game being top seeded Duke against fellow ACC rival Virginia Tech.
Hopefully these games are more interesting than last nights, which although two were fairly close at times, the games themselves were not very competitive. Florida State - Gonzaga led off with Gonzaga holding a 8-11 point lead most of the game. Florida State had a late flurry to pull within 3, but Gonzaga held serve and pulled away for the victory. Although the game was not generally close, the dunks, blocks and steals were absolutely amazing. For that reason this game was worth it.
The second game - Purdue and Tennessee - should have been eventful as it went to overtime. But, Purdue jumped out to an 18 point lead and Tennessee seemed lucky to bring the game back to even, and actually took the lead before Carsen Edwards hit 2 out of 3 free throws to force overtime, where Tennessee ran out of steam, and players as multiple starters/contributors fouled out.
I am not even going to justify the late games with words as Michigan and Oregon were destroyed by Texas Tech and North Carolina, respectively.
Since I wrote last year about Texas Tech, and have already written about Purdue and Oregon this year, we are going to take a walk down memory lane and visit history of Gonzaga basketball in the NCAA Tournament. Those of you as old as I remember that Gonzaga wasn't always a top-4 seed that perennially made Sweet Sixteens and Elite 8s (this is their 5th consecutive Sweet Sixteen - tops in the NCAA). Gonzaga started as the plucky, small school underdog.
Way back in 1999, after some previous close calls, the Bulldogs led by Matt Santangelo and Richard Frahm earned a 10th seed in the west regional. Gonzaga received a scheduling break, though, as the team from Spokane, Washington only had to travel to Seattle to play against the 7th seeded Minnesota Golden Gophers, who they defeated 75-63. Up next were the 2 seed, the Stanford Cardinal, which Gonzaga beat 82-74. A much closer 73-72 win over the 6th seeded Florida Gators in Phoenix put Gonzaga into the Elite 8, where they lost to the top seeded and eventual champion Connecticut.
Gonzaga returned to the NCAA Tournament the following year behind star player Casey Calvary, and again earned the 10 seed in the West. This time, Gonzaga had to travel to Tucson, Arizona and entertain the 7th seeded Louisville, Cardinals, which they dispatched 77-66, and followed that game with a victory over the second seeded St. John's 82-76 to earn a second consecutive Sweet Sixteen birth. The Bulldogs, however, lost in the Sweet Sixteen to Purdue 75-66.
In 2001, Gonzaga returned again to the NCAA tournament, and would not miss another tournament through 2019, but this time as a 12th seed in the South Region, meaning the tournament committee did not think Gonzaga was even as good as the past two years and Gonzaga had to travel. And travel they did as they defeated Virginia 86-85 and Indiana State 85-68 to return to the Sweet Sixteen for a third straight year. Unfortunately, despite returning star players Casey Calvary and Dan Dickau, Gonzaga fell to a Michigan State team led by Charlie Bell and Zach Randolph.
A 2002 tournament firs round loss to Wyoming as a 6 seed showed the Gonzaga was not yet ready for life as a higher seed. The Bulldogs followed that up with a first round victory in 2003 over Cincinnati as a 9th seed, then a 2004 first round victory over Valparaiso as a 2 seed and a 2005 victory over Winthrop as a 3 seed. These tournament wins were short-lived as Gonzaga fell in the second round in each of these tournaments.
2006 would prove to be more successful for Gonzaga. The Bulldogs returned to the tournament as a 3 seed, and defeated Xavier and Indiana before falling to UCLA in the Sweet 16, but at this point, Gonzaga is no longer the plucky underdog.
Gonzaga advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2009, 2016 and 2018, and to the Elite 8 in 2015 and 2019 and to the Final Four, where they finished second, in 2017.
For all of the Belmonts, UC-Irvine's and Liberty's out there, look to Gonzaga as your road map. Hire a great coach (first Dan Monson, the Mark Few - who has been at Gonzaga for 20 years - and hope those coaches can continually bring in good players.
Enough history for today and boy do I hope something better happens in tonight's games that trigger a better - and more interesting - history lesson. Plus, the NCAA Hockey Tournament is on with Harvard playing the #1 seed UMass Minutemen. GO CRIMSON!!!
Feel free to check your scores. Let me know if you see a discrepancy. Otherwise, enjoy the start of the Sweet Sixteen.
1 - Max Macon #2 - 88 - Tennessee/Michigan State
Measha Williams #3 - 88 - Gonzaga/Virginia
3 - Carolyn Fowler - 86 - Gonzaga/North Carolina
Measha Williams #3 - 88 - Gonzaga/Virginia
3 - Carolyn Fowler - 86 - Gonzaga/North Carolina
Matt Hopps - 86 - Duke/North Carolina
6 - Justin Yung - 85 - Gonzaga/Virginia
8 - Max Macon #4 - 83 - Duke/Houston
9 - Ty Leatherman - 81 - Duke/Virginia
10 - Melanie Scherr - 90 - North Carolina/Duke
11 - Karen Katz - 79 - Gonzaga/Houston
Max Marion #2 - 79 - Duke/North Carolina
13 - Katie Kollmeyer - 78 - Tennessee/Duke
Steven Usma #3 - 78 - Kentucky/Duke
Measha Williams #1 - 78 - Gonzaga/North Carolina
16 - Brian Hinaman - 77 - Duke/North Carolina
Mac Kroesen - 77 - North Carolina/Duke
Ashley Poer #2 - 77 - Virginia/Michigan State
Steven Usma #4 - 77 - Duke/Kentucky
20 - Paul Cummings - 76 - North Carolina/Duke
Debbie Igdaloff Nieman - 76 - Duke/North Carolina
22 - Chris Kroesen - 75 - North Carolina/Michigan State
Silas Nichols - 75 - North Carolina/Michigan
Steven Usma #5 - 75 - Virginia/Gonzaga
26 - Bill Ganoe #1 - 74 - North Carolina/Duke
Duncan Merchant - 74 - Duke/Houston
Steven Usma #1 - 74 - Duke/North Carolina
George Walks #2 - 74 - North Carolina/Duke
30 - Alyssa Ave - 73 - Purdue/Michigan
Kareem Montague - 73 - Virginia/Duke
32 - Scott Bieterman - 72 - Duke/Kentucky
Coby Kroesen - 72 - North Carolina/Duke
Max Macon #1 - 71 - Virginia/LSU
Barkley Sosa - 71 - Kentucky/LSU
Krystal Travers - 71 - Kansas State/Florida State
Harrington Wax III - 71 - North Carolina/Michigan State
41 - Alvaro Gonzalez - 70 - Duke/Tennessee
William Pujals - 70 - Duke/North Carolina
Rich Samuels #2 - North Carolina/LSU
Mike Zachary - 70 - Duke/North Carolina
45 - Dan Barsky #2 - 69 - Duke/North Carolina
Anthony LaPira - 69 - Duke/Tennessee
Mango Merchant - 69 - Gonzaga/Virginia
Chad Phillips - 69 - Florida State/North Carolina
Kyle Sheehan - 69 - Duke/Kentucky
Amy Zdrowak - 69 - Duke/Virginia
51 - Carolyn Fowler and Jane Reynolds - 68 - Kentucky/Michigan State
Martha Kroesen - 72 - Gonzaga/North Carolina
Dave Piasecki #1 -72 - Florida/Kentucky
36 - Philip Kroesen - 71 - North Carolina/Duke
Barkley Sosa - 71 - Kentucky/LSU
Krystal Travers - 71 - Kansas State/Florida State
Harrington Wax III - 71 - North Carolina/Michigan State
41 - Alvaro Gonzalez - 70 - Duke/Tennessee
William Pujals - 70 - Duke/North Carolina
Rich Samuels #2 - North Carolina/LSU
Mike Zachary - 70 - Duke/North Carolina
45 - Dan Barsky #2 - 69 - Duke/North Carolina
Anthony LaPira - 69 - Duke/Tennessee
Mango Merchant - 69 - Gonzaga/Virginia
Chad Phillips - 69 - Florida State/North Carolina
Kyle Sheehan - 69 - Duke/Kentucky
Amy Zdrowak - 69 - Duke/Virginia
51 - Carolyn Fowler and Jane Reynolds - 68 - Kentucky/Michigan State
Jacey Fowler #2 - 68 - North Carolina/Florida State
Michael Spicer - 68 - North Carolina/Buffalo
Michael Spicer - 68 - North Carolina/Buffalo
Jeremy Spuhler - 68 - Tennessee/LSU
George Walks #5 - 68 - Gonzaga/North Carolina
Jonathan Wasserman - 68 - North Carolina/Duke
57 - Dana Mandelbaum - 67 - North Carolina/Duke
Sean McInerney - 67 - Duke/North Carolina
Allison Parker - 67 - Kentucky/MichiganDave Piasecki #2 - 67 - Florida/North Carolina
Annette Pritchard #2 - 67 - Duke.North Carolina
Brittany Sosa #2 - 67 - Gonzaga/Virginia
Pepe Sosa - 67 - Kentucky/Michigan State
Robert Tanen #2 - 67 - Gonzaga/Virginia
65 - Jenna Finkelstein - 66 - Gonzaga/Tennessee
Max Marion - 66 - Duke/Virginia
Steven Usma #2 - 66 - Virginia/Michigan State
68 - Glen Merchant - 65 - Duke/Houston
Chris Petit - 65 - North Carolina/Duke
George Walks #3 - 65 - Florida State/Kentucky
George Walks #4 - 65 - Duke/Virginia
72 - Adam Jorgensen - 64 - Michigan State/Virginia
Hilary Kroesen 64 - Kentucky/Gonzaga
Sasha Moon - 64 - Duke/TennesseeTraci Sheehan - 64 - Michigan State/Tennessee
Jason Spuhler - 64 - Duke/North Carolina
77 - Bill Ganoe #2 - 63 - Gonzaga/North Carolina
Arlene Amo Hopps - 63 - Villanova/Virginia Tech
Michael Litsey - 63 - Michigan/Virginia
Annette Pritchard - 63 - Gonzaga/North Carolina81 - Eric Inge - 62 - Duke/North Carolina
Ashley Poer #1 - 62 - Duke/Tennessee
Josh and Katie Zdrowak - 62 - North Carolina/Duke
84 - Jean Calixte - 61 - Duke/North Carolina
Scott Hansel - 61 - Duke/Kentucky
Matt Nieman - 61 - Virginia/GonzagaJane Reynolds - 61 - Duke/Kentucky
John Santucci - 61 - Kansas/Michigan
Wes Wiggins - 61 - Gonzaga/Virginia90 - Rachel Bornn - 60 - Duke/Kentucky
Edy Pecan - 60 - Syracuse/Kentucky
92 - Skip LaForte - 59 - Michigan State/North Carolina
Jeff Pamondon - 59 - Duke/Tennessee
Meredith Tanen - 59 - Gonzaga/Virginia
95 - Dan Barsky #1 - 58 - Gonzaga/North Carolina
Jacey Fowler #1 - 58 - Villanova/Texas Tech
Jordyn Sheehan - 58 - Duke/Tennessee
Robert Tanen #1 - 58 - Florida State/North Carolina
Ira Schulteis - 57 - Duke/North Carolina
Biscuit Zdrowak - 57 - Virginia/Michigan State
104 - Tara Elliott - 55 - North Carolina/Duke
James Garvin - 55 - Duke/Virginia
Hilary Kroesen #2 - 55 - Kansas/Marquette104 - Tara Elliott - 55 - North Carolina/Duke
James Garvin - 55 - Duke/Virginia
Robert Hosmer - 55 - Duke/Virginia
Rich Samuels #1 - 55 - Duke/Kentucky
Cheryl Spuhler - 55 - Duke/Tennessee
Joshua Zdrowak - 55 - North Carolina/Michigan
112 - David Olson - 54 - North Carolina/Duke
Samantha Sheehan - 54 - Duke/Tennessee114 - Liz Carew - 53 - Kentucky/Duke
Hannah Sosa - 53 - Virginia/Duke
116 - Griffey Parker - 52 - Houston/Duke
Abigail Sosa - 52 - Tennessee/Duke
119 - Jessica Samuels - 48 - Virginia/Gonzaga
Katie Zdrowak - 48 - Duke/Tennessee
121 - Jennifer Armstrong - 47 - Duke/Wisconsin
122 - Keith Zdrowak - 40 - Duke/North Carolina
123 - Cubbie Kroesen - 39 - Kentucky/Marquette
No comments:
Post a Comment