NCAA Tournament Pool 2026 - The Final Four

 

This is a quick update to the standings going into tonight's Championship Game.  This is unofficial.  Please give me a week or so after tonight's game to finalize calculations, re-score all of the sheets in contention, and to distribute payments.  Tonight's game is worth 28 points.

Standings after the Elite 8/Day 2

1.  Benny Merchant - 130 - MICHIGAN

     Silas Nichols - 130 - MICHIGAN

3.  Katie Zdrowak - 128 - UCONN

4.  Jeff Plamondon 1 - 116 - MICHIGAN

5.  Ashley Poer 1 - 112 - MICHIGAN

    Chuck Whitcomb - 112

7.  Kyle Henderson - 111 - UCONN

8.  Jason Spuhler - 110

9.  Brent Bellinger B - 107 - MICHIGAN

     Floyd Fonte 1 - 107 - MICHIGAN

     Rich Samuels - 107

12.  Colleen Giamberini - 106 - MICHIGAN

       John Hedgpeth - 106

       Justin Yung - 106 - MICHIGAN

15.  Shane Jernigan 1 - 105 - MICHIGAN

       David Kennedy - 105

       Mac Kroesen - 105 - MICHIGAN

       Martha Kroesen - 105

       Measha Williams (Canes 2 Bracket) - 105

       Mike Wolff 1 - 105

21.  Josh Zdrowak - 103

22.  Shane Jernigan 2 - 102

23.  Jim Coleman - 101

24.  Stephanie Henderson - 100

       Steven Usma 2 - 100

26.  Joel Chernoff - 99 - MICHIGAN

       Gracie Fonte - 99

       Hazy Frank - 99 - MICHIGAN

       Max Macon 2 - 99 - Florida

       Measha Williams (Buddy Canes 1 Bracket) - 99

31.  Glen Merchant - 98

       Steven Usma 3 - 98

33.  Jonathan Cox 2 - 97

       Mark Holbert 2 - 97 - UCONN

       Guy Hughes - 97

       Monte Lambert 1 - 97 - Houston

       Salvatore Plamondon - 97

       Bubba Zdrowak - 97

39.   Randy Bennett - 96 - MICHIGAN

       Pepe Sosa 1 - 96

41.  Trey Angus - 95

       Sean McInerney 2 - 95 - MICHIGAN

       Sean McInerney 3 - 95

       William Pujals - 95

       George Walks 4 - 95

46.  Paul Cummings 3 - 94 - MICHIGAN

       Rylee Montague - 94 - MICHIGAN

       Jonathan Wasserman - 94

49.  Jenna Finkelstein - 92

50.  Brent Bellinger A - 91

       Barbara Curlett - 91

       Mango Merchant - 91

       Brigadier General Kareem Montague - 91

       Javier Rodriguez 1 - 91

       Day Yi 2 - 91

56.  Daniel Barsky 1 - 90

       Ty Hedgpeth - 90

       Braeden Helland - 90

       Mike Litsey - 90

       Steven Usma 1 - 90

61.  Carolyn Fowler - 89 - UCONN

       Adam Jorgensen - 89

       Steven Usma 4 - 89 - MICHIGAN

64.  Steven Usma 5 - 88

65.  Daniel Barsky 2 - 87

       Paul Cummings - 87

       Crew Ferguson - 87

       Alyssa Hopps - 87

       Si "Papa Si" Nichols - 87

       Brittany Sosa - 87

       Cheryl Spuhler - 87

       Jonathan Wasserman 2 - 87 - MICHIGAN

73.  Justine Frank - 86

       Carolyn Fowler & Jane Reynolds - 86

       Annette Pritchard 1 - 86

       Amy Zdrowak - 86

77.  Jonathan Cox 2 - 85

       Karen Katz 2 - 85

       Jane Reynolds - 85

80.  Mitchell K (Lamb) - 84

81.  Floyd Fonte 3 - 83

       Matt Thibaut - 83

83.  Max Macon 4 - 82

       Chris Simmons - 82

       Stephanie Soplop 2 - 82 - UCONN

86.  Matt Hopps - 81

       Karen Katz 1 - 81

       Katie Kollmeyer - 81 - MICHIGAN

89.  Megan Corrado - 80

       Paul Cummings 2 - 80

       Arlene Amo Hopps - 80 - UCONN

       Vincent Plamondon - 80

       Amanda Staudt - 80

       Measha Williams (Canes 3 Bracket) - 80

95.  Marcus Jackson - 79

96.   Henry Transecki - 78

        Biscuit Zdrowak - 78

98.  Duncan Merchant - 77

99.  Blake Jackson - 76

100.  Hannah Sosa - 75

101.  Quinn Jackson - 74

         Paul Kludt - 74

         Dave Piasecki - 74

104.  Ashley Poer 2 - 73

         George Walks 2 - 73

         Day Yi 1 - 73

107.  Dwayne Cushman - 72

         Max Macon 3 - 72

         Natalie Moon - 72

         Kingfish Parham 2 - 72

         Annette Pritchard 2 - 72 

         Pepe Sosa 2 - 72

113.  Keith Zdrowak - 71

114.  Sasha Moon - 70

         Jeff Plamondon - 70

         Lily Spuhler - 70

117.  Jenna Finkelstein - 69

         Keith W. (Lamb) - 69

         Javier Rodriguez 2 - 69

         Jasmine Tran - 69

         George Walks 1 - 69

122.  Skip LaForte - 68

         Monte Lambert 2 - 68

124.  Stacia Wilkaitis - 67

125.  Barkley Sosa - 66 - UCONN

126.  James Garvin - 65

         Mark Holbert 1 - 65

         Max Macon 1 - 65

         Caroline Spuhler - 65

130.  Floyd Fonte 2 - 63

         George Walks 3 - 63

132.  Megan Cox - 61

         Jacey Fowler - 61

134.  Sean McInerney 1 - 60

135.  Dawn Lamb - 55

136.  Stephanie Soplop 1 - 54

         Mike Wolff 2 - 54

138.  Kingfish Parham 1 - 52

139.  Colbie (Lamb) - 51

140.  Keith W 1 (Lamb) - 49

141.  Allison Parker - 47

NCAA Tournament Pool 2026 - Elite 8/Day 2

 

A note - this is the last full post during this tournament pool.  Yes, I will drop a standings update, maybe after the Semi-Finals, or perhaps only after the Finals, and I am going to try to do a quick synopsis of who will win on the different scenarios in the final four so that you are all clear as to what could happen, but those will just be quick updates since, as most of you longer-time participants know, I will be in Indianapolis for the festivities.  I, along with Sinickal, Tony, and Kev-O, will be plausibly-live blogging our experience and posting those on this site, so you can follow along with us.  

But for now, WE HAVE A WINNER!!!  No matter what occurs in Indianapolis, nobody can catch our last place participant, Allison Parker of Washington, DC.  She is in last place, and she has no possibilities of earning any more points.  And yes, this is the same Allison that put little red hearts around every one of her Duke selections, just to try to get under my skin.  Well, Duke broke her little read hearts and bracket.  She will receive her money back for her efforts!!!  Congratulations.

But, she was not alone in having her heart broken by Duke.  Duke was the overall number 1 seed in the tournament, and a favorite among a lot of brackets to win the whole tournament.  They are removed as potential champions in our brackets, but all teams that remain have entrants that chose them.  Once again, our collective champions are:  Alabama, ARIZONA, CONNECTICUT, Duke, Florida, Houston, ILLINOIS, Iowa State, Kansas, Kentucky, MICHIGAN, Michigan State, North Carolina, Purdue, St. John's and Virginia.

But, Duke didn't break everybody's heart.  I, for instance, had Duke in the Final Four - but I am absolutely ecstatic over UConn's comeback, mainly because of the way it occurred.  Duke up 19 at one point, and up 15 at halftime (more on this later).  After Duke scored to start the second half, I turned to Racecar as we were watching the game at a local Happy Hour spot, and told her, "UConn is in this game as long as they keep their point differential to almost the same as minutes remaining in the game."  In other words, they don't have to do it all at once.  And they didn't.  They nipped away here-and-there until it was close at the end.  And then Braylon Mullins happened.  

We could get into the fact that UConn blew it by not fouling immediately upon the inbounds with ten seconds left in the game, or that freshman Boozer-not-named Cameron panicked and tried to pass over two attacking defenders - including Mullins - that were clearly intending to foul him, or that the Boozer-that-will-not-be-drafted-in-the-lottery-this-year didn't even have to advance the ball past the midcourt line and could have just stood there until he was fouled, or that the Duke frontcourt performers were nowhere to be found as outlets for the not-as-good-as-my-twin-brother-Boozer, or any of a number of other mistakes on this play, but the bottom line is Mullins stole the ball, passed it to Alex Karaban - he of the most wins of any player in UConn history, who quickly gave it back to Mullins - the Gatorade Player of the Year from his state last year - who drained a shot that will go down in history.  Not just because it was a last second buzzer-beater, and not just because it sent UConn to the Final Four, and not just because it was against Duke, but because it completed this MAJOR comeback!

As soon as the ball went through the hoop, I turned to Racecar next to me at the bar and started singing One Shining Moment!"  But don't just take it from me.  Take it from fellow Final Four traveler Kev-O, a Kentucky alumnus, who stated in a text, "Oh wow, Duke, what's it gonna be like to see that fucking shit for the next three decades?!"  Esteemed television journalist Willie Geist even said, "Every time Duke loses on a buzzer beater, an angel gets its wings."

But, enough making fun, especially since we have at least one Duke alumna in the pool, and it always hurts to lose on that type of play.  Duke has historically been on the giving end of those, it was just their turn.  And, they had not been playing championship caliber basketball this tournament - and certainly not like Michigan and Arizona.  Remember Siena took them to the brink in round 1, and if they just had a sixth man that could stand up and run, they probably would have won, which would have made Barkley Sosa of Riviera Beach, Florida happy as that was an upset selection of hers.

Michigan is just trucking people, as shown by the fact that its victory over Tennessee was the largest margin of victory in the Elite 8 since Michigan defeated Virginia in 1989.  That reminds me, here are the Stats of the Day.

Stats of the Day

4.  12 years old - Braylon Mullins age when he hit his game-winner against Duke.  Seriously, look at him.

3.  33 points - Michigan's margin of victory which is the largest in the Elite 8 since 1989.

2.  90 points - Michigan has scored 90 points in 4 straight tourney games, the first time since UConn in 1995.  (Foreshadowing).

1.  134-1 - The overall records in the NCAA Tournament of number 1 seeds when holding a 15-point lead at halftime.  Prior to yesterday it was 134-0.

OK, so I admit, it probably isn't exactly foreshadowing if the thing being foreshadowed is only 2 sentences after the foreshadowed occurrence.  But here we are in the 1995 men's tournament, one of my absolute favorite tournaments.  I will start by giving the rundown of the UConn Huskies, and the 4 straight games in which they scored 90 points.

UConn entered the tournament 26-4, and earned the second seed in the west bracket, and played its first two games in Salt Lake City, Utah.  This team was absolutely loaded, especially in the backcourt with Ray Allen at the 2, Doron Sheffer at Kevin Ollie at the point (they ran a 3-guard lineup), and Donny Marshall and Travis Knight in the front court.   Three-point shooting specialist Brian Fair played significant minutes off the bench.  In the first game, the Huskies overmatched Chattanooga, which was led by Maurio Hanson's game-high 28 points, but fell to UConn 100-71.  The Huskies spread out the scoring with 5 players in double digits, led by Donny Marshall's 22.  In the second round, Cincinnati awaited, led by strong man Danny Fortson.  UConn was able to flummox the Bearcats leader on offense, as he was limited to 20 minutes because of foul trouble and ultimately fouled out.  Donny Marshall again led UConn in scoring with 25 points and 7 rebounds, with Ray Allen adding 24 and 5 himself, as UConn advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in Oakland, California with a hard-fought 96-91 win.

In the Sweet Sixteen, UConn had to play the Maryland Terrapins, led by future number 1 overall NBA draft pick Joe Smith, Keith Booth, Duane Simpkins, and one of the best names in college sports history - Exree Hipp (pronounced X-Ray).  The Terrapins were gamely led by Smith and Johnny Rhodes, who each scored 22 points, but that wasn't enough as the Huskies won 99-89.  Donny Marshall led the way with 27 points and 9 rebounds.  Ray Allen added 18 points and 11 rebounds, Travis Knight scored 15, Doron Sheffer had 12 points with 7 assists, and Eric Hayward hit double figures off the bench with 12.  In the Elite 8, the number 1 seeded UCLA Bruins would prove to be a formidable competition to the Huskies, but even UCLA could not hold UConn under 90 points, surrendering 96.  The good news for UCLA is that they won the game by scoring 102.  The team was led by superstar Ed O'Bannon and his brother Charles, slick point guard Tyus Edney, uber-athletic wing Toby Bailey and man mountain George Zidek.  Against UConn, Bailey proved to be too much to handle scoring 26 points and adding 6 rebounds and 9 assists.  Edney scored 22 and dished 10 assists.  The O'Bannon brothers each scored in double digits, as did J.R. Henderson, Jr. off the bench.  UCLA advanced to the final four, but none of that would have happened had Tyus Edney not made this miraculous play in the second round to defeat Missouri, after the Tigers took a one-point lead with 4.8 seconds remaining.  All Edney did was go COAST-TO-COAST.   

In the semi-finals, UCLA would face the Oklahoma State Cowboys, who had "Big Country" Bryant Reeves, and a bunch of spare parts.  Reeves scored a game high 21 and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds in Okie State's first round 73-49 victory over Drexel.  He then bettered fellow future-NBAer Antonio McDyess of Alabama to a draw (26 points and 7 rebounds to 22 and 17!).  Randy Rutherford's 18 allowed the Cowboys to coast to an easy 66-52 win.  Wake Forest was next in East Rutherford in the Sweet 16.  The Deamon Deacons were loaded, with Tim Duncan - Yes, THAT Tim Duncan, and Randolph Childress, dominating most games.  Duncan only scored 12 points in this game, but grabbed 22 rebounds, while Childress led with 22 points, but on 6-16 shooting.  Reeves was somewhat neutralized by Duncan, scoring only 15 with 9 rebounds, but Randy Rutherford shone again, with a game-high 23 points and 11 rebounds, to get to the Elite 8. Another dominant big man in Marcus Camby awaited as the UMass Minutemen were soaring.  UMass was no one-man team however, as Lou Roe and Dana Dingle ran the wings, with Carmelo Travieso handling point guard duties.  This was not enough firepower to defeat Oklahoma State as Reeves exploded for 24 and 10, and Rutherford added another 19.  Their defense was astounding, holding UMass to only two double digit scorers, led by Travieso's 11.  The Final Four it is.  

On the other side of the semi-finals was North Carolina and Arkansas.  I won't belabor any stories of Arkansas, as I have previously discussed their 1994 team in a previous year's update.  Here is that update of the champion ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS from 2022. But in the semi-finals, the Razorbacks defeated a loaded, AND I MEAN LOADED, North Carolina squad 75-68.  The stars for the Tar Heels that year were Rasheed Wallace and Jerry Stackhouse, ably assisted by Jeff McInnis, Donald Williams, Dante Calabria (who I played a lot against in an over-40 league), Pat Sullivan, Shammond Williams and Serge Zwikker.  Williams had 18 points to lead the Tar Heels, but shot 7-19 from the floor.  Stackhouse added 18, McInnis 13, and Wallace scored 19, with 10 rebounds and 5 technical fouls (OK I made that last one up).  Arkansas was paced by Corliss "Big Nasty" Williamson's 21 and 10, Dwight Stewart contributed 15 off the bench, and Clint McDaniel added 13, to send the Razorbacks to the title game.

In the championship, UCLA's Ed O'Bannon had one of the best championship games scoring 30 points, grabbing 17 rebounds, dishing 3 assists and creating 3 steals.  He was ably aided by Taby Bailey's 26 and 9, and even George Zidek scored 14.  The Razorbacks just couldn't repeat 1994's magic, as the starters shot 15-43 for the field, and were paced by Clint McDaniel's 16 points.  UCLA won the championship 89-78, and Ed O'Bannon was named the MOP (although seriously a case could have been made for Bailey!).

But when I say favorite tournaments, look at some of the players I mentioned just in this recap of a few teams:  Ray Allen, Donny Marshall, Danny Fortson, Ed O'Bannon, Toby Bailey, Tyus Edney, Bryant Reeves, Tim Duncan, Randolph Childress, Marcus Camby, Jerry Stackhouse, Rasheed Wallace, Jeff McInnis, Donald Williams, Corliss Williamson, Scotty Thurman.   That tournament was LOADED!!!  Much as expert say this year's freshman class is loaded.  And none of them even mention Braylon Mullins!!!

And speaking of UConn's victory, WE ONCE AGAIN HAVE A NEW LEADER!!!  Jason Spuhler of Acworth, Georgia has taken over first place.  Good for you Jason.  However, as you will see in the standings, Jason has Houston winning it all, so it is still a free-for-all among a lot of the top scorers, including Rich Samuels of Palm Beach Gardens, and Jim Coleman of Boynton Beach, Florida, who sit in second and third.  Remember, 16 points per game in the semi-finals and 28 for the championship game, so if you have teams alive, you have a chance.  And speaking of top scorers ...

Players of the Day

10.  Blanca Quinonez, UConn - 20 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal

9.  Elliot Cadeau, Michigan - 8 points, 3 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 steals, 1 block

8.  Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame - 22 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals

7.  Cameron Boozer, Duke - 27 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks

6.  Taina Mair, Duke - 21 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals

5.  Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan - 27 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks

4.  Sarah Strong, Duke - 21 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 5 steals, 3 blocks

3.  Braylon Mullins, UConn - 10 points, 1 rebound - 1 really huge buzzer beater!

2.  Lauren Betts, UCLA - 23 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 5 blocks

1.  Tarris Reed, UConn - 26 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 4 blocks

And now for what you all really care to see - the standings.  Remember, I am only human and you can feel free to check me on my calculations.  I will be happy to review if you have a different number than I.  I will, however, check your entire bracket for errors, and abide by the recount.  Onto the standings ...

Standings after the Elite 8/Day 2

1.  Jason Spuhler - 110 - Houston/ARIZONA

2.  Rich Samuels - 107 - ARIZONA/Duke

3.  Jim Coleman - 101 - ARIZONA/ILLINOIS

4.  Stephanie Henderson - 100 - ILLINOIS/ARIZONA

     Jeff Plamondon 1 - 100 - MICHIGAN/Florida

     Steven Usma 2 - 100 - Duke/ARIZONA

7.  Max Macon 2 - 99 - Florida/ARIZONA

     Measha Williams (Buddy Canes 1 Bracket) - 91 - Duke/ARIZONA

9.  Benny Merchant - 98 - MICHIGAN/UCONN

     Glen Merchant - 98 - Duke/ARIZONA

     Silas Nichols - 98 - MICHIGAN/UCONN

12.  Jonathan Cox 2 - 97 - Houston/ARIZONA

       Monte Lambert 1 - 97 - Houston/ARIZONA

14.  Ashley Poer 1 - 96 - MICHIGAN/Houston

       Pepe Sosa 1 - 96 - ARIZONA/Florida

       Chuck Whitcomb - 96 - Duke/MICHIGAN

       Katie Zdrowak - 96 - UCONN/MICHIGAN

18.  Kyle Henderson - 95 - UCONN/Gonzaga

19.  Jenna Finkelstein - 92 - Florida/ARIZONA

20.  Brent Bellinger A - 91 - ARIZONA/Florida

       Brent Bellinger B - 91 - MICHIGAN/Michigan State

       Floyd Fonte 1 - 91 - MICHIGAN/Florida

       Mango Merchant - 91 - ARIZONA/Duke

       Brigadier General Kareem Montague - 91 - ARIZONA/Michigan State

25.  Daniel Barsky 1 - 90 - ARIZONA/Florida

       Colleen Giamberini - 90 - MICHIGAN/Houston

       John Hedgpeth - 90 - Duke/MICHIGAN

       Ty Hedgpeth - 90 - Duke/ARIZONA

       Steven Usma 1 - 90 - ARIZONA/Michigan State

       Justin Yung - 90 - MICHIGAN/Duke

31.  Carolyn Fowler - 89 - UCONN/Purdue

       Shane Jernigan 1 - 89 - MICHIGAN/Duke

       Adam Jorgensen - 89 - ARIZONA/ILLINOIS

       David Kennedy - 89 - Duke/MICHIGAN

       Mac Kroesen - 89 - MICHIGAN/ILLINOIS

       Martha Kroesen - 89 - Florida/MICHIGAN

       Measha Williams (Canes 2 Bracket) - 89 - ARIZONA/UCONN

       Mike Wolff 1 - 89 -  Duke/MICHIGAN

39.  Steven Usma 5 - 88 - Florida/Iowa State

40.  Daniel Barsky 2 - 87 - Houston/ARIZONA

       Paul Cummings - 87 - Duke/Purdue

       Crew Ferguson - 87 - Duke/ARIZONA

       Si "Papa Si" Nichols - 87 - ARIZONA/Michigan State

       Brittany Sosa - 87 - Florida/ARIZONA

       Cheryl Spuhler - 87 - Florida/PURDUE

       Josh Zdrowak - 87 - Duke/MICHIGAN

47.  Carolyn Fowler & Jane Reynolds - 86 - Alabama/Duke

       Shane Jernigan 2 - 86 - ILLINOIS/MICHIGAN

       Annette Pritchard 1 - 86 - Florida/ARIZONA

50.  Karen Katz 2 - 85 - ARIZONA/Michigan State

51.  Jonathan Cox 2 - 85 - Duke/ARIZONA

52.  Mitchell K (Lamb) - 84 - ARIZONA/Houston

  

53.  Joel Chernoff - 83 - MICHIGAN/Duke

       Gracie Fonte - 83 - Florida/MICHIGAN

       Hazy Frank - 83 - MICHIGAN/Michigan State

56.  Max Macon 4 - 82 - Purdue/Duke

       Chris Simmons - 82 - ARIZONA/Florida

       Steven Usma 3 - 82 - Duke/MICHIGAN

59.  Mark Holbert 2 - 81 - UCONN/Purdue

       Matt Hopps - 81 - ARIZONA/Michigan State

       Guy Hughes - 81 - Florida/MICHIGAN

       Karen Katz 1 - 81 - ARIZONA/Houston

       Salvatore Plamondon - 81 - Florida/MICHIGAN

       Bubba Zdrowak - 81 - Florida/MICHIGAN

65.   Randy Bennett - 80 - MICHIGAN/Florida

        Megan Corrado - 80 - Houston/ARIZONA

        Paul Cummings 2 - 80 - ARIZONA/Michigan State

        Vincent Plamondon - 80 - Duke/Purdue

        Amanda Staudt - 80 - ARIZONA/ILLINOIS

        Measha Williams (Canes 3 Bracket) - 80 - Duke/ARIZONA

71.  Trey Angus - 79 - Duke/MICHIGAN

       Sean McInerney 2 - 79 - MICHIGAN/Florida

       Sean McInerney 3 - 79 - Florida/MICHIGAN

       William Pujals - 79 - Duke/MICHIGAN

       George Walks 4 - 79 - Florida/MICHIGAN

76.  Paul Cummings 3 - 78 - MICHIGAN/DUKE

       Rylee Montague - 78 - MICHIGAN/Michigan State

       Henry Transecki - 78 - Florida/Iowa State

       Jonathan Wasserman - 78 - Duke/MICHIGAN

       Biscuit Zdrowak - 78 - BYU/Duke

81.  Duncan Merchant - 77 - ARIZONA/Duke

82.  Blake Jackson - 76 - ARIZONA/Florida

83.  Barbara Curlett - 75 - Florida/MICHIGAN

       Javier Rodriguez 1 - 75 - Duke/MICHIGAN

       Hannah Sosa - 75 - Florida/Purdue

       Day Yi 2 - 75 - Duke/MICHIGAN

87.  Braeden Helland - 74 - Florida/MICHIGAN

       Paul Kludt - 74 - Florida/Purdue

       Mike Litsey - 74 - Florida/MICHIGAN

       Dave Piasecki - 74 - Florida/Iowa State

91.  Ashley Poer 2 - 73 - ARIZONA/Duke

       Steven Usma 4 - 73 - MICHIGAN/Florida

       George Walks 2 - 73 - ARIZONA/Kansas

       Day Yi 1 - 73 - St. John's/ARIZONA

95.  Dwayne Cushman - 72 - Duke/ARIZONA

       Max Macon 3 - 72 - Houston/ARIZONA

       Natalie Moon - 72 - Duke/Iowa State

       Kingfish Parham 2 - 72 - Duke/Arkansas

       Annette Pritchard 2 - 72 - ARIZONA/Duke

       Pepe Sosa 2 - 72 - ARIZONA/Florida

101.  Alyssa Hopps - 71 - Duke/MICHIGAN

        Jonathan Wasserman 2 - 71 - MICHIGAN/Duke

        Keith Zdrowak - 71 - ARIZONA/Duke

104.  Justine Frank - 70 - Florida/MICHIGAN

         Sasha Moon - 70 - Florida/ARIZONA

         Jeff Plamondon - 70 - ARIZONA/Houston

         Lily Spuhler - 70 - Florida/ARIZONA

         Amy Zdrowak - 70 - Duke/MICHIGAN

109.  Jenna Finkelstein - 69 - Florida/ARIZONA

         Keith W. (Lamb) - 69 - Houston/ARIZONA

         Jane Reynolds - 69 - Florida/MICHIGAN

         Javier Rodriguez 2 - 69 - Duke/ARIZONA

         Jasmine Tran - 69 - Florida/Alabama

         George Walks 1 - 69 - Duke/ARIZONA

115.  Skip LaForte - 68 - Michigan State/ARIZONA

         Monte Lambert 2 - 68 - ARIZONA/Florida

117.  Floyd Fonte 3 - 67 - Michigan State/MICHIGAN

         Matt Thibaut - 67 - Florida/MICHIGAN

         Stacia Wilkaitis - 67 - Florida/ARIZONA

120.  Stephanie Soplop 2 - 66 - UCONN/Purdue

121.  James Garvin - 65 - Florida/Purdue

         Mark Holbert 1 - 65 - ARIZONA/Florida

         Katie Kollmeyer - 65 - MICHIGAN/Michigan State

         Max Macon 1 - 65 - Florida/Purdue

         Caroline Spuhler - 65 - Florida/Texas Tech

126.  Arlene Amo Hopps - 64 - UCONN/Virginia

127.  Floyd Fonte 2 - 63 - Iowa State/Houston

         Marcus Jackson - 63 - Duke/MICHIGAN

         George Walks 3 - 63 - Kansas/Gonzaga

130.  Megan Cox - 61 - Virginia/Duke

         Jacey Fowler - 61 - North Carolina/Alabama

132.  Sean McInerney 1 - 60 - Duke/Iowa State

133.  Quinn Jackson - 58 - Kentucky/MICHIGAN

134.  Dawn Lamb - 55 - Kansas/Gonzaga

135.  Stephanie Soplop 1 - 54 - Florida/Miami

         Mike Wolff 2 - 54 - Duke/Texas Tech

137.  Kingfish Parham 1 - 52 - ARIZONA/Florida

138.  Colbie (Lamb) - 51 - Kansas/Iowa State

139.  Barkley Sosa - 50 - UCONN/Gonzaga

140.  Keith W 1 (Lamb) - 49 - Kansas/Iowa State

141.  Allison Parker - 47 - Virginia/North Carolina

NCAA Tournament Pool 2026 - Updated Standings

 

Just a quick update to the standings to reflect everyone's Champions and Runners-Up, for reference.

Standings after Round 2

1.  Max Macon 2 - 71  Florida/ARIZONA

     Rich Samuels - 71  ARIZONA/DUKE

3.  Jason Spuhler - 70  HOUSTON/ARIZONA

4.  Mitchell K (Lamb) - 64  ARIZONA/HOUSTON

     Jeff Plamondon 1 - 64  MICHIGAN/Florida

     Ashley Poer 1 - 64  MICHIGAN/HOUSTON

     Pepe Sosa 1 - 64  ARIZONA/Florida

     Steven Usma 2 - 64  DUKE/ARIZONA

9.  Paul Cummings 1 - 63  DUKE/PURDUE

     Crew Ferguson - 63  DUKE/ARIZONA

     Kyle Henderson - 63  UCONN/Gonzaga

     Brigadier General Kareem Montague - 63  ARIZONA/MICHIGAN STATE

     Brittany Sosa - 63  Florida/ARIZONA

     Measha Williams (Buddy Canes 1 Bracket) - 63  DUKE/ARIZONA

     Josh Zdrowak - 63  DUKE/MICHIGAN

16.  Glen Merchant - 62  DUKE/ARIZONA

       Henry Transecki - 62  Florida/IOWA STATE

       Steven Usma 1 - 62  ARIZONA/MICHIGAN STATE

19.  Jonathan Cox 2 - 61  HOUSTON/ARIZONA

       Karen Katz 1 - 61  ARIZONA/HOUSTON

       Martha Kroesen - 61  Florida/MICHIGAN

       Day Yi 1 - 61  ST. JOHN'S/ARIZONA

23.  Megan Corrado - 60  HOUSTON/ARIZONA

       Stephanie Henderson - 60  ILLINOIS/ARIZONA

       Steven Usma 5 - 60  Florida/IOWA STATE

       Chuck Whitcomb - 60  DUKE/MICHIGAN

27.  Daniel Barsky 2 - 59  HOUSTON/ARIZONA

       Brent Bellinger A - 59  ARIZONA/Florida

       Brent Bellinger B - 59  MICHIGAN/MICHIGAN STATE

       Si ("Papa Si") Nichols - 59  ARIZONA/MICHIGAN STATE

       Cheryl Spuhler - 59  Florida/PURDUE  

32.  Ty Hedgpeth - 58  DUKE/ARIZONA

        Braeden Helland - 58 Florida/MICHIGAN 

        Paul Kludt - 58  Florida/PURDUE

        Dave Piasecki - 58  Florida/IOWA STATE

        Annette Pritchard 1 - 58  Florida/ARIZONA

        Justin Yung - 58  MICHIGAN/DUKE

38.  Jim Coleman - 57  ARIZONA/ILLINOIS

       Megan Cox - 57  Virginia/DUKE

       Carolyn Fowler - 57  UCONN/PURDUE

       Mark Holbert 2 - 57  UCONN/PURDUE

       Matt Hopps - 57  ARIZONA/MICHIGAN STATE

       Guy Hughes - 57  Florida/MICHIGAN

       Karen Katz 2 - 57  ARIZONA/MICHIGAN STATE

       David Kennedy - 57  DUKE/MICHIGAN

       Mac Kroesen - 57  MICHIGAN/ILLINOIS

  

47.  Vincent Plamondon - 56  DUKE/PURDUE

        Pepe Sosa 2 - 56  ARIZONA/Florida

        Floyd Fonte 1 - 56  MICHIGAN/Florida

50.  Hazy Frank - 55  MICHIGAN/MICHIGAN STATE

       Mango Merchant - 55  ARIZONA/DUKE

       William Pujals - 55  DUKE/MICHIGAN

53.  Daniel Barsky 1 - 54  ARIZONA/Florida

       John Hedgpeth - 54  DUKE/MICHIGAN

       Shane Jernigan 2 - 54  ILLINOIS/MICHIGAN

       Max Macon 4 - 54  PURDUE/DUKE

       Benny Merchant 4 - 54MICHIGAN/UCONN

       Rylee Montague - 54  MICHIGAN/MICHIGAN STATE

       Steven Usma - 54  DUKE/MICHIGAN

       Jonathan Wasserman 2 - 54  DUKE/MICHIGAN

61.  Adam Jorgensen - 53  ARIZONA/ILLINOIS

       Monte Lambert 1 - 53  HOUSTON/ARIZONA

       Duncan Merchant - 53  ARIZONA/DUKE

       Mike Wolff 1 - 53  DUKE/MICHIGAN

       Bubba Zdrowak - 53  Florida/MICHIGAN

66.  Dwayne Cushman - 52  DUKE/ARIZONA

       Blake Jackson - 52  ARIZONA/Florida

       Natalie Moon - 52  DUKE/IOWA STATE

69.  Joel Chernoff - 51  MICHIGAN/DUKE

       Floyd Fonte 2 - 51  IOWA STATE/HOUSTON

       Alyssa Hopps - 51  DUKE/MICHIGAN

       George Walks 3 - 51  Kansas/Gonzaga

       George Walks 1 - 51  Florida/MICHIGAN

       Keith Zdrowak - 51  ARIZONA/DUKE

75.  Colleen Giamberini - 50  MICHIGAN/HOUSTON

       Carolyn Fowler & Jane Reynolds - 50  ALABAMA/DUKE

       Silas Nichols - 50  MICHIGAN/UCONN

       Biscuit Zdrowak - 50  Brigham Young/DUKE

79.  James Garvin - 49  Florida/PURDUE

       Max Macon 1 - 49  Florida/PURDUE

       Salvatore Plamondon - 49  Florida/MICHIGAN

       Javier Rodriguez 2 - 49  DUKE/ARIZONA

       Jasmine Tran - 49  Florida/ALABAMA

       Measha Williams (Canes 2 Bracket) - 49  ARIZONA/UCONN

85.  Randy Bennett - 48  MICHIGAN/Florida

       Jonathan Cox - 48  DUKE/ARIZONA

       Paul Cummings 2 - 48  ARIZONA/MICHIGAN STATE

       Jenna Finkelstein - 48  Florida/ARIZONA

       Monte Lambert 2 - 48  ARIZONA/Florida

       Kingfish Parham 2 - 48  DUKE/ARKANSAS

       Katie Zdrowak - 48  UCONN/MICHIGAN

92.  Trey Angus - 47  DUKE/MICHIGAN

       Barbara Curlett - 47  Florida/MICHIGAN

       Floyd Fonte 3 - 47  MICHIGAN STATE/MICHIGAN

       Gracie Fonte - 47  Florida/MICHIGAN

       Dawn Lamb - 47  Kansas/Gonzaga

       Sean McInerney 2 - 47  MICHIGAN/Florida

       Sean McInerney 3 - 47  Florida/MICHIGAN

       Matt Thibaut - 47  Florida/MICHIGAN

       Day Yi 2 - 47  DUKE/MICHIGAN

101.  Paul Cummings 3 - 46  MICHIGAN/DUKE

         Justine Frank - 46  Florida/MICHIGAN

         Mike Litsey - 46  Florida/MICHGAN

         Sasha Moon - 46  Florida/ARIZONA

         Jeff Plamondon 2 - 46  ARIZONA/HOUSTON

         Lily Spuhler - 46  Florida/ARIZONA

107.  Jenna Finkelstein 1 - 45  Florida/ARIZONA

         Jacey Fowler - 45  North Carolina/ALABAMA

         Shane Jernigan 1 - 45  MICHIGAN/DUKE

         Katie Kollmeyer - 45  MICHIGAN/MICHIGAN STATE

         Keith W 2 (Lamb) - 45  HOUSTON/ARIZONA

         Jane Reynolds - 45  Florida/MICHIGAN

         George Walks 2 - 45  ARIZONA/Kansas

114.  Skip LaForte - 44   MICHIGAN STATE/ARIZONA

         Max Macon 3 - 44  HOUSTON/ARIZONA

         Sean McInerney 1 - 44  DUKE/IOWA STATE

         Annette Pritchard 2 - 44  ARIZONA/DUKE

         Amanda Staudt - 44  ARIZONA/ILLINOIS

         Measha Williams (Canes 3 Bracket) - 44  DUKE/ARIZONA

120.  Marcus Jackson - 43  DUKE/MICHIGAN

         Javier Rodriguez 1 - 43  DUKE/MICHIGAN

         Jonathan Wasserman 1 - 43  MICHIGAN/DUKE

         Stacia Wilkaitis - 43  Florida/ARIZONA

124.  Quinn Jackson - 42  Kentucky/MICHIGAN

         Chris Simmons - 42  ARIZONA/Florida

         Stephanie Soplop 1 - 42  Florida/Miami

         Stephanie Soplop 2 - 42  UCONN/PURDUE

128.  Keith W 1 (Lamb) - 41  Kansas/IOWA STATE

         Ashley Poer 2 - 41  ARIZONA/DUKE

         Carolins Spuhler - 41  Florida/Texas Tech

         Steven Usma 4 - 41  MICHIGAN/Florida

         George Walks 1 - 41  DUKE/ARIZONA

133.  Arlene Amo Hopps - 40  UCONN/Virginia

         Kingfish Parham 1 - 40  ARIZONA/Florida

135.  Colbie (Lamb) - 39  Kansas/IOWA STATE

         Hannah Sosa - 39  Florida/PURDUE

137.  Barkley Sosa - 38  UCONN/Gonzaga

         Amy Zdrowak - 38  DUKE/MICHIGAN

139.  Mark Holbert 1 - 37  ARIZONA/Florida

140.  Allison Parker - 35  Virginia/North Carolina

141.  Mike Wolff 2 - 34  DUKE/Texas Tech

NCAA Tournament Pool - Round 2/Day 2

*Please note - there will be no update on Friday after the Thursday Sweet Sixteen games.  My schedule for work/life just will not permit it.  There will be a full Sweet Sixteen post on Saturday!*

AND DOWN GOES FRAZIER!!! DOWN GOES FRAZIER!!! DOWN GOES FRAZIER!!!  We knew that we had to lose at least one champion, as Iowa State and Kentucky played against each other.  But, WE LOST FOUR!!!  And with Florida and Kentucky both losing, we will not have a repeat champion.  But Pepster, Kentucky didn't win last year.  Correct!  But, their starting point guard Denzel Aberdeen did, as a player for the Florida Gators before transferring to the Wildcats this year.  So he cannot repeat either.  

And speaking of Florida, my lovely wife Racecar attended the Florida games in Tampa with fellow entrant Jenna Finkelstein, of St.  Petersburg, Florida.  Here is a picture of them after the round 1 game ...

And here is a picture of them after the second round game...

Florida lost because Todd Gulden inexplicably called for a full court press while up 2, which allowed a pick to free up Iowa to run downcourt unmolested to create a 3-on-2 fast break, allowing Alvaro Fulgueiras hit a wide-open three from the corner, that busted almost everybody's bracket to some extent.  EXCEPT ...the four brave souls that selected Iowa over Florida to earn the upset bonus.  Those entries, Paul Cummings of Palm City, Florida, Carolyn Fowler of Greenacres, Florida, Rylee Montague of Lille, France and Biscuit Zdrowak of Orlando, Florida, earn the collective "Picks of the Day".  Particular props to Paul Cummings, who not only selected Iowa over Florida, but also made the second-round game his guarantee!!!  Congrats Paul - lots of points there!

On another note, Fulgueiras is a great story.  Playing at Iowa from Spain, he hadn't seen his mom since school started in August just prior to coming out for Friday's first-round game.  And although it was touching to see them hug after he hit the shot - which will definitely show up in One Shining Moment - I fear that if Iowa advances and further, that his Mom might turn into a Sister Jean type of situation - where the media coverage overshadows the team.

And speaking of One Shining Moment, we had not one, but two buzzer-beaters yesterday!!!  The first came when St. John's Dylan Darling was able to just blow by his defender from the point to get to the rim for a relatively easy layup, as St. John's defeated Kansas by two.  Fulgueiras and Darling, Otega Oweh awaits you!

Not only did Florida and Kentucky lose, but so did Kansas and Virginia - leaving our collective champion selections a little lighter.  They are:  ALABAMA, ARIZONA, CONNECTICUT, DUKE, Florida, HOUSTON, ILLINOIS, IOWA STATE, Kansas, Kentucky, MICHIGAN, MICHIGAN STATE, North Carolina, PURDUE, ST. JOHN'S and Virginia.

Of note, the Kentucky game was a particularly physical battle, as the refs let a lot go.  (Please note this is not a complaint on the officiating, as games take on a life of their own, and as long as the refs are consistent, the players have to adjust.)  I only note this because I remarked, in two separate text groups, that if the referees are going to allow overly-physical play, that will always favor the team with a Serbian.  Factor that knowledge in on future bets.

Speaking of Dylan Darling, here are my Stats of the Day.

Stats of the Day

5.  Laila Hall, North Carolina - 3 blocks in her women's tournament game - IN ONLY 17 MINUTES!!!

4.  Kentucky - 20 turnovers in the game.  Hard to win playing like that

3.  Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State had 5 steals - 1/4 of those 20 Kentucky turnovers

3.  Matt Painter, Purdue Coach and Alumnus - Won his 500th game

1.  2 points - The total number of points scored by Dylan Darling for St. John's over Kansas

  

Yes, you read that correctly.  Darling, who scored the last-second, game-winning, buzzer-beater against Kansas, scored his only two points of the game on that shot!

Players of the Day

10.  Fletcher Loyer, Purdue - 24 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 1 steal

9.  Olivia Miles, TCU - 18 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal

8.  Tavon Banks, Iowa - 20 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal

7.  Olivia Olson, Michigan - 27 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals

6.  Latrell Wrightsell, Alabama - 24 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals

5.  Mikaylah Williams, LSU - 24 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal

4.  Tamin Lipsey, Iowa State - 26 points, 3 rebounds, 10 assists, 5 steals

3.  Syla Swords, Michigan - 26 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block

2.  Alex Karaban, Connecticut - 27 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block

1.  Madison Booker, Texas - 40 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals

Before we get to the standings, it is time for the NCAA Tournament history lesson, brought to you by Iowa defeating Florida - a 9-seed beating a 1-seed.

We head back to the 199 NCAA Tournament, second round, on March 15 specifically, inside the Cox Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.  The number 1 seeded Kansas Jayhawks had a tremendous season, entering the tournament 34-3.  They thoroughly annihilated Prairie View A&M 110-52 in the first round (sound familiar to this year?), behind the play of its two stars, Paul Pierce (who had 25 points and rebounds) and Raef Lafrentz (who added 20 points and a game-high 15 rebounds).  Rhode Island had itself a high-scoring game, hanging 97 on Murray State to win comfortably by 23.  Rhode Island had 6 different players score in double-digits in this game, including its star player (name redacted for suspense), to setup the game against the Jayhawks.

In the second round game, Kansas was again paced by its two stars, as Pierce scored 23 and Lafrentz scored 22, while Lafrentz contributed a game-high 14 rebounds.  But, nobody else on the team put up double-digit scoring, which would be costly against an ordinarily well-balanced Rams squad.  Pierce would go on to become the 10th pick in the NBA draft by the Boston Celtics, and have a stellar, NBA Championship winning, borderline Hall of Fame career.  Lafrentz would himself be selected third in the same draft by the Denver Nuggets, and have a long (11 year) but ordinary career in the NBA.  So basically, they could play.

But even their talents were not enough for the Jayhawks as they fell 80-75 to Rhode Island.  Rhode Island's stellar point guard, Tyson Wheeler, directed the offense, and ended up with 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists, the majority of those going to the true star of the game Cuttino Mobley.  Mobley ended the game with 27 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and even added 2 steals at the defensive end.

This game stands out in my mind because we often see these type of games as huge upsets, but forget that sometimes these smaller, lesser known schools, have some absolute studs.  Cuttino Mobley himself was drafted in the second round of the 1998 draft - 41st by the Houston Rockets - the same draft in which LaFrentz and Pierce went much, much higher.  Mobley played 11 full seasons in the NBA, averaging exactly 16 points again for the Rockets, Magic, Kings, and Clippers, and was the type of bucket-getter which every team needs, either as a third-option or off the bench.  In retrospect, you see Mobley' s NBA-level talent, and you can see how Rhode Island - the 9 seed - could be the 1 seed Kansas.  

Similar to when Lehigh's C.J. McCollum dropped 30 on Duke as the 15th-seeded Mountain Hawks defeated the 2-seeded Blue Devils in 2012.  (You knew I had to slip in a Duke comment somewhere!)  McCollum went on to be the 10th overall pick in the 2013 draft by the Portland Trail Blazers, and is still playing as I type this for the Atlanta Hawks, and has averaged over 17 points per game for his NBA career. 

Well, enough about history.  Let's get to the standings.  A reminder that I am human, and make mistakes.  Feel free to let me know if you think I made one on your bracket and I will be happy to double-check it.

Standings after Round 2

1.  Max Macon 2 - 71

     Rich Samuels - 71

3.  Jason Spuhler - 70

4.  Mitchell K (Lamb) - 64

     Jeff Plamondon 1 - 64

     Ashley Poer 1 - 64

     Pepe Sosa 1 - 64

     Steven Usma 2 - 64

9.  Paul Cummings 1 - 63

     Crew Ferguson - 63

     Kyle Henderson - 63

     Brigadier General Kareem Montague - 63

     Brittany Sosa - 63

     Measha Williams (Buddy Canes 1 Bracket) - 63

     Josh Zdrowak - 63

16.  Glen Merchant - 62

       Henry Transecki - 62

       Steven Usma 1 - 62

19.  Jonathan Cox 2 - 61

       Karen Katz 1 - 61

       Martha Kroesen - 61

       Day Yi 1 - 61

23.  Megan Corrado - 60

       Stephanie Henderson - 60

       Steven Usma 5 - 60

       Chuck Whitcomb - 60

27.  Daniel Barsky 2 - 59

       Brent Bellinger A - 59

       Brent Bellinger B - 59

       Si ("Papa Si") Nichols - 59

       Cheryl Spuhler - 59

32.  Ty Hedgpeth - 58

        Braeden Helland - 58

        Paul Kludt - 58

        Dave Piasecki - 58

        Annette Pritchard 1 - 58

        Justin Yung - 58

38.  Jim Coleman - 57

       Megan Cox - 57

       Carolyn Fowler - 57

       Mark Holbert 2 - 57

       Matt Hopps - 57

       Guy Hughes - 57

       Karen Katz 2 - 57

       David Kennedy - 57

       Mac Kroesen - 57

47.  Vincent Plamondon - 56

        Pepe Sosa 2 - 56

        Floyd Fonte 1 - 56

50.  Hazy Frank - 55

       Mango Merchant - 55

       William Pujals - 55

53.  Daniel Barsky 1 - 54

       John Hedgpeth - 54

       Shane Jernigan 2 - 54

       Max Macon 4 - 54

       Benny Merchant 4 - 54

       Rylee Montague - 54

       Steven Usma - 54

       Jonathan Wasserman 2 - 54

61.  Adam Jorgensen - 53

       Monte Lambert 1 - 53

       Duncan Merchant - 53

       Mike Wolff 1 - 53

       Bubba Zdrowak - 53

66.  Dwayne Cushman - 52

       Blake Jackson - 52

       Natalie Moon - 52

69.  Joel Chernoff - 51

       Floyd Fonte 2 - 51

       Alyssa Hopps - 51

       George Walks 3 - 51

       George Walks 1 - 51

       Keith Zdrowak - 51

75.  Colleen Giamberini - 50

       Carolyn Fowler & Jane Reynolds - 50

       Silas Nichols - 50

       Biscuit Zdrowak - 50

79.  James Garvin - 49

       Max Macon 1 - 49

       Salvatore Plamondon - 49

       Javier Rodriguez 2 - 49

       Jasmine Tran - 49

       Measha Williams (Canes 2 Bracket) - 49

85.  Randy Bennett - 48

       Jonathan Cox - 48

       Paul Cummings 2 - 48

       Jenna Finkelstein - 48

       Monte Lambert 2 - 48

       Kingfish Parham 2 - 48

       Katie Zdrowak - 48

92.  Trey Angus - 47

       Barbara Curlett - 47

       Floyd Fonte 3 - 47

       Gracie Fonte - 47

       Dawn Lamb - 47

       Sean McInerney 2 - 47

       Sean McInerney 3 - 47

       Matt Thibaut - 47

       Day Yi 2 - 47

101.  Paul Cummings 3 - 46

         Justine Frank - 46

         Mike Litsey - 46

         Sasha Moon - 46

         Jeff Plamondon 2 - 46

         Lily Spuhler - 46

107.  Jenna Finkelstein 1 - 45

         Jacey Fowler - 45

         Shane Jernigan 1 - 45

         Katie Kollmeyer - 45

         Keith W 2 (Lamb) - 45

         Jane Reynolds - 45

         George Walks 2 - 45

114.  Skip LaForte - 44

         Max Macon 3 - 44

         Sean McInerney 1 - 44

         Annette Pritchard 2 - 44

         Amanda Staudt - 44

         Measha Williams (Canes 3 Bracket) - 44

120.  Marcus Jackson - 43

         Javier Rodriguez 1 - 43

         Jonathan Wasserman 1 - 43

         Stacia Wilkaitis - 43

124.  Quinn Jackson - 42

         Chris Simmons - 42

         Stephanie Soplop 1 - 42

         Stephanie Soplop 2 - 42

128.  Keith W 1 (Lamb) - 41

         Ashley Poer 2 - 41

         Carolins Spuhler - 41

         Steven Usma 4 - 41

         George Walks 1 - 41

133.  Arlene Amo Hopps - 40

         Kingfish Parham 1 - 40

135.  Colbie (Lamb) - 39

         Hannah Sosa - 39

137.  Barkley Sosa - 38

         Amy Zdrowak - 38

139.  Mark Holbert 1 - 37

140.  Allison Parker - 35

141.  Mike Wolff 2 - 34

NCAA Tournament Pool 2026 - Round 2/Day 1

 

And welcome back to another installment of the NCAA Tournament Pool 2026.  Some better and more exciting play yesterday compared to Friday, but other than the Kentucky-Santa Clara game, that is a really low bar.  That being said, the Nebraska-Vanderbilt game was OUTSTANDING!!!  If it had occurred in a later round, it would be one remembered for quite some time!

To start this post, I forgot to include the list of our champions in yesterday's post.  So, I will start off with that for today.  Our collective champion selections are:  ALABAMA, ARIZONA, CONNECTICUT, DUKE, FLORIDA, HOUSTON, ILLINOIS, IOWA STATE, KANSAS, KENTUCKY, MICHIGAN, MICHIGAN STATE, North Carolina, PURDUE, and VIRGINIA.  Nine of these teams are in play today, with at least one matchup having two championship selections face each other - Kentucky and Iowa State - meaning at least one team will fall.

And speaking of falling, WE HAVE A NEW LEADER.  Max Macon 2 of Jupiter, Florida has taken over first place.  We also have a new leader in the race to the bottom.  Allison Parker of Washington, DC is officially in last place (although there are entries ahead of her that are in much worse shape).  I only mention her here because she always, and I mean ALWAYS, makes sure to draw red hearts around Duke for every round she picks them.  So, she gets what she deserves.  And speaking of Duke, let's get straight to the Players of the Day.

Players of the Day (Men's Edition)

8.  Coen Carr, Michigan State - 21 points, 10 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks

7.  Graham Ike, Gonzaga - 25 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal

6.  Yexel Lendenborg, Michgan - 25 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block

5.  Rob Martin, High Point - 30 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists

4.  Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt - 27 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals

3.  Cam'Ron Fletcher, High Point - 25 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals

2.  Darius Acuff, Jr., Arkansas - 36 points, 1 rebound, 6 assists, 1 steal

1.  TIE - Gregory Nixon, Paul Szelc, and Clarence Armstrong

Who are these three?  They were the officiating crew for the Duke-TCU game.  After an absurdly one-sided foul fest (which they ultimately rectified late in the game after it was essentially over), they missed an obvious basket interference call on Duke that would have brought Duke's lead down to 7.  Instead, they called a technical foul on TCU coach Jamie Dixon.  The resulting free throws and the ball - which led to a three point - turned the game from a 7-point difference into a 14-point difference with 8:40 left to go, essentially ending the game.  Now, yes, I know it wasn't over and 8:40 is ordinarily a lot of time, but if you were watching the game you saw, IT WAS OVER.  Unless the coach jumps into the play, or touches an official, you simply cannot call a technical foul three for words, especially since Dixon stated he neither cursed nor raised his voice.  Szelc has to have thick skin and swallow his whistle there.

And yes, Duke fans will call me a "hater," and they are DAMN RIGHT on that, but good reason. Christian Laettner should have been ejected from that 1992 Elite Eight game.  Period!  But Duke isn't all I hate on.  In yesterday's blog I gave a little dig to Florida's backup center - WAY BACKUP - Olivier Rioux, who at 7'9" is officially the world's tallest teenager in history (Guinness verified!).  I saw a picture of him leaving the stadium yesterday.

Now I sent this to fellow participant Silas Nichols of Washington, DC, as well as co-host of this blog Sinickal.  At least one of them has an unhealthy obsession with how bad Olivier Rioux is.  I am just mentioning this because I want to see if he posts this in his write-up on the Squares Gambling Pool - which is the other tournament being hosted on this site - with or without accreditation (which obviously won't happen if he reads this first!).  But, we will see.

So, instead of just digs, I want to give credit to four brackets - the ones that selected Texas over Gonzaga - which upset was worth five additional bonus points.  Those entries were (listed in orders of their standings:  Pepe Sosa 1 of Riviera Beach, Florida, Brittany Sosa of Charlotte, North Carolina, Braeden Helland of Jacksonville, Florida, and Steven Usma 1 of Miami, Florida.  But Pepster, that is only 4 names.  I thought you said there were five, you might be thinking.  There are 5.  And that fifth entrant wins the illustrious "Pick of the Day" Award!!!  The award goes to Brigadier General Kareem Montague of Lille, France.  And yes, that "Brigadier General" is a rank, not a nickname.  If I were to use his nickname I would say "Monty", but we actually have two "Monte" entries in the pool, so I would rather use his rank.  And I use it more importantly because he has earned that, and much, much more from all of us.  Kareem has been a long-time participant of this pool (and I don't remember specifically if he participated in earlier iterations from when we were in college or not), and he has been a longer-time participant of serving the American people and our allies.  Congratulation Kareem, and thank you!

  Now back to on the Court.

Players of the Day (Women's Edition)

10.  Mackenly Randolph, Louisville - 20 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal

9.  Lauren Betts, UCLA - 22 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block

8.  Kymora Johnson, Virginia - 28 pints, 7 rebounds, 6 assists

7.  Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt - 30 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists

6.  Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame - 23 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 8 steals

5.  Jazzy Davidson, USC - 31 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 1 block

4.  Achol Akot, Oklahoma State - 28 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block

3.  Ava Heiden, Iowa - 29 points, 7 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks

2.  Joyce Edwards, South Carolina - 27 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block

1.  Audi Crooks, Iowa State - 37 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist

And since I have given you a lot of stats here, let's go straight to my stats of the day.

Stats of the Day

5.  67 - the points South Carolina defeated Southern by in the Women's Tournament

4.  5 Straight - Men's Wrestling Titles for Penn State

3.  6 straight - Women's Swimming and Diving Titles for Virginia

2.  8 - steals for Hannah Hidalgo of Notre Dame

1.  3 - Number of Players to average 30+ points and 6+ assists through two rounds in an NCAA Tournament game (Darius Acuff, Jr., Arkansas - 2026, Jimmer Fredette, BYS - 2011, Billy Donovan, Providence, 1987).

So, that reminds me ...

Jimmer Fredette might have been one of the more natural scorers the NCAA has seen in modern vintage, having scored 52 in one game at BYU.  Due to his lack of size for a scoring guard (6'2") and relative lack of athleticism, he never really blossomed on the NBA level despite being drafted 10th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks.  He did spend 5 years to start his career in the NBA (and two later), but he ultimately made his mark in the Chinese Basketball Association, where he won an MVP, and averaged 37.6 points per game - including a game where he dropped 40 in one quarter.  He ultimately transitioned to 3x3 where he was USA Basketball's 2023 Athlete of the Year.

In 2011, BYU had a squad.  They rose as high as number 3 in the polls, before settling in as a 3-seed in the NCAA tournament.  Jimmer Fredette - a first team All-American, had not only advanced his games throughout his four years, but he finally had a running mate on the Cougars in Brandon Davies, a 6'10" big man who complemented Fredette in so many ways on the Court.  Davies was the second-leading scorer on the team, averaging 11.1 points per game, and a team-high 6.2 rebounds per game.  This was the year where BYU could go from a potential Cinderella to a real threat!

The Cougars had a test from Wofford in the first round, but ultimately prevailed 74-66 behind Fredette's 32 points, 4 rebounds and 7 assists.  BYU advanced to the second-round to face Gonzaga.  The Bulldogs proved to be no match as BYU blitzed them 89-67 with Fredette having another spectacular game.  He scored 34 points, and added 2 rebounds and 6 assists.  Off to the Sweet Sixteen they went.  But waiting in the Sweet Sixteen were the Florida Gators, who ended BYU's run 83-74 despite Jimmer's 32 points, 2 rebounds and 5 assists.  Nobody else for the Cougars scored in double figures, and Davies contributed absolutely zero.  In fact, he contributed nothing for the entire tournament.

Why is that?  Well, I'll tell you.  The sophomore power forward was suspended from the team on March 1, just before the start of the conference tournament.  What was his transgression?  A DUI perhaps?  Maybe some marijuana possession to ease the pressure of a tournament run?  Speeding ticket?  Bar fight?  Or worse, something domestic?  No - to all of these.  Davies had the audacity to commit the dangerous act of having premarital sex with his girlfriend.  As sex is a violation of the school's Honor Code, pre-soaking, Davies was kicked out of school. No word as to whether race had anything to do with this, but you can guess what the scuttlebutt was at the time as it was rumored that she was white, and he is black.  With Davies, BYU was projected to be a number one seed.  Without him, the school had a big "What If" moment.

The incident did lead to a hilarious joke from Seth Meyers when he hosted the ESPYS.  Talking about the situation with Davies, Meyers described how Davies was dismissed from the team but also mentioned that nobody ever speaks about his girlfriend.  Meyers then told the audience, "But she went to Arizona State, so she received extra credit!"

Now in a transition from a historical look at the NCAA Tournament, to somebody who might be a reference in this historical section in a few years, Robbie Avila.  The St. Louis big man is a delight to watch, and is subject to many nicknames which are just absolutely outstanding.  Since St. Louis is no longer in the NCAA Tournament after its loss to Michigan yesterday, here is my tribute to Avila - his best nicknames.

1.  Cream Abdul-Jabbar

2.  Larry Nerd (also Larry Blurred) (Doubly funny because Avila used to play at Indiana State)

3.  Milk Chamberlain

4.  College Jokic

5.  SLU Alcindor  

Now, let's get to the standings!

As always, feel free to double-check my scoring on your brackets, as I stare at a lot of numbers for a couple of hours a day and I do make mistakes.  But, if I have to check your bracket, I will review the entire bracket for errors.  I say this just so you should make absolutely sure you feel that I made a mistake with your bracket.  Onto the standings ...

Standings after Round 2/Day 1

1.  Max Macon 2 - 61

2.  Jason Spuhler - 60

3.  Rich Samuels - 57

4.  Pepe Sosa 1 - 56

5.  Crew Ferguson - 55

     Martha Kroesen - 55

7.  Stephanie Henderson - 54

     Glen Merchant - 54

9.  Measha Williams (Buddy Canes 1 Bracket) - 53

     Day Yi 1 - 53

     Josh Zdrowak - 53

12.  Paul Kludt - 52

       Mitchell K (Lamb) - 52

       Henry Transecki - 52

       Steve Usma 2 - 52

16.  Jonathan Cox 2 - 51

       Megan Cox - 51

       Cheryl Spuhler - 51

       Brittany Sosa - 51

20.  Megan Corrado - 50

       Jeff Plamondon 1 - 50

       Ashley Poer 1 - 50

       Annette Pritchard 1 - 50

       Steve Usma 1 - 50

       Steve Usma 3 - 50

       Steve Usma 5 - 50

27.  Brent Bellinger B - 49

       Kyle Henderson - 49

       Brigadier General Kareem Montague - 49

30.  Ty Hedgpeth - 48

       Braeden Helland - 48

       Dave Piasecki - 48

       Vincent Plamondon - 48

       Chuck Whitcomb - 48

       Justin Yung - 48

36.  Daniel Barsky 2 - 47

       Brent Bellinger A - 47

       Jim Coleman - 47

       Mark Holbert 2 - 47

       Guy Hughes - 47

       Karen Katz - 47

       David Kennedy - 47

       Mac Kroesen - 47

       Mango Merchant - 47

45.  Dwayne Cushman - 46

       Pepe Sosa 2 - 46

       Jonathan Wasserman 2 - 46

48.  Hazy Frank - 45

       Matt Hopps - 45

       Karen Katz - 45

       Duncan Merchant - 45

       Si "Papa Si" Nichols - 45

       William Pujals - 45

       Bubba Zdrowak - 45

       Keith Zdrowak - 45

56.  John Hedgpeth - 44

       Shane Jernigan 2 - 44

       Max Macon 4 - 44

       Benny Merchant - 44

60.  Floyd Fonte 1 - 43

       Adam Jorgensen - 43

       Monte Lambert 1 - 43

       Mike Wolff 1 - 43

64.  Blake Jackson - 42

65.  Joel Chernoff - 41

       Max Macon 1 - 41

       Rylee Montague - 41

       Matt Thibaut - 41

69.  Daniel Barsky 1 - 40

       Jonathan Cox 1 - 40

       Paul Cummings 3 - 40

       Carolyn Fowler - 40

       Natalie Moon - 40

74.  Paul Cummings 1 - 39

       Floyd Fonte 2 - 39

       George Walks 3 - 39

       George Walks 4 - 39

       Measha Williams (Canes 2 Bracket) - 39

79.  Carolyn Fowler and Jane Reynolds - 38

       Colleen Giamberini - 38

       Sasha Moon - 38

       Silas Nichols - 38

       Kingfish Parham - 38

       Amanda Staudt - 38

       Katie Zdrowak - 38

86.  Barbar Curlett - 37

       Floyd Fonte - 37

       Gracie Fonte - 37

       James Garvin - 37

       Alyssa Hopps - 37

       Marcus Jackson - 37

       Shane Jernigan - 37

       Katie Kollmeyer - 37

       Dawn Lamb - 37

       Keith W 2 (Lamb) - 37

       Salvatore Plamondon - 37

       Javier Rodriguez 2 - 37

       Jasmine Tran - 37

99.  Randy Bennett - 36

       Paul Cummings 2 - 36

       Jenna Finkelstein - 36

       Jutine Frank - 36

       Quinn Jackson - 36

       Monte Lambert 2 - 36

       Mike Litsey - 36

       Jeff Plamondon 2 - 36

       Chris Simmons - 36

       Measha Williams (Canes 3 Bracket) - 36

109.  Trey Angus - 35

         Jenna Finkelstein - 35

         Sean McInerney 2 - 35

         Sean McInerney 3 - 35

         Javier Rodriguez 1 - 35

         Steven Usma 4 - 25

         George Walks 1 - 25

         Day Yi 2 - 35

117.  Skip LaForte - 34

         Kingfish Parham 1 - 34

         Annette Pritchard 2 - 34

         Stephanie Soplop 1 - 34

         Stephanie Soplop 2 - 34

         Lily Spuhler - 34

123.  Jacey Fowler - 33

         Mark Holbert 1 - 33

         Keith W 1 (Lamb) - 33

         Ashley Poer 2 - 33

         Jane Reynolds - 33

         George Walks 2 - 33

         Jonathan Wasserman 1 - 33

         Stacia Wilkaitis - 33

         Biscuit Zdrowak - 33

132.  Arlene Amo Hopps - 32

         Max Macon 3 - 32

         Sean McInerney - 32

         Amy Zdrowak - 32

136.  Hannah Sosa - 31

         Caroline Spuhler - 31

138.  Barkley Sosa - 30

139.  Colbie (Lamb) - 29

140.  Mike Wolff 2 - 28

141.  Allison Parker - 27