And the Winner Is: The Tournament Squares Pool

Congratulations Matt Hopps! You matched the final score of an absolutely horrendous final game last night and won the big prize in this pool.

Hail to the Victors?

I don't have a lot to say about that game other than eww! And if you think that was a hard game to watch on TV, be thankful you weren't there in person. At one point during the game, a drunken kid was running on the concourse telling everyone that this isn't a football game! I wasn't convinced that he was telling the truth. If they were throwing footballs at the rim, it might have been more entertaining. 

Alas, we have a champion. Michigan was the best team all year and deserved that win. UConn was a pest. A past champion playing with a muscle memory that let everyone know that they were not going away quietly. The fact that they were down 4 points with the ball with less than 30 seconds left in that game is a miracle!

That's enough about that game. I just need to get my head right for Detroit next year and hope that we get back to high-level basketball in the Final Four. Although we keep getting close finishes in games, we haven't seen really well played game in quite some time.

On to the Squares. Below are the final tallies for square wins. If you are a winner this year, I will be sending Venmo payments over the next several hours. 

Maybe I Think Dominance is Sexy: The Tournament Squares Pool

Two years ago, I wrote in this space that dominance should look like the UConn run to back to back national championships. That two year run included 12 consecutive NCAA tournament wins by double digits and a six game win differential in 2024 of +140. That point differential is the highest in the history of the NCAA tournament. 

The 2023 UConn team was outstanding. The 2024 UConn team was absolutely insane. And, I didn't think we would see anything like it for quite a while.

Well, the University of Michigan has entered the chat. Wow! 

I have thought for quite a while that this team was a juggernaut, and last night seemed to validate everything that I have seen from them all year. This with their best player injured and the entire front line in early foul trouble against Arizona.

Do you remember back in November and December when this team was putting up unreal tape against their out-of-conference schedule? 

Do you remember when they beat San Diego State by 40, Auburn by 30 and Gonzaga by 40 on consecutive nights in a Las Vegas tournament? I watched it and knew then that this Michigan team was the real thing. And now, they are the first team in NCAA tournament history to score 90+ points in 5 straight tournament games. Oh, and they won them all by double digits. 

They aren't going to get to a +140 point differential, but the Wolverines have been absolutely dominant in this tournament run.

So, I guess it is fitting that this juggernaut will face UConn tomorrow night for the national championship. 

UConn is not a patsy here. They will be playing in their third national championship game in four years. This is the first time this has happened since Kentucky did it from 1996 through 1998. A sore spot for your tournament host who still can't believe that Tony Delk hit those 6 3-pointers in the first half of that 1996 final game against Syracuse. Still hurts. A lot. 

Anyway, I am really looking forward to this final. Hopefully, it be more entertaining than the two games last night. 

As for the squares pool, we had two first time winners last night and neither was me. 

One more game to go!

Also, for those of you who follow the chronicles of the Southwestern Central Scorpions basketball program, please visit the newly opened merch store. 

--Your Tournament Host

Hey Jon, Is Something Stuck In Your Throat? The Tournament Squares Pool

When I woke this morning and turned on the television, the first thing I heard was NBC Journalist Willie Geist with this gem.

"Every time Duke loses on a buzzer beater, an angel gets its wings." 

Yeah. If you hate Duke, and many of you do, you had a great evening yesterday. And for those of us who hate both Tiger Woods and Duke, it was an amazing weekend! 

I am still trying to process what happened in the second half of that game. Duke at one time lead by 19 points, Cameron Boozer was doing anything he wanted and UConn made only one of its first 18 3-point attempts. I watched every second and still have no idea how they got back into this game. Or how they ultimately lost. This game was amazing! 

JUST HOLD THE INBOUNDS PASS AND WAIT FOR THE FOUL. THEY HAD TO FOUL!

To put this in perspective, #1 seeds in the NCAA tournament that led by 15 or more points at halftime were 134 - 0 all time. 

The other confounding thing about this Duke run is how they are collapsing to lose games. Duke's last four loses are as follows:

• Lost to Houston in last years Final Four after leading by 14
• Lost to Texas Tech after leading by 17
• Lost to North Carolina (who just fired its coach) after leading by 13
• Lost to UConn last night after leading by 19

I have no idea what to make of this. From the UConn side, I guess that is what a champions heart looks like. Or as better said by Stugotz on Twitter:

The other game was probably only interesting to a few of us that think Michigan is the best team in the tournament, had the over in the game, or were rooting for their square to hit. That was a dominant performance including a 21-0 run in what was a near perfect 1st half. 

As for the squares pool, your tournament host is still winless this year. It is the only important thing about the pool but, I guess I should post the winners from yesterday.

This is going to be exciting! We have a really good Final Four set for Indianapolis and the hosts of the two pools on the blog will be in attendance!

Look to this space for a live blog of our activities in Indianapolis, continued updates on the pools, and special surprised in the next day or two. 

--Your Tournament Host

Everybody in the 313, Throw Your Hands Up: The Tournament Squares Pool

I am really sorry for the delay in updating the pool today. I had to catch a really early flight this morning to Detroit to attend a relatives' funeral and I had no breaks to post until late in the afternoon. 

No matter, we are here and it is fitting that I had to come to Detroit Metro today since I have thought for months that the University of Michigan is the best team in the country. They are my bracket pick to win it all. 

It's a quick trip, but I have been in the airport (Romulus), Oak Park, Southfield, Eastpointe, Hamtramck, and a number of locations on the East Side. 

Have I been searching this hotel, the streets and the bars for hints of Hail to the Victors? Hell yeah I have! 

Am I searching ethnic neighborhoods looking for 7-footers of Spanish or German descent to see if they are related to centers playing for the team? Maybe. 

After that Arizona beatdown of Arkansas, am I concerned? Not even a little.

Look there are two juggernauts in this tournament and a number of really good teams that can win. This tournament is as talent rich as any we have seen in a number of years. There were two great finishes last night and two coaching blunders (same games), and I can only hope for more tonight.

As for the squares pool, your tournament host has not broken into the winners circle yet and this is making me anxious. For those of you who know me, an anxious host is a bitter and petty host. Let's hope that I can get a winner soon.

Good luck tonight everyone!

--Your Tournament Host

Cinderella Wears a Cement Slipper: The Tournament Squares Pool

We are on to the Sweet 16 and the most important lesson we have learned is that the impact of NIL and the transfer portal is significant! Early evidence suggests that the power conferences are going to dominate the NCAA tournament for the foreseeable future and there just doesn't seem to be a way to produce true Cinderella's anymore. Small school success will be ever more difficult because they will not be able to attract or hold onto real talent. 

It is true that Texas (11 seed), Iowa (9 seed) and Tennessee (6 seed) upset higher ranked teams to play in the second weekend, but like EVERY other school remaining, they are from power conferences. Teams playing in this year's Sweet 16 hail from the following conferences:

This is only the second time that the Sweet 16 has been made up of only power conference teams. When was the last time it happened? Last year. Yeah, Sorry George Mason, no second weekend basketball for you possibly ever again. 

Couple of other notes from the weekend:

• America's University has it's man! Welcome back to the Dome Gerry McNamara. Hopefully, we will meet you with some improved NIL commitments and set you up with a chance to really succeed.
• I will pat myself on the back for things I have written in this space in the past that continue to be true. 
• Kansas is not good is not good and that fouling strategy at the end of the St John's game was poorly executed and an indication of poor coaching
• I will continue to believe that Virginia is a trash fire that probably should have lost to Wright State on Friday
• Even with losing Florida last night, we still have a pretty chalky Sweet 16. I should have learned this would be the case a couple of years ago.
• For the second time in three years, I get the chance to remind you that an 11-seed is NOT a Cinderella. We are done with those Possibly forever. 
• Olivier Rioux, the 7'9" Florida Center recorded a DNP Coaches Decision yesterday. The only conclusion that I can draw other than he just doesn't like basketball is that I don't know ball at all.

As for the Squares Pool, the results are below. We have some people racking up a bunch of early victories! Congratulations to Tony Lasch, Karl Kailing and Ryan White as they are our only three time winners so far.

We have a couple of days to catch our breath, then we are back at it! Happy Monday everyone.

--Your Tournament Host

System Error: NCAA Tournament Squares Pool

Unfortunately, we are having some issues that require my attention at the Commissioner's Mansion and I didn't have a chance to write a post today. Here are the winners from Saturday's games:

Good luck today everyone! 

--Your Commissioner