Friday, March 23, 2001                      http://www.HWCI.com/ncaa
Issue # 10.3.2 "Owls Howl to Elite 8..."


2001 HWCI NCAA TOURNAMENT POOL
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LA MIRADA, CA (smt)-- For the third straight game, #11S-Temple built up a 20+-point 2nd half lead and coasted into the Elite 8 with a 84-72 win over #7S-Penn St. Temple has managed to easily knock off the #5-7 seeds but will face a tough challenge against #1S-Michigan St. who earlier knocked off fan-favorite #12S-Gonzaga, 77-62.

The Midwest Final will feature the top two teams as #2MW-Arizona fought off #3MW-Ole Miss, 66-56, and #1MW-Illinois bruising #4MW- Kansas to victory, 80-64. Kansas could not hit their free throws (Nick Collison missing five in a row at one stretch late in the second half) and their bench was outscored, 28-0. Arizona played one of the worst first halves in a tourney game (missed more layups than on a Saturday pickup game at Biola and numerous rebounds off the head and lost) I've seen but still managed to pick up the victory after settling down in the second half.

LIL PQ (10th-Tied, 96 pts) went from tied for first place to eliminated in two games (after Arizona's win). NICKNAME (3rd-T, 100) was the only person to get Temple's victory but only got 2 of 4 correct leaving KIM (1st, 104) all alone in first. She also now has a 51.6% chance of winning money and a 19.5% chance of placing first. Fourteen people went 6-2 for the round while DYLAN (58th-T, 70) went just 2-6 and will sit forever this year on 70 points.

Michigan St.'s win eliminated UCLA SUCKS! (51st, 82). Arizona's win eliminated five and Temple's win knocked FREE SPLASHER (15th-T, 94) chance for first place. The big game was Illinois-Kansas. The outcome sent 6 out of the 12 who picked Kansas out of the running. BUCKEYE MIKE (34th, 87) also was sent home. This day spelled the doom of most of the core of HWCI: MOMMY BOUGHT ACCORD, UTHPOPE, ALSTAR, THE FLYING ELVI (who always seem to follow the way of ALSTAR), and THE MIGHTY MOBELFAKTA; FREE FABONE has exactly 1 chance in 128 of winning 4th place. In the most dynamic day of the pool, less than half (29) remain in contention and only 16 can win first place. DECEMBER (43rd- T, 84), who had two of her Final Four teams knocked out on the first day, still has a chance for third place. The six people left in the running who chose Maryland to make the Final Four can pick up a valuable six points that 22 Stanford pickers won't tomorrow.