Friday, April 4, 2003
Issue # 15.5.1 "Eenie, Meenie, Miney... MOLE!"
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EL SEGUNDO, CA (smt)-- Is there a saboteur in the NCAA ranks? If not, how can you explain BYU being "accidentally" placed in a region that would play on Sunday, thereby a possibility of a switch, which would make millions of brackets (both free and fee) worthless, which is what the NCAA wants? How can you explain that the top 2 ranked teams and 3 #1 seeds getting knocked out in the Elite 8? This is the first time since the pool started 3 #1 seeds got knocked out in the 3rd Round (just one #1 seed advanced to the Final Four in '98 and '00). Brackets stained by sweaty palms were subsequently discarded into the nearest "Please Recycle" trash can. Despite this, someone has picked three of the four teams to win it all. Unfortunately, the one person who picked #3MW-Marquette (LUKIE) is eliminated and the one person who picked #3E-Syracuse (GALAXY) can't finish higher than 4th. This is because they didn't pick Texas or Kansas in their Final Four and therefore didn't pick up an extra six points on the leaders. And thus, the importance of picking the first and second round games well as this is where the points are accumulated as insurance just in case something goes horribly wrong, such as three #1 seeds embarrassing themselves on national TV. Those who believed the Xavier or Wake Forest hype were heavily scarred (sorry GALAXY and LUKIE).

Some facts: You must pick the correct NCAA champion if you want a good chance of winning any money (for obvious reasons). Other than 1997 and 1998 when no one picked the correct champion, only 1999 saw one person (3rd) not pick the correct champion and win money (only 4 picked UConn, 3 winning money). This crazy year, however, as stated above, no one who picked Marquette or Syracuse will finish higher than 4th. Also, 1-2 of the four people who picked Kansas to win it all won't win any money for it. And no one picked Texas to win it all (damn!).

Although several people have won money in two or more pools, no one has won the top prize twice. This year, an 9th different person will claim the HWCI NCAA Pool title and get bragging rights for one year (as I step down as defending pool champion and hit my head with a "Halo" stick for putting all four #1 seeds in the Final Four). John S. (MR. WIZARD) will try to become the fifth person to win the grand prize in their first entry. Darryn B. (BIG LUTHER) will try to win it all on his second year. Bing F. (BINGO) and Robinson C. (BOMB SADDAM) will try for his second money prize and Fernando B. (GALAXY) his third (each have won $100, $280, and $100, respectively). Sean S. (SEANITO'S WAY) will try to win money on his first try while Quang P. (KRIMSONGUARD) and Brian Z. (ZIPPY) will try in their second pool appearance. On the other end, Mark C. (SASS MADE ME DO IT) will now be 0-for-9 in winning money, tying Alvin K. (0-for-9 entries) who chickened out this year.

[Bonus Prize details]

Here are the best and worst of the predictors. Power points are calculated based on your placement in the pool and the size of the pool. For example, in a pool of 12 people, finishing 1st gets 1.0 power point, 7th (middle) 0.5 points, and 12th (last) 0.08 pts. In a pool of 36, finishing 1st gets 1.0 pt, 6th 0.86 pts, 18th (middle) 0.5 pts, and 36th (last) 0.03 pts. The closer to an average of 1.0 power point, the better you have done in the pool. "YR" indicates number of years in pool; "EN" indicates total number of entries for that person in pool. For you more recent folks, the bottom portion details who's done the best (and worst) over the past three years.

OVERALL-
MOST WINS   YR  # EN  #
-------------------------
Scott T.    8 333 12 491 
Brian S.    8 316
Alvin K.    8 313  9 350
Fern B.     8 308 10 387
Jay S.      8 307
David F.    8 305  9 345
Mark C.     8 300

MOST PTS YR  #  EN  #
-------------------------
Scott T.  8 959 12 1424
David F.  8 874  9  987
Alvin K.  8 870  9  963
Fern B.   8 852 10 1076
Brian S.  8 858
Jay S.    8 839
Mark C.   8 808

MONEY WON YRS ENT-WON $ 
-------------------------
Scott T.     4 12  $590
Lisa F.      2  4  $330
Robinson C.  1  7  $280
Sam N.       1  5  $180
Anna         1  1  $150
Jason S.     2  8  $145


MINIMUM 4 ENTRIES
=================

WEIGHTED POWER POINTS AVG
Depends on your place in
pool and the size of pool
(MAX 1.0 PWR PT PER ENTRY)
=========================
--BEST PREDICTORS--------
PWR PTS PER YR AV EN AVE
-------------------------
Lisa F.     4-.82
Scott T.(1) 8-.79 12-.783
Scott T.(2) 4-.77
Gareth M.(1) 4-.68 5-.564
Andy F.     6-.63
Mike B.     7-.62

--WORST PREDICTORS-------
PWR PTS PER YR AV EN AVE
-------------------------
Dennis K.    6-.28 7-.313
Byron W.     4-.31
Mark C.      8-.36
Duke F.      4-.40

BEST WIN% YR Pct EN Pct
-------------------------
Scott T.(1)8-.661 12-.649
Lisa F.    4-.639
Brian S.   8-.627
Scott T.(2)4-.627

WORST WIN% YR Pct EN Pct
-------------------------
Byron W.   4-.556
Sam N.     5-.568
Duke F.    4-.575
Dennis K.  6-.582 7-.585

============
LAST 3 YEARS
============
OVERALL-
MOST WINS  YR  #  EN  #
-------------------------
Scott T.(1) 3 126  6 242
Bing F.(1)  3 122  4 162
Dan S.      3 117
Robinson C(1) 3 117 7 264
Gareth M.   3 118
Scott T.(2) 3 116

MOST PTS   YR  #  EN #
-------------------------
Scott T.(1) 3 372  6 700
Bing F.(1)  3 358  4 468
Lisa F.     3 347
Dan S.      3 335
David F.(1) 3 332

TOTAL POWER POINTS
(MAX: 175)
Depends on your place in
pool and the size of pool
=========================
--BEST PREDICTORS--------
PWR PTS     YR PTS EN PTS
-------------------------
Scott T.(1) 3-158   6-283
Bing F.(1)  3-152   4-208
Dan S.      3-136
Scott T.(2) 3-125
Lisa F.     3-125
Andy F.     3-125

--WORST PREDICTORS-------
PWR PTS PER YR PTS EN PTS
-------------------------
Ken B.      3- 24
Fernando B. 3- 26
Byron W.    3- 39
Patrick C.  3- 39
Mark C.     3- 40