2011 HWCI NCAA Pool

Issue # 16.7.2 “Krispy Kremer Kleans Up”

Issue # 16.7.2 “Krispy Kremer Kleans Up”

If you’re a winner, please contact me.  Well, that does it for 2011.  Hopefully, the NCAA is done tinkering with the bracket.  Also, after the 2012 pool, we plan to have our first HWCI Soccer: Euro 2012 pool.  Contact me if you’re interested.

Issue # 15.7.1 “An Ugly Win”

Issue # 15.7.1 “An Ugly Win”

Butler, it’s hard to root for you playing like that, but nothing was falling in.  Next year, make it 3 in a row!

Congrats to the Winners!

These people didn’t care it was an ugly game:

1st ($515):  Roy W (Krispy Kremer)
2nd ($260):  David F (The Mighty Mobelfakta)
3rd ($175):  Sam S (TheLakeShow)
4th ($120):  Craig S (Craig)
5th ($ 80):  Ted J (MB Camel Jockies)
6th ($ 60):  Charles D (BINLADEN)
Bonus ($40): Blakeley H (For Narnia)

Sam and Blakeley can thank the awfully low scoring game for winning their tiebreakers.

Ugly and classy?

UConn coach Jim Calhoun, in his always humble self, forgets to thank Butler.  Sheesh…

Ugly?

Seemed like it was 4-3 forever (as my son Spencer would say), but some good defense helped keep the score very low, as only 41 have been scored at the half (22-19).  Five threes have helped Butler compensate from a poor inside game while UConn is just struggling and picking up fouls.  Hopefully, the second half will pick up (especially for those in the tiebreaker who have a higher point total than their competitor).

Thank You!

Thanks for the thirty who participated in our HWCI NCAA First Four for Charity and the others who helped contribute an extra $40 to make it an even $100 donation from HWCI NCAA Pool!  Here’s the link to the receipt…

Issue # 14.6.2 “Our 17th Year the Most Random?”

Issue # 14.6.2 “Our 17th Year the Most Random?”

Good luck for the 10 who are hoping to win money and the five who have already won money but want the higher placement.  In three hours, we start (how does the East Coast watch games that start at 9:23 pm!?).

Issue # 13.6.1 “Butler is Back Again”

Issue # 13.6.1 “Butler is Back Again”

Good luck to the five for the Bonus and the five for the 6th money spot.

Updates online

For the time being, Final possibilities (for the 10 entries alive), Bonus possibilities (for the 5 entries alive).

UConn wins

And sends Craig out of the top spot for the first time since the first weekend. Either The Mighty Mobelfakta or Krispy Kremer will be our champ.

Butler up at the half

No one has a horse in this game unless you think one team will be easier to beat in the final.  If you’ve forgotten here are the Final Four possibilities and the Bonus possibilities.

For the Bonus, if UConn loses, Real Sporting FC will win the $40 bonus.

Here are the four possible outcomes (since VCU/Butler doesn”t matter): Read the rest of this entry »

Issue # 12.5.3 “Sweet 16 Thoughts on 16 Years”

Issue # 12.5.3 “Sweet 16 Thoughts on 16 Years”

A different twist this year due to time constraints.  But it also allows me to brag that the best smartphone out there is the year-old HTC Droid Incredible.  How great is it?  When my Droid Incredible was stolen two months ago and I was eligible to upgrade to any Verizon phone (with the Vz iPhone out), I still chose the Droid Incredible.  Thanks to Nandroid and Titanium Backup for restoring my new phone to its grand ol’ state.

I’m a little disappointed with the Droid Incredible 2 that is coming out, but I’ll have to see the official specs to see if I want to upgrade to it.

BTW, good luck to everyone who is still alive!

Issue # 11.5.2 “Where are 1 and 2?”

Issue # 11.5.2 “Where are 1 and 2?”

Final Four scenarios & Bonus scenarios!  Good luck!

Everyone’s an Underdog

Three pointers ruled the day and propelled VCU and Kentucky to victories.  This means there are no #1, #2, or #3 seeds in the Final Four.  It does leave the pool with 4 possible champs and 12 entries still alive.  The UNC loss also means we will have a Bonus winner for the Winningest Conference.  Up on our menu above, there is now a “Final Four” button which shows all 8 possible scenarios and who the winners are.  Other info on my update page.

VCU vs Butler, huh?

The last #1 is knocked off as VCU is the third double-digit seed to make the Final Four.  Just 17 are still alive but all 4 people with a chance for 1st are still alive.  Now two of the youngest coaches who look younger than some of their players will face other.  VCU’s record 5th win to get to the Final featured wins aginast the Pac-10, Big-10, Big East, Big-12, and ACC.  Horizon League is next.

Issue # 10.5.1 “Butler in the Final Four Again”

Issue # 10.5.1 “Butler in the Final Four Again”

Thanks to UConn, the pool remains competitive with 23 alive and 4 with a chance to win first.

Crazy Scenarios

Here are two unique scenarios:

* if Kentucky beats Butler/VCU in the final, then we have a 2-way tie for 1st and a 6-way tie for 3rd!

 Craig   1*           Ky  VCU Con But UNC Ari Kan Fla�
 Pack Rat   1*           Ky  VCU Con But UNC Ari Kan Fla�
  The Downtown Fiction   3*           Ky  VCU Con But UNC Ari Kan Fla�
 The Mighty Mobelfakta   3*           Ky  VCU Con But UNC Ari Kan Fla�
    Joker's Wild   3*           Ky  VCU Con But UNC Ari Kan Fla�
      Union Strong   3*           Ky  VCU Con But UNC Ari Kan Fla�
     Swerveman   3*           Ky  VCU Con But UNC Ari Kan Fla�
    GoBigBlue   3*           Ky  VCU Con But UNC Ari Kan Fla 

And if VCU/Butler beats Kentucky, we have a 6-way tie for 2nd, which means one person would be left out of the money:

                         Craig   1            VCU Ky  Con But UNC Ari Kan Fla
           The Downtown Fiction   2*           VCU Ky  Con But UNC Ari Kan Fla
          The Mighty Mobelfakta   2*           VCU Ky  Con But UNC Ari Kan Fla
                   Joker's Wild   2*           VCU Ky  Con But UNC Ari Kan Fla
                   Union Strong   2*           VCU Ky  Con But UNC Ari Kan Fla
                      Swerveman   2*           VCU Ky  Con But UNC Ari Kan Fla
                      GoBigBlue   2*         VCU Ky  Con But UNC Ari Kan Fla

So although The Mighty Mobelfakta is in 100% of the scenarios, in these two he could lose the tiebreaker and miss out.

Local Boy Williams Out

La Mirada native Derrick Williams, who if he had played us at Hutchinson in his street ball would’ve scared him off , and his Arizona Wildcats are out, and that also means the end of the Pac 10.  Although Arizona knocked me out of the pool, it did keep the integrity of the pool intact as 4 still have a chance to win the title.  Had Arizona won, Craig would’ve been our champ today.  Instead he has a 75% to win first.  The Mighty Mobelfakta has joined Craig as guaranteed with a chance to win money (don’t know if The MM could lose a tiebreaker for 6th).

Here are the possibilities.  BTW, the pool started in 1995 by a bunch of us who graduated from La Mirada High in ’91.

Is Butler the new dynasty?

Wow, Butler out-coaches Florida in OT.  The 26 who picked Florida lost out and that means only 27 can win money and only 4 can win it all.  This also guarantees that we will have a 16th different HWCI NCAA Pool champion.

Update:  Our Champ.  Will it be Craig S (Craig) in his 5th year and has never finished higher than 31st?  Or will it be our pool admin David F (The Mighty Mobelfakta) in his 17th year and 4th prize win (last in ’04)? Or Roy W (Krispy Kremer) in his 10th year and 2nd prize win (’05)?  Or will it be Steve N (Pack Rat) who entered a 2nd entry for the first time ever and is in his 6th pool and has never finished higher than 17th?

Issue # 9.4.2 “Poked in the Buckeye”

Issue # 9.4.2 “Poked in the Buckeye”

Yes, #8 and Sweet 16 issue are missing… will be done later… so enjoy!

128 Possible Outcomes

…and Craig has a leg in all of them.  But 31 others are going to try for the other 5 money spots.  Click on “Possibilities” in the above menu for your chances and click here for all 128 possible outcomes.  If you want to know your specific possible winning (here’s mine) outcomes, post a comment here!

Poked in the Buckeye

While eating at Morton’s in Santa Ana, we were watching the end of the Ohio St-Kentucky game on David’s (The Mighty Mobelfakta) iPhone and although it was great both teams did not call a timeout and continued play for a frantic minute, Ohio St.’s loss means that the pool is in disarray as the third #1 seed falls.  123 people had a pick with 106 of those taking Ohio St.

With points few and far between from here on out, Craig has clinched money for the first time ever (6th year).  In fact, if Butler and Arizona win tomorrow, he will become the first person ever to clinch the HWCI NCAA Pool title before the final weekend (semifinals).  Only 32 are still alive with only 7 having a chance to win 1st.

Routs

The Big East is down to one. UNC was picked by just 51 as a lot had Syracuse going through. Kansas was the overwhelming favorite being picked by 106.

Possibilities

Update will be delayed as things got busy at work, but right as the games tip off, here are the latest possibilities on my Update page.

Pac 10 Still Alive

We’ll have to wait one more round to retire the “Pac 10″ moniker as somehow Airzona found Duke’s “off” swich in dominating them in the second half.  Butler outlasts Duke of the two 2010 finalists and reaches the Elite 8 in holding off Wisconsin.  Just 46 are alive for money with only 20 with a chance for 1st.  Full update coming tomorrow though David should have the latest standings up now.

Exciting but Mountain West is No More

UConn held off MWC champ San Diego St. in final seconds.  The Huskies trip to the Elite 8 leaves only 73 alive for the top prizes and only 29 eligible for 1st. 66 picked UConn.

Florida out-hustled Jimmer-led BYU at the end of regulation and in OT sending 6 more entries to oblivion and leaving only 24 with a chance for 1st (Mine was 1 of 5 eliminated from 1st). 77 picked Florida.

Craig‘s lead is now down to 3 over The Downtown Fiction.

Issue # 7.3.3 “Pool Expands to Six Money Spots”

Issue # 7.3.3 “Pool Expands to Six Money Spots”

All you wanted to know about the prize distribution and bonus prize.

Prizes Detals Leaked…

The formal newsletter comes out late tonight (or early tomorrow, depending where you live), but here are some nuggets:

• 1st place is a record $515, enough for about 125 gallons of gas in California or 0.026% of what Charlie Sheen used to get paid for a single episode
• A new 6th place prize is introduced, and it will be $60 (I wish this was in place last year when I finished 6th)
• In the race for the Bonus Prize (Winningest Conference), only 21 entries are still alive (since the Big East crapped out) and 36 entries are eliminated from both the Bonus1 and top 6 prize money… but, if no one wins this Bonus1, every non-winning entry is alive again for the total points tiebreaker Bonus2.
• What would you like to see as a Bonus Prize?  Most upset weighted points?  Most Elite 8 teams? Comment and let us know!

Issue # 6.3.2 “Double-Digit Delight”

Issue # 6.3.2 "Double-Digit Delight"

I hope everyone enjoyed the weekend games.  Sunday did seem to go very, very slow as it made me think having games spread apart is not a great idea (usually, Sunday games end around 7 so CBS can show “60 Minutes” and “The Amazing Race”).

Anyway, we officially have 125 entries (Elvis26 as I suspected, entered by accident).  Thank you all!  If you go to the standings and look at the “Possible Finish” column, you’ll see numbers and if you’re unlucky, an “e’”.  The numbers represent your highest possible finish (so “1″ means you can still finish first) with “e” meaning “(Your entry here), I’m sorry to tell you that you’ve been eliminated from the HWCI NCAA Pool“.  But don’t despair, everyone who gets eliminated has a second chance for our Bonus Prize.  And some of you may be eliminated there as well.  Then all you have left is pride.  Prize distribution and Bonus details delivered Tuesday.

#1 Duke escapes

Another missed free throw, another heart-stopping ending as Duke came close to being the second #1 seed to fall after blowing nearly a 15-point lead after Michigan went on a 16-2 run.  Washington and North Carolina exchanged dumb plays with Washington inexplicably taking a half-court heave with 3 seconds left but then getting bailed out by a UNC player all by himself tipping the missed shot out of bounds to give Washington another chance.  Both both top seeds move on meaning no change in the standings after the first two games.