Monthly Archives: April 2017

Issue # 14.6.1 “Ugly Redemption”

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2017 NCAA Champions
University of North Carolina Tar Heels
#1-South (Memphis, TN)		 University of North Carolina
Tar Heels
(33-7)
6th Title: ’57, ’82, ’93, ’05, ’09, ’17
2017 Winningest Conference
SEC Conference

ACC Conference

 The Southeastern Conference
(11-5)
4th Time: ’06, ’07, ’14, ’17
&
The Atlantic Coast Conference
(11-8)
6th Time: ’04, ’05, ’10, ’15, ’16, ’17

Monday, April 3, 2017 

UNC WINS 6TH TITLE DESPITE POOR SHOOTING; ZAGS 2ND HALF FUNK
Dboyz17 holds on to win pool while ChasCroix1 wins tiebreaker for 6th

CERRITOS APT, CA (smt)- #1S-North Carolina shot 35.6%, only made 4 of 27 from long range (14.8%), and missed 11 free throws (57.7%) yet were able to hold off #1W-Gonzaga, 71-66, in a foul-marred game (22 fouls on each team).  With two injured ankles, Joel Berry made four threes (the rest of the team was 0 for 14) and scored 22 points (second straight final with 20+ points) to lead UNC to redemption after last year’s final loss to Villanova.  It was an ugly contest with UNC shooting 30% in the 1st half and Gonzaga shooting 28% in the second half and the refs plagued the game with fouls, a ticky tack flagrant 1 at a key point in the game, and missing an out-of-bounds hand by a UNC player in a tie-up that was possession UNC with under a minute left.  Despite the poor shooting all-around the teams did manage to combine to score 136 points which is more than the other mid-major finals involving Butler (120 and 94 points in back-to-back finals).

UNC’s win gave Dboyz17 the 2017 HWCI NCAA Pool title and record $690 win (out of a record $1,780 pot), finishing with 148 points followed by MarchMindlessness (143), Alternative Picks (142), Agnes Scheweizhofer (135), and Flying Elvi (133).  The 136 total points gave ChasCroix1 the tiebreaker over The Juggernaut to win 6th.  Bigtenfan was in position to win the Bonus but a late foul put that in jeopardy; luckily UNC made just one of two free throws and he finished off by one point and was still the best finisher (32nd) among the 12 entries who were one off.

Place Amount Winner Nickname Pts (Place) Yrs in Pool (#Ent) # Times Won (Total $)
1st $690 Greg Z Dboyz17 148 (1st) 4 (5) 1st win
2nd $355 Eric F MarchMindlessness  143 (2nd) 7 (9) 2 ($450; 5th ’14 )
3rd $240 Nelson P  Alternative Picks 142 (3rd) 11 (14) 1st win
4th $180 Andy F  Agnes Schweitzhofer 135 (4th) 20 (20) 2 ($212.50; 6th(Tied) ’12)
5th $130 Brian S  Flying Elvi 133 (5th) 21 (21) 2 ($190; 2nd ’97)
6th $ 85 Chuck D  ChasCroix1 132 (6th) 9 (16) 1st win
7th $ 60 Alex K  The Juggernaut 132 (7th) 2 (2) 1st win
Bonus $ 40 Benjamin D  Bigtenfan 116 (32nd) 6 (11) 2 ($330; 2nd ’14)

[Twitter]We are now on Twitter (@HWCI_Pools).  Please follow!  I will post using #hwcincaa mini-updates during the day so you can follow without being on Twitter (and if you are, please use #hwcincaa).  Please join our Facebook HWCI NCAA Pool Group or post comments on our blog.  Continue reading »

Gonzaga v UNC- Live Pool Updates

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If you’re watching on the March Madness App, you get to see some behind the scenes coverage and pre-recorded segments as they wait to go live after commercials.

Game over!  UNC 71-65.  Bigtenfan thankful UNC only made 1 of 2 as 136 still gives the $40 bonus.  If he made both, Bamag2 would’ve gotten it.

All but over besides total points in final.  135 now.  Bigtenfan would win… 7 seconds left but 2 free throws to UNC.

UNC 68-65 21.9 seconds left.  Jump shot gives UNC a 3-pt lead after Zags again fail to get a defensive rebound (tied up, possession UNC).  134 pt projection.

UNC 66-65 1:25 left. Both teams have missed 19 free throws.  That same corner has played havoc with Gonzaga with a couple slips and a sprained ankle.  136 pt projection would give Bigtenfan bonus.

UNC 62-60 3:08 left.  Dboyz17, MarchMindlessness, and Alternative Picks are guaranteed money but they would love to get the maximum placement with UNC winning. 132 pt projection would give ChasCroix1 (if Zags win) or Harbaugh’s Khakis (if UNC wins) bonus.

UNC 59-57 5:03 left.  Zags last 9 pts off free throws before jumper at 6:07 first basket in over 8:27 then a three-point banking in.  Zag’s Collins fouls out going for defensive rebound.  133 pt projection SlumDawg would win bonus.

UNC 54-52 7:21 left.  Zags over 7 minutes without a basket (and not doing that well from free throw line).  130 pts would give FV LOCALS bonus.

UNC 52-50 8:02 left.  This tourney will be known for endlessly long delays with refs going to monitors too long.  Ticky tack flagrant 1 against Gonzaga’s Karnowski even though he got fouled.

50-50 9 minutes left.  Most of the last points via free throws thus far.  129 pts give And Mich. Still Sucks bonus.

UNC 47-46 10:50 left.  Boy, lots of missed shots (some badly), turnovers, and fouls (16 this half already).  Gonzaga already in Bonus and UNC in the 1-and-1.  Injured Joel Berry leading UNC. 128 projected pts would give Zippy bonus.

Zags 41-40, 15:53 minutes left.  Interesting seeing the Zags road uniforms for the first time (“ZAGS”).  One of Zags big men Collins picked up 4th foul.  Projection of 137 pts would give Bamag2 Bonus.

UNC 40-35.  8-0 run thanks to a couple Zag turnovers and an airball.  UNC shooting better 3/5 this half.

Halftime:  Gonzaga 35, UNC 32.  UNC offensive rebounding keeping them in since they are shooting 30%.  67 points at half -> 134 at end.  That would give Hendo bonus.  But game is close so mid-major still in it.  Over under is 153.5 points which would put John Galt or 16 Chumps (Zags win)/EEChick1400 (UNC wins) in position for Bonus.

Issue # 13.5.2 “23 Paths to Success” (History of our Pool)

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2017 NCAA Final Four @ PHOENIX, AZ
The Final at University of Phoenix Stadium
#1-West
San Jose, CA		 vs. #1-South
Memphis, TN
Gonzaga University Bulldogs University of North Carolina Tar Heels
Gonzaga University
Bulldogs (37-1) 		 University of North Carolina
Tar Heels (32-7)
West Coast Conference
Spokane, WA
First Final (est. 1958)
def. #16 South Dakota St. 66-46
#8 Northwestern 79-73
#4 West Virginia 61-58
#11 Xavier 83-59
#7E-South Carolina 77-73		 Atlantic Coast Conference
Chapel Hill, NC
11th Final (’46, ’57, ‘ 68, ’77,
’81, ‘82, ’93, ’05, ’09, ’16)
def. #16 Texas So. 103-64
#8 Arkansas 72-65
#4 Butler 92-80
#2 Kentucky 75-73
#3MW-Oregon 77-76

Sunday, April 2, 2017 

CLASSIC BATTLE OF MAJOR VS MID-MAJOR #1’S
11 can finish in top 7 and 65 can win Bonus

EL SEGUNDO, CA (smt)- Gonzaga has only lost one time all year and some blame the weak West Coast Conference but has beaten a Big Ten, a Big East, a Big 12, and an SEC team en route to the finals.  North Carolina is representing the so-called best conference, the mighty ACC, who got 9 teams in but only they survived into the Sweet 16.  While the Bulldogs are making their first-ever finals appearance, the Tar Heels are making their 11th and second straight.  UNC is a slight 1.5 point favorite with an over/under of 153.5 points.

In our 23rd year, there are 11 people still alive (once again, no one has more than one entry in the running) with 8 trying to win money for the first time with the Brian S (Flying Elvi) last winning in ’97, a span of 19 pools (17 years in the pool).  John W (Jbwsaijo) is the only person who is playing for the first time.  Nelson P (Alternative Picks) last played in ’12 being winless in all 10 years but his return will net him at least 6th place.  Andy F (Anges Schweizhoffer) has played 20 years and his only win was a share of 6th place in ’12 ($32.50 which was less than the $40 Bonus!).  Michael G (Spermicidal State) will try to win money in his 10th try.  John W (Jbwsaijo) will try to become the 24th person to win money in the first year of playing (just the 14th since ’99).  65 entries have a chance at the $40 Bonus.  Since final pool placement counts, it means that although 16 entries picked 144 as their total points in final tiebreaker, if the total ends up being 144, Jason R (Buccos 3) will win (finish with 119 pts) if Gonzaga wins or Greg Z (Dboyz17-2) will win if UNC wins (finish with 128 pts) (and would be the first person to get more than one entry in the money in the same year).

If Gonzaga wins… If UNC wins…
Place Amount Entry (Name) (Yrs in Pool-Won) Entry (Name) (Yrs in Pool-Won)
1st $690 Parched Fatness (Mike M) (3) Dboyz17 (Greg Z) (4)
2nd $355 Spermicidal State (Michael G) (10) MarchMindlessness (Eric F) (7-5th ’14)
3rd $240 Dboyz17 (Greg Z) (4) Alternative Picks (Nelson P) (11)
4th $180 GonzagaGirl (Angelina K) (5) Agnes Schweitzhofer (Andy F) (20-6th(Tied) ’12)
5th $130 MarchMindlessness (Eric F) (7-5th ’14) Flying Elvi (Brian S) (21-2nd ’97)
6th $ 85 Alternative Picks (Nelson P) (11) ChasCroix1 (Chuck D) (9)
7th $ 60 Jbwsaijo (John W) (1) The Juggernaut (Alex K) (2)
Bonus $ 40 TBD TBD

A little history of our humble pool…
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Issue # 12.5.1 “#1 vs #1”

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Saturday, April 1, 2017 

SMART FOUL BY ZAGS AND SMART REBOUNDING BY UNC
Dboyz17 takes lead and only Parched Fatness can dethone

SANTA FE SPRINGS, CA (smt)- #1W-Gonzaga had a 14-point second-half lead only to see #7E-South Carolina score 16 straight points in 3 1/2 minutes to lead by 2 with 7:06 left.  The Zags then responded with a 7-0 run of their own in the next 3 1/2 minutes and then held on to a 77-73 win to advance to their first Final.  Up by 3 with 13 seconds left and playing defense, the Zags did what every person always yells at the TV, FOUL to give two free throws instead of allowing a game-tying three.  Gonzaga’s Josh Perkins did thisperfectly leaving just three seconds left (of course, USC helped by taking their time for the shot).  As expected, South Carolina made the first, missed the second but couldn’t get the rebound and the Zags sealed the game with two free throws.

Trying to get the rebound off a missed free throw, however, was no problem for #1S-North Carolina.  The Tar Heels were comfortable with a six-point lead with under a minute left only to see #3MW-Oregon cut it to one.  UNC missed two free throws but they got the offensive rebound so Oregon fouled again.  Incredibly, UNC missed both free throws again, and more incredibly, UNC got the offensive rebound again running out the final four seconds for a 77-76 victory to return to the final for the second consecutive year and 11th overall (5-5).

Dboyz17 was one of 11 to get both teams correct to take a five-point lead with 136 points.  If UNC wins he will be our 21st different champion of our pool.  But if Gonzaga wins, Continue reading »