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ZLATANLAND IN CARSON, CA (smt)- #3W-Michigan was behind by 10 with 14 minutes left but went on a 30-10 run aided by four 3-pointers (#11S-Loyola-Chicago only hit one the whole game) ending the Ramblers’ run, 69-57 in the first semifinal.  The Big Ten champs have not lost since Feb 6th (14 straight wins).  In the second semifinal, #1E-Villanova led 6-4 before… oh wait, they had 6 three-pointers to #1MW-Kansas’ four total points, building a 22-4 lead in out-gunning the Jayhawks, 95-79.  The Wildcats tied a Final Four record with 13 three-pointers made after just 17 minutes en route to shattering the record with 18.

For the first time since 2013 and just fourth time ever, we have our pool champion before the final.  Philly Eagles Again (125 pts) is ahead just enough to blunt a Michigan title challenge by STORMY Fever-Catch It (5th, 111).  Slamjam51-3 (2nd, 121) will get 2nd or 3rd, and SacKings4Ever (3rd-Tied, 115) will get either 3rd, 5th, or 6th.  We Fam! (12th, 105) and Larzby (3rd-T) need a Wolverine win and Billiam (6th-T, 110), ChasCroix-1 (8th-T, 107), and BamaG 2 (8th-T) need a Wildcat win.  While Bob G will win the pool he did lose a chance to become the first person to place two entries in the prize money (Bob’s Best Bets (35th-T, 98) missing out thanks to Kansas’s loss).  iWillLose (152nd, 62) got Villanova right and finally left last place, leaving Balls Dropped! and Paint Crew there instead (60).

Here are the final two scenarios:

If MICHIGAN beats VILLANOVA in the final, then the possible winners are...
             Philly Eagles Again Score:125 (place 1 winner)
           STORMY Fever-Catch It Score:123 (place 2 winner)
                     Slamjam51-3 Score:121 (place 3 winner)
                         We Fam! Score:117 (place 4 winner)
                   SacKings4Ever Score:115 (tiebreak=101 | 5th if <=122 | 6th if >=123)
                          Larzby Score:115 (tiebreak=144 | 6th if <=122 | 5th if >=123)
If VILLANOVA beats MICHIGAN in the final, then the possible winners are...
             Philly Eagles Again Score:137 (place 1 winner)
                     Slamjam51-3 Score:133 (place 2 winner)
                   SacKings4Ever Score:127 (place 3 winner)
                         Billiam Score:122 (place 4 winner)
                     ChasCroix-1 Score:119 (tiebreak=128 | 5th if <=135 | 6th if >=136)
                         BamaG 2 Score:119 (tiebreak=143 | 6th if <=135 | 5th if >=136)

For the $40 Bonus, Kansas’s loss means the Big 12 will be the Winningest Conference with 12 wins.  There are just two who picked this:

Since Philly Eagles Again will win 1st, that means SamerTime wins the Bonus!  Congrats Sam S!

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 Groupor post comments on our blog.  Here you can join the group and meet your competitors, make new friends, set up NCAA watching gatherings, and post stuff to the wall (pictures, witty comments, etc.). 

   Tids & Bits – In the proper 64, the SEC finished 8-8, the Big East is 8-5, the Big 12 finished 12-7 , the ACC finished 11-9, the Big Ten is 9-3, the Missouri Valley finished 4-1, and the Mountain West and WCC each finished 2-1 and 2-2, respectively… Villanova led 47-32 prompting radio analysts to declare the game over on Westwood One… Kansas trailed by 22 before ending the match losing by 16, avoiding their worst tournament loss ever (18)… Villanova sixth 3 gave them 442, the most ever in NCAA history (they are now at 454)… #11 seeds are now 0-4 in the Final Four… Villanova opened up as a 6.5 point favorite over Michigan, the largest since Duke were 7-point favs over Butler… Villanova has won all 5 games by double-digits (17.6 average)… Five went 2-0 while 79 went 0-2… 71 picked Villanova and 11 picked Michigan… in the Final, 42 picked Villanova and 2 picked Michigan… the 0.53 wins for the Final Four was the highest since ’12 (0.84) and above the average of 0.4… for the 20th straight season, someone will have picked the correct champion (only misses were ’97 Arizona (#4SE) and ’98 Kentucky (#2S))…

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The following takes place between 9 am Saturday and 9 am Sunday.  Events occur in real time.

Zltatan Ibrahimovic speaks with superlatives, but he backs it up on the field, in spectacular fashion… 
Scott