HW Basketball Logo  2001 HWCI NCAA Pool Update


Sunday, March 18, 2001                      http://www.HWCI.com/ncaa
Issue # 6.2.2 "Defense, a steal, and a run..."
2001 HWCI NCAA TOURNAMENT POOL ==============================
TOP FOUR SEEDS IN MIDWEST SURVIVE "UPSETTING" TOURNAMENT
Last year's pool champion is one of six entries eliminated

LA MIRADA, CA (smt)- #11S-Temple's stifling matchup zone defense shut down high-scoring #3S-Florida to its lowest scoring game in five years to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. Temple will play #7S-Penn St. who outhustled and outstole (18 to 5) #2S-North Carolina en route to a 82-74 victory. #12S-Gonzaga reached the Sweet Sixteen for the third straight year by closing out #13S-Indiana St. on a 25-8 run after being tied at 60. #1S-Michigan St. remained the region's only top seed after taking care of #9S-Fresno St. The Midwest brackets saw its top four teams (#1MW-Illinois, #2MW-Arizona, #3MW-Ole Miss, #4MW- Kansas) advance with Mississippi's win sealed when #6MW-Notre Dame's game-winning 3-point attempt was blocked.

All four #1 seeds are still alive while only 2 of 4 #2 seeds are in the Sweet Sixteen. Arizona's win gave the Pac-10 four teams in the Sweet Sixteen. With UNC and Florida losing, only Michigan St. remains of last year's Final Four (Wisconsin lost in the 1st Round).

The top three remain the same with KIM, LIL PQ, and NICKNAME all with 80 points. The 80 points is the smallest first-place total after two rounds in HWCI NCAA pool history. KIM, however, has a possible 160 points, and thus, the upper hand. Twenty-six others are within ten points of the lead. Three people picked Penn St. stunning upset (FREE SPLASHER, NICKNAME, DECEMBER) while three others correctly chose Temple (UCLA SUCKS!, CORNDOG, NICKNAME). Despite picking both upsets, NICKNAME went just 5-3. KIM and HE HATE ME TOO (6th-T, 78 pts) both went 12-4 for the second round. CORNDOG (57th, 58) had a 6-10 second round and is one of six entries mathematically eliminated from any money spots. A whopping 56 entries still remain in prize contention with 39 still with an eye for first place. Last year's HWCI NCAA Pool champion, Sam N. (B-S FC), and fourth-place finisher, Craig E., (HWN KINE)) were two of the six eliminated. UNC was picked by two people to win it all and Florida by one- and all three people still have a slight chance to win at least fourth place. DYLAN (53rd-T, 62) has three of his Final Four teams out but still has a small chance to win 1st place while ARMIN TAMZARIAN (22nd-T, 71) has all seven of her Elite 8 teams (and all 4 Final Four teams) alive and can't win higher than 2nd place. That's how wacky the pool has been this year.

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Damn the luck of the Irish...
Scott HW


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