1995. Before Javascript which helped run the online web entry from 1999-2013. Before finalfour.net debuted in 1996. Before DVDs. Before the Spice Girls. Before the Star Wars Special Editions. Our first pool was run by telephone by the HW-UCLA folks (including co-admin David (The Mighty Mobelfakta) and coercing unsuspecting victims like myself (Silver Fabone) to pony up $10 for a sport I didn’t watch. We got 12 entries that first year. And they assigned nicknames which was sometimes unflattering :-).
2019 NCAA FINAL FOUR @ Minneapolis, MN 4th Final Four (’51 (Williams Arena), ’92 & ’01 (Metrodome)) Hosted by U. of Minnesota (Big Ten)U.S. Bank Stadium
Second Semifinal
First Semifinal
#2-East Washington, DC Hosted by Georgetown U. (Big East) Capital One Arena
#3-West Anaheim, CA Hosted by Big West Conference Honda Center
#1-South Louisville, KY Hosted by U. of Louisville (ACC) KFC Yum! Center
#5-Midwest Kansas City, MO Hosted by Missouri Valley Conference Sprint Center
Michigan State University Spartans (32-6)
Texas Tech University Red Raiders (30-6)
University of Virginia Cavaliers (33-3)
Auburn University Tigers (30-9)
Big Ten Conference – Reg. Season Co-Champs & Tourney Champs East Lansing, Michigan 10th Final Four (’57, ’79, ’99, ’00, ’01, ’05, ’09, ’10, ’15) 2-time champions def #15 Bradford 76-65 #10 Minnesota 70-50 #3 LSU 80-63 #1 Duke 68-67
Big 12 Conference – Regular Season Co-Champs Lubbock, Texas 1st Final Four def #14 Northern Kentucky 72-57 #6 Buffalo 78-58 #2 Michigan 63-44 #1 Gonzaga 75-69
Atlantic Coast Conference – Regular Season Co-Champs Charlottesville, Virginia 3rd Final Four (’81, ’84) def #16 Gardiner-Webb 71-56 #9 Oklahoma 63-51 #12 Oregon 53-49 #3 Purdue 80-75 (OT)
Southeastern Conference – Tournament Champs Auburn, Alabama 1st Final Four def #12 New Mexico St 78-77 #4 Kansas 89-75 #1 North Carolina 97-80 #2 Kentucky 77-71 (OT)
Thursday, April 4, 2019
TWO NEWBIES AND VIRGINIA JOIN MICHIGAN ST IN FINAL FOUR At least $85 will be donated to Boys & Girls Clubs of America; over $783 donated in 9 years
SANTA BARBARA, CA (smt)- It is so nice that if you don’t like how something is being viewed, you canjust force a company like Rotten Tomatoes to change their scoring methods or delete a bunch of data until it comes out positive. Luckily, the HWCI NCAA Pool will not bow to trolls and will continue to press on, year after year, this being our 25th silver anniversary. Considering we have had at least 125 entries the past 9 years with 89.5% of the entries returning players this year, I say we are Certified Fresh!
