Issue # 1.0.1 “Purdue Gets a Do-Over”

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UCONN STILL KING, PURDUE & HOUSTON GET #1 SEEDS AGAIN
Our 29th pool will be without UCLA and the last of the Pac 12 as a major conference

SUNNY CHERRY BLOSSOM SEATTLE, WA (smt) – After the top 12 seeds failed to make the Final Four for the first time, let’s hope the seeding this year matters.  Defending champ #1E-UConn was the #1 overall seed with #1W-UNC returning to glory as the last #1 seed.  #1S-Houston and #1MW-Purdue returned as #1 seeds with Purdue getting a chance to wash away last year’s loss to #16 FDU.  When #10aMW-Virginia lost to #16 UMBC in 2018, the next year they got a #1 seed again and won the title (2019).  UConn is the only #1 seed to actually win their conference tournament (Big East).

There is no UCLA or USC but the Pac 12 did manage to get 4 teams in with #10bS-Colorado getting a First Four berth.  Of course, the Pac 12 will just Oregon St and Washington St next year as 10 teams bolted to 3 different major conferences.  All 3 got at least 5 teams in with the Big 12 getting 8, the Big Ten 6, and the ACC 5.  The SEC also got 8 teams with the Mountain West getting a whopping 6. 

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Issue # 3.1.2 “Purdue is Poodoo”

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Friday, March 17, 2023  **HAPPY ST. PATTY’S DAY** 

FDU 2ND 16 SEED TO BEAT 1 SEED; WEST IS CHALK
Samurai Jack
 leads going 27-5 as 16 lose Purdue as champ

HOME, CA (smt) – #16E-Fairleigh Dickinson, who didn’t win the regular season or tournament in the NEC, rode their First Four win momentum to down #1E-Purdue63-58, becoming the second #16 seed to beat a #1 seed.  FDU only made the tournament because NEC champion Merrimack (who beat FDU in final) is still ineligible due to D-II to D-I transition.  And yet, with one three-point dagger to put FDU up by 5 with a minute left, FDU (never better than a 15 seed) now has 3 tournament wins (2 in First Four), which is three more than mid-major Boise St.  Purdue had big droughts losing a 47-41 lead to fall behind 49-47 and then going over 5:40 without scoring as FDU increased their 54-53 lead to 58-53.  Purdue has now lost to a #16, a #15 (St. Peter’s last year in Sweet 16), and a #13 seed (North Texas in 1st Round) the past three years.  In their last 10 tourneys, Purdue has lost to a double-digit seed five times (all as a 5 seed or better).

It’ll be FDU vs FAU as #9E-Florida Atlantic won their 32nd game (same as Houston) getting a generous jump ball (while two #8E-Memphis players tried to call time out) with 5.5 seconds left and converting a lay in to win 66-65.  #14MW-Kennesaw St led 61-48 with 9:56 left but #3MW-Xavier ended the game on a 24-6 run to advance.  #11W-Arizona St hit a tying 3 but #6W-TCU got a lay in with 1.5 seconds left to win 72-70.  #5MW-Miami (Florida) ended their game on a 16-1 run to win by 7 over #12MW-Drake. 

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Issue # 9.4.1 “Buzzer Beater”

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Saturday, March 30, 2019 

MISTAKE COSTS ZAGS; HEAVYWEIGHT FIGHT WON BY VIRGINIA
Carseroni is one of 11 to get both games and jumps to 4 point lead; Just 7 can win pool

Zags' Perkins technical foul

HOME/LABCORP, LOS ALAMITOS, CA (smt)- After falling behind 69-62 with 52 seconds left, #1W-Gonzaga got within two at 71-69 before Josh Perkins made the accidental mistake heard around the world with 11 seconds left when his hand knocked the inbound player’s hand meaning it was a 2-shot technical foul plus #3W-Texas Tech got to keep the ball.  The resulting four free throws gave the Red Riders their first Final Four ever in their 75-69 upset of the Zags.  It was a harsh penalty but it’s there to prevent intentional delay tactics which this wasn’t.  Texas Tech hit their last six free throws and the best defense held off the best offense as the Zags shot just 42.4% and had 16 turnovers.

The second half of the #1S-Virginia-#3S-Purdue game had everything a fan would want with clutch shots, clutch rebounds, a buzzer beater, and a mano y mano matchup between the Cavs’ Kyle Guy and the Boilermakers’ Carsen Edwards. Guy hit 3 threes to start the second half in helping build a 45-37 lead but then Edwards caught fire hitting 6 of 8 three pointers and 24 points in a 32-22 run to put Purdue up by 2 with 1:11 left (Guy had 10 of those 22 points).  But Purdue’s Ryan Cline missed a free throw leaving the game at 70-67 and Purdue smartly fouled before Guy or anyone else could take a three with 5 seconds left.  The second free throw was missed and a long rebound was won by Virginia in the back court and a great pass up to Mamadi Diakite in the arc was put in at the buzzer sending the game into overtime tied at 70.  The overtime was tight as Guy was held to just two late free throws and Edwards had just a jumper (finished with 42 points and 10 threes) and then missed a three with 7 seconds left down 76-75.  The Cavs hit their final four throws to win 80-75.  So surprised that the clutch three specialist from the last game, Ryan Cline, didn’t get a chance to shoot a three late in overtime.  Just six of 58 games have been one possession games (9 if you just include regulation) and 37 of 58 have been double-digit blowouts.  

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Issue # 7.3.1 “Ones and Threes”

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Thursday, March 28, 2019 

ONE VS THREE IN BOTH WEST AND SOUTH
ChuckPersonCellBlock leads by two while 99 entries are still alive

Tennessee last second "foul"

HOME, CA (smt)- #1W-Gonzaga held #4W-Florida St to just two points in the last 4:11 to expand a scant four point lead (60-56) to a 72-58 victory while #1S-Virginia held #12S-Oregon to no field goals in the last 5:43 to turn a 45-42 deficit into a 53-49 win.  The Cavs actually shot worse (35.7%) than the Ducks (37.8%) but pulled out the win after Oregon scored more points in their 23-12 run than in the first half (22).  #3W-Texas Tech held #2W-Michigan to just 16 first-half points en route to Wolverine-record tourney low 44 for the game in their 63-44 victory.  Michigan missed their first 18 three-point attempts (finished 1 of 19) and shot just 32.7% from the field. 

#2S-Tennessee who blew a large lead (25 points) and needed overtime to win in the 2nd round saw their fortunes reverse, as they rallied from a large deficit (18 points) but lost in overtime to #3S-Purdue, 99-94.  Both teams shot as well or better from the field than the free throw line (Purdue 54.0% FG, 48.4% FT; Tennessee 50.0% FG, 50.0% FT) so this game could’ve been won easily by either team if they just hit their free throws (Purdue missed 17 including two front ends of a one-and-one and were at one point 3 of 13; Tennessee missed 12).  Tennessee had an 82-80 lead but with 1.7 seconds left they “fouled” (Purdue player may have kicked out but if you lean into the player, the ref may call it, ticky-tack as it was) on a 3-point attempt and Purdue only made 2 of 3 to send the game to OT.  Tennessee lived too much on the edge blowing a 16-point lead to #15S-Colgate and the aforementioned 25-point lead to #10S-Iowa.  Purdue did have Ryan Cline who not only hit four 3-pointers in the last five and a half minutes, he hit fadeaways and shots the defender knew he was going to take, a la Stephen Curry… but did it with class.  A joy to watch even though I picked Tennessee.

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