HAIF March Madness!

[RedScare]

HAIF BRACKET CHALLENGE

A&M over LSU * blink*

*blink*

How do you even respond to a pick like that ??

A buddy of mine was laughing that he picked his Tigers over the Ags, so I thought I'd do a reverse.

Don't look now, but my prediction is dead on right now!

[Highway6]

A buddy of mine was laughing that he picked his Tigers over the Ags, so I thought I'd do a reverse.

Don't look now, but my prediction is dead on right now!

If the Ags can pull that off, I wont give a damn about any of my brackets..

We looked great against BYU..

Sportline had some breaking News.. UConn's coach is sick and wont be in today's game... and there's a chance he could miss 2nd round game vs us too.. Ohh Whoop !

PS.. ya sorrta lose the right to brag about your predictions when a) you make 5 predictions and b ) when one of your other predictions is 1 for 3 so far.

[RedScare]

PS.. ya sorrta lose the right to brag about your predictions when a) you make 5 predictions and b ) when one of your other predictions is 1 for 3 so far.

Some of the brackets are joke brackets. Interestingly, Bracket #5, the one that is 1 for 3, was created by always picking the highest RPI to win. I always wanted to see how that worked out, since RPI is key to making it to the Dance. So far, it's a dud.

[RedScare]

DAMN YOU, CLEMSON!

[aggie92]

Missed guessing the correct #12 vs #5 upset with W. Kentucky winning over Illinois. Couple of you guys picked it though.

[20thStDad]

I have one money bracket this year, exactly the same picks as my HAIF bracket. That sucker has 12 of 16 so far, and of course three of my other mess-around brackets have 15 and 14 right. Whatever. Money is made in the late rounds...one year i was only 7 for 16 in round 2, but most importantly those 7 ended up being 7 of 8, then 3 of 4, 2 of 2 and the champion, and I won the pot. Forget first round games, as long as my late round teams don't lose, it's just for fun.

[Pumapayam]

I have one money bracket this year, exactly the same picks as my HAIF bracket. That sucker has 12 of 16 so far, and of course three of my other mess-around brackets have 15 and 14 right. Whatever. Money is made in the late rounds...one year i was only 7 for 16 in round 2, but most importantly those 7 ended up being 7 of 8, then 3 of 4, 2 of 2 and the champion, and I won the pot. Forget first round games, as long as my late round teams don't lose, it's just for fun.

I wish i paid attention to this thread earlier. I am using the Yahoo! Fantasy Sport bracket online tournament with my co-workers. It is a very slick interface. I am doing well, 12 of the 16 correct so far.

Not sure how the ESPN site compares the the Yahoo! Sports one, but wow, it makes tracking the NCAA finals that much more fun.

[cnote]

I have one money bracket this year, exactly the same picks as my HAIF bracket. That sucker has 12 of 16 so far, and of course three of my other mess-around brackets have 15 and 14 right. Whatever. Money is made in the late rounds...one year i was only 7 for 16 in round 2, but most importantly those 7 ended up being 7 of 8, then 3 of 4, 2 of 2 and the champion, and I won the pot. Forget first round games, as long as my late round teams don't lose, it's just for fun.

Miss St. and Clemson really burned me yesterday, as I had them each winning two games...Lots of BBall left though, it is a marathon, not a sprint. The first two rounds usually don't bother me too much, except that the last few years my wife has picked brackets (she knows nothing about BBall) and kicks my ass. Last year she nailed the championship game and would have won it all if Collins didn't hit the three for KU, she even predicted the final score if that three doesn't drop...Now all I hear about is how much better she is a Bracketology than I am...and it's kinda true.

[KinkaidAlum]

I still don't see how the NCAA allowed Villanova to play in Philly. They usually use that NBA arena for 10 games a year. That is a HUGE advantage (home crowd and familiarity).

[Highway6]

Couple of great games just finished... MArquette came back against Utah St and OSU sqeaked by Tenn in a close one.

I lost my major first round upset with Kansas beating the Bison.. but kudos to them for making it a relatively close game.

[RedScare]

My ACC bias cost me dearly last night, with my old hometown Demon Deacons costing me the most. However, my Big 12 homerism paid off handsomely, with all 6 teams advancing. In fact, if you include the NIT entrants, 8 of 9 Big 12 teams won, compared to only 7 of 10 Big East teams. Not to mention that, since most of the Big East teams were seeded higher, they had an easier round than many Big 12 teams. Not a bad showing for a "down" Big 12.

[Deut28Thirteen]

Anybody think Big12 will be 12-0 on Monday? If UT and A&M upset Duke and UCONN I think it will happen. I fill out my bracket every year and each time UT wins it, but If they keep playing that inside-outside game they might.

[RedScare]

I think that Texas probably has the toughest route to the Final Four. They have to beat #2 Duke, probably #3 Villanova, and then likely #1 Pittsburgh. A&M has perhaps the easiest route, as UConn has not been a great tourney team the last few years, and Memphis feasted on lesser teams, so their strength is suspect.

To answer the original question, I think it is highly unlikely for ANY conference to get 6 teams into the Sweet 16.

[20thStDad]

And just like that, the first 2 rounds are in the books. Tough 1st rnd for me, missed 11, but like I said before it's the later rounds that count. 15 of 16 in round 2 and I'm sitting at the top. Not feeling great about my pick for champion...

I think Memphis-Uconn might be the best game of the tournament, assuming it happens. Those 2 teams are ON.

[cnote]

And just like that, the first 2 rounds are in the books. Tough 1st rnd for me, missed 11, but like I said before it's the later rounds that count. 15 of 16 in round 2 and I'm sitting at the top. Not feeling great about my pick for champion...

I think Memphis-Uconn might be the best game of the tournament, assuming it happens. Those 2 teams are ON.

Memphis-Mizzou might be a great warm up too...

Oh, and I will add the obligatory "Texas got robbed"

And before anyone says anything I know we had too many turnovers and missed too many free-throws (we have no one to blame but ourselves), but those calls at the end of the game (especially the foul under the basket on Damian James called by the BACK JUDGE were bull....to put it mildly.

[Deut28Thirteen]

Memphis-Mizzou might be a great warm up too...

Oh, and I will add the obligatory "Texas got robbed"

And before anyone says anything I know we had too many turnovers and missed too many free-throws (we have no one to blame but ourselves), but those calls at the end of the game (especially the foul under the basket on Damian James called by the BACK JUDGE were bull....to put it mildly.

I know right I think Texas should have won. They had a chance but I could not believe some of those calls either. They missed some at the line some layups and you have to be on it when play a school like Duke because they are going to get the close calls(and just bad ones too) as we saw in the game.

[cnote]

Well, it looks like I have locked up last place...oh well, tough year for my bracket but it was fun while it lasted.

I think I will be pulling for Villanova to win it all from here on out, I like the way Reynolds plays. I also like Izzo and Michigan State, so here's to a good FF and can't wait to see the regional back in H-town in 2010.

[20thStDad]

What? I'm not a guarantee for last? After getting 15 of 16 and then 6 of 8, I managed to go 0 for the final 4, so I'm done. Now I probably won't watch since I don't give a crap about the teams left. I will pull for Villanova because no one picked them.

[KinkaidAlum]

I was less excited by this Tourney than in years past because of the lack of "little guy" bids. For me, a fan of the underdog, this Final Four leaves little to be excited about.

North Carolina- You only like the Heels if you went there or are the ULTIMATE Air Jordan frontrunner type. Your other favorite teams might include the New York Yankees, New England Patriots, Los Angeles Lakers, USC Trojans and LSU for college baseball.

Michigan State- It seems like this team has made it to at least the Elite Eight since 1978. Big Ten teams bore me and I still think the entire league is overrated. They'll have the homefield advantage in Detroit too which makes it hard to root for them if you weren't born in Sparta.

UConn- Is there a dirtier program in college basketball right now? The only thing interesting about this team is if they will manage to escape the Final Four before their probation hits and they are stripped of their tourney appearance. They've been dominating and producing lots of BORING games.

Villanova- The most "underdog"-like team of the group until you take a closer look. They've won a title and they roll around in Big East money like a pig in %. They also have the advantage of not having to spend money on a big time football program. I also don't like the Cats since they somehow got to play the first/second round games on a court that is partially their home court. In the past 3 seasons, they've played in the Wachovia Center 16 times. Yet, somehow, the Big East loving NCAA ruled it wasn't their homecourt!

[cnote]

I was less excited by this Tourney than in years past because of the lack of "little guy" bids. For me, a fan of the underdog, this Final Four leaves little to be excited about.

North Carolina- You only like the Heels if you went there or are the ULTIMATE Air Jordan frontrunner type. Your other favorite teams might include the New York Yankees, New England Patriots, Los Angeles Lakers, USC Trojans and LSU for college baseball.

Villanova- The most "underdog"-like team of the group until you take a closer look. They've won a title and they roll around in Big East money like a pig in %. They also have the advantage of not having to spend money on a big time football program. I also don't like the Cats since they somehow got to play the first/second round games on a court that is partially their home court. In the past 3 seasons, they've played in the Wachovia Center 16 times. Yet, somehow, the Big East loving NCAA ruled it wasn't their homecourt!

Nova got away with it because they only played three games there this year. I have heard the magic number of games is like ten, but not sure. Of course they knew it was a tournament host this year and that is why they only played three.

And a little off topic, but is LSU really a dominant college baseball program? I mean maybe 10-20 years ago when they won all the 5 in their history...I would say USC has it for baseball as well with Texas a fairly distant second, though we have had more recent success.

[20thStDad]

Nova got away with it because they only played three games there this year. I have heard the magic number of games is like ten, but not sure. Of course they knew it was a tournament host this year and that is why they only played three.

And a little off topic, but is LSU really a dominant college baseball program? I mean maybe 10-20 years ago when they won all the 5 in their history...I would say USC has it for baseball as well with Texas a fairly distant second, though we have had more recent success.

LSU had 5 national championships in baseball from 1991-2001, and has made the CWS about half the time since then. I'd say that's pretty dominant, though not as much of late. Before 1991 we weren't much beyond a team that made the CWS now and again, so the long history isn't there, just a 20 year history. College baseball is a strange animal with so many of the best players going straight from high school to minor leagues. Your entire season can hinge on having 1 good pitcher, it's hard to make a dynasty when it's that fragile.

[Highway6]

It's down to 3 possible winners for the HAIF Tourney....

RedScare - ProHouston - Infinite_Jim

Where we stand:

Redscare has 890 and can gain an additional 160

ProHouston has 830 but can gain an additional 480

Infinite_Jim is in 2nd to last place with 690 but can gain an additional 480.

Scenarios:

Mich St vs Villanova - RedScare wins despite the outcome

Mich St vs UNC - becomes RedScare vs ProHouston

Uconn vs Villanova - Infinite_Jim wins despite the outcome

Uconn vs UNC - becomes Infinite_Jim vs ProHouston

The Mich St vs Uconn game is first on Saturday.... RedScare vs Infinite_Jim for either the overall victory or the right to compete against ProHouston on Monday.... So in the interest of keeping the drama alive... I certainly hope Scottie Reynolds breaks his leg and Villanova gets squished like a grape.

And yes.. Cnote has locked up last place.

[RedScare]

Oh, good. Now, I can actually root for teams I like, instead of rooting for my bracket.

[ProHouston]

It's down to 3 possible winners for the HAIF Tourney....

RedScare - ProHouston - Infinite_Jim

Where we stand:

Redscare has 890 and can gain an additional 160

ProHouston has 830 but can gain an additional 480

Infinite_Jim is in 2nd to last place with 690 but can gain an additional 480.

Scenarios:

Mich St vs Villanova - RedScare wins despite the outcome

Mich St vs UNC - becomes RedScare vs ProHouston

Uconn vs Villanova - Infinite_Jim wins despite the outcome

Uconn vs UNC - becomes Infinite_Jim vs ProHouston

The Mich St vs Uconn game is first on Saturday.... RedScare vs Infinite_Jim for either the overall victory or the right to compete against ProHouston on Monday.... So in the interest of keeping the drama alive... I certainly hope Scottie Reynolds breaks his leg and Villanova gets squished like a grape.

And yes.. Cnote has locked up last place.

Thanks for the analysis. Now I just hope I get to root for UNC on Monday, I'll be in Manhattan and hope to watch at ESPNZone in Times Square

[cnote]

LSU had 5 national championships in baseball from 1991-2001, and has made the CWS about half the time since then. I'd say that's pretty dominant, though not as much of late. Before 1991 we weren't much beyond a team that made the CWS now and again, so the long history isn't there, just a 20 year history. College baseball is a strange animal with so many of the best players going straight from high school to minor leagues. Your entire season can hinge on having 1 good pitcher, it's hard to make a dynasty when it's that fragile.

I would say dominating for a ten year period ten years ago pales in comparison to what USC has done, but that is a conversation for another thread...though a college baseball thread would get even less interest than this one...

[ProHouston]

I would say dominating for a ten year period ten years ago pales in comparison to what USC has done, but that is a conversation for another thread...though a college baseball thread would get even less interest than this one...

How do you feel about losing to 4 Aggies

[cnote]

How do you feel about losing to 4 Aggies

In a 10 person bracket pool with no money on the line on an anonymous internet forum? I think I will manage to sleep tonight...

In my other pool I got beat by a guy who is a t-shirt Duke and OU fan, now that one stings a little...

[KinkaidAlum]

I chose LSU for the baseball dynasty because they are the program that put NCAA baseball on the map. LSU's timing of success coincided with ESPN's growth. I truly believe it was LSU and the thousands of Tiger Nation fans that traveled to Omaha that made other programs realize that there is money to be made in college baseball.

Oh, and by the way, look who is back. LSU is #2 in the nation right now although they did lose to Tulane tonight. ROLL WAVE ROLL.

[KinkaidAlum]

Was I the only one bored by this tournament?

Despite the fact that the vast majority of at-large berths went to teams from the 6 power conferences, there were BLOWOUTS all the way until the final game. YAWN. I don't think I've ever turned off a final game before and I stopped watching at the half. Apparently, I missed nothing in the 2nd half.

[RedScare]

*YAWN*

Congrats to the Heels. They were so good, they made the tourney boring. I haven't seen boredom like that since I used to hate on UCLA every March in the 70s.