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NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES)
Posted By: J Geoff
NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 03/04/06 07:13 PM
Men's Tournament Challenge http://games.espn.go.com/tcmen/frontpage Women's Tournament Challenge http://games.espn.go.com/tcwomen/frontpage Group: Gangster BB
Passw: Corleone
"Predict the winner of each matchup in this year's tournament and you could win the cash prizes!"
You can create up to 5 brackets, but only one counts for BB entry for each game -- please mark your BB entries with an asterisk (*) or numeral one (1)
Locktime: Morning of 3/16 for Men's, 3/18 for Women's
Posted By: plawrence
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 03/06/06 01:59 PM
I'm in.
Where are your other four entries, JG? Hiding from us?
Posted By: MaryCas
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 03/11/06 01:12 AM
My alma mater is going to the big dance - IONA!....and my daughter's alma mater could win it all - 'NOVA...hey almost the same letters. I'll be in.
Posted By: Don Sicilia
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 03/13/06 02:43 PM
In.
Posted By: J Geoff
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 03/13/06 07:34 PM
I've added the link for the Women's Challenge in the initial post...
Posted By: The Iceman
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 03/14/06 09:03 AM
I've just joined both games. I created 5 games for each, but the one I want counted for the BB one is marked.
Posted By: raggingbull2003
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 03/15/06 02:18 PM
Im callin it right here right now... UAlbany upsets UConn in the first round.
Just kidding
Posted By: YoTonyB
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 03/15/06 04:47 PM
We're in!
"yotonyb1" is the entry that counts.
tony b.
Posted By: plawrence
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 03/16/06 09:17 AM
For the sake of simplicity in figuring out and posting the daily scores and mathematically possible outcomes every day as the tourney progessess, it would be appreciated if everyone removed their four entries that don't count from the group.
This can be done by clicking on "Group Info" on our home page (the one that lists all the entries), and the then "Leave Your Group".
You can use the little drop-down box in the left-hand corner of the page to remove the entries that you want to.
When you sign back in, you will see that your entries still exist (so you can still win a prize), but they are no longer members of the Gangster BB group.
Thank you.
Posted By: raggingbull2003
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 03/16/06 07:54 PM
Wis-Milwaukee over Oklahoma
Posted By: plawrence
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 03/17/06 08:26 AM
First Half of First RoundJB 140 (Jimmy Buffer)
TB 130 (YoTonyB)
RB 130 (raggingBull2003)
IM 120 (The Ice Man)
PL 120 (plawrence)
DB 110 (Don Sicilia)
JG 110 (JGeoff)
JL 110 (Just Lou)
TL 100 (Tony Love)
PG 100 (Partagas)
MC 100 (MaryCas)
Posted By: J Geoff
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 03/17/06 08:41 AM
It's just bad LUCK that I'm not winning, of course...
:p
Posted By: plawrence
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 03/17/06 09:52 AM
Actually, I consider this game to have a significant skill factor.
Since there are no point spreads involved, the winner is usually the person who can correctly pick the greatest number of upsets, which generally involves a knowledge of the game as opposed to simply luck.
Posted By: YoTonyB
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 03/17/06 01:45 PM
Tony's two axioms of the NCAA Tunamint...
1) The cream always rises to the top.
2) It's Midnight for Cinderella by the second weekend.
16's are winless.
15's are 4-80 in the first round and 0-4 in the second round since 1985.
14's are 14-70 in the first round, 2-12 in the second round and 0-2 in the third round.
13's are 17-67 in the first round, 3-14 in the second round and 0-3 in the third round.
12's are 27-57 in the first round, 14-13 in the second round, 1-13 in the third round and 0-1 in the Regional Finals.
11's are 25-59 in the first round, 10-15 in the second round, 3-7 in the third round and 1-2 in the Regional Finals. Only LSU's 1985 team reached the Final Four as an 11th seed having beaten the #3, #2 AND #1 seeds IN ORDER in the tunamint that year.
10's are 33-51 in the first round, 17-16 in the second round, 6-11 in the third round and 0-6 in the Regional Finals.
Only 11 teams lower than a 4th seed have reached the Final Four since the inception of the 64-team format in 1985.
Kansas as the sixth seed in 1988 and Villanova as the eighth seed in 1985...and I'll stop right there...
It would be nice to be rewarded a little better for correctly picking the early round upsets. But statistically, the top axiom prevails -- The cream always rises to the top.
tony b.
Posted By: plawrence
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 03/17/06 01:55 PM
I've seen some of these bracket games that give you extra points for successfully predicting a first round upset, like 10 extra if you pick a 16 over a 1, 9 extra for picking a 15 or a 2, etc.
But not this game.
Posted By: plawrence
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 03/17/06 02:48 PM
First Half of First RoundJB 140 (Jimmy Buffer)
TB 130 (YoTonyB)
RB 130 (raggingBull2003)
IM 120 (The Ice Man)
PL 120 (plawrence)
DB 110 (Don Sicilia)
JG 110 (JGeoff)
JL 110 (Just Lou)
TL 100 (Tony Love)
PG 100 (Partagas)
MC 100 (MaryCas)
Hurt the most yesterday were MC and (Syracuse & Marquette) and PG (Syracuse & Oklahoma), who lost two teams that they had winning their next round games, and JB, JG, JL, and TL who all lost one (Syracuse).
Posted By: YoTonyB
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 03/17/06 03:09 PM
It's the most wonderful time of the year...and I feel like telling a story...
I'll be parked in front of a television or two starting around noon and won't move except for meals and bathroom breaks until Sunday evening.
In addition to the NCAA tourney, Illinois' Class AA (larger enrollments) high school basketball tournament concludes this weekend in Peoria. Brackets were changed this year and two Chicago Public League schools (Simeon and Marshall) are among the elite eight with all games televised. The marquee match-up tonight has Duke recruit Jon Scheyer from Glenbrook North facing Simeon's junior tandem of Derrick Rose and Tim Flowers. Marshall has a kid named Patrick Beverley that's had an exceptional senior season.
Simeon has a been a power over the past 20 years with it's most noted alum being former Illinois and NBA star Nick Anderson. Anderson wasn't even it's best player. Simeon was also the high school of Ben Wilson, one of the country's top players going into the 1984-85 season, his senior year. He never played a game that season. He was shot and killed the week before Thanksgiving.
He wore #25.
Illinois had a virtual pipeline to Simeon from the mid-'80's through today. For the longest time, all the Simeon players at Illinois starting with Nick Anderson wore #25 in memory of Ben Wilson. Deon Thomas, Bryant Notree, Kevin Turner, and currently Calvin Brock are #25 on the roster. I saw Wilson play his sophomore and junior years and got a closer look during the state tournament while I was living Downstate. Nobody knows for certain where Wison would have played college ball, but every year around this time, particularly when I see Simeon making another run at a state title, I'm sorry that Wilson never got a chance to play college ball, or, more importantly, never got a chance to simply live the rest of his life however he wanted.
Wilson was with his girlfriend when he was shot. She was pregnant...with his child. His name is Brandon Wilson and he played a little college ball at Maryland-Eastern Shore.
He wore #25.
tony b.
Posted By: plawrence
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 03/17/06 05:14 PM
A sad story.
Was it a random shooting or was there a motive or what?
Was the killer ever found?
Posted By: plawrence
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 03/17/06 05:47 PM
Fixed
Seton Hall is my "home team", as they play most of their games in the Meadowlands Being from NY/NJ, so I naturally follow the Big East pretty closely.
I figured after four games in four days and the emotional letdown that had to follow, not to mention a road trip, there was no way 'Cuse was gonna get another win.
Posted By: YoTonyB
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 03/17/06 06:25 PM
Seton Hall...coaches with beards aren't a good bet to make it to the Final Four. Only one has done it since 1985.
Plaw...Ben Wilson was shot just a block or two from the high school when two kids (ages 15 and 16) tried to rob him on the street. They were caught, tried as adults, and received sentences on the order of 40 years. I believe they are both still attending one of our fine "charm schools" in Illinois. One shot hit Wilson in the leg severing the femoral artery. He bled profusely and had virtually no chance for survival from that particular wound.
tony b.
Posted By: plawrence
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 03/17/06 06:34 PM
Originally posted by YoTonyB:
Seton Hall...coaches with beards aren't a good bet to make it to the Final Four. Only one has done it since 1985.
PJ Carlesimo had a beard
[img]
http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:yZ...o0906_69392.jpg[/img]
But current coach Louis Orr doesn't
[img]
http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:0P...oto/a_orr_i.jpg[/img]
Posted By: YoTonyB
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 03/17/06 09:10 PM
P.J. was the guy! I can't think of any other head coach that reached the Final Four with a beard since 1985, can you?
Louis Orr -- thumbs up or thumbs down? I think it was either Seth Davis or Grant Wahl on si.com that had a very favorable column on-line about Orr and his efforts at Seton Hall.
tony b.
Posted By: plawrence
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 03/18/06 12:02 PM
End Of First RoundPTS -- Your score now
PPR -- Possible points remaining
HTPS -- Highest total possible score
Why -- What happened to you
PTS PPR HTPS WHY
-
RB 260 1360 1620 Lost no teams of significance
JB 240 1140 1380 Lost Iowa and Kansas
DB 230 1340 1570 Lost no teams of significance
PL 230 1300 1530 Lost Iowa
JL 220 1300 1520 Lost Iowa
TB 220 1260 1480 Lost Kansas and Michigan State
IM 220 1200 1420 Lost Iowa and Kansas
MC 210 1260 1470 Lost Iowa and Marquette
TL 210 840 1050 Lost Syracuse, Iowa, Kansas, and Oklahoma
JG 190 1300 1490 Lost Syracuse and Southern Illinois
PG 190 1240 1430 Lost Syracuse, South Ill, Kansas, and Oklahoma
Posted By: plawrence
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 03/19/06 12:58 PM
Halfway Through Second Round PTS PPR HTPS Who he Has In The Finals
-
RB 380 1200 1580 UConn over Duke
DB 380 1180 1560 UConn over Duke
TL 350 700 1050 Iowa (eliminated) over Ohio State
TB 340 1060 1400 Duke over Ohio State
IM 340 1040 1380 UConn over Duke
JB 340 1000 1340 UConn over Duke
PL 330 1020 1350 Memphis over Villanova
JL 320 1160 1480 UConn over Duke
JG 310 1160 1470 Duke over Florida
MC 290 1140 1430 Duke over UConn
PG 270 1120 1390 Duke over UConn
I didn't do the math here or work out any of the certainly thousands of different scenarios, so I'm just guessing here.
But I'm gonna say that....
If UConn beats Duke in the finals, the only two who can beat RB are DB, and maybe JL, depending on how other games turn out.
Anyone else who doesn't have UConn over Duke in the finals and nails all of the Final Four teams and gets the results right will proabaly win the whole thing, with the exception of MC and PG, who, if Duke beats UConn in the finals, will probably have their result determined by what happens in the other games.
Posted By: The Iceman
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 03/20/06 01:31 AM
Man in the contest I'm in at work I took a major, major hit I had North Carolina winning it all, & of course as we all know they got upset.
So I must say I'm doing better in this contest than I thought.
Posted By: YoTonyB
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 03/20/06 06:58 AM
Brutal weekend for my brackets...but it was a GREAT weekend of college basketball in general. Plus we had Class AA state high school finals this weekend as well with an overtime win on a last second shot for state champ Simeon High School from the Chicago Public League.
And, sad to say, former DePaul coach Ray Meyer passed away. He coached his teams to two Final Fours including the one that might have been the best ever in 1979.
tony b.
Posted By: plawrence
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 03/20/06 06:13 PM
Second Round Complete
PTS PPR HTPS Who he Has In The Finals
-
RB 480 1000 1480 UConn over Duke
DB 470 1000 1470 UConn over Duke
TL 430 360 790 Iowa (out) over Ohio State (out)
IM 420 880 1300 UConn over Duke
JB 420 720 1140 UConn over Duke
TB 420 720 1140 Duke over Ohio State (out)
PL 410 800 1210 Memphis over Villanova
JL 400 960 1360 UConn over Duke
JG 390 920 1310 Duke over Florida
MC 390 840 1230 Duke over UConn
PG 350 840 1190 Duke over UConnI still didn't do the math here or work out any of the certainly thousands of different scenarios, so I'm just guessing here.
But I'm still gonna say that....
If UConn beats Duke in the finals, the only one who can beat RB is DB, depending on how other games turn out.
I doubt if anyone else who has UConn over Duke has enough different picks to make up the points that they're already behind.
Anyone else who doesn't have UConn over Duke in the finals and nails all of the Final Four teams and gets the results right will probably win the whole thing, with the exception of MC and PG, who, if Duke beats UConn in the finals, will probably have their result determined by what happens in the other games.
Posted By: Don Sicilia
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 03/20/06 08:41 PM
Originally posted by YoTonyB:
Brutal weekend for my brackets...but it was a GREAT weekend of college basketball in general. Plus we had Class AA state high school finals this weekend as well with an overtime win on a last second shot for state champ Simeon High School from the Chicago Public League.
YTB, do you know how Schaumburg (my former alma mater) finished? For some reason, after I graduated, Schaumburg became a basketball powerhouse. That's their second trip downstate since 2001. In 2001, they beat Eddy Curry (former Bull and now a NY Knick) and his team to win the championship.
Posted By: YoTonyB
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 03/21/06 06:47 AM
Schaumburg lost to Thornwood 40-35 in the quarterfinals on Friday afternoon. I know that Schaumburg had a couple of the Pancratz boys go through the program these last few years. Their dad, Andy Pancratz, was a starter at DePaul in the 1970's and he was a pretty good ballplayer.
tony b.
Posted By: plawrence
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 03/24/06 03:38 AM
Duke is out
....that's a biggie.
Posted By: J Geoff
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 03/24/06 07:00 AM
Originally posted by plawrence:
Duke is out ....that's a biggie. Slight understatement.
Posted By: YoTonyB
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 03/24/06 07:25 AM
And UCLA came back from nine down with an 11-0 run to close the game and win by two over 'zaga! Wow!
Sentimental favorite Bradley lost to Memphis.
tony b.
Posted By: MaryCas
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 03/25/06 02:55 AM
OMG, Villanova just squeaked one out, despite their lousy shooting. Serendipity baby! Rollie is in the house.
Posted By: plawrence
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 03/25/06 10:00 AM
We're Down To The Elite Eight Poss
PTS PPR Score
-
RB 680 440 1120
DB * 630 440 1070
IM * 580 360 940
TB * 580 160 740
JL 560 520 1080
JG * 550 200 750
TL * 550 160 710
JB * 540 360 900
PL 490 560 1050
MC * 470 280 750
PG * 470 200 670
-
* Mathematically eliminatedI think that if Florida beats Villanova, RB wins no matter what else happens
But.....
If Villanova beats Florida and Memphis beats UCLA, JL would win regardless of what RB does.
For PL to win, Memphis and Villanova would have to both make it to the finals; it wouldn't matter who won the title game.
I'm not 100% sure about these, and there may be other scenarios to consider as well, but there are still too many possible combinations to work them all out.
Posted By: plawrence
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 03/26/06 10:12 PM
WOW This year's tournament has had more unbelievably exciting finishes to games than any I can remember.
OK....I'm pretty sure here now:
JL is out of it.
If Villanova beats Florida
and George Mason, PL wins.
That's all that matters.
Regardless of anything else that may happen, if Villanova does not beat Florida and George Mason, RB wins.
Posted By: raggingbull2003
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 03/27/06 01:35 AM
So I win it?
Posted By: plawrence
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 03/27/06 02:00 AM
I believe so, yes
Posted By: plawrence
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 03/27/06 12:59 PM
Congrats RB.
Heading into the Final Four, it's all over but the race for second place.
JG can pick up another 120 points if Florida beats George Mason, which would push him past TB and DB.
Poss
PTS PPR Score
-
RB 760 0 760
DB 710 0 710
TB 660 0 660
JG 630 120 750
IM 580 0 580
JL 560 0 560
TL 550 0 550
JB 540 0 540
PL 490 0 490
MC 470 0 470
PG 470 0 470I think it's fair to say that we all did pretty miserably.
760 is a very low score to win one these things with - altho I imagine that with no #1 seed in the Final Four and a #11 making it, that's gonna pretty much be the case in everyone's pool all over the world - and out of the eleven of us, we have three people (RB, DB, and JG) with only one team (Florida) in the Final Four, with no one giving Florida a chance to advance...
Posted By: MaryCas
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 03/27/06 11:30 PM
I finished in my usual position-last. One of these years all the upsets that I pick will actually win.
Posted By: Don Sicilia
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 03/28/06 12:40 AM
Congrats RB. What a weird tournament this year.
Posted By: J Geoff
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 03/28/06 12:41 AM
Originally posted by plawrence:
we have three people (RB, DB, and JG) with only one team (Florida) in the Final Four, with no one giving Florida a chance to advance...
Posted By: plawrence
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 03/28/06 01:39 AM
Originally posted by J Geoff:
[quote]Originally posted by plawrence:
[b]we have three people (RB, DB, and JG) with only one team (Florida) in the Final Four, with no one giving Florida a chance to advance...
[/b][/quote]My mistake....
JG has Florida advancing
That's what he needs to finish second.
Posted By: J Geoff
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 04/02/06 05:55 PM
...and that's what I got for 2nd Place!
I did really pathetic in Women's though...
Posted By: DonMichaelCorleone
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 04/02/06 05:58 PM
Originally posted by J Geoff:
I did really pathetic with Women though...
yeah, we know......... :p
Posted By: J Geoff
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 04/02/06 06:05 PM
I said "in"... oh, never mind...!
Posted By: J Geoff
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 04/04/06 08:25 PM
Men's FinalRB 760
JG 750 ...120 pts in semis helped
DB 710
TB 660
IM 580
JL 560
TL 550
JB 540
PL 490
MC 470
PG 470
Too bad I didn't pick FLA to win
Women's Final (no PPR for anyone)
IM 1230
JB 880
PL 870
JG 570
IM could go 1350 in another bracket with a Duke win (160 PPR).
Posted By: plawrence
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 04/06/06 01:52 PM
Hey, JG.....
How 'bout we get those winners posted up there, huh? :p
Posted By: plawrence
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 04/11/06 02:22 AM
Or tell me how to do it....
[You did make me the acting-Gangster BB Fantasy Sports Uber Commissioner (whatever that is), didn't you?]
Posted By: J Geoff
Re: NCAA Tournament Challenges (2 GAMES) - 04/11/06 05:51 PM
Alright... alright! Sheesh, it's not like you're one of them... :p