NCAA - 1/2 way through Day 1

We are a quarter of the way through the first round, and it looks like we are down to only 12 people that have perfect brackets.  There was no upset to be had in the Ohio State / South Dakota State game.  SDSU made a good run of it to get within 2 with a few minutes left, but then OSU went on a bit of a run towards the end to extend the lead and run out the clock.  9 people lost a Sweet 16 team because of that, but that was the extent of the damage.

NC State, on the other hand, was a mild bloodbath for some brackets.  We had the first bracket to lose a champion as a result of Seton Hall winning.  That same bracket had Oklahoma in the Elite 8 so it was probably on life support anyway.  I'm sure it's not mathematically eliminated yet, but total chaos would have to reign for it to win.  I mentioned that 16 people had NC State in the Sweet 16.  13 of those 16 had them moving on to the Elite 8.  I guess the theory was that the 4/5 teams in that bracket were pretty weak, so if NC State could beat Kansas, why not have them beat Auburn or Clemson or some other team from that part of the bracket.  Seems reasonable, although it didn't work out that way.  6 people had them going a step further and making the Final 4.

So, here are the updated standings through 8 games (7 of which were chalk):

1. Adam E.: 8 (0)

1. Brad R.: 8 (0)

1. Chad L. #1: 8 (0)

1. Dan D. #2: 8 (0)

1. David W. #2: 8 (0)

1. Irene H. #5: 8 (0)

1. Kansas C.: 8 (0)

1. Luis B. #3: 8 (0)

1. Scott K.: 8 (0)

1. Taima #1: 8 (0)

1. Taima #2: 8 (0)

1. Wayne D. #3: 8 (0)

13. Alex N. #2: 7 (-1)

13. Andrew D. #2: 7 (-1)

13. Ava S.: 7 (-1)

13. Ben J. #1: 7 (-1)

13. Ben J. #3: 7 (-1)

13. Ben S. #1: 7 (-1)

13. Ben S. #2: 7 (-1)

13. Ben S. #4: 7 (-1)

13. Bhav D. #2: 7 (-1)

13. Bosun S.: 7 (-1)

13. Brett G. #2: 7 (-1)

13. Chad L. #2: 7 (-1)

13. Chad L. #3: 7 (-1)

13. Chad L. #4: 7 (-1)

13. Damien R. #1: 7 (-1)

13. Damien R. #2: 7 (-1)

13. Dan S. #1: 7 (-1)

13. Dan S. #2: 7 (-1)

13. Dane R.: 7 (-1)

13. E Rucker #2: 7 (-1)

13. Elizabeth N. #1: 7 (-1)

13. Eric V. #1: 7 (-1)

13. Gigi I.: 7 (-1)

13. Hal R. #1: 7 (-1)

13. Howard S. #1: 7 (-1)

13. Hutch H. #2: 7 (-1)

13. Irene H. #4: 7 (-1)

13. Jaxon S.: 7 (-1)

13. Jay H. #1: 7 (-1)

13. Jeff M.: 7 (-1)

13. Jeff Sag. #2: 7 (-1)

13. Jim D. #3: 7 (-1)

13. Jim W.: 7 (-1)

13. Josh D. #1: 7 (-1)

13. Josh D. #2: 7 (-1)

13. Kiah H.: 7 (-1)

13. Klei R.: 7 (-1)

13. Larry G. #3: 7 (-1)

13. Luis B. #1: 7 (-1)

13. Luis B. #2: 7 (-1)

13. Malcolm X #1: 7 (-1)

13. Max A. #1: 7 (-1)

13. Michelle L. #1: 7 (-1)

13. Michelle L. #4: 7 (-1)

13. Michelle L. #5: 7 (-1)

13. Mike S. #1: 7 (-1)

13. Mike S. #2: 7 (-1)

13. Missy W. #1: 7 (-1)

13. Paul W.: 7 (-1)

13. Rob S. #1: 7 (-1)

13. Scott Her. #1: 7 (-1)

13. Scott Her. #2: 7 (-1)

13. Suki I.: 7 (-1)

66. Brett G. #4: 7 (-3)

66. Jim D. #1: 7 (-3)

66. Josh C.: 7 (-3)

66. Matt M.: 7 (-3)

66. Stefan K. #2: 7 (-3)

66. Todd K. #1: 7 (-3)

66. Tomas L. #1: 7 (-3)

73. Joe D. #1: 7 (-7)

73. John M. #3: 7 (-7)

75. Ally H.: 6 (-2)

75. Alyssa B.: 6 (-2)

75. Amaris S.: 6 (-2)

75. Andrew D. #1: 6 (-2)

75. Andrzej R.: 6 (-2)

75. Arianna S.: 6 (-2)

75. Barack O.: 6 (-2)

75. Becca T.: 6 (-2)

75. Ben P.: 6 (-2)

75. Brad E.: 6 (-2)

75. Brent E. #1: 6 (-2)

75. Brent E. #2: 6 (-2)

75. Brent E. #3: 6 (-2)

75. Chris M.: 6 (-2)

75. Chris T. #2: 6 (-2)

75. Craig G.: 6 (-2)

75. CSU #1: 6 (-2)

75. CSU #2: 6 (-2)

75. Daisy N. #3: 6 (-2)

75. Damien R. #3: 6 (-2)

75. David S.: 6 (-2)

75. David W. #1: 6 (-2)

75. Dennis R.: 6 (-2)

75. Dustin B.: 6 (-2)

75. Dylan B.: 6 (-2)

75. Eric V. #2: 6 (-2)

75. Hal R. #3: 6 (-2)

75. Hutch H. #1: 6 (-2)

75. Irene H. #1: 6 (-2)

75. Irene H. #2: 6 (-2)

75. Irene H. #3: 6 (-2)

75. Irene H. #6: 6 (-2)

75. Jay C.: 6 (-2)

75. Jay H. #2: 6 (-2)

75. Jay H. #3: 6 (-2)

75. Jeff Sag. #1: 6 (-2)

75. Joe D. #3: 6 (-2)

75. Joel S.: 6 (-2)

75. Josh D. #3: 6 (-2)

75. Julie S.: 6 (-2)

75. Kate G.: 6 (-2)

75. Ken Pom: 6 (-2)

75. Kirt R. #1: 6 (-2)

75. Kirt R. #2: 6 (-2)

75. Larry G. #2: 6 (-2)

75. Larry G. #5: 6 (-2)

75. Malcolm X #2: 6 (-2)

75. Mason A. #1: 6 (-2)

75. Matt N.: 6 (-2)

75. Max A. #3: 6 (-2)

75. Michelle L. #3: 6 (-2)

75. Mindi W.: 6 (-2)

75. Nikolajs B.: 6 (-2)

75. Pete J. #1: 6 (-2)

75. Pete J. #2: 6 (-2)

75. Pete J. #3: 6 (-2)

75. Rob S. #2: 6 (-2)

75. Roth W.: 6 (-2)

75. Scott Has.: 6 (-2)

75. Scott K. #1: 6 (-2)

75. Scott K. #2: 6 (-2)

75. Seth D.: 6 (-2)

75. Stefan K. #1: 6 (-2)

75. Tim N.: 6 (-2)

75. Tomas L. #2: 6 (-2)

75. Trent L.: 6 (-2)

75. Uproxx: 6 (-2)

142. Ben J. #2: 6 (-4)

142. Elizabeth N. #2: 6 (-4)

142. Hal R. #2: 6 (-4)

142. Jared B.: 6 (-4)

142. Marc R.: 6 (-4)

142. Mason A. #2: 6 (-4)

142. Mike N.: 6 (-4)

142. Mike W.: 6 (-4)

142. Nick I.: 6 (-4)

142. Ray W. #1: 6 (-4)

142. Ray W. #3: 6 (-4)

142. Virginia L.: 6 (-4)

154. Chad L. #5: 6 (-6)

155. Adam S. #1: 6 (-8)

155. Adam S. #2: 6 (-8)

155. John M. #1: 6 (-8)

158. Pete J. #4: 6 (-10)

158. Ray W. #2: 6 (-10)

160. Alex N. #1: 6 (-16)

160. Brett K. #1: 6 (-16)

162. John M. #2: 6 (-32)

163. April K.: 5 (-3)

163. Ben S. #3: 5 (-3)

163. Brent S. #1: 5 (-3)

163. Brent S. #2: 5 (-3)

163. Brett G. #1: 5 (-3)

163. Brett G. #3: 5 (-3)

163. Chris T. #1: 5 (-3)

163. Chrissy I.: 5 (-3)

163. Daisy N. #13: 5 (-3)

163. Daisy N. #2: 5 (-3)

163. Dan D. #1: 5 (-3)

163. Daniel C.: 5 (-3)

163. Grant F.: 5 (-3)

163. Howard S. #2: 5 (-3)

163. Irene H. #7: 5 (-3)

163. Jace D.: 5 (-3)

163. Jackson I.: 5 (-3)

163. Joe D. #2: 5 (-3)

163. Michelle L. #2: 5 (-3)

163. Michelle R.: 5 (-3)

163. Miguel D.: 5 (-3)

163. Mike McQ.: 5 (-3)

163. Missy W. #2: 5 (-3)

163. Pete J. #5: 5 (-3)

163. Rob I.: 5 (-3)

163. Todd K. #2: 5 (-3)

163. Valerie D.: 5 (-3)

163. Veronica A.: 5 (-3)

163. Wayne D. #1: 5 (-3)

163. William G.: 5 (-3)

193. Becky H.: 5 (-5)

193. Brett K. #2: 5 (-5)

193. Brett K. #3: 5 (-5)

193. Larry G. #4: 5 (-5)

193. Stephen N.: 5 (-5)

193. Sulbum H.: 5 (-5)

193. Szecho L. #1: 5 (-5)

193. Szecho L. #2: 5 (-5)

193. Wayne D. #2: 5 (-5)

202. Jim D. #2: 5 (-7)

202. Ryan W.: 5 (-7)

204. Bhav D. #1: 5 (-9)

204. Daisy N. #1: 5 (-9)

204. Daisy N. #10: 5 (-9)

204. Joe D. #4: 5 (-9)

204. Larry G. #1: 5 (-9)

209. Daisy N. #12: 5 (-11)

210. Daisy N. #5: 5 (-17)

210. Daisy N. #9: 5 (-17)

212. Daisy N. #11: 5 (-71)

213. Daisy N. #7: 4 (-6)

213. Karen C.: 4 (-6)

213. Max A. #2: 4 (-6)

216. Alex N. #4: 4 (-10)

217. Allison C.: 4 (-12)

217. Ben J. #4: 4 (-12)

217. Daisy N. #6: 4 (-12)

220. E Rucker #1: 4 (-18)

221. Alex N. #3: 4 (-20)

222. Daisy N. #8: 4 (-24)

223. Daisy N. #4: 3 (-49)

Good job to the people that are still perfect.  One of them is my Dad, who I would like to see win.  I'm also pretty impressed with Taima, who still has both of her picks without a miss.  I'm sure there are a lot of people that would like to switch places with her.

I didn't realize that the evening games more or less go off at closer intervals, so instead of 2 games at a time, I'm going to update things after 4 game sets.  That means we have to get to the last 2 games of the first set.

Houston vs San Diego State

Vegas Line: Houston by 4

Houston picks:  120

San Diego State picks: 103

This is a total homer spread as far as pick distribution.  I live in San Diego, so a lot of people that I know that are in the pool are residents of San Diego, or went to San Diego State (as I did - go Aztecs).  This should be the closest game of the first set of 4 based on spreads, but I'm hoping Houston gets run out of the gym.  This also is a trial for my in-laws.  We live in San Diego, but they live in Houston, so we'll see where their allegiances lie.  Actually, I just looked it up, and they both took Houston.  I guess that's fair.  You probably shouldn't pick against your home town team.

Texas Tech vs Stephen F Austin

Vegas Line: Texas Tech by 11

Texas Tech picks: 204

Stephen F Austin picks: 19

This game is a bit of enigma for me.  I know virtually nothing about Texas Tech.  It seems like the last time they were relevant in basketball was when Bobby Knight was coaching there, and who knows how long ago that was.  They've been ranked pretty highly all season long, but I can't think of a time when I saw them play or heard anything about them.  They seem like the most opaque top 4 seed in the tournament.  If people remember anything about Stephen F Austin it is that they won some games a few years back.  The coach they had moved on, and the players are all different, but maybe people are thinking that the school has a good history of springing upsets.  I wouldn't be too torn up if that happened.  We've only had one upset all day (Loyola-Chicago).  We need more.  We also need more big upsets.  An 11 over a 6 is nice, but I love the upsets where the team that loses was supposed to win multiple games (like seeds 1-4).  Let's see if we can't make that happen Lumberjacks.  We still have 162 brackets that have yet to lose a Sweet 16 team, and that number needs to be higher.