245 Entries in MM 2026 - and 1st 4 game preview.

 Whew….  I finally got everyone’s picks entered.  It looks like last year’s boring chalky tournament kept some people from getting in this year, since we have slightly fewer entries.  Maybe I need to do a better job evangelizing.  I’ve largely stopped doing much of that since the tournament was growing every year.  It looks like we need to get some different blood in this thing to keep it growing.

So, to that end, we have a total of 245 entries, which is still a good number by most measures.  Honestly, right now is about the only time the number of people entering makes a difference to me, since I need to create a master scoring spreadsheet – and that takes longer the more people enter.

Speaking of that, I am going to install a new rule from this year on until infinity.  Anyone that enters has to have team names on bracket lines.  Most of you use the template, which does that for you using the drop down menus.  Some people enter handwritten pictures of brackets.  Some people enter PDFs that they got from one web site or another.  Most of those are perfectly fine.  The Excel file auto-formats the data for me, and I got CHATGPT to scan all the rest and format them in a way I can use.  There are 2 exceptions to this that I am no longer going to accept after this year.

1.      I’d never seen this before, but there was a website someone used that kicked out a bracket that didn’t have team names, but had the team mascot picture.  AI, as it exists now, has a really hard time reading that.  It took quite a while to get that to work.  I’m not going take those anymore.

2.      I tell people explicitly NOT to do this in the instructions, but I have accept them up until now, but there need to be team names on bracket lines.  If you just enter the seed number and not the team name, I essentially have to go back and fill out the entire bracket again to load it.  AI absolutely does not know what do with this, no matter howe many instructions I give it.  I am never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever going to accept brackets like that again.

OK.  Enough ranting.  Everything looks like it’s entered that I have.  There were some brackets that had missing picks or picks that were invalid (Team A v Team B with Team C winning).  I have reached out to everyone where UI found this for corrections.  As of right now, I only am waiting on 1 person to correct their brackets and everything will be perfect.

But wait, there are games on.  That’s what we’re all here for – not the ravings of one pool administrator.

Game 1: Ohio State  vs TCU

Vegas Line: Ohio State -2.5

Picks for Ohio State: 152

Picks for TCU: 93

Hey, it’s a classic 8/9 game.  I had this game on as I was entering picks, and it looked like TCU was going to win pretty handily.  I think they were up double digits in the second half., but now there’s only 2 minutes left and it’s a 1 point game.  I guess that’s why It’s an 8/9 game.  As some of you may have noticed, during the season, I have a regular ritual.  Every night, I log all the days games in a spreadsheet and prepare the games for the following day.  Throughout the season, I update a ranking for every team.  Based on that, I had Ohio State as an 8 and TCU as a 10, so this feels about right to me.   For most of the season, I didn’t think either of these teams deserved to be in the dance, but they came on a little at the end of the season.

This is a good differentiator game.  Remember that I pay out $25 to whoever wins each region.  I guarantee this game will cost a whole lotta people this region.  There’s just too many people in and too much commonality for it to not.

Game 2: Nebraska vs Troy

Vegas Line: Nebraska -13

Picks for Nebraska: 216

Picks for Troy: 29

I thought Nebraska should be a 3 and Troy a 13, so you’d think this game might be decent.  If anyone knows anything about Nebraska basketball, it’s the fact that they are the only power 5 conference team that has never won an NCAA game.  Given that they are currently up 30 in the second half, I’m thinking that is going to change.

For those that remember that Troy beat San Diego State in San Diego this season, maybe that was either fool’s gold or maybe San Diego State was not that good at the start of the season (I would have had them in the first 4).  I almost wore my Troy t-shirt today.  Glad I avoided that (I’m wearing my Hawaii shirt instead).

Game 3: Louisville vs South Florida

Vegas Line: Louisville -4.5

Picks for Louisville: 125

Picks for South Florida: 120

I had Louisville as an 8, and South Florida right next to it, so I think South Florida is a little hard done by this seeding.  A more cynical person would say that the committee was giving preferential treatment to teams from a power conference over a mid-major.  I would be one of those people.  I heard that non power-5 conference at large bids were at an all time low this season.  I think there are only 5 (Santa Clara, St. Mary’s, St. Louis and Miami (Ohio)).  That’s kind of ridiculous.  As a neutral spectator, I would rather see teams like Belmont Tulsa or Dayton over middling power 5 teams.  They make things much more fu, and honestly, they are easily just as good.

Anyway, I would like to see the Bulls pull this one off.  Apparently, I am not alone in this wish.  That pick distribution is remarkably even for an 11/6 game.

Game 4: Wisconsin vs High Point

Vegas Line: Wisconsin -10

Picks for Wisconsin: 195

Picks for High Point: 50

I hope this is a fun one.  High Point is one of those teams I really want to see.  They score a ton and have an amazing record.  I thought they should be about one seed line higher than they are.  I think they are considered a “small” college, so not even mid-major.  Still 27-4 is pretty good.   Wisconsin was pretty hot and miss all season.  The Big 10 was pretty top heavy this season, and they were kind of a second tier Big 10 team.  They did have the biggest road win of the season, winning at Michigan, so they can play.  Still, I’d love to see an upset here.

More stats to come.  Enjoy the games for now.  I’ll be back with scores and anything else interesting I can find.

Good luck everyone!!!!!