Second place the first winner?

Last night was not a night for the Number 1 seeds - or those of us who picked them. Kansas and Oregon both faltered and took out five folks.  So we are left with a dozen players this morning - four of whom are guaranteed to be picking a Final Four team.

But with a lot of people apparently planning on saving Kansas . . . what will these upsets mean moving forward as survivors struggle to map a road to victory? A North Carolina loss tonight would further upset the apple cart.  Stay tuned!

Elite Eight picks

Here are the picks for the Elite Eight.  We have folks on both sides of Oregon v Oklahoma and Syracuse v. Virginia so the numbers are guaranteed to shrink!

Even with people dropping off and the potential for folks to run out of good picks . . . I'm guessing we will have a split pot this year.  If enough people go out I will try to include potential breakdowns of who wins what with the Final Four picks next weekend.

Kansas: Laura

North Carolina: John Evans, Mac, Kyle H, Luna and Adam V

Oklahoma: Christie, Ponsoll, Megan and Lesley

Oregon: Klint, Sarabeth, Will Proto and Krista

Syracuse: Terry

Virginia: Britt 1 and Mike S

Half Strength

After Syracuse's late run our numbers have been slashed in half this morning.  There are 17 folks heading into the Elite Eight.

Congrats to those moving on - a winner for ONE Elite Eight game is due to me by 4:00 TODAY!!!

Sweet Sixteen: Friday picks

Here are the picks for today.  Beyond a shadow of the doubt those of us who did not pick Gonzaga need to be cheering whole-heartedly for Syracuse because a Zaggy loss would take out 23 people!  That's more than half of the remaining crowd.

I did not get picks from John Mesplay or Adam Voth.  If this is an error on my part please send me proof that a pick was submitted before Noon today and I'll add you back in.  Otherwise you're out. *Both submitted and are reflected below now.

If you survive today I am pushing tomorrow's deadline for picks to 4:00 as I will be driving all day and won't get to them before that anyway.  You owe me ONE pick from any of the four Elite Eight games if you survive today!

The picks:

Gonzaga: Jim, Scott, Bo, Jeremy, Jared, Brad, Casey, Jessy, Campbell, KT, Bobby, Little, David, Dan, Kristin, Will Pollom, Jon, Reynolds, Mike R, Smith2, Seth, Al, Josh and John M

North Carolina: Christie

Notre Dame: Britt1, Ponsoll, Settles and Luna

Syracuse: Mac

Virginia: Klint, John Evans, Kyle, Laura, Sarabeth, Will Proto, Krista, Terry, Megan, Lesley and Adam V

Wisconsin: Deem and Sue

Sweet Sixteen: Thursday picks

Happy Sweet Sixteen to everyone!  There are 49 folks entering today's games but we are guaranteed to say goodbye to at least a few as we have folks on both sides of Miami/Villanova, Oregon/Duke and Oklahoma/A&M!!!  The biggest kicker would be a Nova loss followed closely by an upset of Oklahoma.

I may get an update in for the early game before I go see Superman at 9:45 but after that updates before tomorrow morning are unlikely.  Sorry!

If you survive today you owe me another pick tomorrow by NOON.  After tomorrow we start picking one game per round - so one Elite Eight winner, one Final Four winner and the champ.  If you run out of picks you are done!

Here are the picks:

Duke: Smith 1 and Brent

Kansas: Deem, John E, Jessy and Christie

Miami: Amy, Zach and PK

Oklahoma: Klint, Bo, Britt1, Brad, Mac, Kyle, Luna, KT, Dan, Will Proto, Reynolds, Krista, Mike R, Terry and Josh

Oregon: Laura, Bobby, Little, Will Pollom, Jon, Mike S, Seth and Adam V

Texas A&M: Jessica

Villanova: Jim, Scott, Jeremy, Jared, Casey, Sue, Campbell, David L, Kristin, John M, Sarabeth, Ponsoll, Smith2, Megan, Al and Lesley

Eight is Great

With the Villanova and Notre Dame victories, eight folks from our crew are guaranteed a chance to pick next Thursday.  Klint, Amy, John Evans, Adam V, Casey, Jessica, Campbell and Reynolds - study those brackets!

Round Two: Sunday Picks

A Hawaiian surprise could really shake things up today! A staggering 18 people including yours truly picked Maryland! Here are the picks:

Maryland: Jim, Jared, Britt 1, Zach, Jessy, Kyle H, Christie, KT, Bobby, Little, David L, Dan, Will Proto, Jon, Krista, John Smith 2, Megan and Josh

Notre Dame: Casey, Jessica, Campbell and Reynolds

Oklahoma: Laura and Sarabeth

Oregon: Scott, Sue, Luna, Ponsoll, Terry, Al and Brent

Syracuse: Jeremy, Brad, Deem, Kristin, Will Pollom, Bo, John Smith 1 and Seth

Texas A&M: Mac, PK, John M, Mike R, Mike S and Lesley

Villanova: Klint, Amy, John Evans and Adam V

Xavier: Perkins

Grumpy Cat

It's been an up and down season and thanks to a very flat second half performance the Cats are headed back to Lexington. I, for one, am hoping the ultra competitive Ulis decides he wants one more stab at this thing with the best freshman class in the country around him next year.  While I sit here with my fingers crossed awaiting that decision, the loss sends another three folks packing.  Lauren, Clay and Michael are some grumpy Cat fans right now. (They do have a lot of company.)

No Shock Here

They tried to rally but the Shockers' tournament run is over.  Finding the door with them are Adam J and Heather who made gutsy - but apparently not so smart - buy-back picks.  Maybe they can drown their sorrows in a hurricane.

Second Round: Saturday Picks

We start today with 59 folks still in play - 9 of whom doubled down after last night's upsets. A couple of upsets today - namely Duke and Iowa State could dramatically cut our numbers!

After a total of 24 buy backs, the winner's pool settles at $880 and the HCCF Kids program will be getting $240!  Big money!

Here are the day's picks:

Duke: Bo, Jeremy B, Jared, Britt1, Brad, Zach, Sue, Mac, KT, Little, David L, John M, Perkins, Mike S, Terry, Adam V, Jane and Josh

Iowa State: Jim, Klint, Britt1, Amy, Casey, Deem, John Evans, Michael, Jessy, Kyle, Christie, Luna, PK, Dan, McCrosky2, Kristin, Perkins, Sarabeth, Will Proto, Reynolds, John Smith1, Megan, Al, Brent, Heather, Krista and Lesley

Kansas: Scott

Kentucky: Lauren, Clay and Michael

Miami: Jessica, Laura and Bobby

North Carolina: Jean, Adam J, Campbell, John Smith2 and Seth

Utah: Jean, Jane, Marlo and McCrosky2

Virginia: Christie, Will Pollom, Ponsoll, Jon and Mike R

Wichita State: Adam J and Heather

Go Cats!

Country Roads . . .

Are taking several people home.  West Virginia's upset loss potentially takes out 7 people who are joining the upset Dayton, Michigan State and California fans. All in all 17 folks have fallen prey to upsets so far today.

Five of those players - Kelley, Britt2, James, Patrick and Ellen - are completely done for this year.  Colleen, Jean, Jane, Michael, Chris H, Christie, AJ, Perkins, Charlie, Chad, Neha and Rachael have the option to "do the dumb" and buy back in with two picks tomorrow.

A lot of eyes still on the Texas, Xavier and Notre Dame games . . . we'll see how survives!

First Round: Friday picks (for real)

Here you go - the official Friday run down.  Which is so late that I can tell you that Dayton's loss took out four more people . . . Two of whom are totally out as Susan and Lori have already "done the dumb."

We had 15 double-downs which brings our winner's pot to $808 and the Kids Crossfit pot to $220 (including the $20 additional donated).  Of course, folks can do the dumb today as well so those figures may very well grow more over the next 24 hours.

Continued updates throughout the evening.  Until then the easier to read version of today's picks:

California: Britt 2, Michael, Christie, Adam J, Patrick, Chad and Ellen

Dayton: Susan, James, Lori and Rachael

Iowa: Jim, Luna, Bobby and Seth

Maryland: Kelley, Klint, Amy, Deem, Lori, Marlo, Kristin, John M, Ponsoll, Mike R, Mike S, Adam V and Lesley

Michigan State: Colleen

Notre Dame: Britt2, Amy, Lauren, Jessy, Little, Dan, Krista, Theo, Megan and Brent

Oklahoma: Scott

Oregon: Bo, Clay, Deem, John Evans and John S2

Texas: Britt 1, James, Margaret, Theo and Heather

Texas A&M: Jeremy, Casey, Zach, Kyle H, Laura, Campbell, Luna, Jocelyn, Patrick, Sarabeth, Will Proto, Jon, Reynolds and Josh

VCU: Jessica

Villanova: Mac, KT and Will Pollom

Wisconsin: Susan and Terry

West Virginia: Kelley, Jean, Jane, Chris H, Perkins, Charlie and Neha

Xavier: Jared, Brad, Sue, Campbell, PK, David L, Jay, John S1, Ellen, Adam V and Alex W

Friday Picks: Scratch pad version

Sorry for the delay . . . . It's been one of those days.  I have a 2:30 appointment to fly to now but here are the picks as scribbled from my DB.  I will do the clean and pretty post plus money updates ASAP after this 2:30.

I am missing picks from Grant and Alex McCrosky.  If you can send me proof of my error I'll add you back in.  Otherwise you can pay the double down fine and get back in with two picks tomorrow.

Little Rock, Big Splash

Another 12 seed pulls off the upset and Little Rock knocks as many as nine people out of pool.  Deem, Kyle, Chris G, Craig, Stacie, John Pollom, Margaret, Theo and Adam V will have to do the dumb if they want a shot at the winner's pot.  Which is now at $704 and climbing . . . .

First time for everything

With Yale's first ever NCAA victory, five people face elimination.  Kelley has already opted to "do the dumb" and will buy back in to play again tomorrow.  But is this goodbye for Luna, James, Les and David T?  Jamie faces the same decision at the hands of a Colorado loss.

With people on both sides of three remaining games these poor saps are guaranteed to have company soon!

Jeeves boots some people

Butler makes for an early exit for Patrick and John Erwin after knocking off Texas Tech.  Patrick is first person to "do the dumb" and will return tomorrow with two picks.  Will John do the same?

We've got people on both sides of the UConn/Colorado game so more people will be on their way out soon!  My fellow Duke-selectors are breathing a sigh of relief as we live on.

We are already off to an exciting start!

First Round: St. Patty's Day picks

And we are off!  In Derby-speak, it is a crowded field!  We have a record 86 entries!  So as of the first tip we have a winner's pot of $688 and HCCF Kids Crossfit is currently set to get $192 ($20 extra donated by Theo and Clay).  Of course, those numbers will go up as folks exercise the "I did the dumb" buy back over the next 48 hours.  If the halftime trend continues I will gladly be among the first to double down after a Duke loss!

So here we are today's picks.  If I have messed up on your pick you have until tip of your game to send me proof of my error otherwise you can always "do the dumb" and buy back in.  As always, updates throughout the day!

Arizona: Amy, Campbell and Alex M1

Baylor: Kelley, James B, Luna, Les and David T

Butler: Jessy

Chattanooga: Susan and Mike R

Colorado: Jamie

Duke: Michael, Laura, Ponsoll, Krista and John S2

Gonzaga: Jessica

Indiana: Klint, Grant, Jeremy, Brian B, Casey, Christie, Little, Kristin M, Sarabeth, Chad P, Will Proto, Rachael, Colleen, Heather and Mike R

Iowa State: Jared, Zach, Sue, Mac, Bobby, John M and Jon

Kentucky: Bo, Billy G, Charlie, Mike S and Terry

Little Rock: Jean

Miami: Jim, Lauren, John Evans, Marlo, Alex M2, Will Pollom, Neha, John S1, Megan, Al and Josh

North Carolina: KT

Providence: Kyle H

Purdue: Deem, Kyle E, Chris G, Stacie, Craig, John Pollom, Margaret, Theo and Adam V

Seton Hall: Lori and Ellen

Texas Tech: Patrick and John Erwin

UConn: Chris H and Brent

USC: Clay

Utah: Jane, Adam J, Jay, PK, David L, Dan, Perkins, Seth and Lesley

Virginia: Scott B, Brad B and Jocelyn

*UPDATE: I made a clerical error yesterday in listing Mike R as a Chattanooga pick when he in fact picked Indiana.  I have the email proof of this pick should anyone be inclined to challenge.