1998 PRE-NCAA CONTEST UPDATE - ROUND 3
Thanks in large part to the fact that the Final 8 boasts six of the top seven listed in the Top 25 that came with the pool, our contestants are enjoying unprecedented success in choosing Final 8 teams. Even without Wild Cards, three entrants correctly selected 7 of the Final 8: Brady; K Sullivan; and Brinkley. 44 accurately chose 6 of the Final 8, 43 properly picked 5 of the Final 8, and 28 were able to predict 4 of the Final 8.
This is not to say that everyone was capable of clairvoyance. Carson, of course, only managed to accurately select 2 of the Final 8. Seven other contestants only could figure out 3 of the Final 8: Alberts; Connelly; P Leach; S Shaid; Karpp; Wegbreit/Arglic; and D Padilla.
Brady, the all-time record holder for most points (379 in 1996), has surged into the lead with 262 points. Unfortunately for Brady, his choice of champion, Kansas, has been home watching TV for about a week. Ready to take advantage of Brady’s lapse are a bunch of candidates: K Sullivan and Baby Sullivan (no relation to K) are tied with 257 points; Harlan (255); Abrams (254); and two-time pool winner Rosen (250).
Special mention goes to M Einbinder-Schatz, the only entrant who was farseeing enough to choose Rhode Island into the Final 8. Unfortunately for M Einbinder-Schatz, this serendipitous prediction was only able to lift his score up to 220 points, only 1 point ahead of the lugubrious Salus (and we won't even comment on the ramifications of that), and 2 points behind 7 year old wunderkind Sam Karpp.
Needless to say, Carson (with only 82 points) is more than 100 points out of 2nd to last place (although the commissioners delight in saying it anyway). Surprisingly, however, Raps and Mash Leach (tied with 187) have climbed out of 2nd to last place (into 3rd to last place). The honor of being only a Carson away from the cellar now belongs to Mash Leach’s ersatz relative, P Leach (184 pts).
Looking forward, nobody has chosen Rhode Island, Stanford, or UConn as Champion. Hanging on by the hair on their proverbial chinny-chin-chins, are M Josephs, who has only 228 points but is the only contestant to have chosen Kentucky as Champion; and Glowacki, who has 229 points and Utah. The top scorers who chose Duke as Champion are: Baby Sullivan (257); Harlan (255); Rosen (250); S Adams (248); Coach Doc (248); FREG (248); and Hanson (247). Top scorers who chose UNC as Champion: K Sullivan (257); Broder (244); J Donadio, Sr. (244); Disbrow (243); J Piccirillo (243); RC Natalini (242); and GREF (240). Top scorers who chose Arizona: Abrams (254); ME Donadio (247); A Capella (240); Spitz (240); GRED (238); J Joseph (232); and Smith (226).
Out of the Midwest, nobody has Rhode Island in the Final 4, and only 6 entrants have Stanford (Brindisi; Henderson; Joyce; January Man; Mastro; and Salus).
In the South, 113 entrants chose Duke (everybody EXCEPT Brindisi; Brooks; Connelly; D’Zuro; D Josephs; M Josephs; Joyce; Kleiman; M Leach; January Man; Packer; J Piccirillo; Raps). 21 chose Kentucky (A Capella; J Donadio, Jr.; Dresden; Flannery; GREF; D Josephs; M Josephs; Kane; M Leach; Leahy; Linton; Moran; Joe Mc; D Papalia; Peloso; J Piccirillo; Raps; Selig; Bill Shaid; Bobbie Shaid; K Sullivan).
In the East, 111 entrants chose UNC (everybody EXCEPT Connelly; Cowboy; Dodger; M Einbinder-Schatz; J Einbinder-Schatz; Gold; Henderson; D Kedson; Joe Mc; A Natalini; D Padilla; D Papalia; Peloso; Post; and Quasi). Only 15 chose UConn (D’Zuro; Dresden; J Einbinder-Schatz; FREG; GREF; Harris; M Josephs; Lunardi; January Man; Peter O’Brien; Pogach; Raps; Spitz; Baby Sullivan; Tiger).
In the West, 93 chose Arizona (everybody EXCEPT AJOB; Brinkley; Brooks; Carson; Conte; D'Zuro; Dresden; Fila; FREG; Gill; Glowacki; GREF; M Josephs; S Karpp; E Leach; M Leach; P Leach; Leahy; Linton; January Man; Maran; Mastro; Joe Mc; Peter O'Brien; Peloso; Pogach; Riot; Salus; Selig; Bill Shaid; S Shaid; N Sullivan; Tiger). Only 15 chose Utah (Brinkley; Brooks; Conte; Cowboy; Dodger; Fila; Gill; Glowacki; Kleiman; M Leach; Mastro; Joe Mc; Packer; S Shaid; Shaw).
In closing this update, the Commissioners, who are Duke fans, would like to note that the average score of entrants choosing Duke as Champion (227.67) is significantly higher than that of those choosing UNC (220.88). Sounds portentous to us.