That One Bracket: 2016 Round One, Day One

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Today's edition of our particpant shaming tradition "That One Bracket" is really not so bad by round one, day one bracket standards. I can't remember a year where someone didn't lose a Final Four team on the first day, hell, usually in the first session of the first day. But that did not happen to our field of 83 prognosticators. Well done. However, we did have someone that had Purdue, Baylor, AND Arizona in their Elite 8, and that stings a little bit.

So raise a glass to Vik, because while today his bracket makes you feel good about yours, tomorrow, it could be you (or me).

Standings
Congrats to Tuba, Ryan Oneill, and Nick James on leading the pack with 15/16 yesterday. No doubt in my mind your success will be fleeting, so enjoy it until about 12:18PM EST.

Thursday Musings Thinks Everybody Sucks

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Hey, how about that game last night huh?

Brutal to watch. When we aren't hitting from behind the arc, poor basketball seems to ensue. We haven't been hitting lately. And when the other team is Tulsa, you get a shitshow. Couple of quick thoughts from said shitshow:

1) I see no reason to put in Doyle for the rest of the tournament, which is looking more likely to be just one more game

2) Mo should start, and in the absence of that, should come in really quickly because Donnall is like a half an ass hair better than Doyle

3) I have never hate-loved a man more than I do Zak Irvin. I literally say "f#$k you Zak" 5 or 6 times a game, loudly, and half of those expletives preclude shots that go in. Man his shot selection angers me.

4) Why can't Walton take it to the hole, ya know, like MAAR does?

5) Dakich getting meaningful minutes freaks me out, almost exactly the way Spike getting minutes used to freak me out.

Now, had we made 5 more three-pointers, which was WELL within our realm of possibility, it would have been the housing we wanted, everybody would be a glorious genius, and there would be no complaints. We can make those threes. And if we do it, what we see will be better basketball (at least from a layman's perspective) and we might just beat Notre Dame.

Other tournament stuff:

I already mentioned this on twitter, but the Big Ten sucks. We showed it. Purdue showed it. Others will also show it. Not sure why the analysts didn't just flat out say that they were perplexed how a crap conference with a crap preseason got seven teams in. They should have taken 5 max. Why is MSU a 2-seed? Beacuse they lost 5 games in that crap conference.

And Finally, My Bracket

It's March 17 at 9:30PM and my bracket is still perfect. I'm 9 for 9. My best start ever, and it aparently puts me in the top 1% of brackets submitted. Unfortunately, I didn't submit my picks anywhere else. However, it doesn't matter because I have no doubt my picks will be garbage by the time I go to bed, and worthless by Sunday.

All the Bracketology That's Fit to Print

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Despite our participation in what is deemed by the NCAA powers-that-be "The First Four," I would be disingenuous if I didn't call it what it was: a play-in game to reach the NCAA tournament. That being the case, the ACTUAL tourney starts Thursday, and you probably need help with your brackets, or perhaps just a kick in the pants to get started. Fear not prognosticators, a roundup of worthy internet pundits is condensed for your laziness right here:

  • 20 tips to ponder from the Dallas News, including the fact that 11 of the last 12 national champions have worn blue. The outlier of course being the group of relaxed fellas at Louisville knocking us out in the Final.

  • Here's the Washington Post's take by Neil Greenberg, which adds the often forgotten importance of considering what your peers are picking.

  • CBS uses "Bracket Voodoo" to provide 5 picks that will give your bracket a jumpstart. One of them is Wichita State, but after Tuesday night's housing of Vandy, I don't think they'll be sneaking up on anyone.

  • Every year, there's that team everyone gripes about making the tourney, and then that team goes out and wins and makes everybody look stupid (except the committee). This year, there's a bunch of teams that made the fans go "huh?", and as our "Nerd" friends at MyTopSportsBooks have pointed out, we are one of them. They also have some nicely filled out brackets to inspire you.

  • Adequate Man promotes a three pass method, first using your brain, second using your heart, and third "letting go." I never win because I only use pass #2.

  • SB Nation is taking Duke deep, which I have trouble not agreeing with. There's no substitute for tournament experience, and most of those guys played (and won) six NCAA tourney games last year.

Other good stuff on NCAA-eve

24-hours to Get Your Picks In: 2016 UMTailgate.com Tournament Challenge

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The site is back up and running.  So head on over now and get your picks in.

http://www.pickhoops.com/umtailgate

If it's your first time, sign up, then join the group.  Password for the group available by request only.  Email tourney2k16@umtailgate.com for password or other info.

Good Luck and Go Blue!