I was so busy enjoying the Loyola – Chicago / Nevada game, but it would be wrong to not at least give Michigan a shout out.

The Wolverines went and destroyed Texas A&M 99-72 on their way to Elite 8.   They jumped out quickly on the Aggies and never looked back.   The Wolverines hit 14 three pointers in the game – going 58.3% from deep.

And so for the second year in a row, the Wolverines have peaked at the right time, as they have repeated winning the Big 10 Conference Tournament, and repeated their path to make the Elite 8 in the NCAA Championship.

Her name is Loyola – Chicago.  The 11 seed Ramblers found themselves down 20-8 to start the game.  And all this team did was finish the rest of the first half on a 20-4 run to take a 4 point lead at halftime.

Eventually, the Ramblers got up by double digits, and Nevada did what they have done all tournament.   They came charging back – tying the game at 59 with 4 minutes left.

But Loyola is an impressive team from the perspective of how unselfish they are – they were constantly making the extra pass to get someone wide open.  First, Clayton Custer found Aundre Jackson for a three pointer to regain the lead.  Then, Ben Richardson drove to the basket and when the defense collapsed on him, he flipped the ball to Jackson for an easy layup to give the Ramblers a 4 point lead.   But Caleb Martin came right back down the court to drill a three pointer to cut the lead to 1 with 1 1/2 minutes left.

Both teams traded off free throws to set the stage with 36 seconds left.  In Loyola’s first game, Donte Ingram hit a three pointer with time running out to win the game.  Against Tennesse, it was Custer who was the star with a drive to the basket to win the game.  This time, Custer ran time off the shot clock until it was time to drive to the basket.  He got into the lane and then kicked the ball out to the corner to Marques Townes, who calmly let the defender jump by him, take one dribble and drilled a three pointer to give the Ramblers a 4 point lead.  Three different players, three critical end of game shots, three clutch game-winning shots.

You have to give Nevada a lot of credit, there is no quit in their star Caleb Martin, who quickly advanced the ball up the court and made a three pointer to cut the lead back to 1 with 1.8 seconds.  But Nevada fell victim to their own clean play, as they only had 4 fouls.  So, Loyola was able to run out the clock before Nevada could commit their 3 fouls to send them to the line.

Cinderella refuses to leave the dance.  The Loyola – Chicago Ramblers, after winning their first 3 games by a combined 4 points, are now only the 8th 11 seed in history to make the Elite 8.   One more victory, and they will join fellow 11 seeds VCU, George Mason and LSU as the highest seeded teams to ever make the Final Four.  Congratulations to the Ramblers for another fantastic victory!

It is time for you to get expert analysis on this year’s Sweet 16 games.  Our Lunatic experts are here to break down the games.

South Regional

#5 Kentucky vs # 9 Kansas State

The Lunatic – Kentucky – they have the best player on the floor in Kevin Knox.  The SEC tournament champion will win this one.

Mrs. Lunatic – Kansas State – I simply can’t pick Kentucky

Charlie Lunatic – Kentucky – Kentucky’s better.

Katie Lunatic – Kentucky – I picked the team with the lower number in front of them

#7 Nevada vs #11 Loyola – Chicago

The Lunatic – Loyola – this is going to be a great game.  Nevada makes me a little nervous with their tendency to fall behind by double digits – that eventually catches up to you.  Loyola seems to be a team of destiny.

Mrs. Lunatic – Loyola – they have a nun on their side.

Charlie Lunatic – Loyola – I like Chicago.

Katie Lunatic – Nevada – tough call – I have family living in both cities.  I am going to go with Nevada, especially since Charlie picked Loyola.

West Regional

#4 Gonzaga vs #9 Florida State

The Lunatic – Gonzaga – they have been one of the best schools in college basketball for the last few years.  Last years run to the National Championship will give them the edge in how to deal with the pressure.

Mrs. Lunatic – Gonzaga – never ever anyone from Florida.

Charlie Lunatic – Gonzaga – cause they almost won last year.

Katie Lunatic – Gonzaga – their Bulldog is so cute

#3 Michigan vs #7 Texas A&M

The Lunatic – Michigan – Texas A&M has been an up and down team this year – first with a big victory, and then a let down.   Michigan is getting the Aggies at the right time of this cycle.

Mrs. Lunatic – Texas A&M – once again, easy pick – never take Michigan

Charlie Lunatic – Michigan – I hate Michigan because they beat Purdue, but they are the better team in this matchup

Katie Lunatic – Michigan – even though I picked Michigan, I think I picked the right choice.

East Regional

#1 Villanova vs #5 West Virginia 

The Lunatic – Villanova – the Wildcats have been a top 5 team all season – they have to be the favorite of the remaining teams.

Mrs. Lunatic – Villanova – I have nothing else to add to that

Charlie Lunatic – Villanova – Because they are a 1 seed

Katie Lunatic – West Virginia – do we live in West Virginia?  No, we don’t – but Virginia is in the name so its got to be a good pick.

#2 Purdue vs #3 Texas Tech

The Lunatic – Purdue – I am biased, but I think Carson and Vince Edwards will have big games and lead the Boilers to the Elite 8.

Mrs. Lunatic – Purdue – Go Boilers!!!

Charlie Lunatic – Purdue – Texas Tech is pretty highly rated, but I will take Purdue

Katie Lunatic – Purdue – because my dad went to Purdue

Midwest Regional

#1 Kansas vs #5 Clemson

The Lunatic – Kansas – Clemson has had an amazing season, but Kansas is the Big 12 Champion – I think the Jayhawks will have too much firepower.

Mrs. Lunatic – Clemson – I need to pick an upset and Kansas has been known to fall early in the tournament.

Charlie Lunatic – Kansas – Clemson’s mainly good at football, we are picking basketball games – Go Jayhawks!

Katie Lunatic – Clemson – they are in South Carolina – which is where Nanny and Grandpa camp sometimes is

#2 Duke vs #11 Syracuse

The Lunatic – Duke – this is typically the time of the tournament where surprise teams like Syracuse have the clock strike midnight on them.  Duke beat Syracuse by 16 in the regular season – no reason to expect this game to be different.

Mrs. Lunatic – Duke – Just not Syracuse!  Anybody but Syracuse!

Charlie Lunatic – Duke – Orange is a pretty lame name for a basketball team – I am going to go with Duke and the Blue Devils.

Katie Lunatic – Duke – because Grandpa did his post-Doc there

 

So, there you go!  Expert analysis from the Lunatics.  Katie has already gone off to play with slime.  And Charlie and Elizabeth are trying to see how quickly they can solve Rubik’s Cubes.  They all couldn’t wait for this exercise to be over.  Only 2 more weekends of basketball – and the Madness starts again tomorrow.  Enjoy the games!!!

I thought at first of picking the team that I hated the most in order to test the Lunatic Curse – but with my luck, they would all win to spite me, and then I would have to root for teams like Kentucky and Syracuse.

I also thought about truly handicapping it, and then realized that is probably a sure way to lose.

So, I decided to go with the teams I would want to root for (with a little bit of reason along the way).   I might as well be able to be cheering for the teams I want to see win.

In the South, I want Kentucky to beat Kansas State (yes, you read that correctly) and Loyola-Chicago to upset Nevada.  Then, after all the things that Calapari said about how it was unfair that they drew Arizona and Virginia, they end up not playing either those teams, and end up having their season end when the Missouri Valley Champion Loyola-Chicago Ramblers take them out with another last second shot.

In the West, I would like to see Gonzaga beat Florida State since I love seeing the smaller schools win, and I would like to see Michigan beat Texas A&M since I will root for the Big 10.  In the final, it is a tough call for me.  I normally want to stay loyal to the Big 10, but I love seeing the small school win.  It would be great to see Gonzaga make back-to-back Final Fours – so I will take Gonzaga.

In the East, I am not a big fan of West Virginia, so I will pick Villanova.   And obviously, I have to pick Purdue to beat Texas Tech.  And obviously, my Boilermakers continue to figure out how to win without their star center and beat Villanova to get to the Final Four.

In the Midwest, I don’t have a real rooting interest in the first game for either team, so I have to go with the team I originally picked to win this game – Kansas will beat Clemson.  In the second game, my despise for Jim Boeheim is well documented (even if I agreed with what he said about Tony Bennett, and I am truly amazed how his 2-3 zone is so successful when other teams that play 2-3 zone seem to always have holes in their defense) – Duke will take out Syracuse.  In the final, I have more friends and family who have attended Duke, so I will go with the Blue Devils.

In the Final Four, while I want to go totally crazy in the battle of the little guys, it seems to be more sensible to take Gonzaga to beat Loyola – Chicago.  To be truthful, if this game happens, I am going to be happy no matter the outcome, so I will take the more likely team to get to this game as the one likely to win.   Obviously, Purdue then upsets Duke, beats Gonzaga, and wins the National Championship.

I have to continue to support my Boilermakers.  This is the best team that they have had in a long time, and so I am going to go with them until the end, no matter the outcome.

Ten reasons to do the Stomp the Lunatic Second Chance Pool

• You no longer have a Final Four team left in your real bracket after what you thought was a creative pick of a 1 seed, 2 seed, 3 seed and 4 seed of Xavier, Cincinnati, Michigan State and Wichita State has blown up in the first weekend.
• You want another chance to say that you had a perfect bracket after your billion dollar picks were ruined when UMBC became the first 16 seed to beat a 1 seed – sorry Virginia fans.
• Now that you know that a 98 year old nun (Sister Jean Dolores-Schmidt) is providing spiritual guidance to Loyola – Chicago and they have managed to win their two games on last second shots, you know the Ramblers are destined to win the tournament.
• Your daughter who doesn’t understand the scoring system and picked schools based on where her grandparents went to school and your son who picks all the games based on who is the higher seed are both beating you in the pool and you want another chance to redeem yourself
• Your favorite school has been eliminated and so you now can pick teams intelligently to show off how much you know about basketball, and you know you will be able to easily beat the Lunatic since his school, Purdue, is still alive in the tournament.
• You have decided that all the teams you pick are jinxed, and since there are still schools out there that you don’t like, you want to test the theory by picking them. If you have that power (like the Lunatic does), you might as well use that power for good (let me suggest taking Kentucky and Syracuse).
• You know that no 5 seed or 9 seed has ever won the tournament, and with as crazy as this year’s tournament has been at breaking historic trends, you know that #5 Kentucky, #9 Florida State, #5 West Virginia and #5 Clemson are destined to end that streak as well.
• With it being the first day of Spring tomorrow and anticipating the second chance that Mother Nature is giving Virginia by dropping 3-5 inches of snow, you want a second chance to pick schools in locations most likely to get snow (Loyola-Chicago, Michigan, West Virginia or Villanova (take your pick – both get a lot), and Syracuse.
• It is another – and more importantly, last chance in 2018 to STOMP THE LUNATIC!
• It’s absolutely FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That’s right – your entry fee already covers your Second Chance Pool entry – and so there is absolutely no good reason not to do the Second Chance Pool.

You even have all Thursday afternoon to do them, since the games don’t start until 7:10 pm EST. Good luck to all of you!!!!

 

Those who are regulars in the Stomp the Lunatic contest know that I am not a fan of Jim Boeheim.   While I respect how amazing of a coach he is, he tends to say things in press conferences that really rub me the wrong way.

Well, not today.  Today he was asked by a reporter about what his thoughts were on how some people were saying that they would rather have a mediocre .500 team that have what happened to Virginia.

And as only Boeheim can do, he gave a pretty long answer to the question.  Here are some of his best quotes.

“I’ve seen coaches win games in this tournament, two, three, four games and they’re terrible coaches. Things just went right. And it’s what you do over the course of 35 games that determines what kind of coach you are. You win 17 games in the ACC, win the ACC Tournament? He’s got — I think he’s got one guy who was hurt that will be an NBA player. The other guys are — they’re pretty good. There’s a couple. They may sneak in. I don’t know. They may sneak in there.  But he’s won the ACC against Duke and North Carolina what four or five years? I don’t know what it is. It’s beyond even trying to understand it. With maybe two recruits in the top 40. And he’s playing against 15 guys on each team over those period of time that were in the top 20 or top 10 or top 5 in wins? Come on. It’s one game. It’s one game.

“Pittsburgh, they didn’t like their coach because he didn’t win the tournament. They’re doing really good now, aren’t they, in Pittsburgh? I know all those people were yelling, too. They wanted him out.”

“Come on, the tournament is — I’ve lost in this tournament, everybody has. I’ve looked at the list of bad losses, and I couldn’t believe we weren’t even on it.  But Mike Krzyzewski has lost, I’ve lost, Roy Williams has lost, Bill Self has lost, Dean Smith lost.  There’s nobody that hasn’t lost.”

“This is college basketball. I saw the Spurs get beat in their first game of the playoffs one year. They won the championship. Golden State, I think, got beat in the first game. They won the championship. It’s one-and-done. You’re off your game a little bit, you know, and it’s not that, like, people will say, they’re just good in the regular season they’re not good — that’s just stupid.”

 

I know that this loss is going to sting for a while.  But Virginia fans need to know that their program is in amazing hands with Tony Bennett.  If Virginia was a 2 seed (like Michigan State lost to Middle Tennessee State, Duke lost to Lehigh, or Syracuse lost to Richmond), this would just be considered an awesome upset by UMBC.  But in those cases, Middle Tennessee State, Lehigh and Richmond were just ranked a couple teams higher than UMBC.  In fact, the Syracuse / Richmond game happened in 1991 when there was no play-in game.  Based on where UMBC was ranked compared to the other conference tourney winners, they would have been a 15 seed that year….

To be fair, some of the things that I have read are totally unfair – both to Bennett and UMBC.   No one wants to mention this, but UMBC stayed in the game until the very end against Kansas State.  They didn’t just surprise Virginia – they almost surprised Kansas State as well.  UMBC might not have had a major win before their conference tournament, but they earned the right to be here – and beat a pretty good team in Vermont on their home court to do it.

It is a historic upset.  But it is only historic because Virginia had an amazing season where they went 31-2, won the ACC by 4 games, and won the ACC tournament.  Otherwise, this game just appears like Arizona (another major conference champion) getting upset by Buffalo.  It will take some time, but Virginia basketball will be just fine under Bennett’s leadership.

 

West Virginia ended a wild Sunday of basketball where they were determined not to fall to the upset bug that was happening, as they beat Marshall 94-71.

This created something that I don’t remember seeing in the pool.  We have an 11 way tie for first place – as Josh Martin, Butch Bisese, Christy Lindvall, Edward Zhang, Alex Simon, Andrew Braslow, Bob Degenhardt, Steve Martin, Michelle L Miller, and both of Andrea Zimmerman’s picks are in the lead at 440 points, with another 6 entries (and my 2 fun entries of the Sagarin and BPI picks) just 10 points behind.  To make it even more crazy, 5 of our 11 leaders can’t correctly predict this year’s tournament winner.  With the scores so close and with so many upsets, there are a lot of people who are within striking distance to win the pool.

In the Upset Pool, Christy Lindvall has a decent sized lead as she has accumulated 239 points.  Triona Weeks is in second at 202 points, followed by Joe Chapman and Edward Zhang at 191 and Alex Simon at 190.

The Lunatic is hovering in 45th place – but with both Virginia and North Carolina out, he is stuck hoping that Villanova or Purdue will win the East and then the whole tournament.  Of course, he is also being beaten by his daughter Katie with her entry called Pink Sparkly Unicorns.

This morning, Charlie asked me how he was doing, and after letting him know that he was slightly ahead of Katie and I, Katie asked where she was – and I told her she was 60 points behind the leaders – tied with me.  She responded with the question, “Are points good or bad?”  So you know that she is probably destined to beat me with her picks of where Grandpa and Grandma went to school vs. the ones I poured hours of analysis into.

Whether you picked based on analysis or schools you simply like, my guess is you also had your bracket crushed today.   But you are not completely done – that is because all of us get a second chance.   The Second Chance Pool is up and ready for you – simply login to get to the Second Chance Pool entry page.

Good luck to everyone in Stomping the Lunatic!!!!!

 

 

Florida State after playing a tight first half found themselves down to #1 Xavier by as many as 12 with just 10 minutes to play.   But on crazy bracket busting Sunday, no lead is safe.  The Seminoles kept cutting down the lead – getting it down to 4 with 4 minutes to play.  Then, on their next two possessions, Mfiondu Kabengele would get the offensive rebound off a missed shot, and lay the ball in to tie the game.

Xavier would retake the lead 70-68 as Paul Scruggs was fouled on a drive and hit two free throws.   Then, after an offensive foul on Florida State, Xavier has the ball stolen by Trent Forrest, and in transition, Forrest kicks the ball out to PJ Savoy, who drains a three pointer to give Florida State the lead 71-70.

Florida State’s Braian Angola stole the ball on the next possession.  Xavier tried to trap PJ Savoy to steal the ball, but instead foul him.  Savoy hits both free throws and they are now up 3.   Then, in a strange possession with only 22 seconds left, Xavier shows no urgency at all – almost walking up the court.   They eventually set up a play that gets Kerem Kanter a wide open three pointer, but he throws up an air ball.  Now forced to foul, Florida State’s CJ Walker gets to the line and hits the final two free throws, and the top seed in the West is going home.

Florida State joins Kansas State as 9 seeds who won today.   The Wildcats played a tight game with Cinderella darling #16 seed UMBC – but eventually started pulling away at the end to win by 9 and ending the Retrievers upset streak.  So, if your bracket hadn’t been destroyed by the top 4 seeds all losing in the South, the West responded with both UNC and Xavier losing tonight.

Its going to be a wide open tournament!!!!!

Earlier today, one of the ACC teams that tied for 3rd in the conference standings, North Carolina, went up against the SEC’s Texas A&M, who went 9-9 to finish in a tie for 7th in their conference.  Because the ACC is so strong, and UNC went all the way to their conference tournament finals, the Tar Heels ended up being a 2 seed.  Of course, we know that the Aggies went and totally destroyed the Tar Heels.

So, later tonight, one of the ACC teams that tied for 3rd in the conference standings but was not considered as good as UNC got ready to play their Round of 32 game.  The #5 seeded Clemson Tigers would be the underdog – as they go against #4 Auburn, the SEC regular season co-champions.  So, of course, after seeing what Texas A&M did, you would have to figure that Clemson might be in a little bit of trouble.

So, with 8 minutes left in the game, Clemson finds themselves up 75-37.  Because that makes total sense.  Clemson blows out the SEC regular-season champion, and the better team from the ACC goes down by 21 to the SEC bubble team.  You have to love March!!!!

The Wolfpack found themselves down 22 points with just 11:34 left in the game.  But funny things happen in March, and Nevada produced a comeback for the ages.  Because Nevada finished the game on a 32-8 run.

That’s right, the Wolfpack made a huge run – and after Cincinnati’s Cane Broome hit two free throws to make the game a 5 point game, Jordan Caroline made a layup to cut the lead to 3 points.  With 57 seconds left, Caleb Martin hit a three pointer with someone in his face to tie the game.  And Cincinnati’s Jacob Evans missed on his drive – so the Wolfpack had a chance to take the lead.

Nevada’s Cody Martin let the shot clock run down, drove to the free throw line and stepped back for a jumper.  The shot ended up missing, but Josh Hall got the offensive rebound, and instead of kicking the ball out to make sure the Wolfpack got the last shot, he decided to make the play of the game, he made one dribble in the lane to the basket, and put up the shot that rolled in and gave Nevada its first lead of the game.

Cincinnati got one more chance to tie or win the game – but they were unable to score.  And so the Wolfpack led the game for 10 seconds.  But it was the correct 10 seconds – the ones that will send Nevada to Atlanta for the Sweet 16.

And at this point, one of the following teams will win the South Region – #7 Nevada will play #11 Loyola – Chicago, and #5 Kentucky will play the winner of the #9 Kansas St / #16 UMBC.   I am sure everyone had that in their brackets…..