So much for picking the rest of my games right and storming from behind to win this thing. Thanks to Pitt and the worst five seconds of defense you will ever see -- "I was getting ready for overtime," said DeJuan Blair, which is all you need to know about why Pitt is not in the Final Four -- I am now, once and for all, relegated to bystander in the CougCenter Bracket Challenge.
Which isn't all that bad, considering I can now do no worse than a tie for 43rd place. It should be noted that 43rd is not last. I'm just sayin.
At the top, 02Coug continues to lead, but no longer controls his own destiny. That honor belogs to others, most notably Pman, who wins in three of the eight possible scenarios, including any scenario in which North Carolina -- which has to be considered the favorite at this point -- wins it all.
The most interesting scenario involves NY Cougs, the only one in the entire challenge to pick Villanova to win. Guess he knew a little more than I, who picked Villanova to lose to American in the opener. (Whoops!)
Here are the eight different ways it could potentially play out, with a little assist from the Yahoo! scenario generator:
- UConn and UNC win, UNC wins it all: Pman wins it all, with Grady ensuring that someone around here looks like they know what they're talking about by finishing second.
- MSU and UNC win, UNC wins it all: Pman again wins it all.
- UConn and UNC win, UConn wins it all: displacedcoug wins it all.
- UConn and Villanova win, UConn wins it all: 02Coug hangs on to win by four points over displacedcoug.
- UConn and Villanova win, Villanova wins it all: NYCougs jumps all the way up from 25th(!) to win it all.
- MSU and Villanova win, Villanova wins it all: Again, NYCougs wins it all.
- MSU and UNC win, MSU wins it all: Pman again wins it all.
- MSU and Villanova win, MSU wins it all: Shadycoug jumps up from fifth to edge num204 by a point.
Since I'm just arrogant enough to think you all care, my top end is 25th in pretty much any scenario where UConn beats Michigan State.
Full standings after the jump.
Rank
|
Bracket
|
Finals
|
Points
|
Possible Pts
|
1 | 02Coug | Connecticut | 95 | 143 |
2 | Pman | North Carolina | 94 | 158 |
3 | displacedcoug | Connecticut | 91 | 155 |
4 | WazzuCougar02 | Pittsburgh | 90 | 90 |
5 | Shadycoug | Louisville | 88 | 104 |
6 | num204 | Pittsburgh | 87 | 103 |
7 | LeaveItToWeaver | Louisville | 86 | 86 |
8 | Saved by Capers | North Carolina | 83 | 147 |
8 | WSU Tru Coug | North Carolina | 83 | 131 |
8 | dflynnwsu | North Carolina | 83 | 131 |
8 | From Way Downtown | North Carolina | 83 | 131 |
12 | wsuakl86 | North Carolina | 81 | 129 |
12 | TiltingRight | Pittsburgh | 81 | 81 |
14 | Cougwatch | Connecticut | 80 | 128 |
15 | HitKing69 | Pittsburgh | 79 | 95 |
15 | SuperShadow | Louisville | 79 | 79 |
17 | james_WSU | North Carolina | 78 | 142 |
17 | DCinSEA | Pittsburgh | 78 | 78 |
17 | Kyle's Bracket | Pittsburgh | 78 | 78 |
20 | johnnycougar | Pittsburgh | 76 | 76 |
21 | Taylor Rochestie's Scholarship | Connecticut | 75 | 123 |
21 | Bracket Pick Graveyard | Connecticut | 75 | 123 |
23 | JimTheCoug | Pittsburgh | 74 | 74 |
24 | jj_fekl | Pittsburgh | 73 | 73 |
25 | cougars16 | North Carolina | 72 | 136 |
25 | NYCougs | Villanova | 72 | 120 |
25 | LAtona Coug | Louisville | 72 | 72 |
28 | rcm_rx7 | Connecticut | 70 | 118 |
28 | BigWood | Pittsburgh | 70 | 70 |
28 | 907coug | Pittsburgh | 70 | 70 |
28 | bertel | Louisville | 70 | 70 |
32 | JonF | Memphis | 69 | 69 |
33 | Dancing Football | Louisville | 68 | 68 |
34 | Gocougs | Louisville | 67 | 83 |
34 | SW WA Coug | Pittsburgh | 67 | 67 |
36 | StraightOuttaPullman | Pittsburgh | 66 | 66 |
36 | thecassino | Louisville | 66 | 66 |
38 | Philkid3 | North Carolina | 65 | 113 |
38 | Paul Thomas | Pittsburgh | 65 | 65 |
38 | Peaty411s | Louisville | 65 | 65 |
41 | K-Coug | Louisville | 63 | 63 |
42 | cougclayton | Pittsburgh | 62 | 62 |
43 | Nuss * | Pittsburgh | 60 | 76 |
43 | MattPD | No Pick | 60 | 60 |
45 | CleenCoug1 | Memphis | 53 | 53 |
* Commissioner |