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With the first of the two Final Four semifinal matchups set to tip off just after 3 p.m. PDT today, here's a look at how CougCenter's two contests -- the bracket challenge and author draft -- stand heading into the final three games of the NCAA tournament.
Bracket Challenge
Here's the current top 10:
| Rank | Bracket | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Semis | Finals | Points | Possible Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HighSchoolQuarterback | 48 | 30 | 20 | 16 | - | Louisville | 114 | 148 |
| 2 | dflynnwsu | 46 | 39 | 20 | 8 | - | Louisville | 113 | 147 |
| 2 | Johnson's Bracket | 44 | 33 | 20 | 16 | - | Florida | 113 | 126 |
| 4 | Mark Sandritter | 50 | 33 | 20 | 8 | - | Florida | 111 | 124 |
| 5 | 91coug | 48 | 30 | 15 | 16 | - | Louisville | 109 | 143 |
| 6 | jvanwsu | 44 | 36 | 20 | 8 | - | Miami (FL) | 108 | 108 |
| 7 | wakefu 5 | 46 | 33 | 20 | 8 | - | Florida | 107 | 120 |
| 7 | It'satrap | 46 | 33 | 20 | 8 | - | Louisville | 107 | 141 |
| 7 | Smiley Snacks Brack Attack | 42 | 24 | 25 | 16 | - | Syracuse | 107 | 141 |
| 7 | Jeedf | 46 | 30 | 15 | 16 | - | Michigan | 107 | 154 |
Mark is carrying the flag for the authors. Thanks bud! Now, let's look at the possibilities. Here are the top 10 in order of potential:
| Bracket | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Semis | Finals | Points | Possible Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeedf | 46 | 30 | 15 | 16 | - | Michigan | 107 | 154 |
| HighSchoolQuarterback | 48 | 30 | 20 | 16 | - | Louisville | 114 | 148 |
| dflynnwsu | 46 | 39 | 20 | 8 | - | Louisville | 113 | 147 |
| 91coug | 48 | 30 | 15 | 16 | - | Louisville | 109 | 143 |
| It'satrap | 46 | 33 | 20 | 8 | - | Louisville | 107 | 141 |
| Smiley Snacks Brack Attack | 42 | 24 | 25 | 16 | - | Syracuse | 107 | 141 |
| msgp501st | 46 | 30 | 20 | 8 | - | Louisville | 104 | 138 |
| TrueCoug | 42 | 33 | 20 | 8 | - | Louisville | 103 | 137 |
| natekelly425 | 46 | 30 | 15 | 8 | - | Michigan | 99 | 133 |
| From Way Downtown | 46 | 30 | 15 | 8 | - | Louisville | 99 | 133 |
| Michael Preston | 46 | 30 | 15 | 8 | - | Louisville | 99 | 133 |
| Orange Duck WSU | 46 | 30 | 15 | 8 | - | Louisville | 99 | 133 |
But since that's not quite specific enough for me, here's how the winners play out in each possible scenario:
- Louisville win + Michigan win + Louisville champ or Louisville win + Syracuse win + Louisville champ: HighSchoolQuarterback
- Louisville win + Michigan win + Michigan champ or Wichita State win + Michigan win + Michigan champ or Wichita State win + Michigan win + Wichita State champ: Jeedf
- Louisville win + Syracuse win + Syracuse champ or Wichita State win + Syracuse win + Syracuse champ or Wichita State win + Syracuse win + Wichita State champ: Smiley Snacks Brack Attack
It's a three-horse race! Full standings here.
Author Draft Standings
Here, it's a two-horse race -- sort of.
Since I'm guaranteed to get at least four points, I will finish with 57 points minimum. If Wichita State wins the championship, Kyle will tie me. If Louisville wins it all, as expected, Craig still will be 15 points away from fourth place.