The Syndicate

Here's the group on Yahoo! where participants and spectators can check out everyone's brackets and current standings.

Here's 538's March Madness predictions. They update the win probability of each game from the beginning as well as while the game progresses.

I can update this first post with any additional links any of us thinks is worthwhile.

Anyone here follow college basketball, particularly around March Madness time?

In the past, I've been known to fill out a March Madness bracket and at least follow all of the games' results, but the last few years I haven't followed it as closely, and somehow I missed it completely this year amid everything else going on. I thought about it earlier this month, and then today found out Round 1 games were starting! So I was wishing I had filled out a bracket, but oh well. Figured I'd start this discussion thread anyway!

I think next year we definitely need to start a Syndicate bracket tournament.

Also, I'm totally calling 16 FGCU over 1 UNC later tonight.

In other news, looks like 12 Yale over 5 Baylor will likely be the first upset of this year's tournament (I don't count 9 seeds beating 8 seeds).

I follow the Madness but I've been to busy this week to sit down and hammer out a bracket. No one at work cares for basketball, so at least we'll remain productive through it all.

Where I work no one cares for hoops either, but we will gamble on anything. So I have a bracket, but have no clue who is on it or what the odds are. One year I won the Booby Prize (your money vack) for being first eliminated.

MovingPictures07 wrote:In other news, looks like 12 Yale over 5 Baylor will likely be the first upset of this year's tournament (I don't count 9 seeds beating 8 seeds).

Looks like we might have another one. 12 Little Rock just went on an 18-5 run in the last 3 minutes to send the game to overtime, against 5 Purdue.

Double-overtime on the way. This is what March Madness is all about.

You bet, what a crazy game this one turned out to be! I did not expect that at all; I wrote it off earlier as a relatively easy Purdue win.

41-40 UNC-FGCU at halftime... this could still happen. 538 is currently giving the Eagles a 12% chance of pulling off the first 16 seed over 1 seed upset ever.

Well, there's UNC with an insane sense of urgency, so FGCU's hopes are significantly lowered just less than 5 minutes into the second half. I'm really doubting it now, but I suppose anything is possible.

Someday a 16 seed will upset a 1 seed. Someday...

MovingPictures07 wrote:Well, there's UNC with an insane sense of urgency, so FGCU's hopes are significantly lowered just less than 5 minutes into the second half. I'm really doubting it now, but I suppose anything is possible.

Someday a 16 seed will upset a 1 seed. Someday...

Tomorrow?

Holy Cross? Man, I don't know about that. :P

I'll root for them anyway.

I didn't call Yale or UALR, but I did call Wichita State and Gonzaga (which I'm sure a lot of people did). I'll take 13 out of 16 on Day 1.

13/16 for Day 1 of Round 1 isn't half shabby. I've definitely scored less.

WOAH, there's that upset I was looking for! I would have never called that. WTF MSU?

I know right? Wasn't their coach upset that they didn't get a 1 seed?

Anyway, fun game to watch. Middle Tennessee looked solid and poised.

Crazy! I think you're right re: the coach. Too funny.

I could see MTSU beating Syracuse pretty easily, but they're probably going to get stomped by Gonzaga or Utah thereafter (my bet's on Gonzaga).

It seems like Gonzaga has been underrated every single year, and this year is no exception.

As usual, my bracket is doing a mediocre job of letting me win any pool :P Thanks, MSU, for screwing up that entire corner!

nijuukyugou wrote:As usual, my bracket is doing a mediocre job of letting me win any pool :P Thanks, MSU, for screwing up that entire corner!

This tbqh

Wow, what a one-sided match with Villanova v. Oklahoma.

Anyone think Syracuse actually has a chance tonight?

I think they will perform better than Oklahoma will.

Metalmarsh89 wrote:I think they will perform better than Oklahoma will.

Lol, yeah, I'm with you there. That was a disaster.

I didn't watch the game, but I did see a couple stats afterward. A team shooting 78% does attribute some to preparation, but there was certainly some luck involved. When everything is rolling your way, it's hard to lose.

Metalmarsh89 wrote:I didn't watch the game, but I did see a couple stats afterward. A team shooting 78% does attribute some to preparation, but there was certainly some luck involved. When everything is rolling your way, it's hard to lose.

Indeed, once Villanova got ahead, it was pretty much over. That train just wouldn't stop.

Holy crap. I saw your comment about it being a blow out and figured Oklahoma was lighting yet another team up. Just the opposite! The guy who was my tax professor my second time through college also teaches at Villanova, so I've been pulling for them.

G-Man wrote:Holy crap. I saw your comment about it being a blow out and figured Oklahoma was lighting yet another team up. Just the opposite! The guy who was my tax professor my second time through college also teaches at Villanova, so I've been pulling for them.

I know, right? I definitely didn't expect it. Villanova could definitely win the whole thing if they play on Monday like they did tonight. UNC has been heavily favored from the getgo though, and Syracuse have gotten this far for a reason, so either way hopefully it'll be an interesting finals match.

Hell of a championship game. Props to Villanova for the win.

I'm sorry I wasn't around this go round. I'm a Tar Heel, as all of my family is, and I was GUTTED. I loved this team so much, losing like that was brutal. I almost wish they had us by 15 points at the end. It would have hurt, but not like that.

Illyria wrote:I'm sorry I wasn't around this go round. I'm a Tar Heel, as all of my family is, and I was GUTTED. I loved this team so much, losing like that was brutal. I almost wish they had us by 15 points at the end. It would have hurt, but not like that.

Yeah, a treasured team or player losing like that is always tough. Maybe they can make up for it next year.

I didn't have any reason to root for one team over the other, but considering Villanova had less history of NCAA success, I am glad they at least had their 15 minutes of fame this year. Of course, I can understand why you and other UNC fans wouldn't feel that way though.

MovingPictures07 wrote:

Illyria wrote:I'm sorry I wasn't around this go round. I'm a Tar Heel, as all of my family is, and I was GUTTED. I loved this team so much, losing like that was brutal. I almost wish they had us by 15 points at the end. It would have hurt, but not like that.

Yeah, a treasured team or player losing like that is always tough. Maybe they can make up for it next year.

I didn't have any reason to root for one team over the other, but considering Villanova had less history of NCAA success, I am glad they at least had their 15 minutes of fame this year. Of course, I can understand why you and other UNC fans wouldn't feel that way though.

If they had been playing anyone else, I would have rooted for them too and they were great. The refs like them too.

Yeah, I hurt for the seniors but we only had 3, so if we have all of them stay (please Odin, please) we may have a good shot if we get some good points from our bench.

My real concern is going to be Duke, I loathe them and they have a formidable roster next year.

Anyone want to fill out brackets this year in a Syndicate league?

MovingPictures07 wrote:Anyone want to fill out brackets this year in a Syndicate league?

Yes please!

Marmot wrote:

MovingPictures07 wrote:Anyone want to fill out brackets this year in a Syndicate league?

Yes please!

Sweet! Hopefully other people want to as well.

I know jack shit about college basketball, but it'd be easy enough to fill out a bracket.

JaggedJimmyJay wrote:I know jack shit about college basketball, but it'd be easy enough to fill out a bracket.

I know right? Same here! I never follow any year and couldn't tell you even the simplest thing other than maybe some info regarding what happened in past tournaments (and even then, I didn't even follow some years), but I at least found filling these things out in the past to be fun.

JaggedJimmyJay wrote:I know jack shit about college basketball, but it'd be easy enough to fill out a bracket.

I am in this camp as well. I think I'll swing for the fences and pick an all 16 seed Final Four. It's bound to happen one of these years.

Sloonei wrote:

JaggedJimmyJay wrote:I know jack shit about college basketball, but it'd be easy enough to fill out a bracket.

I am in this camp as well. I think I'll swing for the fences and pick an all 16 seed Final Four. It's bound to happen one of these years.

Do it, I dare you.

Crap, I didn't realize the tournament started tonight.

JaggedJimmyJay wrote:Crap, I didn't realize the tournament started tonight.

Only the start of the play-in games that no one really cares about. The "real tournament" / Round 1 games don't start until Thursday, so you (and others) have until then to complete brackets and such. I would guess Thursday at noon Eastern is the standard cutoff.

MovingPictures07 wrote:

JaggedJimmyJay wrote:Crap, I didn't realize the tournament started tonight.

Only the start of the play-in games that no one really cares about. The "real tournament" / Round 1 games don't start until Thursday, so you (and others) have until then to complete brackets and such. I would guess Thursday at noon Eastern is the standard cutoff.

Yeah, just confirmed, first Round 1 game between Notre Dame and Princeton starts at 12:15 Eastern on Thursday, March 16th.

I'll shoot you all a PM reminder to fill out the brackets tomorrow night in case anyone still needs to complete it.

MovingPictures07 wrote:

Sloonei wrote:

JaggedJimmyJay wrote:I know jack shit about college basketball, but it'd be easy enough to fill out a bracket.

I am in this camp as well. I think I'll swing for the fences and pick an all 16 seed Final Four. It's bound to happen one of these years.

Do it, I dare you.

Go Texas Southern.

8 brackets have been submitted! You still have another 3.5 hours or so to submit one if you are not one of those folks. And if you want the information for the bracket pool, PM me. I'll be here off and on until the first game starts at 12:15 Eastern.

Then I'll be starting the smack talk and game talk.

I spent way too long on mine on Tuesday, that's for sure.

It'll be worth it when my bracket crushes all of yours though.

So it begins! I'll be adding a poll shortly.

Here's the group on Yahoo! where participants and spectators can check out everyone's brackets and current standings.

Also, new poll added.

Because Sloonei decided to actually have all #16 seeds advance not only beyond the first round but to the Final Four , note that the poll asks which one will be the SECOND to go.

If you all have any suggestions for future polls, by all means.

I voted Gonzaga even though my bracket predicts Baylor will fall in the second round to SMU, because it's Gonzaga and I think they'll be taken out fairly early.

In other news, with #5 Notre Dame v. #12 Princeton, I may have my first miss already since I went for the upset here.

Oral Roberts University didn't make the tournament this year but thank God Wichita State did. If Oral isn't an option, I'll settle for the Shockers.

G-Man wrote:Oral Roberts University didn't make the tournament this year but thank God Wichita State did. If Oral isn't an option, I'll settle for the Shockers.

I could see the Shockers doing some real damage, as for some reason yet again they're dangerously underseeded. We shall see.