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If it’s the longest post of the year, it has to be time to go through the entries of the Ninth Annual Uncle Crappy NCAA Final Four Challenge (Brought To You By Bocktown).
Because of a couple of work things on Thursday afternoon, I’m posting this nearly a full day later than I usually do. I appreciate your patience; I also appreciate that most of you appeared to heed my warning about Ohio State’s first-round game against Dayton.
As is tradition, we’ll begin with the picks of yours truly:
I approached this year’s tournament with one thing in mind: Don’t be chalky. And I think I did pretty well.
Kansas v. Iowa State / Arizona v. Wichita State
Wichita State beats Kansas for the title, 79-78
(And yes, I think Ohio State will beat Dayton, in an uncomfortably close game.)
Family always comes first. That segment begins, as usual, with Mrs. Crappy, who’s all about the nicknames this year:
‘Cuse beats Cincy, Zaga beats Dook. ‘Cuse beats Dook for the championship (114 points).
Here’s Crappydad, whose geographic concentration is, uh, stunning:
Michigan State beats Florida. Michigan beats Arizona. And Michigan State beats that other team from the State Up North, 64-52.
Next up is my mom, who doesn’t want anything Crappy attached to her name:
Final Four: Florida & MSU, Arizona & Louisville
Final: Florida & Arizona
Winner: Florida
Score: 68-66
Next up is our defending AUCNFFC champion, Aunt Annoyed Angel:
Final four: Florida v Virginia & Wisconsin v Wichita State.
Championship game Florida v Wichita State. Champion: Florida. Tiebreaker: 162.
And then the rest of you, in no particular order. We start with Otimemore; the only reason I know Otimemore personally is because of this here college basketball pool:
Final four: Florida v. Villanova. – Arizona v. Louisville
Final Florida v. Arizona
Champ Arizona (149 pts)
Past AUCNFFC champion Casey:
Final Four: Florida vs. Iowa State / Baylor vs. Louisville
Championship: Florida over Louisville (150 points)
The lovely and talented Dana Bee:
FF: Louisville vs. Oklahoma – Kansas vs. UCONN
Final: Louisville vs. Kansas
Champ: Kansas
Tiebreaker: 154
The SportsChump gets in on the action for the first time:
Final Four: Florida, Virginia, Wisconsin, Duke
Florida over Duke in the championship game, Total Score: 144
Gina and her menagerie are giving it another shot. Sort of.
OK – so the stupid dog won’t pick and the cats are idiots, so I had to pick my own final four, then I rolled the papers into balls & threw them across the room. The winner went furthest. Next year, I’m letting the hermit crab pick.
Final Four: Michigan St vs. Kansas, Wichita St vs. Arizona
Championship game: Michigan St vs. Wichita St
Champion: Michigan St
Tiebreaker: 148
AUCNFFC veteran Curl Girl Michelle:
Final Four: Florida vs. Virginia / Arizona vs. Wichita St.
Championship: Virginia vs. Arizona
Champion: Arizona
Tiebreaker: 137
The wise and knowledgeable Chachi:
Final four: Kansas v. Villanova, Arizona v Wichita State
Final Villanova v. Wichita St.
Champ Villanova
Tiebreaker: 139 points
Past champ Barb:
Final four: Syracuse vs. Virginia, Wisconsin vs. Louisville
Champ Game: Syracuse vs. Wisconsin
Champ: Wisconsin
Tiebreaker: 140
Terry Coyne, I have no idea who you are, but thanks so much for playing along:
Final Four: Florida v. North Carolina and Arizona v. Louisville
Championship game: Florida v. Louisville
Champion: Florida
Tiebreaker: 161
Fellow former Ohioan Bluzdude:
Final 4: Florida vs Michigan State, Arizona vs Duke.
Championship Game: Florida vs Duke
Champion: Florida
Tiebreaker: 126
I’m glad I don’t have to pick a favorite rugby player in Pittsburgh; picking my favorite Pghrugbyref, however, is easy:
Final Four: VCU, UVA, Creighton, Duke
Championship: VCU v Creighton
Champ: Creighton
Tiebreaker: 121
Doug, aka Father Spoon, aka Doogle, aka past AUCNFFC champ:
Final Four: Florida vs. Villanova, Michigan vs. Arizona
Championship game: Villanova vs.Michigan
Champion: Michigan
Tiebreaker: 149
Trailion’s son Evan is trying to kill me:
Michigan State defeats Kansas.Michigan defeats Arizona.Wolverines beat Sparty. SPARTY, NOOOOOOO!
Dish is also trying to kill me:
I’m still waiting for The College of New Jersey to somehow earn a 16-seed one of these years. My main guiding principle is screw Duke. Also picking two Michigan teams to see Uncle Crappy’s head explode.
Florida over Michigan State
Michigan over CreightonFinal: Florida over Michigan (121)
Hellpellet’s assessment is correct:
Florida, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Louisville
FL vs Luhvl with FL winning.
Tiebreaker 142
Earliest I’ve ever gotten this to you? Yes, I think so.
Foodcollage, a Buckeye by way of Canada, returns with more picks:
Final Four: Florida vs. Michigan State, Arizona vs. Louisville
Championship game: Florida vs. Louisville
Champion: Florida
Tiebreaker: 157
Go Bucks!!
Redpenmamapgh’s treatment of North Carolina will make Mrs. Crappy happy:
Final Four: Syracuse vs. N. Carolina, Baylor vs. Duke
Final: Duke vs. Syracuse
Winner: Syracuse
tiebreaker: 122
My old friend Kewyson:
In the Final 4 – Syracuse will meet Michigan State – with the green prevailing over the Orange. Arizona will meet The Team Up North – with the Tucson team winning. MSU will win the final – with a score of 87 over 79.
Tim, another former AUCNFFC champion:
Florida, Nova, Arizona, Duke
Fl-AZ
Florida 128
My Carla and Crappy Show co-star knows college basketball too:
Kansas – Michigan St
Arizona – LouisvilleKansas – Louisville
Louisville
130 (68-62)
My colleague Kristen came up with solid picks, despite claims of college basketball ignorance:
Final Four: Kansas/Michigan State and Wisconsin/Duke
Final: Kansas/Duke
Winner: Duke
Tiebreaker: 137
My #asistradition buddy Jenny worked much of Wednesday afternoon to come up with these:
Four: FLA – VA, WISC – WICH
Final: FLA – WICH
Win: FLA
Tie: 148
My grumpiest colleague, J.D., is hoping some Bocktown fries will cheer him up:
Final Four: Florida, Michigan State, Arizona, Louisville
Championship game: Florida and Arizona
Champion: Florida
Tiebreaker: 160
Another colleague, Megan, joins us for the first time:
Final Four: Florida vs. Michigan State; Arizona vs. Michigan
Championship game: Florida vs. Arizona
Champion: Florida
Tiebreaker: 87 to 82 (169)
We can all be thankful that Bill’s son, a noted college basketball savant, didn’t enter. We’re happy to have Bill’s picks, though:
Final Four: Syracuse vs. Michigan State/Kentucky vs. Az.
Final: Michigan State vs. Kentucky
Winner: Go ‘Cats, for my Dad, a native of Ky. who always believed in UK, except in football, as he was occasionally a wise man.
And Bill helpfully added a short time later:
If the ‘Cats win, I won’t need a tiebreaker, but I’ll post one anyway: 125
I’m not going to let the fact that Shane is my boss to influence the outcome of NAUCNFFC in any way. Probably.
Final Four: Florida vs. Michigan State; Arizona vs. Louisville
Final: Florida vs. Arizona
Winner: Florida 68, Arizona 64 (132 total)
Eric, a sportswriting professional, heads off the beaten path:
FINAL FOUR: Florida, Iowa State, Arizona, Wichita State
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Florida 71, Wichita State 60
Why? Because everyone is picking Louisville and Michigan State
Tom returned from vacation just in time to enter:
Florida, Virginia, Arizona and Louisville
Final: Virginia and Arizona
Champion: Arizona
Tiebreaker: 156
Patrick’s back:
Fla., Michigan State, Arizona, Louisville
Fla., Louisville
Fla., 130
Grandpa Caldwell, who is a long way from being an actual grandfather:
final 4: osu v Villanova; sd state v Michigan. Champ game: Villanova v Michigan. Winner: Villanova. Tiebreaker: 145
Veteran AUCNFFCer Scooter, who didn’t pick Pitt:
Final Four: Florida, Michigan St., Louisville, Arizona
Final: Florida v. Louisville
Champion: Florida
Tiebreaker: 142
Penn Stater Neilson is sticking with the Big Ten:
Final Four: Florida vs. Michigan State / Arizona vs. Michigan
Championship: Florida over Michigan (137 points)
Doctor Lunchbox: No, thank you, sir:
Final Four: Michigan State vs. Florida and Louisville vs. ArizonaChampionship game: Michigan State vs. LouisvilleChampion: LouisvilleTiebreaker: 107Thank you, sir.
And then there’s Juan, oh he of little basketball knowledge. I was able to track down the pick’s of Phil’s mom, so that’s what Juan gets again this year:
Gonazaga beats UMass, Colorado beats Iowa State. And Colorado beats ‘Zaga for the title. God, let’s hope we don’t need a tiebreaker for this one.
And that’s it, boys and girls. Thanks again to Chris Dilla for the generous sponsorship, and thanks to each one of you who entered.
If I missed your entry or somehow screwed up something else — a thing we know from past experience is not only possible but likely — just let me know and I’ll get it fixed right away.
And, as usual, good luck to everyone. Especially Mrs. Crappy (Woooo, Bocktown dinner!).
—
Edit, Friday afternoon: I forgot to include Eric’s picks in the initial list; his stuff has since been added. And as past repeat AUCNFFC champion (and NAUCNFFC non-participant) Mr. Burns pointed out, I predicted that the championship game would end in a tie. Even though my tie-breaker doesn’t really matter because I can’t win my own contest, I’ve corrected my typo.
Uncle Crappy 
I didn’t have the Buckeyes going very far, but I had them getting past Dayton. Dammit.
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So much for my Duke pick.
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