Who Won the Games?
Round 2 of this year’s NCAA tournament featured a healthy mix of upsets and chalk, of perennial powerhouses and newcomers.
Perhaps the biggest story of Round 2 is our beloved Saint Peepee, who’s 70-60 upset over Murray State has Kentuckians everywhere questioning life’s true meaning.
Across the nation’s tobacco fields, however, Duke and North Carolina are one step closer to more glory. UNC knocked off the one seeded but undermanned Baylor Bears in dramatic, almost-choke fashion on Friday. On Saturday, Coach K’s Dukies got one more win over Tom Izzo’s Spartans, which had commentators and trust fund babies circle jerking alike.
Who Leads our Pool?
Conner Deck remains the leader after Round 2 with 470 points. Mark Gosney has leaped into second with 460 points, while Dan Martin remains close behind with 450 points.
A bit of analysis: going forward, Conner’s success may be largely tied to the success of UCLA. Conner has the Bruins winning it all, while neither Dan nor the Gauze have UCLA getting past the Elite Eight.
Potpourri
In the battle of the Mississippi River, Dan, Jon and Hud have an impressive average of 410, holding a comfortable lead over the boys in the East, who report an average of 383.6.
In the battle of the Bourgeoisie and Proletariat, the private school graduates still lead the public school graduates with an average score of 392.1 to the public’s 370.
Editor’s Notes
If you’re currently leading our bracket pool and out-picking supposed experts, perhaps you could use a bit of humbling perspective. The editor’s fiancée has asked him to publish that, as of publication, she has 450 points. That total would put her in third place (tied with Dan) in our pool. What was her strategy? She largely picked winners based off of team colors and “vibe.” So much for male basketball expertise.
Requiem for the 2021-2022 Vols
For many readers, the Round of 32 undoubtedly brought heartbreak as the Tennessee Volunteers were upset by 11 seed Michigan. The News Sentinel’s Mike Williams wrote a sob story about the game Saturday night, focusing on the “too familiar” disappointment Vol fans must currently feel. Fans should feel disappointed by the upset, but it’s imperative to remember what this Tennessee team accomplished. Last week’s SEC championship win was the Vols’ first since 1979. The team went 16-0 at home and beat Arizona, Kentucky, Auburn, Arkansas and North Carolina. The loss in the tournament was premature, but the season was incredibly successful.
With Coach K retiring at the end of the year, there will be just six active Division One coaches with more wins than Rick Barnes. In the past five seasons, Tennessee has more wins than any SEC school but Auburn. The argument that coaching has passed Barnes is misguided at best. Cheers to the 2022 season, and thank you Coach Barnes for a special year.
Limping into the Sweet 16,
Neece
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