[eagleclanriverband]

This is one of my most favorite times of the year – March Madness!

Woo-wee! Holy-Moly! Don’t know who’s in or out yet, but the madness sure got started yesterday with UConn’s 4OT win over Cincy. What a game!

I saw the highlights….With point .8 seconds left, down by 3 points in the 3rd OT, it looked like the game was over and Cincy would be victorious. Inbounded 70 feet or so away from the basket, UConn Jalen Adams hurled the ball & it went in!! Allowing the game to continue to the 4th OT.

Both teams played their hearts out. Wow, talk about never giving up!

Well I’m ready to study up on this year’s bracketology once they announce who’s going to big dance.

[Grits & Beans]

what games are up next?

[eagleclanriverband]

Oh boy, lots of action on Saturday. Several teams punched their ticket to the dance by winning their conference championships.

Congrats to Stony Brook & CSU Bakersfield on being the 1st team in the history of their school to make it. Good for them! (Oh, I love a good Cinderella story like Florida Gulf Coast a couple yrs. ago & the Zag’s before that. It shows that anything is possible.)

Several surprising 30+ point blow-out games: Texas A&M trounced LSU; and Oregon flattened Utah.

And there were a couple stunning upsets: Seton Hall w/win over Villanova; and UNC bested UVA.

I wasn’t sure if UConn could hold up. After a big win, many times there’s a letdown, but they took care of business beating Temple. I don’t know much about Memphis.

So, I’m partial to the Big10 Conference being from the Midwest. My husband went to Purdue, so we’re used to being disappointed & having our hopes crushed. LOL! Any other day, I like Michigan State & would be rooting for them. Spartans are gonna be tough to beat today. We’ll see...

LOL!! Last comment I gotta make is: How about the Kansas Uncle with the clock??? Man, Oh, Man!

Well, that’s it for my bleacher report. Hey, did you all see that pw.com is sponsoring a bracket pick 'em contest? It wasn't on the forum announcements, but there's an article with the details.

[Ndnsoldierboy]

I did not watch any of the games this first round.

[eagleclanriverband]

@Ndnsoldierboy, Oh man, you missed some good ones, if you like close games in the last 2 minutes or so. A couple came down to the wire & were buzzer beaters.

So many upsets this year! There's ecstasy & agony all in the same moment depending on which team wins/loses. My brackets were busted on the 2nd day...LOL!...there's always next year, aye!

My highlights of some incredible moments:

Riddle me this?? How can a team that's 12 pts ahead with 44 seconds to go, end up losing? Utter collapse!....That's how N. Iowa ended up losing to Texas A&M in 2OT. It was like watching a train wreck in slow motion. Gotta give A&M their due & kudos, they surged when it looked like all was lost.

At the other end of the spectrum, literally in the last second of the game, Wisconsin's Bronson Koenig throws the ball up from way outside & makes it to win over Xavier. He was so humble in the interview after the game. He said he was trying to channel his "inner Steph Curry".

Heartbreaking: With less than 1 second, Cincinnati's Octavius Ellis dunks the ball to tie the game against St. Joes & you can see the ball is half way down in the net at 0.1 seconds left. But wait...on the official replay it shows his finger tips were still touching the ball when the clock hit zero 0.0 & it doesn't count. Oh boy, it doesn't get closer than that!

To me, you don't have to be a basketball fan to appreciate the drama, the unpredictable nature, the difference between how 1 more erg of energy and effort can change the outcome of a game.

So the "Sweet 16" teams are set & the madness starts back up on Thursday.

[Ndnsoldierboy]

I listened on ESPN radio but not the entire games. Mostly the scores and highlights.

[Ndnsoldierboy]

Gonzaga and Oregon are out, so no teams from the Pacific Northwest in the NCAA now.

[eagleclanriverband]

Yah, I'm kinda bummed about all the teams that are out. I thought Oregon & Kansas would make it further than they did.

Even tho, Wisconsin is out, I'm so happy for the success of Bronson Koenig! I didn't know he was Ho-Chunk! I always think it's great when an NDN does well & is successful!! I was reading Indian Country Today news & saw this article about him:

NCAA Sweet 16 Tonight! Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council Congratulates Bronson Koenig - ICTMN.com

Good for him! It sure takes a lot of hard work, practice & training to make it to NCAA D1/D3 level. I hope he may continue to do well.

[Ndnsoldierboy]

Tar Heels are going to win it all. Go Tar Heels.

[Ndnsoldierboy]

UNC lost on a last second shot to Villanova 77-74. Good game.

[eagleclanriverband]

Originally Posted by Ndnsoldierboy

UNC lost on a last second shot to Villanova 77-74. Good game.

Yah, it was a good game...too bad for the Tar Heels, though. I like them more than Villanova. Can't believe it was another buzzer beater game!

But I kinda had to root for Nova cuz both my sons picked them in a pool, so they won some $$$. Yeah!!

Congrats to Alyssa, Casey & Dagger for winning the pw.com pool!!

btw...not this year, but every so many years, the wood for the NCAA "Final Four" basketball court floor comes from the forests of the Menominee Nation. I wrote a blog about it with links to a CBS Sports documentary, if anyone is interested.

[Ndnsoldierboy]

Waiting on the bracket for 2017.

[Ndnsoldierboy]

I filled a few brackets today. I have in the Final Four:

Gonzaga, Villanova. And Oregon, Kentucky.

Another I have Villanova, Gonzaga, and Kansas and UNC.

[Ndnsoldierboy]

So far, I only missed one game. I missed the Middle Tennessee and Minnesota game. All the rest I picked correctly. 17 0ut of 18.

[Ndnsoldierboy]

Currently at 21 out of 24 correctly guessed. I missed USC, Rhode Island, and Middle Tennessee now.


UC Davis is giving Kansas a game at the moment. I picked Kansas to win.

***Update*** Kansas is now running all over UC Davis.

[eagleclanriverband]

Originally Posted by Ndnsoldierboy

So far, I only missed one game. I missed the Middle Tennessee and Minnesota game. All the rest I picked correctly. 17 0ut of 18.

WOWZA!! Good for you!!

[eagleclanriverband]

Originally Posted by Ndnsoldierboy

Currently at 21 out of 24 correctly guessed. I missed USC, Rhode Island, and Middle Tennessee now.


UC Davis is giving Kansas a game at the moment. I picked Kansas to win.

***Update*** Kansas is now running all over UC Davis.

Too bad pw.com didn't do a bracket contest like last year....you would be in the running to win for sure, NSB. I hope you entered your picks in 1 of the other online contests.

I went back home last week to Wisconsin to visit my family; I heard on the local dinky little Green Bay radio station that they were giving away $1Million if you end up with a perfect bracket!!!...but I think that's really hard to do.

My bracketology problem is that I am too emotional with my picks, instead of logically studying RPI rankings & defensive matchups, etc.

Like USC...University of Spoiled Children...I won't ever pick them to win cuz I don't like their attitude. And Florida State...I know the Seminole Tribe officially gave their approval for FSU to keep the 'Noles as their team....but it really bothers me when I see those people do that tomahawk chop & I hear that chant.

Conversely, I pick sentimental favorites like Purdue because my husband went there, but they always find a way to choke. Agonizing!!

So this year I tried to be a little more rational; my Final Four are:
Duke, Arizona, Purdue, & UNC

[Ndnsoldierboy]

Originally Posted by eagleclanriverband

Too bad pw.com didn't do a bracket contest like last year....you would be in the running to win for sure, NSB. I hope you entered your picks in 1 of the other online contests.

I went back home last week to Wisconsin to visit my family; I heard on the local dinky little Green Bay radio station that they were giving away $1Million if you end up with a perfect bracket!!!...but I think that's really hard to do.

My bracketology problem is that I am too emotional with my picks, instead of logically studying RPI rankings & defensive matchups, etc.

Like USC...University of Spoiled Children...I won't ever pick them to win cuz I don't like their attitude. And Florida State...I know the Seminole Tribe officially gave their approval for FSU to keep the 'Noles as their team....but it really bothers me when I see those people do that tomahawk chop & I hear that chant.

Conversely, I pick sentimental favorites like Purdue because my husband went there, but they always find a way to choke. Agonizing!!

So this year I tried to be a little more rational; my Final Four are:
Duke, Arizona, Purdue, & UNC

My picks were easy. I picked NO upsets this year. I choose all the lower seeds to win. And there has only been one upset really. Well, two now. Villanova lost and Duke lost.

That Villanova loss and messed up my Final Four bracket. But I still got Gonzaga beating whoever takes Villanova's place.

Currently at 36 out of 48 now on my bracket.

[Ndnsoldierboy]

Gonzaga is in the Final Four!!! Their very first for them.

So far, I have 42 out of 57 correct picks on my bracket.

[eagleclanriverband]

Originally Posted by Ndnsoldierboy

Gonzaga is in the Final Four!!! Their very first for them.

So far, I have 42 out of 57 correct picks on my bracket.

Yah, I'm really glad for Gonzaga. Good for them!!

That's AWESOME about your picks!!!!

As for me, my brackets have been busted flat broken for awhile. But that's okay, I still enjoy the games.

Wow...the Wisconsin game vs. FLA was incredible. OMGosh!! For the game to be decided with .1 second left in overtime...what a nail biter. Could have gone either way.

So proud of Bronson Koenig from the Ho-Chunk Nation!! He had a great game to finish off a great college basketball career. Good for him!