Sixth Annual PH4H NCAA Tournament Pick-'em Results

The winner of the Sixth Annual PH4H NCAA Tournament Pick-'em Contest -- and the only one to correctly pick Connecticut -- is Andy.

Here are the final standings:

1. Andy: 344 points, 31 correct picks
2. Dara: 274 points, 36 correct
3. Aaron: 202 points, 39 correct
4. Inbal: 185 points, 38 correct
5. Dan: 179 points, 34 correct
6. Rachel: 163 points, 32 correct
7. Justin: 154 points, 32 correct
8. Jeff: 141 points, 28 correct
9. Steve: 91 points, 22 correct

If you had picked all the higher seeds, you would have wound up in 6th place overall with 168 points and 38 correct picks. Conversely, if you had picked all the lower seeds, you would have wound up in last place with 77 points and 7 correct picks.

Sixth Annual PH4H NCAA Tournament Pick-'em

The PH4H Tournament pool is back for the sixth straight year!

To make things random and exciting (allegedly), it utilizes a scoring system that uses a point multiplier based on seeding, which (allegedly) encourages participants to pick upsets. (We also encourage making picks based on loyalty to schools, or because you happen to like their mascot.)

And, in our inimitable fashion, the winners are the people with the highest and lowest scores (i.e., even if your picks stink, the only way you're not in the running is if you don't play).

So, if you played before, all you need to do is log in with the username and password you used before, and you should automatically be back in the user group. Then just make your picks before the tournament begins (for real, none of this "First Four" b.s.) on Thursday.

If you haven't played before, or if you want to invite others, go ahead. Just go to the league's website (http://ph4h.mayhem.sportsline.com), and enter the password "reverse."

Good luck!

Fifth Annual PH4H NCAA Tournament Pick-'em

The PH4H Tournament pool is back for the fifth straight year! As in the past, it utilizes a scoring system that uses a point multiplier based on seeding, to encourage picking upsets.

As usual, the winners are the people with the highest and lowest scores (i.e., even if your picks stink, the only way you're not in the running is if you don't play).

So all you need to do is log in with the username and password you used before, and you should automatically be back in the user group. Then just make your picks before the tournament begins on Thursday.

If you want to invite others, go ahead. Just have them go to this website (http://ph4h.mayhem.sportsline.com), and enter the password "reverse."

Good luck!

(Oh, and as a side note, I can't run the NIT Challenge this year, seeing as I will be unable to keep score manually while on the road. Anyone want to take over?)

Fourth Annual PH4H NCAA Tournament Pick 'em -- Final Results

This is a week and a half late, but I have a very good excuse.

Anyway, the winner of the Fourth Annual PH4H NCAA Tournament Pick-'em is Dan.

Here are the final standings:

1. Dan: 267 points, 46 correct picks
2. Steve: 258 points, 40 correct picks
3. Aaron: 239 points, 44 correct picks
4. Andy: 223 points, 39 correct picks
5. Rachel: 216 points, 39 correct picks
6. Jason: 203 points, 40 correct picks
7. Jeff: 193 points, 37 correct picks
8. Dara: 180 points, 37 correct picks
9. Inbal: 157 points, 34 correct picks
10. Caroline: 154 points, 27 correct picks
11. Bo: 139 points, 35 correct picks

If you had picked all the higher seeds, you would have wound up in 6th place overall with 210 points and 45 correct picks.

Fourth Annual PH4H NIT Pool Winner

The winner of the Fourth Annual PH4H Men's NIT Pick'em contest is . . . Jeff, with 16 correct picks for 22 points. No one picked Baylor vs. Penn State in the finals, so the scores did not change at all since last week.

Here's the final tally, in case anyone still cares.

1. Jeff: 16 correct picks, 22 points.
2. Justin: 15 correct picks, 21 points.
3. Dan: 14 correct picks, 17 points.
4. Dara: 13 correct picks, 17 points.

For the record, I keep the NIT score sheets in my office -- in a yellow manila file in my desk file drawer. One of these days, someone is going to need something, and I'm going to tell them to look in my desk, and they are going to find this file of old NIT brackets. I'm hopeful that it'll be someone with a good sense of humor, or at least an appreciation of the absurd.

Fourth Annual PH4H NCAA Tournament Pick 'em -- Third and Fourth Round Results

The third and fourth rounds of the Fourth Annual PH4H NCAA Tournament Pick 'em Contest are over. Here are the standings:

1. Aaron: 239 points, 44 correct picks, 0 possible points remaining
2. Andy: 223 points, 39 correct picks, 48 possible points remaining
3. Dan: 219 points, 44 correct picks, 48 possible points remaining
4. Rachel: 216 points, 39 correct picks, 0 possible points remaining
5. Steve: 210 points, 38 correct picks, 48 possible points remaining
6. Jason: 203 points, 40 correct picks, 0 possible points remaining
7. Jeff: 193 points, 37 correct picks, 0 possible points remaining
8. Dara: 180 points, 37 correct picks, 0 possible points remaining
9. Caroline: 154 points, 27 correct picks, 0 possible points remaining
10. Inbal: 141 points, 33 correct picks, 64 possible points remaining
11. Bo: 139 points, 35 correct picks, 0 possible points remaining

If you picked all the higher seeds, you would be in 7th place overall, with 194 points, 44 correct picks, and 16 possible points remaining.

Illinois State Makes the Final Four!

... of the Women's NIT. But it's still the first time they'll be playing in April.

Fourth Annual PH4H NIT Pool Update -- Quarterfinals

The NIT final four is now set: San Diego State, Baylor, Notre Dame, and Penn State. Accordingly, the scores from the quarterfinal round of the 2009 PH4H Men's NIT pool are in:

1. Jeff: 16 correct picks, 22 points, 0 possible points remaining.
2. Justin: 15 correct picks, 21 points, 8 possible points remaining (if San Diego State wins).
3. Dan: 14 correct picks, 17 points, 0 possible points remaining.
4. Dara: 13 correct picks, 17 points, 0 possible points remaining.

The next round takes place on March 31. And, as in the past, our competition will be decided before it gets to the actual NIT championship game.

Fourth Annual PH4H NCAA Tournament Pick 'em -- Second Round Results

The second round of the Fourth Annual PH4H NCAA Tournament Pick 'em Contest is over:

1. Steve: 178 points, 33 correct picks
2. Rachel: 176 points, 34 correct
3. Aaron: 175 points, 37 correct
4. Andy: 159 points, 33 correct
5. Dara: 156 points, 33 correct
6. Jason: 155 points, 33 correct
7. Dan: 147 points, 34 correct
8. Caroline: 130 points, 25 correct
9. Jeff: 129 points, 31 correct
10. Bo: 115 points, 30 correct
11. Inbal: 105 points, 27 correct

Of course, everyone knows this contest was designed to encourage picking upsets. If you picked all higher seeds, you would have gotten 146 points with 36 correct picks -- which is statistically better than any of us, but only 8th place in terms of points. On the other hand, if you picked all upsets, you would have gotten 108 points with 10 correct picks -- and would be unable to get any more points. Both illustrate that favorites generally win. But I'm also considering this as statistical validation that the scoring system is, indeed, achieving its desired result -- and that you can't game the system by "picking chalk."

Fourth Annual PH4H NCAA Tournament Pick 'em -- First Round Results

The first round of the tournament is over. My heart is already broken, and my bracket is already busted. Still, life goes on. Here are the current results of the Fourth Annual PH4H NCAA Tournament Pick 'em:

1. Andy: 121 points, 23 correct picks
2. Jason: 119 points, 24 correct
3. Dara: 116 points, 24 correct
4. Steve: 116 points, 23 correct
5. Aaron: 113 points, 24 correct
6. Rachel: 112 points, 23 correct
7. Caroline: 106 points, 20 correct
8. Jeff: 85 points, 21 correct
9. Dan: 83 points, 20 correct
10. Inbal: 77 points, 19 correct
11. Bo: 69 points, 19 correct

By way of comparison, if you picked all higher seeds, you would have gotten 82 points with 22 correct picks -- and if you picked all lower seeds, you would have gotten 108 points with 10 correct picks.

Fourth Annual PH4H NIT Pool Update -- Round 1

The scores from the first round of the 2009 PH4H Men's NIT pool are in:

1. Jeff: 12 correct picks, 12 points
2. Dan: 11 correct picks, 11 points
2. Justin: 11 correct picks, 11 points
4. Dara: 9 correct picks, 9 points

The second round ends on Tuesday. As usual, point values double.

Fourth Annual PH4H NIT Pick-em

This is what everyone's really been waiting for: The Fourth Annual NIT pool.

Here's the bracket. Get me your picks before the first game tips off tomorrow evening.

Fourth Annual PH4H NCAA Tournament Pick 'em

The PH4H Tournament pool is back for the fourth straight year! Like the last few years, it utilizes a scoring system that uses a point multiplier based on seeding, to encourage picking upsets.

And, in our inimitable fashion, the winners are the people with the highest and lowest scores (i.e., even if your picks stink, the only way you're not in the running is if you don't play).

So all you need to do is log in with the username and password you used before, and you should automatically be back in the user group. And once the brackets are released, all you need to do is make your picks before the tournament begins.

If you want to invite others, go ahead. Just have them go to this website (http://ph4h.mayhem.sportsline.com), and enter the password "reverse."

Good luck!

PH4H Game of the Year?

As I told Dan last night, the good news for me is that Illinois held Penn State to 38 points last night. The bad news is Penn State held Illinois to 33.

Dan is wondering when the second half starts.

Third Annual PH4H NCAA Tournament Pick'em -- Final Scores

So, here are the final results of the Third Annual PH4H NCAA Tournament Challenge:

1. Andy: 242 points, 36 correct picks
2. Caroline: 227 points, 32 correct
3. Steve: 223 points, 42 correct
4. Dan: 204 points, 39 correct
5. Justin: 191 points, 40 correct
6. Jeff: 188 points, 37 correct
7. Aaron: 178 points, 37 correct
8. Bo: 173 points, 35 correct
9. Inbal:154 points, 35 correct
10. Rachel: 142 points, 17 correct
11. Dara: 140 points, 30 correct

Andy's win is surprising, considering Caroline was in the lead from the beginning. But it's even more shocking when you find out that Andy won the empanada bobblehead for coming in last place last year.

Third Annual PH4H NIT Pick-'em Challenge, Final Scores

The Men's NIT is now over, and Ohio State is your champion. Similarly, the Third Annual PH4H NIT Pick-'em Challenge is over, and Bo is the winner.

Here are the final standings:

1. Bo: 61 points, 25 correct picks
2. Dara: 39 points, 20 correct
3. Inbal: 38 points, 22 correct
4. Rachel: 25 points, 17 correct
5. Andy: 22 points, 16 correct
6. Jeff: 21 points, 16 correct
7. Dan: 19 points, 16 correct
8. Justin: 16 points, 13 correct

Third Annual PH4H NIT Pick-'em, Round 4

The Men's NIT Semifinals are now over, and the championship will feature Ohio State against UMass. Bo is the only one to have picked either of those teams, which is why he's going to be our winner. The only remaining question is by how much -- but that'll be determined after the championship game tomorrow night.

Here are the current standings:

1. Bo: 45 points, 24 correct picks
2. Dara: 39 points, 20 correct
3. Inbal: 38 points, 22 correct
4. Rachel: 25 points, 17 correct
5. Andy: 22 points, 16 correct
6. Jeff: 21 points, 16 correct
7. Dan: 19 points, 16 correct
8. Justin: 16 points, 13 correct

Women's NIT Challenge, Third and Fourth Rounds

This is a few days behind.

Here are the scores after the third round of the 2008 PH4H Women's NIT Pick-'em challenge:

1. Jeff: 26 points
2. Justin: 22 points
3. Dara: 22 points
4. Dan: 20 points

And after the fourth round:

1. Jeff: 30 points
2. Justin: 26 points
3. Dara: 26 points
4. Dan: 20 points

Based on my calculations, none of us picked teams that can make it to the finals, so none of us can score any more points. So, Jeff wins!

Third Annual PH4H NCAA Tournament Pick'em -- Second Update

It's too bad, really. The Third Annual PH4H NCAA Tournament Challenge was designed to favor upsets, and this year, the tournament made history by having all four first seeds reach the final four. Oh well. Here are the standings going in to the last week:

1. Caroline: 227 points, 32 correct picks
2. Steve: 223 points, 42 correct
3. Dan: 204 points, 39 correct
4. Andy: 194 points, 34 correct
5. Justin: 191 points, 40 correct
6. Jeff: 188 points, 37 correct
7. Aaron: 178 points, 37 correct
8. Bo: 173 points, 35 correct
9. Inbal:154 points, 35 correct
10. Rachel: 142 points, 17 correct
11. Dara: 140 points, 30 correct

Women's NIT Challenge, Second Round

Meant to post this yesterday. Oh well.

Here are the scores from the second round of the 2008 PH4H Women's NIT Pick-'em challenge:

1. Jeff: 20 correct picks, 20 points, 44 possible points remaining
2. Justin: 18 correct picks, 18 points, 8 possible points remaining
3. Dan: 16 correct picks, 16 points, 8 possible points remaining
4. Dara: 16 correct picks, 16 points, 54 possible points remaining