The Sweet 16 is set: Let’s check in on the TDG Bracket challenge

Through the first two rounds of the tournament and the main theme is that picking college basketball winners is stupid. The tournament so far has led to multiple unexpected upsets (hello St. Peter), requisite chalk (Gonzaga, Kansas), and requisite all things right with the world (Wisconsin losing in the 2nd round).

The current top 10 for the bracket challenge through the Round of 32 is below:

Kudos to ajmiller92 for taking both an early lead in the clubhouse and sitting with the highest maximum points available. my mind’s eye bracket has identical points through the first two rounds, but a lower ceiling. For brackets in the bottom of the top 10, a Gonzaga loss is the best chance to win a shirt.

I am currently leading the blog crew due to sheer luck.

What was hilarious so far in the tournament?

Many things, but I’ll focus on two in particular.

1. Shaheen Holloway, the coach of St. Peter, is about to be wildly overpaid because Kentucky sucks. The Peacocks have a chance to be the first 15 seed to ever reach the Elite Eight if they defeat Purdue.
2. Despite Mike Tranghese’s claim that “Those top six teams can play with anybody,” Buzz Williams’s nine minute rant on why Texas A&M should have been in the tournament, and John Calipari stumping for nine teams in the tournament, the SEC crashed and burned hard through the round of 32. Arkansas is the only team remaining and the Razorbacks are lucky to be there (should have lost to Vermont, probably should have lost to New Mexico State). LSU was bounced by Iowa State because cheating eventually comes due, Michigan dispatched Tennessee because Rick Barnes “CAN’T WIN THE BIG ONE PAUL,” Auburn got smoked by Miami, and Kentucky Big Blued right out of the tournament.

To be clear, I think basing conference rankings on NCAA Tournament success is a bit of a fool’s errand. That will not stop my laughter at the SEC’s dismal performance.