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FINAL 4 has been set:

•  Click here for current & proj standings pdf file after 4 games

•  Click here for +/- recalc best to worst pdf file after Elite 8 games

• Click here for pdf file of leading scorers this year

• Click here for a PDF matchups file - for Final 4 games

•  Click here for an updated Bracket (pdf)

• Click for + - totals by drafter.pdf

•  Click for + - report by drafter best to worst

• Click here for Leading Scorers by Draft Round - Winners $10 per round.pdf

<-Dennis Hammer's 4th round pick, Malik Newman, has helped Kansas reach the Final 4 this year.  Newman is the current leading scorer in the tournament and has scored +39 more cumulative points versus his regular season average.

FINAL 4 GAMES ON SATURDAY MARCH 31st

# 11 Loyola (Chi) Ramblers vs # 3 Michigan Wolverines

# 1 Villanova Wildcats vs # 1 Kansas Jayhawks

Loyola obviously is the Cinderalla story this year as they face a strong Michigan team.  Something will have to give in this game Michigan has won 15 games in a row, last loss on 02/06.   Loyola has won 14 in a row, last loss 01/31.  In the second game, # 1 Villanova going up agains # 1 Kansas.  This should be a good one, the last Kansas game against # 2 Duke went to overtime. 

<- Ben Richardson (Loyola) hit 6 of 7 from 3 and wound up with 23 points in the big win over Kansas State.  Although there were 5 draft picks from Loyola, Richardson was not one of them!

Sister Jean - Loyola's amazing 98 year old chaplain

Our game:

Another wild tournament with a 16 seed UMBC defeating # 1 seed Virginia on Friday March 16th.  Unlike previous tournaments there were NO 12 seeded teams advancing over a 5 seed, however there were 2 - 13th seeded teams winning in the opening round games.  In the East region Marshall knocked out # 4 Wichita State and in the South region, Buffalo thrashed # 4 Arizona Wildcats.  Most experts had # 3 in the Midwest Michigan State in the finals but they didn't make it out of the opening weekend falling to # 11 Syracuse Orange who had to win a play-in game over Arizona State just to make it to the field of 64.

Opening weekend leader Team Foresta, (Alan & Tori Krautstrunk) were projected to be leading by 5 points over Team Lehman (John Lehman, Ben Schwers & Joe Quebbeman) after the Sweet 16 games but that lead actually turned out to be 35 over Team SID (John Logan, Drew Logan & Bill Starkweather).  Those 3 teams have pretty much hung in there as top 3 teams through the Elite 8 games. Team Trevino had a big Thu/Fri output from their picks and cut that gap to 35.   Team Trevino was projected to be leading by 4 points over Snyder and 68 over Dave Eccles after the Elite 8 games. 

Now after the Elite 8 games, Team SID (John Logan, Drew Logan & Bill Starkweather) is predicted to open up a rather unbeatable 51 point lead over Team Foresta, (Alan & Tori Krautstrunk) after Saturday's Final 4 games.  I don't think anybody can catch SID for 1st place this year as they have 6 draft picks left and will have a minimum of 2 possibly 4 in the championship game.  

The fight be for 2nd and 3rd place, it really depends on how the draft pick plays and who wins on Saturday, these should be 2 really good games and at this point unpredictable as well.  Right now, using regular season average, I have Team Foresta, (Alan & Tori Krautstrunk) having a 29 point cushion over Team Lehman (John Lehman, Ben Schwers & Joe Quebbeman).  Alan only has 1 player remaining Moritz Wagner of Michigan.  Team Lehman, despite having Charles Matthews of MIchigan probably is pulling for a big game out of Matthews but Loyola moving to the championship.  Lehman would need Kansas in the final game.  There is an outside shot Dennis Hammer could possibly finish in the money this year but he will have to a lot go right for him Saturday night.

One draft team, Matt Krautstrunk & Jeremiah Royer do not have a player left in the tournament this year. 

Through 4th round games - top 4 drafters (1-3 pay):  

1st: Team Foresta - 765

2nd: Team SID - 763

3rd: Team Lehman - 716

4th: Dennis Hammer - 713

The following screen shot is from Dave Eccles DOS based computer after draft night was over.  Dave was right on last year, this year not as close although he's got Lehman finishing 3rd and Hammer finishing 4th.  The projection for SID and Foresta is slightly off:

Top 4 Leading Scorers in the tournament ($20 bonus to the leading scorer):

Leaders:   Dennis Hammer's - Malik Newman (Kansas) - 87 pts (still in)

                 Matt & Jeremiah's - Marvin Bagley (Duke) - 82 pts (out)

                 Dennis Hammer's - Gabe Devoe (Clemson) -  75 pts (out)

                 Matt & Jeremiah's - Keenan Evans (Texas Tech) -  73 pts (out)

+/- Leader ($50 payout):  

This year, Team Lehman has this payout already wrapped as he has a whopping cumulative <183> points through 4 games played.  This negative total had got to be the worst for a drafting team in our brief 37 year history.  I went back the last 10 years of having 10 draft teams drafting and <116> was the worst total that happened in the 2012 draft game.  What's even more remarkable is that Team Lehman should finish in a money position this year, can you just imagine where they would be if their players hit their regular season average in the post season?  This <negative> total will hold up for the payout as he is 58 points worse than the next team, Commissioner Krautstrunk at <125>. 

Only 2 drafting teams are positive in the point performance from their picks this year.  Team Trevino is at a + 20 & Team Forest is at a + 18.

The best draft pick so far with most accumulated positive points over regular season average is Dennis Hammer's pick of Malik Newman (Kansas) drafted in the 4th round 33rd pick overall.  Newman is still playing in the tournament and if Kansas advances against Villanova on Saturday, he will most like be the leading scorer in the tournament.  Newman averaged 12 pts per game during the regular season and is averaging 22 pts a game in the tournament for a plus 39.

The worst pick so far has been Team Lehman's selection of Dean Wade (Kansas State), drafted in the 11th round, was mostly injured and ended up the tournament scoring 4 points, <63> under what you would have expected from his 17 pts/game regular seasonal average.  Isaac Haas, Team Noffke's 3rd round pick, Isaac Haas (Purdue), also got injured in the tournament and ended up with 9 points for a cumulative <35>.

13 Draft Rounds won at ($10 / round):

There are many open rounds with most obvious results projected but we only count what's been locked in going to the Final 4 games.  You can print out the round winner pdf file located at the hyplerlink above.

Commissioner Krautstrunk - 2.5 rounds won (9,10,25 (tie))

Team Lehman - 2 rounds won (7,13)

Dennis Hammer - 2 rounds won (11,26)

Team Foresta - 2 rounds won (20,28)

Noffke team - 1 round won (21)

SID team - 1 round won (27)

Team Trevino - 1 round won (15)

Team Kremer - 1 round won  (16)

Matt & Jeremiah - .5 round won  (25 (tie))