# 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Pool **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [March 12, 2017, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-ncaa-mens-basketball-tournament-pool/782001 "2017-03-12T15:03:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2017, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-ncaa-mens-basketball-tournament-pool/782001/61 "2017-03-26T02:57:30Z")
Holy crap: the Ducks are in the Final Four! ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2017, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-ncaa-mens-basketball-tournament-pool/782001/62 "2017-03-26T04:32:57Z")
> [@Folacin](#): > > Kansas has won by 38, 20 and 32 - how much do they beat Oregon by? -14 😛 **HOLY SHIT WE ARE GOING TO THE FINAL FOUR!!!** :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2017, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-ncaa-mens-basketball-tournament-pool/782001/63 "2017-03-26T05:14:06Z")
I did NOT see this coming. I did not think we could beat them. Now I see that we can beat anyone. First team to represent the Pac-12 in the Final Four! Ari-who? UCL-which? **RELEASE THE QUACKEN!!** ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2017, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-ncaa-mens-basketball-tournament-pool/782001/64 "2017-03-26T07:44:56Z")
Gonzaga (one of my alma maters) and Oregon are in! Has there ever been a time when two teams from the Pacific Northwest made the Final Four? ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2017, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-ncaa-mens-basketball-tournament-pool/782001/65 "2017-03-26T07:53:46Z")
I have no idea, but I’m gonna guess no. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2017, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-ncaa-mens-basketball-tournament-pool/782001/66 "2017-03-26T12:04:54Z")
Gonzaga is in? At least one of my final four is still alive (I honestly don’t remember who else I picked) When do folks considered their brackets busted? You first wrong pick seems way too harsh. The generous option is as long as one team is alive you are not busted. Brian ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2017, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-ncaa-mens-basketball-tournament-pool/782001/67 "2017-03-26T12:45:13Z")
> [@N9IWP](#): > > Gonzaga is in? At least one of my final four is still alive (I honestly don’t remember who else I picked) > > When do folks considered their brackets busted? You first wrong pick seems way too harsh. The generous option is as long as one team is alive you are not busted. > > Brian Usually you can figure your PPR (Possible Points Remaining). When the conditions required to meet your highest PPR also results in someone else having higher points, then you’re busted. It can happen surprisingly early. For example, anybody already ahead of you that has the same team winning it as you do is very likely to have busted you. ---
**Author:** ![Kimble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kimble/32/19185_2.png) [@Kimble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimble)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2017, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-ncaa-mens-basketball-tournament-pool/782001/68 "2017-03-26T17:50:36Z")
As of right now (before Sunday’s games), I think there are 6 brackets that aren’t eliminated: **Thing Fish** , **Jahiegel** , **Shoeless** , **Kimsas** , **North Kimolina** , and espn06637211 1, which I’ll call **Ponch8** for obvious reasons. Two brackets have clinched winning the pool if their champion pick wins it all: **Florida** : Ponch8 **Kentucky** : North Kimolina Aside from those results, the key games are who wins the South region (UK/UNC) and the “Left” bracket (Gonzaga vs Florida/South Carolina). Here’s who will win the pool based on the results of those games (not counting the cases where Kentucky or Florida win it all; pretend that I wrote “unless UK/Fla wins it all, in which case I/Ponch8 win the pool” everywhere you see an asterisk): _UK and Florida_\*: Ponch8 _UK and (SC or Gonzaga)__: Jahiegel **UNC and Florida** _: Thing Fish if UNC wins it all, Kimsas if Oregon (!) does **UNC and SC** : Thing Fish **UNC and Gonzaga** : Kimsas if Gonzaga wins it all or (Oregon wins it all while Florida makes the Final 4), Shoeless otherwise ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2017, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-ncaa-mens-basketball-tournament-pool/782001/69 "2017-03-26T20:46:54Z")
Frank Martin rocks! Go Cocks! ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2017, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-ncaa-mens-basketball-tournament-pool/782001/70 "2017-03-26T22:32:05Z")
The Oregon Ducks women’s team has advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time ever, upsetting the _other_ Kansas team. Now they have to face UConn. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2017, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-ncaa-mens-basketball-tournament-pool/782001/71 "2017-03-26T23:37:15Z")
For the first time that I can recall, I have no team in the Final 4. Five years ago I picked all 4. Blah. ---
**Author:** ![Kimble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kimble/32/19185_2.png) [@Kimble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimble)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-ncaa-mens-basketball-tournament-pool/782001/72 "2017-03-27T00:18:27Z")
Someone said on Twitter that there were four teams that were in the top 25 of Ken Pomeroy’s offensive and defensive efficiency – Gonzaga, Villanova, Kentucky, and Wichita State. Since we only had room for 3 brackets, I didn’t make a bracket with Wichita State winning. I filled in the other spots in the bracket based on 538’s probabilities. (It took like 4-5 hours of learning how to do data manipulation with R and one line of code to fill in a specific slot in the bracket, working from the champions down.) The winner of our pool will depend on how far Gonzaga gets: **Thing Fish** will win if Gonzaga loses in the Final Four. **Shoeless** will finish second. **Shoeless** will win if Gonzaga loses in the Championship. **Thing Fish** will finish second if they lose to North Carolina; **Kimsas** will finish second if they lose to Oregon. **Kimsas** will win if Gonzaga wins the Championship. **Jahiegel** will finish second. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2017, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-ncaa-mens-basketball-tournament-pool/782001/73 "2017-03-27T02:27:27Z")
What a game between UK and UNC. Hats off to them and that last shot that prevented overtime. Wild. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2017, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-ncaa-mens-basketball-tournament-pool/782001/74 "2017-03-29T00:11:51Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > What a game between UK and UNC. Hats off to them and that last shot that prevented overtime. Wild. Yeah, and stay classy, UK fans… [Kentucky Fans Trash Business of Referee](http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ncaabk/kentucky-fans-cross-the-line-by-trashing-referee-john-higgins%e2%80%99-business-on-facebook/ar-BByYGCX?li=BBnba9I) The NCAA needs to hammer down hard on this shit\*. Maybe it’s time for UK to sit out a tourney and see how the fans like it. _And I’d say it if the shoe were on my foot - the refs made two really bad calls at the end of the FSU women’s game last night against USC, but shit happens, great teams overcome that stuff, losers whine about it._\* \*\*Nothing in this post should be deemed to be a surrender of my God-given right to bitch about stuff in the heat of the moment, but going after a ref’s actual livelihood is out-of-bounds. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2017, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-ncaa-mens-basketball-tournament-pool/782001/75 "2017-03-29T00:51:57Z")
Wow, I thought your article was going to be about actual vandalism. I’m almost kind of relieved. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2017, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-ncaa-mens-basketball-tournament-pool/782001/76 "2017-03-29T14:26:06Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Wow, I thought your article was going to be about actual vandalism. I’m almost kind of relieved. Frankly, vandalism would be preferred. That just costs money to fix and then it’s gone. But posting bad reviews like that has an effect that could last for years to come. In theory he could lose his business because of this. I’d much prefer vandalism. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2017, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-ncaa-mens-basketball-tournament-pool/782001/77 "2017-03-30T18:48:16Z")
Yeah, that wasn’t cool of them to do but his officiating did (and has, repeatedly in the past) suck. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2017, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-ncaa-mens-basketball-tournament-pool/782001/78 "2017-04-04T01:07:11Z")
I think Gonzaga. ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2017, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-ncaa-mens-basketball-tournament-pool/782001/79 "2017-04-04T01:10:54Z")
if gonz wins i get 3rd place! not too shabby for my first time. mc ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2017, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-ncaa-mens-basketball-tournament-pool/782001/80 "2017-04-04T11:19:49Z")
Congratulations to this year’s tournament pool winner…(um, well this is awkward…) **me!** I gotta say, I’m as surprised as anyone. I thought my bracket was in shambles after the first weekend. And I was actually kinda rooting for Gonzaga to win it all. I’m still a little peeved at Roy that he couldn’t bring home a single championship in his 14 years at KU, and now he has three in his 14 years at UNC. :mad: Thanks to all who participated, and see you again next year! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-ncaa-mens-basketball-tournament-pool/782001.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2017-ncaa-mens-basketball-tournament-pool/782001.md?page=5)