Unfortunately I’m still in email only mode and I must hastily write this update before leaving for Russia.  I’m sure once I arrive with lance in hand, Putin will come to his senses.  My only problem now is Lance doesn’t want to go.  He never goes anywhere without a few ounces of weed. On the bright side, he does welcome the chance to meet Brittney Griner. 

Too Soon?

The Elite 8 is set. We have seven different seeds numbers in the Elite 8.  The only duplicated seeds are #2 Duke and #2 Villanova.  You do have a #1 in Kansas, a #4 in Arkansas and a #5 in Houston.  Those are all reasonably plausible considering in a ranking, they’d be top 20 teams.  Then you have the other three remaining schools.  At #10, has the “U” turned into a basketball school?  The Hurricanes are one game away from the final four.  And in the game that will get all the attention this weekend, we are guaranteed an 8 or 15 seed in the final four. 

At #8,  North Carolina is certainly a familiar name.  But these aren’t your dad’s Tar Heels.   And at #15, who knew Cinderella had a beautiful plume of tail feathers.  The St. Peters Peacocks are the first 15 seed to reach the Elite 8.   Just imagine how proud this team will be if the make the final four.

Our standings continue to toss and turn as well.  Braden Knight 2 is back to the top spot.  At 229 points, he’s 2 up David Woolums. 

But the story of the Sweet 16 is Katie Schwegman.  44 points in the eight games played Thursday and Friday.  The next highest point total I see from anyone in this round is 33 by Susan Weldishofer 2, but she is outside the money (at the moment, don’t count our past champion out).  The best among the current contenders was Amy Melone with 30.  So Katie picked up a whopping 14 points an the people she directly competing with.  And very very important, she is the top sheet in the standings with three final four teams left.  Both Braden and David are down to two Final Four teams.

OK, I’m gonna stay on this final four teams theme a little bit.  And I think I see why Katie made such a leap.  She is the only sheet near the top that has Miami of Florida in the final four.  If they upset Kansas, Katie really may bar the door and lock everyone else out of the top spot (and if Katie wins, you’re gonna see that cliché again.  I don’t have time to be original).  David Woolums has an equally opportunistic pick that is arguable more likely.  David is the only sheet with Arkansas in the final four.  Their task is far less daunting.  They just need to beat Duke and send old man Mike off into the sunset once and for all.