2011 Final Four

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Given my current prognosticating slump, I would tremble if I were a fan of Hope, Amherst, or Virginia Wesleyan.

Let's hope so.  Sure, I picked all four of those teams as well, but its better for everybody to have the unexpected happen.

Lincoln vs Mississippi College in the final anyone?

[dewcrew88]

Nobody can accuse me of having my finger on the pulse of Illinois Wesleyan. I predicted that they would win the CCIW postseason tourney, and they lost. Then I predicted that they'd lose to UW-Whitewater, whom I had as my national runner-up, but they won instead.

And although I had Augustana advancing to the Elite Eight in my picks, I was ready to throw them overboard on Saturday when it looked as though they'd have to face UW-Stout without starting PG and sparkplug Drew Wessels, who spent the weekend fighting off a high fever. Turns out that the Doggies didn't need Wessels to win that game after all.

Given my current prognosticating slump, I would tremble if I were a fan of Hope, Amherst, or Virginia Wesleyan.

As long as you don't pick Utica College for any of your prognosticating, I'll be a happy guy

[woosterbooster]

Given my current prognosticating slump, I would tremble if I were a fan of Hope, Amherst, or Virginia Wesleyan.

Shoot.  Did you pick Wooster over Tranny, too, Greg? 

[dansand]

Given my current prognosticating slump, I would tremble if I were a fan of Hope, Amherst, or Virginia Wesleyan.

Shoot.  Did you pick Wooster over Tranny, too, Greg? 

I think it's "Transy." A "Tranny" is a different thing all together.

[njlincolnlion]

Hoops Fan:

I'll go with a Lincoln - Mississippi College final.   

[Knightstalker]

Given my current prognosticating slump, I would tremble if I were a fan of Hope, Amherst, or Virginia Wesleyan.

Shoot.  Did you pick Wooster over Tranny, too, Greg? 

I think it's "Transy." A "Tranny" is a different thing all together.

I'm glad somebody touched that one first.  Out here around NY tranny is definitely something complete different and I don't mean transmission.

[Gregory Sager]

As long as you don't pick Utica College for any of your prognosticating, I'll be a happy guy

Seeing as how I took AP courses from Syracuse University when I was in high school, I suppose that I should actually be riding shotgun on the Utica bandwagon*. Dunno why I haven't climbed aboard yet. Must be because I have too many bad memories of drinking Utica Club in high school. (If there was a puking smiley available, I'd put one after that last sentence.)

*The undergraduate section of Utica College serves as a branch campus of Syracuse University, and grants SU baccalaureate degrees.

Shoot. Did you pick Wooster over Tranny, too, Greg?

I did pick Wooster over Transylvania, WooBoo. I had your Scots making it to the Elite Eight before losing to Hope. Sorry about that. But, my earlier post aside, I'm actually doing fairly well in Pat's contest at the moment. UWW is my most glaring misstep.

I think it's "Transy." A "Tranny" is a different thing all together.

And a tranny is a different thing in the altogether, too. 

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

There was a time when I tried really hard to get people calling them Tranny, but I gave up in the off-season last year.  Now that I have help, maybe I will start again.  It's just hilarious.

I'm sure there has been an occasional tranny at the final four; one on the court would just be all that much better.

[Knightstalker]

There was a time when I tried really hard to get people calling them Tranny, but I gave up in the off-season last year.  Now that I have help, maybe I will start again.  It's just hilarious.

I'm sure there has been an occasional tranny at the final four; one on the court would just be all that much better.

Which would make the nickname the Impalers even funnier.   

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

There was a time when I tried really hard to get people calling them Tranny, but I gave up in the off-season last year.  Now that I have help, maybe I will start again.  It's just hilarious.

I'm sure there has been an occasional tranny at the final four; one on the court would just be all that much better.

Which would make the nickname the Impalers even funnier.   

That might have gone too far.




I like it!

[Mr. Ypsi]

Final Four as I see it:

IWU vs. UPS: maybe this is a trick question, but IWU already won (Dec. 29) by 17 on a 'neutral' west-coast venue; this will be a 'neutral' virtually-a-home-game venue.  IWU, perhaps by a lot.

Virginia Wesleyan vs. William Patterson: VW has the better record and was in the top 25 all season; WP has been toughened by playing in a much better top-to-bottom (or NEAR bottom, I forgot about Camden!) conference.  I think this is essentially a toss-up, but give a slight nod to VaWes.

Amherst vs. SJF: Amherst has a slightly better resord, plays a distinctly better schedule - it's Amherst.

Transylvania vs. Witt: Transy has an incredible victims list to get this far, but so does Witt.  I've got to go with the home team on this one.

ONCE IN SALEM:

IF IWU makes it, I have to think they are a serious favorite over either VW or WP.

IF Witt makes it, I have to think they are a serious favorite over SJF, and a slight favorite over Amherst.

OK, so WITT vs. IWU?

I'd rate this just about a toss-up, but since I bleed green, IWU!!!

[titanhammer]

Mr. Y, no such talk until the games have concluded tomorrow night.

If William Patterson has Horace Jenkins still on their roster, they might have the edge.

Incredible return from the beyond by IWU tonight.  Let's hope they can repeat history and take care of UPS.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Mr. Y, no such talk until the games have concluded tomorrow night.

If William Patterson has Horace Jenkins still on their roster, they might have the edge.

Incredible return from the beyond by IWU tonight.  Let's hope they can repeat history and take care of UPS.

If WP has Horace Jenkins on their roster, they have the HUGE edge!  (Were you on the team that faced them?)

You're probably correct that I am a day premature - but any dissention on either final 4, or what happens after that?

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

I think the Midwest game tonight will be cliser than you think.

Sure, IWU is finally playing at the level we've expected all year, but UPS has to have improved considerably to be able to defeat Augustana like they did last night.  I do think IWU will win, but I'm guessing it will be closer than you implied.


Oh, and about the IWU resurrgence of sorts (sad we have to call it that for a team that's been in the top 12 all year), but it seems to me to have an easy explanation.  IWU has been playing with a ton of pressure since day one.  I don't think that pressure is gone, in fact it has probably increased, however, now every one of their opponents also has the pressure of the NCAA tournament to contend with and no one has more high-pressure experience than IWU.

Nice circular logic; even if I do say so myself.

Nosferatu U has been suprising people all tournament long; I wouldn't count them out just yet either.

[titanhammer]

If WP has Horace Jenkins on their roster, they have the HUGE edge!  (Were you on the team that faced them?)

My last game was ten years prior to when the Titans faced WP and Horace Jenkins.

Speaking of Jenkins, wasn't he in the dunk contest that year with the D1 guys?  Have there been any other D3 guys in the slam dunk contest or three point shoot out?