BotC Bracket Pick'em - Sweet Sixteen Update

Well, you aren't going to win a billion dollars, but at least you might win a t-shirt. Unless you're ineligible because you're on staff here (damnit) or because you didn't follow the rules (if you haven't properly registered, there's still time to correct that error).

Seriously, no registration with Gameday Depot, no t-shirt. Getting free stuff is hard, y'all.

On to a review of where we stand. Here's the top teneleven as far as current points go:

Most everyone is still sort of in the hunt without any abject insanity breaking through, but a few people need a lot of help. The main problem for Stephanie is that she has K-State winning the championship, and I just don't think that's going to work out too well at this point. Bvillecat can still get the national champion right, but having Villanova and Wichita State in the final four is sort of a crippling blow. And ICatDormRat... look, buddy. You know we're your friends, right? You know here for you, right? How on earth could you pick both Syracuse and Wisconsin for the final four? Did someone hurt you? Are you lashing out against society?

One of the tees in the BotC store from which the eligible winner can choose.

Anyway, Wisconsin to the final four isn't actually a problem for ol' C98, but Syracuse winning the whole thing is. As for Larry, he's suffering from Shockeritis, though the rest of his final four is intact. 2.1 still has his national championship match open, but he's got to contend with the charred remains of Duke and his beloved Beakers. There's three folks who are sitting in the 150 zone; Randy S is suffering from picking Oklahoma State to make the final four, James has K-State making it there, and Sean T has the most interesting bracket in this range of potential scores. His entire final four is still alive, but all four of the teams he expected them to beat in the elite eight are done for.

Which leaves the folks in the 160s, of which there are actually several even outside the top 12 in the current standings (and, in fact, our current leader in possible points, James Greene with his Winner's Bracket, is tied for 12th). They all seem to have one thing in common: intact final fours, and two missing teams from the elite eight.

One thing is certain, though. If you're in the running and you want to win a t-shirt for something other than "finishing second to Jon", you'd better hope Arizona wins tonight, because if the Aztecs knock off the Wildcats, I will take an absolutely commanding lead in the potential points race. Of course, the same can be said for anyone who has any surviving team other than Florida, Arizona, Michigan State, and Louisville headed to the final four; that's where the margins are going to play as we roll through this weekend.

There's still a long way to go, though, and a lot of potential chaos in the standings. We'll check in again next week to see just what has to happen in the final four to determine our 2014 pick'em champion.