2006 PRE-NCAA CONTEST NEWSLETTER 2

Standings
All-Name Teams
Mascot Trivia

We're speechless. Really, we know we should have been prepared, but there were no hints or advance warning so we just weren't . Sure, with three number one seeds in the Final Eight along with two number twos, a number three, and a number four, a busload of orangutans would probably have produced several entries with six, or even seven correct Final Eight teams, but this is our pool and our entrants displayed their usual ineptitude: nobody with more than five accurate predictions; only 15 entrants with five; 33 entrants with four; 27 had three; and three (M Peloso, Leeds, George B) somehow managed to pick only two teams right. It was the type of abysmal performance we'd come to expect over 17 years running the contest. But now, whoa, as we said, we're speechless.

77 people entered the pool. 77 people each chose four teams to be in the Final Four. And we got four right. Total. You heard us, a grand total of four (4) entrants each guessed one (1) Final Four team correctly. Everybody else got zero (0). Lucia Donadio picked LSU in the Final Four and that selection vaulted her into first place. Huffnagle also picked LSU and moved into a tie for ninth place. The other two, Perez (Florida) and Madison Leach (LSU), used their astute basketball knowledge to catapult into 57th and 66th place, respectively. It's hard to imagine how far behind they all were before their incredible display of predictive legerdemain.

Well, perhaps not so hard to imagine. Just look at Madison's fellow Leach girl, Samantha Leach who finished last with 171 points, just ahead of Packman (174), Leeds (184), and George B (184). Also failing to capitalize on lucky selections were the only two contestants who got more than one wild card point -- P Leach (31st place) and Matt Paston (73rd place), both of whom chose Wichita State.

Well, we doubt we need to say that nobody picked any of the four remaining teams as their national champion, but we'll say it anyway. That means that this year's contest winner is Lucia Donadio, with 268 points. It probably also goes without saying that Lucia's score is the lowest winning score in pool history, but we'll say that too (with glee). In an odd coincidence, the previous low winning score was 274, by J Donadio, Jr. (as well as N Mahalko) in 2000. We guess the Donadio family is like the Princeton of pool contestants, only winning in a low-scoring game. The other prize-winners are D Josephs, with 260 points, and Whiteside, with 256. There were 65 paid entries (although it's possible that an envelope may have gone astray, so it may be as many as 69).

If you watched this year's tournament, you saw a lot of teams blowing a lot of leads. But the most monumental collapse of the year was not Gonzaga going south against UCLA, but rather tough-talking K Sullivan (235 points) coughing up a big lead and losing to arch-rival B Peloso (238 points). She was even beneath her husband, for goodness sake (D'Zuro (236)). Last year's co-champion K Wanger has said repeatedly that the first place finish means nothing compared to beating her father, and unlike K Sullivan, K Wanger backed it up, beating daddy R Wanger, 243 to 238. Booth, who annually proffers similar sentiments, was not as fortunate, getting shellacked by brother-in-law Whiteside, 256 to 227. In other familial grudge matches: D Josephs hammered former champion and current co-commissioner M Josephs (who also happens to be his son), 260 to 229; Rosen handled wife Abrams, 247 to 221; and M Kleiman punished his son, B Kleiman, 248 to 230. On the other hand, the Donadio children (L Donadio (268) and N Donadio (248)) both thrashed their parents (J Donadio (235) and M Donadio (217)). Leach patriarch E Leach (232) reigned over son P Leach (229) as well as his unfortunate grandchildren (M Leach (214) and S Leach (171)). Mike Paston (222) beat Matt Paston (191). And for once, commissioner D Kedson (235) can step proudly into his parents' house (M Kedson (226), G Kedson (221)).

Some grudge matches came right down to the wire: J Broder (233) edged daughter R Broder (229); N Mahalko (218) nosed out D Mahalko (217); and in what might be an all-time first, Joe Mc (216) narrowly defeated son Mike Mc (214). One grudge match finished right on the wire -- Coach Doc and daughter S Adams finished tied at 236. Starbuck (238 to 224) and Marshall (238 to 216) both beat themselves, and that's all we're going to say about that.

Males (225.17) were barely above females (224.85), although if you subtract the misguided Leach girls, it was women (230.73) comfortably on top of men, as usual. Felines (248.00) ruled the battle of the species, looking down on spiny anteaters (236.00), humans (225.86), and lowly lawyers (216.40). In the tag team competition, the Donadios (242.00) were victorious, beating out the D'Zuros (235.75), the Kedsons (231.25), and the Natalini Group (231.00). Leading the basement dwellers were Arnie's Army of Bridge Players (230.00), over the Koufax Contingent (217.33) and (of course) the Leach Gang (214.50). Those who described themselves as "Tar Heel fans," were pathetic (191.00) in more ways than one.

New Jersey (238.67) is this year the most influential state, beating out Arizona (232.00), Virginia (231.67), Maryland (229.00), and Florida (227.00). Pennsylvania (224.33) edged New York (222.00) and Illinois (219.00). Bringing up (or down, we suppose) the rear is North Carolina (191.00). Within Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia suburbs (225.05) surpassed the Philadelphia urbs (224.50), while those from Western PA (223.29) are apparently still basking in the glory of their "Stillers." Our average score was 225.15.

Among employers, Conrail (234.50) beat out "Self" (227.00), PaDOT (222.50), and Urban Engineering (207.83). Computer professionals (240.33) remained the best pool pickers, over Accountants (233.50), Financial Managers (230.67), and Medical professionals (229.00). Retired people (225.33) apparently stopped working for a reason, but at least they bested Engineers (220.46) and Salespeople (220.00). Students (232.38) went to school, but perhaps teachers (217.00) need some remedial education. And do we need to mention that the ultimate bottom-feeders are attorneys (211.75)? Well, yeah, we did, but not for that reason.

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ALL NAME TEAMS

After a couple of years' hiatus, we're bringing back the All-Name teams and Mascot Trivia. Enjoy:

All-Name, First Team
Ken Tutt (Oral Roberts)
Cem Dinc (Indiana)
Magnum Rolle (LSU)
Semplice Njoya (Memphis)
Grlenntys Chief Kickingstallionsims (Stetson)
(...OK, Stetson didn't make the tournament, but could you leave this guy out? By the way, Chief is his real middle name, not a nickname!)

All-Name, Second Team
Fendi Onobun (Arizona)
Folarin Campbell (George Mason)
Can Civi (Davidson)
Major Wingate (Tennessee)
Honorable mention (Isn't-two-enough category):
Nana Papa Yaw "Pops" Mensah-Bonsu (GW)
Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (UCLA)
Pierre Marie Altidor-Cespedes (Gonzaga)


All-Alliterative Team
Waki Williams (Memphis)
Idong Ibok (Michigan State)
Mickey Michalec (Oral Roberts)
Osazee Omokaro (UConn)
Mani Messy (Seton Hall)

Best name that has become a verb: Kevin Pittsnogle (West Virginia) [As in "Southern Illinois really got Pittsnogled in the first round."]

Name question of the year: If Villanova's Allan Ray looks in the mirror, does he see former UConn star Ray Allen?

Accomodations for all-name participants provided by: Hilton Armstrong (UConn)


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MASCOT TRIVIA

(1) Name all teams in the tournament with nicknames that neither include a color nor end in ‘s’ (20 points for each correct answer)
(2) Name the most popular nickname (most teams) in the NCAA Tournament field (8 points)
(3) Among Cats, Dogs, Birds, and Bears, which has the most teams in the field? (5 points)
(4) Name the most popular color in the tournament (4 points)
(5) How many teams have a color in their nickname (5 pts.), and how many colors are represented (5 pts)?
(6) Name all nicknames that appear more than once in the field (3 points for each correct answer)
(7) Three games in the tournament this year featured two teams with the same nickname. Name them. (3 points for each correct answer)
(8) Name the teams that fit into each of the following categories (1 point for each correct answer):
(a) Feline (12 teams)
(b) Canine (7 teams)
(c) Avian (8 teams)
(d) Ursine (4 teams)
(e) Underworld Denizens (2 teams)
(f) Grazing Mammals (3 teams)
(g) Phenomena occasionally caused by electricity (3 teams)
(h) Around in Revolutionary times (5 teams)
(i) Named after Major League Baseball Teams (5 teams)
(j) Named after NFL Football Teams (8 teams)
(k) Named after NBA or NHL Teams (7 teams)
(l) From Foreign Countries (3 teams)
(m) Those who exercise (3 teams)
(n) Those with double-letters in their names (11 teams)
(o) Those with q or y or z in their names (9 teams)
(p) Body Parts (3 teams)
(q) Reptiles, Citrus dudes, Red laundry detergent, or named after the farming industry (5 teams)

Note: Every team was counted at least once. We're not telling how many teams we counted more than once. Nyah, nyah.

TRIVIA ANSWERS

(1) Illinois Fighting Illini, North Carolina State Wolfpack, Nevada Wolf Pack, and Bucknell Bison.
(2) Eagles (including Golden Eagles) and Wildcats with 4 each.
(3) Cats (12).
(4) Golden (4).
(5) Only seven teams, representing four colors, only one color more than once (Duke Blue Devils; California Golden Bears; Kent State Golden Flashes; Marquette Golden Eagles; Oral Roberts Golden Eagles; Alabama Crimson Tide; Syracuse Orangemen).
(6) Jaguars (Southern; South Alabama); Eagles (Winthrop; Boston College); Golden Eagles (Marquette; Oral Roberts); Wildcats (Kentucky; Arizona; Davidson; Villanova); Panthers (Pitt; Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Northern Iowa); Wolfpack (NC State; Nevada); Tigers (LSU; Memphis; Pacific); Bruins (UCLA; Belmont); Huskies (UConn; Washington); Aggies (Texas A&M; Utah State).
(7) UCLA vs. Belmont (Bruins); UConn vs. Washington (Huskies); Villanova vs. Arizona (Wildcats)

(8)
(a) Kentucky Wildcats; Arizona Wildcats; Davidson Wildcats; Villanova Wildcats; Pittsburgh Panthers; Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers; Northern Iowa Panthers; Southern Jaguars; South Alabama Jaguars; LSU Tigers; Memphis Tigers; Pacific Tigers.
(b) Gonzaga Bulldogs; UConn Huskies; Washington Huskies; Southern Illinois Salukis; Nevada Wolf Pack; North Carolina State Wolfpack; Albany Great Danes.
(c) Winthrop Eagles; Boston College Eagles; Marquette Golden Eagles; Oral Roberts Golden Eagles; UNCW Seahawks; Kansas Jayhawks; Monmouth Hawks; Air Force Falcons.
(d) California Golden Bears; UCLA Bruins; Belmont Bruins; Montana Grizzlies.
(e) Duke Blue Devils; Northwestern State Demons.
(f) Texas Longhorns; Arkansas Razorbacks; Bucknell Bison.
(g) Kent State Golden Flashes; UAB Blazers; Wichita State Shockers.
(h) GW Colonials; Penn Quakers; Xavier Musketeers; George Mason Patriots; Tennessee Volunteers.
(i) Seton Hall Pirates; Bradley Braves; LSU Tigers; Pacific Tigers; Memphis Tigers.
(j) Winthrop Eagles; Boston College Eagles; UNCW Seahawks; Pittsburgh Panthers; Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers; Northern Iowa Panthers; George Mason Patriots; Air Force Falcons.
(k) Pittsburgh Panthers (NHL); Northern Iowa Panthers (NHL); Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers (NHL); UCLA Bruins (NHL); Belmont Bruins (NHL); Montana Grizzlies (NBA); Montana Hawks (NBA).
(l) San Diego State Aztecs; Michigan State Spartans; Iona Gaels.
(m) Murray State Racers; Illinois Fighting Illini; West Virginia Mountaineers.
(n) Indiana Hoosiers; Illinois Fighting Illini; UNC Tar Heels; West Virginia Mountaineers; Tennessee Volunteers; Xavier Musketeers; Oklahoma Sooners; Texas A&M Aggies; Utah State Aggies; Gonzaga Bulldogs; Montana Grizzlies.
(o) Penn Quakers; Kansas Jayhawks; Ohio State Buckeyes; Iowa Hawkeyes; Georgetown Hoyas; UAB Blazers; Montana Grizzlies; Arkansas Razorbacks; San Diego State Aztecs.
(p) Iowa Hawkeyes; Ohio State Buckeyes; UNC Tar Heels.
(q) Florida Gators; Syracuse Orangemen; Alabama Crimson Tide; Texas A&M Aggies; Utah State Aggies

SCORING:
1 You’re exaggerating.
2-20 You’re kidding.
21-50 You’re lying.
51-244 You’re cheating.




Final Standings

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NameScoreConf ChampsWild CardChampionin Final 8in Final 4
Lucia Donadio26818WisconsinDuke51
David Josephs26021Northern IowaConnecticut5
Curt Whiteside25619MarquetteMemphis5
claude24820ArkansasDuke4
Nicholas Donadio24818NevadaConnecticut5
Marc Kleiman24818MarquetteConnecticut5
Norman Rosen24721ArkansasDuke4
Bill Acchione24518WisconsinVillanova5
Laura Harlan24319Missouri StDuke4
Robert Huffnagle24313ArkansasConnecticut51
Kelly Wanger24317MarquetteDuke5
Koiki24220CaliforniaConnecticut4
Chris Nowakowski24017WisconsinGonzaga5
John Marshall (2)23816NevadaConnecticut5
Bob Peloso23816Northern IowaConnecticut5
Starbuck23816ArkansasConnecticut5
Randy Wanger23818MarquetteConnecticut4
Sarah Adams23617MarquetteConnecticut4
Coach Doc23617ArkansasConnecticut4
Bob D'Zuro23617ArkansasTexas4
Haklar23617MarquetteConnecticut4
Pangolin Palace23617MarquetteDuke4
John Donadio23516MarquetteDuke5
David Kedson23521ArizonaDuke3
Kate Sullivan23518MarquetteConnecticut4
Jon Broder23317WisconsinConnecticut4
Ed Leach23218MarquetteDuke4
Bret Kleiman23017NevadaTexas4
Rachel Broder22918MarquetteConnecticut4
Matt Josephs22916KentuckyConnecticut4
Perry Leach22915Wichita StConnecticut4
Peter O'Brien22917MarquetteVillanova3
Neil Baumgarten22818ArkansasConnecticut3
Jeff Butscher22816Connecticut4
Chris Kovolski22817KentuckyConnecticut4
Nancy Booth22719UABGonzaga3
Arnold Selig22715WisconsinDuke5
Jason DeMaso22617MarquetteVillanova3
Colin Fitch22617MarquetteConnecticut3
Mom and Pop Kedson22617ArkansasConnecticut3
Todd Pappasergi22617MarquetteConnecticut3
wayne crowther22518MarquetteDuke3
Brett Collson22415Wis-MilwaukeeConnecticut4
Starbuck22415WisconsinDuke5
Chris Hurrell22315Florida StTexas4
Paul Ripley22315MarquetteConnecticut4
Steve Smith22317MarquetteConnecticut3
Mark Cowboy22216NevadaDuke4
Mark Dodger22218NevadaConnecticut3
Michael Paston22216NevadaConnecticut4
Manual Pogach22216MarquetteConnecticut4
Susan Abrams22114WisconsinConnecticut4
Grandpa and Grandma Kedson22114ArkansasDuke4
Rick Simon22115AlabamaDuke4
Kevin Biebel21918ArkansasConnecticut3
Lawrence Mussio21913MarquetteConnecticut4
Miguel Perez21912NevadaConnecticut41
Nick Mahalko21817MarquetteConnecticut4
MaryEllen Donadio21717MarquetteConnecticut3
Dave Mahalko21717ArkansasConnecticut3
John Marshall21615NevadaConnecticut3
Joe Mc21616ArkansasDuke4
Mike Peterson21615WisconsinConnecticut3
Neil Sullivan21616Air ForceDuke4
troy kane21516MarquetteMemphis3
Madison Leach21411ArizonaTexas31
Mike McAtee21415KentuckyDuke3
Al Alberts21114MarquetteDuke3
Mark Koufax20814NevadaMemphis3
Frank Conte20415MarquetteNorth Carolina3
Kevin Kasprzak20415Missouri StConnecticut3
Mike Wetherell19818SyracuseDuke3
Matt Paston19113Wichita StGonzaga3
Maggie Peloso19112Missouri StDuke2
GEORGE B18413Air ForceVillanova2
Edward Leeds18413WisconsinConnecticut2
Packman17412Virginia TechConnecticut3
Samantha Leach1716NevadaVillanova3