Scuttleball: Four More Games

First, a huge thank you to all Scuttleball participants. You have agreed to expose your ‘inner jock’ to support a great cause, The Warrior Sailing Program. As for you sideline sitters, no more lucky shifts on the race course. Sailors that ball have power.

While the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament bracket has too much chalk and not enough Cinderella, madness was restored on the final day of the first weekend when Tennessee blew a 21-point halftime lead to Iowa (but still won) and UCF was inches away from upsetting Duke (but they didn’t). If only…

With the first two rounds completed, we do find madness in the Scuttleball tournament pool pecking order. Last year’s DFL is in the top 20% (lessons learned), two of the top three in the standings live together (collusion?), one person’s 10 picks are all at the bottom (out of phase), while a Scuttleball founder is in the top ten (inside trading?).

Looking ahead, has the playbook on how to defeat Duke been revealed? Can Auburn keep winning for Charles Barkley? Will Michigan exit to the dismay of Midwest yachties? Does #12 seed Oregon continue their march toward the palace ball?

Sixteen teams now have four more games, but with # 1 seeds Duke, North Carolina, and Virginia all looking vulnerable during the first weekend, experts are joining the Zag Nation in believing this could be the year for the Jesuit school from Spokane, WA.

That would put Laura Bolin in the diver seat as the top ranked Scuttleballer (#11) with Gonzaga as the champion. On who looked best during the opening weekend of the NCAA tournament, SBNation.com places the Bulldogs as the top pick:

“The ‘Zags have the toughest road to the national title game of any team left in the tournament, but they also have a case for being the best squad in college basketball. Bet against Gonzaga at your own peril.”

In case their fame is fleeting…

Scuttleball Standings (accumulated points, team to win)
1. Matt Welborn 691, N. Carolina
1. Paul Mikulski 691, Duke
3. Sue Mikulski 683, N. Carolina
4. Don Harthorn 680, Tennessee
5. Quinn Tobin 677, Duke
6. Matt Cohen 670, Michigan
7. Tim Dawson 656, N. Carolina
8. Jack Libby 652, Duke
9. Dylan Flack 649, Kentucky
9. Jonathan Bartlett 649, Duke

Prize list – Complete standings