Actual Bracket

1's: #1 Kansas, #4 Oregon, #2 North Carolina, #3 Virginia
2's: Villanova, Oklahoma, Xavier, Michigan State
3's: Miami (FL), Texas A&M, West Virginia, Utah
4's: California, Duke, Kentucky, Iowa State
5's: Maryland, Baylor, Indiana, Purdue
6's: Arizona, Texas, Notre Dame, Seton Hall
7's: Iowa, Oregon State, Wisconsin, Dayton
8's: Colorado, Saint Joseph's, USC, Texas Tech
9's: Connecticut, Cincinnati, Providence, Butler
10's: Temple, Virginia Commonwealth, Pittsburgh, Syracuse
11's: Vanderbilt, Wichita State, Northern Iowa, Michigan, Tulsa, Gonzaga
12's: South Dakota State, Yale, Chattanooga, Arkansas-Little Rock
13's: Hawaii, UNC Wilmington, Stony Brook, Iona
14's: Buffalo, Green Bay, Stephen F. Austin, Fresno State
15's: UNC Asheville, Cal State Bakersfield, Weber State, Middle Tennessee
16's: Austin Peay, Holy Cross, Southern, Florida Gulf Coast, Fairleigh Dickinson, Hampton

South Region: 77 pts
West Region: 85 pts
East Region: 92 pts
Midwest Region: 82 pts

UPDATE: I'm not sure what went wrong as I was adding up the above point totals during the selection show, but I counted two extra points somewhere along the way.  True score is 334, good for about 20th out of 144 brackets, and about 12.6 points above the average.

Total Paymon score: 334

March 13, 2016 - Final Bracket

1's: Kansas, Villanova, Oregon, North Carolina
2's: Oklahoma, Virginia, Xavier, Michigan State
3's: Utah, West Virginia, Miami (FL), Kentucky
4's: California, Duke, Iowa State, Texas A&M
5's: Purdue, Arizona, Seton Hall, Maryland
6's: Baylor, Texas, Indiana, Iowa
7's: Notre Dame, Colorado, Connecticut, Saint Joseph's
8's: Oregon State, Texas Tech, Dayton, USC
9's: Virginia Commonwealth, Wisconsin, Butler, Cincinnati
10's:Temple, Saint Bonaventure, Pittsburgh, Tulsa
11's: Michigan, Providence, Saint Mary's College, Syracuse, Gonzaga, Arkansas-Little Rock
12's: South Dakota State, Yale, UNC-Wilmington, Chattanooga
13's: Stony Brook, Stephen F. Austin, Fresno State, Northern Iowa
14's: Middle Tennessee, Iona, Hawaii, Buffalo
15's: Weber State, Green Bay, Cal State Bakersfield, UNC Asheville
16's: Hampton, Southern, Fairleigh Dickinson, Florida Gulf Coast, Austin Peay, Holy Cross

March 10, 2016

1's: Kansas, Villanova, Virginia, Oklahoma
2's: Oregon, Xavier, Utah, Michigan State
3's: West Virginia, Miami (FL), North Carolina, Duke
4's: California, Iowa State, Texas, Purdue
5's: Maryland, Texas A&M, Indiana, Arizona
6's: Iowa, Baylor, Kentucky, Colorado
7's: Oregon State, Dayton, Notre Dame, Seton Hall
8's: USC, Texas Tech, Wisconsin, Butler
9's: Saint Joseph's, Cincinnati, Providence, Connecticut
10's: Saint Bonaventure, Pittsburgh, Temple, Michigan
11's: Tulsa, Vanderbilt, Syracuse, Saint Mary's College, Gonzaga, San Diego State
12's: Akron, South Dakota State, Yale, UNC-Wilmington
13's: Northern Iowa, UC Irvine, Arkansas-Little Rock, Chattanooga
14's: Stony Brook, Iona, Stephen F. Austin, UAB
15's: New Mexico State, Green Bay, Weber State, UNC Asheville
16's: Hampton, Texas Southern, Fairleigh Dickinson, Florida Gulf Coast, Austin Peay, Holy Cross

FFO: South Carolina, Virginia Commonwealth, Florida, George Washington
NFO: Houston, Wichita State, Georgia Tech, Washington

March 8, 2016

1's: Kansas, Villanova, Virginia, Oklahoma
2's: Oregon, Xavier, Utah, Michigan State
3's: West Virginia, Miami (FL), North Carolina, Iowa State
4's: California, Duke, Texas, Maryland
5's: Texas A&M, Purdue, Kentucky, Indiana
6's: Arizona, Iowa, Baylor, Colorado
7's: Dayton, Oregon State, Texas Tech, Notre Dame
8's: Seton Hall, USC, Wisconsin, Butler
9's: Saint Joseph's, Cincinnati, Providence, Connecticut
10's: Saint Bonaventure, Syracuse, Tulsa, Vanderbilt
11's: Temple, Michigan, Pittsburgh, South Carolina, Saint Mary's College, San Diego State
12's: Akron, South Dakota State, Yale, UNC-Wilmington
13's: Arkansas-Little Rock, Chattanooga, Stony Brook, UC Irvine
14's: Northern Iowa, UAB, Stephen F. Austin, Iona
15's: New Mexico State, Green Bay, Weber State, UNC Asheville
16's: Lehigh, Wagner, Hampton, Texas Southern, Florida Gulf Coast, Austin Peay

FFO: Florida, Virginia Commonwealth, Florida State, George WashingtonNFO: Houston, Georgia Tech, Wichita State, Stanford

March 7, 2016

1's: Kansas, Villanova, Virginia, Oklahoma
2's: Oregon, Xavier, Utah, Michigan State
3's: West Virginia, Miami (FL), North Carolina, Iowa State
4's: Duke, California, Maryland, Texas
5's: Texas A&M, Purdue, Indiana, Kentucky
6's: Arizona, Baylor, Iowa, Colorado
7's: Oregon State, Texas Tech, Dayton, Notre Dame
8's: USC, Seton Hall, Butler, Wisconsin
9's: Saint Joseph's, Cincinnati, Providence, Connecticut
10's: Saint Bonaventure, Syracuse, South Carolina, Temple
11's: Michigan, Tulsa, Vanderbilt, Pittsburgh, Saint Mary's College, San Diego State
12's: Valparaiso, Monmouth, Arkansas-Little Rock, Hofstra
13's: UC Irvine, Yale, Northern Iowa, Stephen F. Austin
14's: Chattanooga, Stony Brook, Akron, South Dakota State
15's: UAB, New Mexico State, Weber State, UNC Asheville
16's: Lehigh, Wagner, Hampton, Texas Southern, Florida Gulf Coast, Austin Peay

FFO: Florida, Florida State, Virginia Commonwealth, George Washington
NFO: Houston, Stanford, Georgia Tech, Washington

March 4, 2016

1's: Kansas, Villanova, Oklahoma, Oregon
2's: Virginia, Xavier, Utah, Miami (FL)
3's: West Virginia, Michigan State, North Carolina, Duke
4's: Iowa State, Maryland, Texas, California
5's: Baylor, Texas A&M, Purdue, Kentucky
6's: Arizona, Iowa, Colorado, Indiana
7's: Texas Tech, Oregon State, Notre Dame, USC
8's: Dayton, Wisconsin, Saint Joseph's, Seton Hall
9's: Pittsburgh, Connecticut, Butler, Syracuse
10's: Providence, Michigan, South Carolina, Saint Bonaventure
11's: Vanderbilt, Cincinnati, Temple, Florida, Wichita State, Saint Mary's College
12's: San Diego State, Arkansas-Little Rock, Princeton, Monmouth
13's: Valparaiso, Hofstra, Chattanooga, UC Irvine
14's: Stephen F. Austin, UAB, Stony Brook, South Dakota State
15's: Akron, Belmont, New Mexico State, Winthrop
16's: Montana, Hampton, Wagner, Bucknell, Texas Southern, Florida Gulf Coast

FFO: Tulsa, Virginia Commonwealth, Stanford, Washington
NFO: Alabama, George Washington, Florida State, Houston

March 2, 2016

1's: Kansas, Villanova, Oklahoma, Oregon
2's: Virginia, Xavier, Utah, Michigan State
3's: Miami (FL), West Virginia, North Carolina, Iowa State
4's: California, Maryland, Duke, Baylor
5's: Texas, Texas A&M, Purdue, Kentucky
6's: Indiana, Iowa, Texas Tech, Colorado
7's: Oregon State, Arizona, Notre Dame, Seton Hall
8's: Saint Joseph's, Dayton, USC, Wisconsin
9's: Pittsburgh, Connecticut, South Carolina, Tulsa
10's: Michigan, Butler, Vanderbilt, Syracuse
11's: Temple, Stanford, Alabama, Cincinnati, Wichita State, Saint Mary's College
12's: San Diego State, Arkansas-Little Rock, Princeton, Monmouth
13's: Valparaiso, Hofstra, Chattanooga, UC Irvine
14's: Stephen F. Austin, UAB, Stony Brook, South Dakota State
15's: Akron, Belmont, New Mexico State, Winthrop
16's: Weber State, North Florida, Bucknell, Hampton, Wagner, Texas Southern

FFO: Saint Bonaventure, Providence, Florida, Washington
NFO: Virginia Commonwealth, George Washington, Florida State, Gonzaga

March 1, 2016

With tournament month finally upon us, I'd like to take a look at a few important games down the stretch run to the major conference tournaments.  With two leagues starting postseason play today, we will have 11 or 12 tournament tickets punched in a week's time, depending on possible Princeton-Yale tie-breaker game.


Here are a few teams who stand the most to gain and most to lose in the remaining regular season games.


Most to gain:

• Baylor - remaining games @ #6 Oklahoma & vs. #13 West Virginia.  With just eight losses on the season, Baylor has very little to lose in these games.  Worst case scenario they may slide to a low-5 or high-6 seed with two non-competitive losses.  If they can win either game, however, they should effectively lock up a 4-seed, and winning both would push them into a 3-seed and in the discussion for a 2-line, depending on how they fare in the Big12 tourney.
• Indiana - remaining games @ #21 Iowa & vs. #10 Maryland.  Despite Indiana's solid record, they're being held back by a low #92 SOS, and a few poor losses (Wake Forest, UNLV, Penn State).  Their remaining games give significant lift to the SOS, by at least ten spots, and do not offer an opportunity for an additional bad loss.  A win in either game would boost Indiana to a #6, and winning both may push them up to a 5-seed.  The Hoosiers record and remaining schedule gives them a high-ceiling, despite their existing resume blemishes.
• Colorado - remaining game @ #8 Utah.  The Buffalos are a lock for the tourney with a solid resume, with a worst case 9-seed given a loss to Utah and first-round Pac12 knockout.  A win in their regular season finale would give them a significant boost to their strength of victory, and may bump them to a 5-seed.

Most to lose:

• Wisconsin - remaining games @ #239 Minnesota & @ #18 Purdue.  Despite an otherwise top-5 seed resume, the Badgers' resume includes an alarming 5 losses outside the top-100 on their resume.  A loss in Minneapolis on Wednesday would be a sixth. I'm not saying it would be a death blow to their tournament hopes, but it would put them back onto the bubble from whence they recently rose above.  A 5-7 seed in the conference tournament would mean yet another game against a sub-100 RPI opponent and therefore another opportunity for a resume blemish.
• To be continued...

1's: Kansas, Villanova, Oklahoma, Oregon
2's: Virginia, Xavier, Michigan State, Utah
3's: Miami (FL), West Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland
4's: California, Iowa State, Duke, Baylor
5's: Texas A&M, Texas, Purdue, Iowa
6's: Kentucky, Arizona, Colorado, Texas Tech
7's: Oregon State, Notre Dame, Indiana, Seton Hall
8's: Saint Joseph's, Dayton, USC, Connecticut
9's: South Carolina, Wisconsin, Pittsburgh, Michigan
10's: Cincinnati, Tulsa, Vanderbilt, Florida
11's: Butler, Stanford, Alabama, Syracuse, Wichita State, San Diego State
12's: Saint Mary's College, Arkansas-Little Rock, Princeton, Monmouth
13's: Valparaiso, Hofstra, Chattanooga, UC Irvine
14's: Stony Brook, UAB, South Dakota State, Stephen F. Austin
15's: Akron, Belmont, New Mexico State, Winthrop
16's: Weber State, North Florida, Bucknell, Hampton, Wagner, Texas Southern

FFO: Temple, Saint Bonaventure, Providence, George Washington
NFO: Virginia Commonwealth, Washington, Florida State, Georgia Tech