First round play in the NCAA Tournament ended last night, and I’ve got five bucks to show for it. My first, second, and third round picks (Kansas, Texas A&M, and Xavier, respectively) all won, my fourth and fifth round picks (Texas and Florida) lost in heartbreak fashion in overtime, and I got pleasant surprise wins from the sixth and seventh round picks (Washington and Murray State). Four of my teams were involved in “buzzer beater”-type games, and two won and two lost — which seems like a fair result.
Isaiah Thomas of the Washington Huskies
One interesting thing about the Buck Back is that it can turn on a dime. You can be sitting pretty with lots of teams still in play and, a day later, be out of the competition totally. This year, after the first round, the leader has seven bucks with six teams still playing (the lowest-selected team to win a game, in this case the Ohio University Bobcats, nets you two bucks), two players have five bucks, two have four bucks, two have three bucks, and the Purple Raider is bringing up the rear with two bucks.
Of my remaining teams, the one that was the biggest surprise to me was Washington, which seems to have a lot of quick, rangy, capable players and a good point guard. I’m hoping that they can add another buck to my total when they face off against New Mexico today.
Webner House 