I am ready to declare the Thursday before Selection Sunday as the most underrated day on the sports calendar. Yesterday, there were 49 tournament games across the country. To put that in perspective, the best four days in sports (the first two rounds of the tournament) have 48 games COMBINED. Granted, yesterday doesn’t quite have the same win-or-go-home feel for the true national title contenders, so history isn’t always altered like the tournament does. And, yesterday never gives you the David vs. Goliath stuff because it’s all teams from the same conference playing each other. So, in no way am I saying that this day even rivals next weekend; I’m just saying that maybe we should start adding the Thursday (and Friday) before Selection Sunday to the pantheon of great days on the sports calendar (this sounds like a future post).
Anyway, enough with the rant on how great that day is, in generality. Let’s just get down to what that day was YESTERDAY. 49 games. 10 overtimes. 9 non-overtime games decided by 3 points or less. 5 more non-overtime games within 2 possessions. A #1-seed losing the semis; another one losing in the quarters. Just sheer, downright MADNESS. And, there’s more to come…
RDoc had a huge day when it mattered most, gaining over 700 points yesterday. The day total jumped him from 15th place at the beginning of the day to 5th place by the end of it all – and very much in striking distance of an overall title. Doogan also went from also-ran to serious contender overnight, climbing 7 spots from 13th to 6th. They are all now chasing two new guys at the top of the standings. Mac, who finished 2nd to RDoc on the day, jumped all the way from 7th place to 2nd. But, he remains 86 points behind our new leader, Bry, who finished third on the day, which was enough to move from 2nd to the top spot. Lohse, who had held the lead almost from the get-go, falls to 3rd place, but still very much in the hunt. Dave remains a serious contender for the overall title in 4th place. There are 6 people left within just about 200 points of the top spot.
The biggest fall on the day was suffered by Alexi, who was 5th place at the start of the day, but couldn’t get anything going and fell to 11th at day’s end. Gross also took a hit, as he had to be considered one of the favorites for the title when the day began, but only managed 418 points on the day, dropping him 5 spots to 8th place and probably on the outside looking in for a possible overall title, as he is now 275 points off the pace. Primm, who climbed a spot to 7th is barely holding on to overall title contention, but still 231.5 points off the lead.
Others that fell on the day include RSmith, who dropped 5 spots to 14th; Stri, who fell 3 spots to 13th; and Teddy, who also fell 3 spots to 9th. Scoot is the only one other than RDoc, Doogan, and Mac to climb more than one spot, as he goes from 18th to 16th after a solid showing.
DAY ELEVEN SCORES (days won):
- RDoc – 712.5 (1)
- Mac – 695
- Bry – 681.5
- Doogan – 660.5
- RSmith – 583
- Dave – 570.5 (1)
- Lynch – 540.5
- Waters – 539.5
- J – 537.5 (1)
- Lohse – 518.5 (3)
- Scoot – 512.5 (1)
- Gersh – 462
- Primm – 462
- Rikey – 460 (1)
- Teddy – 456 (1)
- Stri – 454 (1)
- Alexi – 428.5
- Gross – 418
- Lil Lohse – 418
- KA – 384.5
OVERALL STANDINGS (confs won):
- Bry – 1975.5 (BSky*)
- Mac – 1889.5 (NEC*)
- Lohse – 1836 (BSouth, Horizon, OVC, ASun)
- Dave – 1831.5
- RDoc – 1796.5 (BSky*)
- Doogan – 1774
- Primm – 1744 (NEC*)
- Gross – 1700.5 (ASun, CAA, Summit)
- Teddy – 1678 (ASun, MAAC, SunBelt)
- J – 1672.5 (BSouth)
- Alexi – 1656 (OVC, WCC)
- Lynch – 1654.5 (BSky*)
- Stri – 1616.5 (OVC, ASun)
- RSmith – 1615 (MVC*)
- Rikey – 1573 (OVC, ASun, NEC*)
- Scoot – 1496 (ASun)
- Gersh – 1469.5 (ASun)
- Lil Lohse – 1413 (NEC*, SoCon)
- Waters – 1374
- KA – 1162
