Tar Heels head to Detroit!

The Tar Heels are going too! In a game that was never in question, UNC jumped to a 7-0 lead and never looked back and dropped Oklahoma!

So the Final Four is set:

Michigan State vs. UCONN & Villanova vs. UNC

Games begin next Saturday!

Here are the highlights from the UNC game:

Michigan State is in...

Michigan State took control of Louisville and did something I hadn't seen all year -- nearly humiliate Louisville. Michigan State punches its ticket to the Final Four where they will be only 70 miles away from their campus.

Here are the highlights:

Talking with Nathaniel Royce Abbott

We talked with Nathaniel Royce Abbott, today, about the Young Family Bracket. Abbott, currently in 11th place with 137 points, Nathaniel had UNC, Memphis, Pittsburgh and Michigan State in the Final Four and only has UNC and Michigan State still alive (Both teams play tonight with a trip to the Final Four on the line).

B:How do you think you’ve done so far in the bracket challenge?

N: Pretty good, because I have got most of them.

B: I saw you had Memphis going to the Final Four, how did you react when you saw that they lost to Missouri?

N: Umm, I put my head under my pillow and cried.

B:You still have UNC and Michigan State alive to head to the Final Four. Do you still think that they are going to make it to Detroit?

N: Yes.

B: So, now that Memphis is out, who do you think will face UNC in the Finals?

N: Louisville – because so far they have won all of their games and I think they may beat Connecticut. I’m going with my gut.

B: Have you been having fun with the Bracket Challenge?

N: Yes!

B: What has been your favorite part so far?

N: Umm, I really do not know. Getting up and seeing who has won and lost has been fun.

B: Have you been watching a lot of the games?

N: Yeah – I’ve probably seen about five or six. We watched Connecticut, UNC, Ohio State, Siena and others.

B: You’re only down by 16 to your Mom but you’re up by 45 over your dad… is there anything you’d like to say to them?

N: I think Daddy is going to lose and Mommy may beat me.

B: Alright, so who do you think is going to win the Bracket Challenge this year?

N: Either Uncle Brad or Uncle Jeremy. I really don’t know because you two are really close. I’d say Uncle Brad to win since UNC will win the Championship.

B: Maybe… will you want to play again next year?!

N: Yes!

B: Do you have any parting comments to everyone who is reading this blog?

N: No, not really.

Villanova upsets PITT -- Final Four half way selected.

VILLANOVA beats PITTSBURGH at the Buzzer and punched its ticket to the Final Four only hours after UCONN did. Villanova will take on the winner of UNC vs. Oklahoma next Saturday in Detroit.

Before I go into the standings, I have to say that some people are coming out of nowhere to make a competition out of this bracket challenge. And by that I mean, Allison and Teresa. Allison has been doing well all along and has really come into her own in the past 2 rounds and currently sits in fourth place behind Jeremy, Brad and Eric. Great job, Bug! You're a future bracketologist.

Teresa, on the other hand, went from being near the bottom and has now put herself in 5th place and in a good position to win. It all depends on Michigan State advances for Teresa. Teresa has started to kick some butt, way to go sis!

1. Jeremy -- 222 points

2. Bradley -- 219 points

3. Eric -- 199 points

4. Allison -- 193 points

5. Teresa -- 183 points

6. Joe -- 180 points

7. Melissa -- 165 points

8. Robert -- 163 points

9. Heather -- 153 points

10. Boo Boo -- 150 points

11. Nathaniel -- 137 points

12. Mom -- 130 points

13. Matt -- 92 points

14. Lindsey -- 58 points

Tomorrow will make it interesting. Depending on how tomorrow pans out, it's going to be a three or four person race. Nobody will have all four teams in the Final Four. The most interesting matchup is between Jeremy and Brad. Jeremy is up by just a few points and they both got the same amount of Final Four picks. Right now, it could go down to the Championship game for the both of them as Jeremy has UCONN winning with UNC as the runner up and Brad has UNC winning with UCONN as the runner up.

Also, if Michigan State makes it to the Final Four, enter Eric and Teresa into this equation. Teresa has UNC winning over MSU in the Championship while Eric has MSU over UNC. But if Louisville wins and goes to the Final Four, Ali will be close with Brad and Jeremy. Her difference maker is that she has Louisville losing to UNC in the Final Game. So, this possibility could crown Ali in the Final Four game between UCONN and Louisville.

It's still up for grabs, everybody!!! This is incredible! WOO! Our family kicks ass!

Villanova vs. PITT highlights:

UCONN has punched its ticket to Detroit

UCONN defeated Missouri to reach the Final Four. The first team to punch their ticket to Detroit, UCONN won 82-75 over a pesky Missouri Tiger team.

The second game being played tonight is Pittsburgh vs. Villanova. In the only meeting this season, Villanova beat the Panthers by 10 points. Pitt, who has had trouble in the tournament thus far has only reached the Final Four once, in 1941.

UCONN vs. Missouri Highlights:



Tomorrow the Final Four will be set.

Elite 8 set... another new leader

Well, the Elite 8 is set and again, we have a new leader -- Jeremy.

UNC trounced Gonzaga, Oklahoma trounced Syracuse, Louisville slaughtered Arizona and Michigan State made a valiant comeback against defending champions, Kansas, to finish off Round 3.

Only Eric and Allison have their Final Four still in tact. Way to go, Ali-Bug, you're making your way up the standings. Also, Teresa is beginning to creep her way up into the thick of the hunt as she has made a substantial jump through the Elite 8! Keep it up, Teresa!!

Before I list the standings, there was a miscalculation yesterday. I accidentally gave Jeremy 4 extra points -- hush, I'm terribly sick -- however it didn't affect his standings last week.

Here are the standings:

1. Jeremy -- 182
2. Bradley -- 179
2. Eric -- 179
4. Ali -- 173
5. Teresa -- 163
6. Joe -- 160
7. Heather -- 153
8. Boo Boo -- 150
9. Melissa -- 145
10. Robert -- 143
11. Nathaniel -- 137
12. Mom -- 110
13. Matt -- 92
14. Lindsey -- 58

Games begin Saturday to see who's going to the Final Four! Pittsburgh takes on Villanova (GO NOVA!) and UCONN takes on Missouri.

UNC will take on Oklahoma and Michigan State will take on Louisville on Sunday! This is when the games become more intense... These are THE Games to start watching if you haven't been watching already!

Watch out for Ali-Bug, everyone. She's making her way up there. And she didn't get any help from her neighbor [Cough, Eric]! Keep bracketing and GO HEELS!!! Oh, Jeremy, you suck! :-)

Dook lost, so did Memphis and there's a new leader!

Well... All is right in the world right now. It is my proud honor to tell everyone that shall be reading this blog that tonight, that shitty ass university that is only a mere 8 miles away from the most amazing school in the country lost. Dook lost to Villanova by 23 points! I will refrain from continuing to talk about this because it is always a possibility that my team could lose the next day. However, I will soak in the moment to see a Dook loss. :-)

Also, a HUGE upset for our bracketeers -- Memphis lost to Missouri. Only 2 people chose Missouri to beat Memphis, Bradley and Teresa. Everyone else had Memphis going on -- some even had them in the final (sorry, Boo, Doodle and Nathaniel).

Here are the standings after the first night of Round 3:

1. Bradley -- 149 points

2. Jeremy -- 141 points

3. Heather -- 123 points

4. Boo Boo -- 120 points

5. Eric -- 119 points

6. Teresa -- 118 points

7. Melissa -- 115 points

8. Ali -- 113 points

9. Nathaniel -- 107 points

10. Joe -- 100 points

11. Robert -- 98 points

12. Mom -- 95 points

13. Matt -- 77 points

14. Lindsey -- 28 points

So the first four games to decide the Elite 8 have been played and four more will play tomorrow. It's still anyone's game! Now, officially, Ali, Eric and Jeremy are the only people who have their Final Four still in tact.

My lead will be short-lived I'm afraid, seeing as I had Wake beating Louisville. Yikes!

Keep watching, guys! Some more big games coming up. Tomorrow UNC will take on Gonzaga, Syracuse will take on Oklahoma, Louisville takes on Arizona, and Kansas takes on Michigan State.

Keep bracketing!