NIT & Women’s NCAA Pool update

All right, here is where things now stand.

In the Women’s NCAA Pool, after wins by UConn and Texas A&M, it’s down to a “Final Four” of Jenna (Auriemma) Stigliano, Andrew Long, Lisa Velte and Michael Watkins. Stigliano (daughter of Geno, UConn alum, and wife of my high-school classmate Todd) can wrap things up early if Texas A&M beats Stanford in Sunday‘s first Final Four game. If that happens, she would clinch the pool right there, regardless of how her father’s team does. On the other hand, if Stanford wins, Stigliano is eliminated, and Long (USC ’02 alum and my Best Man) can clinch the pool if Notre Dame beats UConn in second semifinal. If the Huskies win, Long is out, and the pool will be decided by the UConn-Stanford title game: Velte (my NDLS ’07 classmate) wins if UConn does, Watkins (Internet entrant from Columbus, Ohio) if Stanford does.

Meanwhile, in the NIT Pool, it was HEARTBREAK CITY!!! for Colorado and Loyette (and Matt Thomsen), as Alabama won 62-61 over the Buffs, whose attempted buzzer-beater didn’t fall in. Earlier, Wazzu turned in an epic coug-job, losing 75-44 to Wichita State. So Thursday‘s title game is Wichita vs. Alabama, setting up a classic mid-major vs. major battle, both in the tournament and in the pool. Mike Quinn (a.k.a. isuquinndog, a.k.a. @maquinn78), a 2001 Illinois State alum, will win if his Redbirds’ conference-mates, the Shockers, win. Jeff Morrison (a.k.a. “JD”), a 2004 Iowa State alum, will win if their BCS foes, the Crimson Tide, win. Quinn and Morrison, incidentally, are both long-time blog readers who I’ve met in real life — Quinn in St. Louis at Arch Madness in 2006, Morrison in Denver for the premier of the “Star Trek” movie in 2009. (#NERDS!)