Pat McGriff of Boone, Iowa, a secretary at Iowa State University who has been entering my free NCAA Pools since she found them over the Internet in 2009, won the 16th annual Living Room Times men’s pool, riding her unlikely pick of a UConn national title to an surprising pool victory. She rallied from 123rd place at the end of the first round; 85th after the opening weekend; 43rd heading into the Elite Eight; 17th heading into the Final Four; and 5th before tonight. She finishes with 272 out of a possible 477 points.
UConn junior Dan Dinunzio and Mike Long, both of whom also picked the Huskies, finish second and third with 266 and 264 points, respectively. Dane Lindberg, who picked Butler to win the championship and would have won the pool if the Bulldogs had done so (or if Kentucky had beaten UConn in the Final Four), instead finishes fourth with 263 points. Robert Carlos rounds out the Top 5 with 262 points.
Long-time blog reader Chris “Doc” Evans, my childhood friend Diane Krause, Amy Greca (who would have won the 2008 pool if Memphis had beaten Kansas) and college friend Kristy McCray, all of whom also picked UConn to win the title, finished 6th through 9th, with 258, 257, 254 and 251, respectively. Wyoming Cowboys beat reporter Eric Schmoldt finishes tenth with 249 points.
Complete standings here. Others picking the Huskies as champs: 2003 champion Justin Vale (11th place), Kevin Hauschultz (12th), Yvette Webster (14th), Kevin Pilz (15th), Nathan Bunton (18th), Vinny Jankowski (20th) and Stephanie Johansen (21st).
Becky finishes 54th. I finish 173rd, barely beating out the cats (183rd) and the 3-year-old (192nd).