Fantasy March Madness: Cliffs Notes

As the college basketball regular season wound down, the reality of an eight month off-season began to sink in. Everyone was struggling to cope with how to pass the time until next year's draft. "If only the season could last a little while longer..." they thought. And that's when it hit me... something that would force you to watch nearly every game with even more intensity than ever before. It was a match made in heaven between fantasy college hoops and the greatest postseason event in all of sports. Even after the draft, absolutely no one knew how to feel about their team. Sure, some opinions... *cough* Chalmers Chiefers *cough* were stronger than others. But every owner felt they had a legitimate chance to win it all. So here's the Cliffs Notes version for the inaugural season of Fantasy March Madness:
Round 1: Thursday, March 18th - Friday, March 19th

After the opening round, Big Cat held a comfortable lead. The league newcomer is one of only three teams with all 8 players still alive. For Boilers, currently in second place, it's been bittersweet. Purdue's JaJuan Johnson (23pts, 15reb, 2ast, 3blk, 1stl) was the top scorer in the first round. But he ended up losing two players when the Midwest's #14 Ohio stunned #3 Georgetown on Thursday night.

Here's a look at the archived stats for Round 1.

Round 2: Saturday, March 20th - Sunday, March 21st

As the field is set for this year's Sweet 16, the rich got richer in Round 2. Big Cat led the league in scoring for the second straight round, while only losing one player. Crimson & Bluebloods sits in second place, riding the coattails of Syracuse's Wes Johnson (31pts, 14reb, 1blk) and Andy Rautins (24pts, 4reb, 4ast, 2stl). God's on my side was nearly eliminated before the Sweet 16, with the freshman phenom John Wall as his only remaining active player.

Here's a look at the archived stats for Round 2.

Sweet 16: Thursday, March 25th - Friday, March 26th

We're halfway through the tournament, and not one team has been officially eliminated. So congrats to everyone for staying alive this far. But barring a major collapse, Big Cat has the league championship all but wrapped up. With a 100+ point lead and six players remaining, the only race up for grabs at this point is 2nd place. Wayne Chism (22pts, 11reb, 1ast, 1blk) kept The Pink Jellybeans in the hunt with the Sweet 16's top score.

Here's a look at the archived stats for the Sweet 16.

Elite 8: Saturday, March 27th - Sunday, March 28th

WGP moved into 2nd place after posting the league's high score during the Elite 8. With two active players remaining, WGP is one solid round away from keeping Boilers and Crimson & Bluebloods at arms length. Four teams were officially eliminated this round. Neenan's Warriors went out with a bang, as Ekpe Udoh (18pts, 10reb, 6ast, 5blk, 1stl) posted the Elite 8's top score.

Here's a look at the archived stats for the Elite 8.

Final 4: Saturday, April 3rd

Well it looks like the only surprises left in this tournament is who will emerge victorious in the 'David v. Goliath' matchup on April 5th's National Championship. First and second place are safely in the hands of Big Cat and WGP after their solid performances during the Final 4. Big Cat continued to stretch his impressive lead with Kyle Singler (21pts, 9reb, 5ast) posting the high score. It has truly been a complete domination from the beginning.

Here's a look at the archived stats for the Final 4.

National Championship: Monday, April 5th

You can check out my post on the '10 National Championship game here. Big Cat held the lead from Day 1, and never let his foot off the gas. This was one of the most dominating performances I've seen throughout my extensive career in fantasy sports.

Here's a look at the archived stats for the National Championship.