Irish Trojan in Tennessee

All chalk?

By Brendan Loy

So... we head into the second day of the Elite Eight facing the still-active possibility of all four #1 seeds making the Final Four for the first time ever. Last year, that prospect still existed at the start of the Elite Eight's first day, but #2-seed UCLA's win over #1-seed Kansas on Saturday night guaranteed that it wouldn't happen. Now, after tonight's wins by #1 seeds UCLA and North Carolina, only #2 Texas (vs. #1 Memphis) and #10 Davidson (vs. #1 Kansas) stand in the way of the all-chalk Final Four.

Pool update shortly.

UPDATE: Ryan Morgan still leads the 13th annual Living Room Times men's basketball pool presented by the UCLA Bruins, but he'll be eliminated if #1-seeded Memphis beats #2 Texas tomorrow.

For now, 12 contestants -- Morgan, Mark Gardner, Joseph Hiegel, Chris Mulvey, Keith Evans, Lisa Velte, Chuck Wessell, Alex Whitfield, Shari Long, Steve Hartranft, Amy Greca and Robert Dokes -- are still alive to win the pool.

But Morgan, Gardner and Hartranft would be eliminated by a Memphis win, while Evans would be eliminated if Memphis wins and Davidson beats Kansas. On the other hand, Hiegel, Mulvey, Whitfield, Long and Greca would be eliminated by a Texas win; Velte would be eliminated if either Texas or Kansas wins; Dokes would be eliminated if either Texas or Davidson wins; and Wessell would be eliminated if Davidson wins, regardless of the Memphis-Texas outcome.

If both of the #1 seeds, Memphis and Kansas, win tomorrow, the pool will be as wide-open as is mathematically possible heading into the Final Four, with eight scenarios remaining and a different winner in each of them!

After the jump, complete standings and additional scenario information.

News flash

By Brendan Loy

Apparently John McCain is American.

P.S. Meanwhile, it seems Hillaryland considers Indiana a must-win. Also, predictably enough, their line of attack against the growing Hillary-should-withdraw chorus (about which, more here) is to play the gender card: Leahy, Dodd, Richardson, etc. are the "big boys" trying to bully a woman. Ugh. What a shameless b.s. artist she is, truly.

Oops, I did it again

By Brendan Loy

For the second straight year, I let IrishTrojan.com expire this morning. BrendanLoy.com was unaffected. I have now renewed IrishTrojan.com. It may take a while to start working again, but in the long run at least, all is well.

Why/how did this happen? Basically, I'm an idiot. Actually, it's a bit of a long story, but I don't really have time to tell it right now, as I'm in the car with Becky, Loyette, Auntie Barb and Auntie Marissa, heading to The Lost Sea in Sweetwater. More later, maybe.

On an unrelated note, GO XAVIER!! BEAT UCLA!!

All hail Appalachia

By Brendan Loy

Man, oh man, has it been a great year to be an unheralded, small-conference school in western North Carolina, or what?

First Appalachian State beats Michigan in the Big House. Then Gardner-Webb beats Kentucky at Rupp Arena. And now Davidson -- Appy State's conference-mate -- is going to the Elite Eight.

Just call it the Bermuda Carolina Triangle:

"Abandon hope, all ye major-conference foes who enter here!"

Heady days in western Carolina. HOT! HOT! HOT!