Alex Whitfield wins men's pool

Just call it the Kansas-Nebraska Act.

Kansas won the national championship in thrilling fashion Monday night, and Alex Whitfield -- a Nebraska fan who goes by the blog nickname "CORNHUSKERS 94 95 97" -- rode the Jayhawks' coattails to win the 13th annual Living Room Times men's basketball pool presented by the UCLA Bruins.

Whitfield, a Duke alum and resident of Brooklyn, New York, finished with 392 out of a possible 477 points, the second-highest total in Times men's pool history behind Arash Markazi's 409 points last year. Whitfield correctly predicted the entire Final Four, both finalists, and the champion. (Here's his bracket.)

It almost wasn't to be for Whitfield. Kansas trailed by 9 points with 2:12 left, and until Mario Chalmers's instant-classic three-pointer with 2.1 seconds left in regulation, it looked like Amy Greca would join her husband Tom as the first pair of spouses to each own a Times pool championship. (Tom Greca won the 2002 men's pool.) Instead, Amy Greca finished sixth in the final standings.

Dan Port, a 2004 USC alum, finished second with 379 points. N.C. State alum and Ph.D. student Chuck Wessell was third with 369 points. Ken Inadomi had 360 points to finish fourth. Rounding out the Top 5 -- all of whom picked Kansas -- is Virginia student Logan Pugh with 355 points.

Hannah McLaughlin of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, who finished 12th, is the only contestant other than Whitfield who got the entire Final Four, both finalists and the champion correct. Port and Pugh got both finalists and the champion right, plus three of the Final Four.

Complete standings here and after the jump.

13th annual men's NCAA pool presented by the UCLA Bruins
1. Alex Whitfield - 392
2. Dan Port - 379
3. Chuck Wessell - 369
4. Ken Inadomi - 360
5. Logan Pugh - 355
6. Amy Greca - 352
7. Gary Atkinson - 344
8. Mike Deeds - 338
9. Jeff Dickens - 337
9. John Chung - 337
9. Dave Whelan - 337
12. Ryan Morgan - 336
12. Hannah McLaughlin - 336
14. Jay Eysol - 335
15. Liz Janelle - 332
15. Shari Long - 332
15. Chris Mulvey - 332
18. Russell Caplin - 329
18. Matthew Thomsen - 329
--. *ALL FAVORITES BRACKET* - 327
20. Joseph Hiegel - 325
21. Dean Thornton - 324
21. Bridget Saviola - 324
23. Tony Gjolaj - 320
23. Gary Kirby - 320
23. Keith Evans - 320
26. Blake Hanson - 319
27. Chris Aemisegger - 318
28. Kevin Pilz - 317
28. Tyler Condon - 317
28. Robert Dokes - 317
31. Jackie Wilson - 315
31. Paul Lucht - 315
33. Mark Gardner - 314
34. Ryan Dalidowitz - 313
35. Ernesto Lopez - 312
36. Michael Hale - 311
37. Ginny Zak - 310
37. Patrick Cullen - 310
37. Matt Scarborough - 310
40. Jennifer Elam - 308
40. Ben Eng - 308
42. Cody Groeber - 306
43. Joe Resper - 305
43. Derek McDonald - 305
45. Kevin Curran - 304
45. Lisa Velte - 304
47. Lauren Moy-Kim - 303
47. Charles Susano - 303
49. Andrew Hunter - 302
49. Rachel Wetherill - 302
49. Jason Rogers - 302
52. Tom Caputi - 300
52. Jeremy Gist - 300
52. Jeff Morrison - 300
52. Kay Torg - 300
56. Tom Keck - 299
56. Kevin Hauschulz - 299
58. Jeremy Kwock - 298
58. Ryan McBride - 298
60. Steve Hartranft - 297
60. Nick Surmacz - 297
60. Khalil Aboukhaled - 297
63. Jon Schoenwetter - 295
63. Marlene Saviola - 295
63. Weston Cross - 295
66. Danielle Thomsen - 294
67. Akash Patel - 293
67. Jeffrey Ferguson - 293
69. James Devine - 292
69. Chai Park - 292
71. Mark Saviola - 290
71. Ted Zak - 290
71. Drew Smith - 290
74. Dave Roberts - 289
74. Denise Reidy - 289
76. Matt Kagan - 288
76. Katrina Lewonczyk - 288
78. Danny Pilz - 287
78. Leanna Loomer - 287
78. Jeff Vaca - 287
81. Sharon Lee - 286
82. Jay Johnson - 285
82. Andrew Long - 285
82. Quvondo Johnson - 285
82. Trent Kelso - 285
82. Cath Doo - 285
87. Brian Neudorff - 283
88. Conor Sullivan - 282
88. Jeff Belisle - 282
88. Jeff Cultrera - 282
91. Antonia Namnath - 280
91. Kelly Strutz - 280
91. Brian Rogers - 280
91. Ken Stern - 280
--. *AGGREGATE PICKS BRACKET* - 280
95. Bill Reece - 279
96. Scott Paine - 278
96. Bob Lutts - 278
96. Cam McLachlan - 278
99. Scott Robertson - 277
100. Randy Styles - 276
101. Dennis Chow - 275
101. Mark Jordon - 275
101. Bea Duque Long - 275
101. Joshua Krause - 275
101. Rick Boeckler - 275
106. James McGinnis - 273
106. Jon Benski - 273
106. Marty West - 273
106. Willie Wheaten - 273
106. Kristen Wall - 273
111. Kristy McCray - 272
112. Greg Kagan - 271
112. Stacey Dubois - 271
112. Esteban Coca - 271
112. Greg Plank - 271
116. Nathan Evangelista - 270
116. Tom Greca - 270
118. Keith DeMonstoy - 268
118. Dave Martins - 268
118. Abby Smagula - 268
118. Patrick Roach - 268
122. Brendan Loy - 266
122. Lauren Taylor - 266
124. Stephen Copenhaver - 265
124. Joe Swiderski - 265
124. Eric Soskin - 265
124. Brian Kiolbasa - 265
124. Joshua Carpenter - 265
124. Pat Caplin - 265
130. Duane Homan - 264
130. Justin Vale - 264
132. Dan Dinunzio - 263
132. Brian Dupuis - 263
132. Jeff Freeze - 263
135. Amir Sadaghiani - 262
135. David Mathues - 262
137. Matt Higgins - 261
137. Rick Garnett - 261
137. Diane Krause - 261
137. Rachel Luberda - 261
141. Christopher Drewry - 260
141. Emily Wood - 260
143. Ken Wagner - 259
144. Mike Marchand - 258
144. Jessica Fortuna - 258
144. Adam De Guire - 258
144. Gordon Strickland - 258
148. Soren Hammerschmidt - 257
149. Matt Wiser - 256
149. Colleen Duggan - 256
149. Joel Thrift - 256
149. Jake Burke - 256
149. Jaime Duque - 256
149. Kristin West - 256
149. Gerry deSimas - 256
--. *JOHN MCCAIN'S BRACKET* - 256
156. Colin Son - 255
156. Peter Timbrell - 255
156. Dmytro Aponte - 255
156. Ian Drayton - 255
--. *BARACK OBAMA'S BRACKET* - 255
160. Jenna Auriemma - 253
160. Michael Tran - 253
162. Larry Caplin - 252
163. Carol LaPlante - 251
163. Frank Rooney - 251
165. Sean Sullivan - 250
165. Pat Gonzales - 250
165. Michael Rosenkrantz - 250
165. Brian Newbold - 250
169. F. X. McGahee - 249
169. Brandon Minich - 249
169. Andrew Leyden - 249
172. Melanie Peralta - 248
173. Jim Wall - 247
174. Barry McGinnis - 246
175. Johanna Cummings - 245
176. Sandy Berman - 244
176. Trisha Neudorff - 244
178. Joey Perucki - 243
178. Roger Snyder - 243
178. Eric Gobel - 243
178. Steve Koppitsch - 243
178. Chris Evans - 243
183. Jeff Sklar - 242
183. Jay Schwartz - 242
183. Scott Loomer - 242
186. Bill Pancoast - 241
186. Greg Shtraks - 241
188. Crys Dalangin - 240
188. Steve Leys - 240
190. Oanh Tran - 239
190. Michael Walsh - 239
192. Phillip Price - 238
192. Darby Shaw - 238
194. Beth Milewski - 233
194. Rob Atherton - 233
194. Rosalie Town - 233
197. Chris Bravo - 231
198. Jessica Cowans - 228
199. Tristin Thomsen - 227
200. Jon Caplin - 226
201. Joe McDade - 225
201. Keith Stefanczyk - 225
203. Meredith Steffen - 224
204. Mike Wiser - 223
205. Robin Crocker - 222
206. Lauren Davis - 219
206. George Heidkamp - 219
208. Jim Hu - 218
208. Neil Waechter - 218
208. Carolyn Blessing - 218
211. Nick Genco - 216
211. Steve Duvernay - 216
211. Brian Nicholson - 216
214. Becky Loy - 213
214. Joanna Rubin - 213
216. Mike Dagen - 211
216. Ian Auzenne - 211
216. David Kreutz - 211
219. Scott Schmidt - 208
219. Bonnie Stone - 208
219. Andrew Hiller - 208
222. Don LaPlante - 207
222. Josh Rubin - 207
224. Kristy LaPlante - 206
224. M.T. Swanson - 206
226. Neil Rampal - 204
227. Susie Ogden - 202
228. A.J. St. John - 201
229. Katherine Kirkpatrick - 198
230. Jessica Osborne - 197
230. Toby, Sasha and Butter Zak Loy - 197
232. Brenden Roche - 195
232. Joe Loy - 195
234. Loyette Loy - 194
234. Todd Stigliano - 194
236. Benjamin Rumery - 189
237. Shireen Garcia - 186
238. Courtney Tawresey - 182
239. Yvette Webster - 181
240. Jen Ham - 174
241. Barbara Cross - 158
242. Robbie Loy - 133
243. Zoe West - 106
244. Eddie Regan - 105
245. Casey Zak - 35

Comments

[Amy]

Congratulations. My team sucks.

[DBrooks]

Thank you for providing the pool, Brendan. My 12-year-old son, Michael Hale, finished 36th, and he enjoyed this pool a lot. He will be proud to see he improved 39 spots for picking Kansas as the winner. He was disappointed in his choices up to this point. Again, thanks.

[Brendan Loy]

You're welcome, DBrooks! I'm glad your son had fun. I know how he feels about having been disappointed in his picks but redeemed by Kansas -- though 36th is a lot better than where I ended up. When you have to climb 62 spots just to reach 122nd place, it's never a good sign. :)

[CORNHUSKERS 94 95 & 97]

Me so happy. Me want to cry.

Thanks Brendan for putting on another great NCAA pool.

[PenguinSix]

I was like 169 I flipped a coin.

I think next year I'll pick the favorites in round one (where I got burned) and then flip a coin.